The current economic situation, particularly its persistence, has created an atmosphere of apathetic fear - a dull ache every time we watch broadcast news or pick up a newspaper. The "American Dream" as we know it from birth glosses over the issues every person faces in this country today. The idealized life: house in the suburbs, green lawn, SUV, 2.7 kids, and happiness, is the exception not the rule. Materialism holds the average American in a vice grip, and when certain luxuries become unavailable or unattainable, we blame the government instead of taking responsibility for our poor decision-making.
Joan Claybrook in the PBS "Deepening the American Dream" series said: "It's time to take back America, to make it our dream, not the dream of the financial and special interests." I completely agree with this statement. Our founding fathers never intended for public policy to be dictated by power-hungry corporations and their goons; their unchecked efforts to mislead consumers caused the world-wide economic collapse.
Another aspect of today's American Dream is our involvement in and awareness of foreign governments and people. David Frum (speaking in the same PBS series) said: "Human beings have the ability to...make their own limits without resentment against others." I agree that people have the ability but I don't believe, with our current government, that people have the capability. We are severely restricted by the news media. Without transparency and tolerance, we cannot hope to reach out, citizen to citizen. If I can ever achieve that, I'll consider my personal American Dream fulfilled.
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