The American Dream
I am going to use the term “American” because it’s use is so traditional in the United States. I do, however, still have a difficult time accepting the use of the term America to refer just to the United States when, in fact, the Americas include North America (United States and Canada), Central America and South America.
“The American Dream” is also a term which is used as if the dream is attainable for all people. The economist Raj Chetty points out in his guest appearance on the podcast Hidden Brain with its host Shankar Vedantam that one should think in regional or neighborhood terms about ability to capture this economic dream. Where one grows up in most places in the world, although not deterministic, have a huge influence on the extent to which one can “move on up” the financial success ladder. As an economist Dr. Chetty is focused mainly on financial success although he does obliquely mention some other possible parameters for success.
As a person who grew up in a family where money was always a huge concern; where food and other care items were rationed; and one full size and one twin bed accommodated 5 children, I am mindfully grateful that I am, as an adult, able to purchase the food, clothing and heat that I need. In fact, I am able to afford many luxuries. If my car needs repaired or serviced I can write a check without worrying about it bouncing or using the rent money. In those terms I have achieved the American Dream. I have exceeded the income and living standards of my family of origin. In fact, all my siblings are, relatively well off in comparisons to our parents. Yet, none of us are wealthy and have not raised children whose primary goal in life has been to become wealthy or even to move to “the right side of the tracks”. For the most part, the achievement of the American Dream is for us measured by different criteria. In one way or another, we have all made the quality of relationships our most important achievement. For one sister the quality of her relationship with mother earth is primary. All of us seem to understand that after earning enough money for what we consider essentials and a few luxuries we need a greater sense of purpose than “moving on up” economically and socially. None of us are among the financial movers and shakers in our respective communities. Yet, each of us will, as did many of our ancestors, always find a way to feed the person who appears at our door. We know how to stretch a pot of soup or whatever else is cooking in our house.
Our current president and many of his supporters talk about “Making America Great again”. For many it was never great. Many have been and are still food challenged or more likely to end up incarcerated or dead. Hate crimes are seemingly even more openly committed. Racism, sexism, classism and oppression in many forms continues, it seems, to be acceptable to many.
The question we need to be asking is: “How do we instill a sense of purpose in school age children without brainwashing them into one religion, ideology or philosophy?” The answer seems to be that we teach them to ask the important questions about the goals for which we will use academic skills to make manifest. Children are open to discussing these and related questions. Children and adults learn better when skills feel useful and not just formulas or other information to memorize.
We can be great as the United States of America. We can share resources more equally. We can design a more effective health care system which includes affordable training. We can use our math, science and English skills to create a world which makes sense and which we do not experience as just another hamster wheel. Obviously, we can ask these questions only if and when our basic survival needs are met. This has not ever been true for all living in the United States.
Make America great has to be related to values other than moving on up economically. If we want to decrease all forms of addiction and other “dis eases” we need to be courageous enough to ask the tough philosophical and theological questions.
Written December 12 and 13, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
oachpickett.org
I am going to use the term “American” because it’s use is so traditional in the United States. I do, however, still have a difficult time accepting the use of the term America to refer just to the United States when, in fact, the Americas include North America (United States and Canada), Central America and South America.
“The American Dream” is also a term which is used as if the dream is attainable for all people. The economist Raj Chetty points out in his guest appearance on the podcast Hidden Brain with its host Shankar Vedantam that one should think in regional or neighborhood terms about ability to capture this economic dream. Where one grows up in most places in the world, although not deterministic, have a huge influence on the extent to which one can “move on up” the financial success ladder. As an economist Dr. Chetty is focused mainly on financial success although he does obliquely mention some other possible parameters for success.
As a person who grew up in a family where money was always a huge concern; where food and other care items were rationed; and one full size and one twin bed accommodated 5 children, I am mindfully grateful that I am, as an adult, able to purchase the food, clothing and heat that I need. In fact, I am able to afford many luxuries. If my car needs repaired or serviced I can write a check without worrying about it bouncing or using the rent money. In those terms I have achieved the American Dream. I have exceeded the income and living standards of my family of origin. In fact, all my siblings are, relatively well off in comparisons to our parents. Yet, none of us are wealthy and have not raised children whose primary goal in life has been to become wealthy or even to move to “the right side of the tracks”. For the most part, the achievement of the American Dream is for us measured by different criteria. In one way or another, we have all made the quality of relationships our most important achievement. For one sister the quality of her relationship with mother earth is primary. All of us seem to understand that after earning enough money for what we consider essentials and a few luxuries we need a greater sense of purpose than “moving on up” economically and socially. None of us are among the financial movers and shakers in our respective communities. Yet, each of us will, as did many of our ancestors, always find a way to feed the person who appears at our door. We know how to stretch a pot of soup or whatever else is cooking in our house.
Our current president and many of his supporters talk about “Making America Great again”. For many it was never great. Many have been and are still food challenged or more likely to end up incarcerated or dead. Hate crimes are seemingly even more openly committed. Racism, sexism, classism and oppression in many forms continues, it seems, to be acceptable to many.
The question we need to be asking is: “How do we instill a sense of purpose in school age children without brainwashing them into one religion, ideology or philosophy?” The answer seems to be that we teach them to ask the important questions about the goals for which we will use academic skills to make manifest. Children are open to discussing these and related questions. Children and adults learn better when skills feel useful and not just formulas or other information to memorize.
We can be great as the United States of America. We can share resources more equally. We can design a more effective health care system which includes affordable training. We can use our math, science and English skills to create a world which makes sense and which we do not experience as just another hamster wheel. Obviously, we can ask these questions only if and when our basic survival needs are met. This has not ever been true for all living in the United States.
Make America great has to be related to values other than moving on up economically. If we want to decrease all forms of addiction and other “dis eases” we need to be courageous enough to ask the tough philosophical and theological questions.
Written December 12 and 13, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
oachpickett.org
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