the American Dream and its harm
Jun. 9th, 2003 11:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
drydemThe American Dream: that anyone, given the right circumstances, can be rich and powerful.
The result: the self-oppression of the masses.
The other day I was listening to the radio and heard some European students speaking of the American system of government and economics(no difference at this point). ONe of them said that all Americans seem to believe in this economic dream, where if they are hard working enough, they could be George Bush.
This is true. I suppose most people do think that.
The theory however, is not true and it is incredibly problematic. Let me advance a theory. If someone believes that if they work hard enough that they will become rich, they believe that those who are rich are rich because they worked hard. They thus do not dispute the wealth of the rich. This acceptance allows the rich to make themselves richer through legislation and oppression of the masses.
People need to understand that the rich have no inherent right to be rich. Those who earn their money deserve what they earn, but just because someone has money doesn't mean that they worked hard to get it.
The result: the self-oppression of the masses.
The other day I was listening to the radio and heard some European students speaking of the American system of government and economics(no difference at this point). ONe of them said that all Americans seem to believe in this economic dream, where if they are hard working enough, they could be George Bush.
This is true. I suppose most people do think that.
The theory however, is not true and it is incredibly problematic. Let me advance a theory. If someone believes that if they work hard enough that they will become rich, they believe that those who are rich are rich because they worked hard. They thus do not dispute the wealth of the rich. This acceptance allows the rich to make themselves richer through legislation and oppression of the masses.
People need to understand that the rich have no inherent right to be rich. Those who earn their money deserve what they earn, but just because someone has money doesn't mean that they worked hard to get it.
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no subject
Date: 2003-06-09 10:07 pm (UTC)Now, the statistics about wealth mobility are questionible. That's what the last guy who won the nobel won it for. Yeah, that's the euro way - stasis. It's the classic question. Do you prefer risk or security?
Actually, the real matter that complicates this theory is that what you are, in essence, arguing for is estate tax. It's a pretty thought, but when it affects mostly the small business and farms, what good is it? Assets look funny, but that's a law thing.