The American Dream or Nightmare?

The American Dream is what makes Americans American. The Dream has always been about social and economic mobility, guaranteed rights and golden opportunity. This is at the heart of John Steinbeck’s epic novel Grapes of Wrath and the Joad family’s quest for a new life.

Recently, the Dream has been rudely interrupted. Global financial distress has altered spending and saving habits. The US federal government has bailed out huge companies like General Motors. Federal and state governments have huge debts.

Some states are in danger of going bankrupt. California is the most prominent example. Issuing IOUs has not helped Schwarzenegger’s heroic image. The Terminator may have his reputation terminated by all this. The Boston Globe reported less than a year ago up to 22 states are facing serious financial budget gaps.

With huge government and corporate debt, the individual citizen is left the most vulnerable of all.

The golden opportunity of early American history and the industrial revolution is becoming less of a reality. We must not forget that the Joad family, when they eventually reached California, found that it was not the “Golden State” in reality.

Americans will never rid themselves of their sense of immense possibility. I have friends who live in wealthy rural Virginia. They are proud of the fact that, less than 10 years ago, their first home was in a trailer park. You can start as a poor child in a log cabin, and end up the President of the United States, like Abraham Lincoln. There’s also a guy named Barack Obama, who did quite well.

Most Americans also don’t see their place in the global order slipping. Some of the more politically informed will acknowledge that the European Union is rising in importance. Others understand that China and India are fast rising economic forces. However, most ordinary American citizens still view their country as the world’s policeman.

The American work ethic is a vital factor in the American Dream. American folk tales make hard work a necessary part of being American. John Henry, in the famous American folk song A Steel-Drivin’ Man, “hammered his fool self to death”. Going to work everyday in a job they simultaneously love and hate makes up part of the character of a US citizen. Working hard contributes to a sense of ownership, a sense of pride.

The American Dream has not become a nightmare, but it has had a loud Wake Up Call. The Americans still want to be John Wayne, who always wins at the end of the film. We wait to see if there is a happy sequel.