America Is Based On False Opportunities
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Copyright © 2012 JoshLam.com. All rights reserved.
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You have greatly misrepresented the American Dream.
Take the story of Rosa Cassettari – according to Of the People: A History of the United States (Vol. 2: Since 1865) – who was an Italian immigrant, in 1884, to America. Rosa’s inital experiences included her being cheated, forced to ravel to Missouri (from New York) with no food, live in a tent upon arrival, give birth to a premature child alone in her cabin, deal with an abusive husband, and much else accounted for in her autobiography. Yet, “Rosa was impressed by many things about America. Poor people did not behave humbly in the presence of the rich, for example, and Rosa wore decent clothing and ate meat every day, things she could never do back in Europe.” This is the story so many immigrants know (Of the People, 481).
America is not the perfect country. We haven’t always treated everyone equal, given everyone the proper justice, or even lived up to everyone’s expectations. However, there is one thing that cannot be denied about America. It’s the reason more than 1.2 million people migrate to this country per a year. It is the American Dream. As James Truslow Adams describes, “[the] dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, also too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” While it’s true this hasn’t always been the case for every person, it has been subject to perfection over time.
You have misinterpreted this Dream as “jobs and money.” The Dream is about an opportunity offered, NOT success guaranteed. The Dream is not always about a gain, especially of money. False opportunity and failure are NOT the same thing, as you have portrayed.
You are correct that innovation is a requirement to succeed, but hard work is the backing to that success.
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I think you make some clear points, but what Josh is getting at here is that the American Dream isn’t what it seems. He even sites examples that plainly show this. The american dream, all the opportunity that lies before us is touted as what everyone should strive for, it’s cloudy and murky and misrepresented today. Sure there’s opportunity in America, but it’s not in corporate jobs, slaving for retirement, especially when that certainty is slowly dying…it’s found with innovation, hardwork, thinking outside the box and changing the game. Just like Rosa.
Good realization in here Josh. Hilarious breakdown of the buying an ebook, clicking affiliate links and then being frustrated…I saw through this route and have avoided such a frustration, but continue to chip away at this new economy rising by doing what you’re doing…hard work, trial and error, and thinking up new avenues to apply what you’re good at.
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I’ve been into blogging for quite some time and this is definitely a great post. I signed up for your newsletter, so please keep up the informative posts!
Good luck on your blog, and feel free to comment and subscribe to my blog as well when you get a chance.
Just stumbled upon this page, really impressed with what you’re doing and I really appreciate the posts, great work – keep it up!
x
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