“The American Dream is still alive and well”, says the authoritative voice of Matt Walsh, a man who has certain ideas I identify with. Not this one, though. The way he phrased the idea yesterday on Facebook is indicative of a problem. By saying that the American Dream is** still** alive, this suggests that many people believe otherwise.
Before offering a diagnosis, one should have an in-depth look at the patient. What is this American Dream everyone speaks of? The term was coined in 1931 (at the height of the Great Depression) by historian James Truslow Adams in his best-selling book Epic of America. There he said:
"that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement."
Note that the author doesn’t use the present tense Should is a modal verb indicating a possibility or a strong desire, not a certainty. In its broader sense, the American Dream promises freedom and equality, but for countless millions, it is a synonym for success and prosperity that can be achieved through hard work. The Oxford Dictionary is very clear on that:
” the belief that America offers the opportunity to everyone of a good and successful life achieved through hard work.”
I have never been to the US, nor do I have any plans or unfulfilled dreams of doing so, yet the American Dream is just as relevant because the American way of life has conquered much of the Western world. All capitalist “democracies” have been enthralled by this mesmerizing dream. As the recent pandemic nightmare showed, people are all too willing to give up their so-called freedoms. What remains of the American Dream is the prosperity part.
Now comes the tricky part - what prosperity are we talking about? People everywhere are struggling, no matter how hard they work. The only way to keep going is to ignore the 1% getting richer every day. Let’s look at the pandemic years once again - small businesses closed forever, people lost their jobs, and many survived on government handouts. Except the filthy rich, who got filthier richer. It’s a very recent and very striking fact no one seems to care about much.
It is also proof that the system doesn’t work, in the US or Europe and the American Dream is dead.
Or maybe it’s time to face the possibility that there never was an American Dream, to begin with. Maybe there was a chance at a better life across the Ocean for the disillusioned European immigrants who had a better prospect in a country still growing. The immigrants I know, people who went in search of the American Dream 30 or 40 years ago worked their asses off and still do, but all they have amassed is debt. Some of them would have been wiser to pack their things and come back long ago, but they were enslaved by the elusive American Dream. Maybe they’ll make it if they work harder for another ten years.
Problem. Solution. Slavery.
Let’s go back to Matt Walsh. The words that prompted this post were as follows:
“If you are actually willing to work harder than almost everyone else and put in the time, you will be successful.”
There you have it, the American Dream is alive and well. If you didn’t achieve it, it’s only your fault. You need to work harder! Matt Walsh posted these words as a reply to Ben Shapiro’s post that went on the same line.
It’s always the same. Work hard, pray even harder and you will be rich! Over the past few months, I’ve come to ask myself how did I end up in bed with these people? These are people I’ve started to follow because I like their anti-woke stance. Matt Walsh’s “What is a Woman” was excellent. However, I’m starting to believe that the Conservatives got me by the hook and now they're shoving down my throat ideas that are foreign to me. Ideas I dislike. The whole work and pray life model is nothing but slavery to me.
A few weeks ago, one of them wrote that not working enough is the source of all unhappiness. Are you fucking kidding me? That’s why the West is populated with depressed zombies relying on pills to go through their day. If only they worked more, would they be perfectly happy?
This is not a new idea that just came to me. Years ago, when America went woke I was asking myself why? Who is pushing this demented agenda and why? It looked as if it were the work of the enemy trying to destroy the US. Yet, it was not the Chinese or the Russians pushing the American society to go crazier by the day. It’s an inside job that does not seem to serve any purpose. Well, keeping us divided could be a purpose and it worked out well, but what if there’s a bigger picture we are not aware of?
You look around and see all sorts of crazies running around. You get scared and look for allies, for people who are equally horrified by what’s going on. That’s how you end up in bed with the conservatives who used to be the bad guys.
It’s not just in the US. It’s everywhere the woke virus spread. My go-to local news outlet is full of Shapiros and the like, only of the Eastern Orthodox variety. Looking for voices that seem sane in the asylum, I am forced to keep up with celebrations of the most obscure saints, teachings of very narrow-minded priests, and a constant stream of religious propaganda.
All this seems to serve just one goal - have those like me, those who used to be liberals back when it was cool, have us return to the flock. Become good little slaves once more. Even if you never achieve the economic prosperity they told you about, at least you'll get a nice fluffy cloud in Heaven all to yourself!
The world out there is scary. You don’t want to be alone out there, do you? Come to us, go to church, be humble, work till you drop and you’ll be happy! You can still have the American Dream wherever you are!
Time to hit the unfollow button ‘cause I don’t want to be in bed with people like you. The system is broken and no amount of prayer or work will fix it. The American Dream is on life support and they’re not going to pull the plug any time soon. If they did that you may start asking questions that are not allowed in our world.
You don’t get to question the doings of your betters, peasant!
