Monday, April 2, 2012

The Recession and the Dream


The economic recession of 2008 has put the American Dream into question for many people. The once possible goal of attaining economic security, a major component of the Dream, has now become seemingly impossible to achieve. For many, this has brought on a sense of disillusionment with the American Dream.

However, I do not believe that this means that Americans have given up on the Dream. Rather, I believe that Americans are fighting for their right to continue pursuing the Dream without impediment. Just because American citizens believe they cannot attain the ideals described by the Dream now does not mean that they think that they will never achieve this goal.

Additionally, I believe that the economic recession has allowed people to come closer together, strengthening community bonds and maintaining the social / cultural aspects of the American Dream. Although the Occupy movement has created a lot of controversy, the movement has also allowed for the public to gather together and rally for a common purpose: to stop corrupt practices in big business and Congress.

What do you believe the recession has had on people's view of the American Dream?

2 comments:

  1. I definitely agree that many people have become disillusioned by the American Dream and have realized that we need to reinvent how we conceptualize the Dream now that we have dealt with the consequences of our own irresponsible policies and actions. I do agree that the recession has had a positive impact, namely uniting groups and communities, as you mentioned. The fact that so many people are convinced that our country is in a downward spiral is indicative of the necessity for a redefinition of the Dream and has actually encouraged many Americans to reexamine their values and priorities looking toward the future.

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  2. I also agree with you, Samir, that the Dream can be attainable, but it has to come with a lot of work. Like you said, the dream is almost impossible and with "simplicity" as Kathleen said, can fix the problem. It is like starting any project, the simpler the idea and the beginning, the more one can accomplish and build on it.

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