Reconciling the American Dream with the Least Among Us

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by Bond

I don't necessarily disagree with your belief in the American Dream, but how do you explain the fact that the prime determiner of what ones class will be is the class of their parents?

My first response would be to not let the myth of the perfect blind anyone from seeing the good.

If the TRUE determiner of one's class are their parents 1) Black people would still be slaves (thats why equality under the law is so important) and 2) I would be a a member of the working poor right now. In my mind the real reason is that we've had a government has been telling people since the 1930's that they can't do it, and has taken steps to ensure that they can't in a misguided attempt to help.

I could cite examples from today's predominantly black inner city ghettos and disproportionate occurrences of single parent households being a result of 1920's - 1940's government policies rather than individual efforts all the way to the counter-productive tax system I described earlier to draconian eminent domain laws. If we want people to achieve, we cannot interfere with their efforts to do so AND then TAKE the results of their achievement when they overcome that interference. In such an environment discouragement would be the norm, not the exception.

Still, even with all of this interference and borderline abuse, America is still the first and best example of people being able to come from nothing and make a successful life on their own terms, whatever that may be. Also, immigrants still flock to out shores. Hell, we're building a damn wall to keep them out because they are fleeing a REAL aristocracy in Mexico, where if you were born with native blood you are essentially &%$@ed at birth.

To me its all about perspective.