Is the American Dream iover?

[observer67]

The common American dream, of going to college, working hard, getting a good job, owning a home and a car, raising a family in a nice neighborhood, having one nice vacation a year...week long or more, every house with a garage with a plane parked in the garage.

I read an artilce that due to the lost decade +2 years more...those under age 35, 30% are still living with their parents...and across all sectors they have done worse financially speaking then their parents....they are behind the 8 ball in their financial lives (and wealthy building) and many haven't even ventured out on their own.

[low preference guy]

Yes. You will succeed if you are really exceptional, but that is also true in most countries. Just working hard in the system according to your ability won't let you go as far as it used to.

[dannno]

It's official.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsAVZrUIm-g

[muzzled dogg]

been dead

[Vessol]

It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.

[ChaosControl]

those under age 35, 30% are still living with their parents

Uh... Does this mean 0-35, 18-35, or some other span?

Anyway, no it isn't. Anyone can achieve success if they are willing to work for it. The government may have made it more difficult, but it is still perfectly possible.

[goldencane]

You can't have great reward without great risk and our government tries to eliminate risk where ever they can. If we are not allowed to take our own risks, we cant reap the rewards. So yes, it is. At least in the way many people define the American Dream. We still have it better than most of the world.

[Vessol]

The College Bubble is going to burst any year now. It's already in the starting stages.

[Seraphim]

No, but on life support.

[heavenlyboy34]

It's official.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsAVZrUIm-g

This ^^ FTW

[Vessol]

What I find insulting is that the idea is that you cannot be self-accomplished or happy unless you achieve all that the OP specified. These things are pounding into our heads as children going through the American Indoctrination System.

[observer67]

Uncle Sam Says No, You Absolutely Can’t Have These Cars

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/04/cars-uncle-sam-says-you-cant-have/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Ind ex+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher#

[Kludge]

Americans buy way more goofy shit than they did when people cared about personal finance.

There's no reason you can't skip college, still live in a decent house with your own car (or a few) in a two+-car garage where you store an absurd amount of energy-wasting Christmas lights and R/C airplanes/cars, go on two+ casino-cruises per year, and live in a nice neighborhood, and have almost no debt.

My dad's been doing it for decades - working a tedious and very physically demanding factory job with no prerequisites for 60+ hours per week with three kids in the household. His girlfriend worked at the same factory, then moved on to Subway as a "sandwhich artist" (or w/e they're called).

It's not that the American Dream's over - it's just not good enough anymore.

[Vessol]

I guess observer was fire41, heh.

[MelissaWV]

The common American dream, of going to college, working hard, getting a good job, owning a home and a car, raising a family in a nice neighborhood, having one nice vacation a year...week long or more, every house with a garage with a plane parked in the garage.

I read an artilce that due to the lost decade +2 years more...those under age 35, 30% are still living with their parents...and across all sectors they have done worse financially speaking then their parents....they are behind the 8 ball in their financial lives (and wealthy building) and many haven't even ventured out on their own.

I am living with my parents. My parents are living with me. I am not the one financially compromised. There are a large number of people "under 35" who are living at home and helping parents whose retirements were decimated and who are trying to get used to the idea of living on less. There are people my age who are shouldering the burden of groceries, transportation, mortgage, insurance, and every other responsibility under the sun in an attempt to keep the folks who gave birth to them from ending up in the poorhouse.

I don't know, by the way, whose dream you are talking about. Almost no one ever owned their home within a short period of time (mortgages are not really new inventions, they've just gotten more devious). Where on earth did you get the "one nice vacation" thing, and how did "nice" need to be coupled with "week long or more"? And who the hell has a plane parked in their garage?

[acptulsa]

I guess observer was fire11, heh.

Not a shadow of doubt in my mind, and I didn't even see the IP address.

[outspoken]

It was never realized and was always just a concept. It is ironic because the has always been some minority group in the US suppressed by either govt or ignorant bigotry. And as the minority groups such as blacks and women gained more freedom, the wool has been pulled over the eyes of virtually all citizens by an ultra elite oligarchy. Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere... It's everywhere now.

[Humanae Libertas]

I've always seen the American dream as living well and comfortably, but now since the domination of the corporate run media, they have instilled ideas into our children's mind that you have to have new 3000+sq ft house, along with new car on credit, with a beautiful white picket fence, and college loan debt.

The cookie cutter version of the American dream is dead. That lifestyle is unsustainable, especially if you make middle income.

[heavenlyboy34]

the misspelled title of this thread makes me giggle every time I see it for some reason. :)

[Southron]

I realize the OP is banned but the reason many people are living with their parents is because they have enormous college debt and low paying jobs. That is a heavy burden to carry that could have been a house instead of a piece of paper.

But never fear. The standard of living is increasing in China.