by Christopher O'Brien

Created on: January 08, 2011   Last Updated: January 09, 2011

Think of a vintage Greyhound dog race. The dogs line up at a starting gate with tension and excitement pulsing through their veins, yapping and eager to be turned loose. The gate goes up and the dogs go wild chasing the little mechanical rabbit on the inside track. These dogs have absolutely no chance of catching the elusive rabbit and they are blissfully unaware of the betting, money, and fortunes being made or lost in the grandstands. They are simply doing what they are designed to do through some sort of ancestral instinct. Chase down what you crave.

Perhaps it’s a stretch to compare this k-9 competition to the American Dream, or maybe it’s just poor imagination on my part. Regardless, I see parallels.

The definition of the American Dream is that every single American regardless of race, creed, or religious preference is born with an equal and fair chance to succeed in this society. A person can go as high as they want on the ladder and at any given time say “this is high enough and I am comfortable with where I am.” Or “Higher, I need more and I can get it.” If we are honest with ourselves and give in to an unpopular truth, then we can freely admit that this just is not the case.

The American Dream is not possible for all Americans. The American dream relies on the principles of its host, Capitalism, and from this we know that some people have to fail for the system to properly function. The fact that some, perhaps a lot, of people need to be contained in the realm of poverty is not a popular notion but it is a reality. Under the principles of Capitalism it’s just not possible for everyone to enjoy the wealth.  Since no one will admit that people have to fail for Capitalism to work properly, and people certainly won’t admit that they are destined and needed to be poor, the American Dream serves as an excellent dose of propaganda for a system that is fair only to certain people.

The American Dream is instilled in us from a very young age and we spend our whole lives believing that if we do well in school, go to college, have grand ideas, and voice our patriotic views, everything will turn out just fine. A majority of Americans do these things and still find themselves feeling somehow cheated. Why is that? They played by the rules yet they are still in debt. They did everything they were supposed to yet they just can’t seem to get ahead.

The American Dream fails many people but it keeps them striving

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>