We were debating the merits of our positions on the discussion topic posed by the American Dream Unit Essay we wrote earlier this week.
Steve on the one hand theorized that the "American Dream" is to a degree an exercise in hypocrisy, depending on the degree of imbalance of self-interest and materialism evident in the contemporary experience. Arvind postulated that education and technology maintained the American Dream's legitimacy by supplying many citizens with the tools to become successful.
What are your responses on the merits of our positions?
(Arvind and Steve)
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3 comments:
Greeting from Florida!
I personally categorized the American Dream in terms of views by "insiders" versus "outsiders". What one party believes to be the American dream is defied by generalizations made by others. We can easily take into account the interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He, as a young boy from Austria, was astounded by the glittering generalities displayed by the United States, and thus his dream was to cross oceans and become assimilated into this culture. Arnie would be considered an "outsider", per se.
"Insiders", however, would be those faced with tremendous difficulty. Like Willy and Gatsby, their journey and hope served as main motivations to reach their prizes, or in Gatsby's case, their green light at the end of the dock. These insiders encountered harsh reality along with the other millions in hopes of attaining long sought opportunity.
Thus, my argument is that the hope of the seemingly blinded outsiders(especially those of foreign descent) is crushed after they have been converted to "insiders". Does this make any sense?
Although Arvind is right about America's technological innovations, these advances also serve to further distance the rungs of the social ladder. Members of society possessing wealth are put at an advantage since they easily purchase these belongings. This may also tie in with Steve's point about self-interest and hypocracy.
But that gets me to think...according to Dr. Bjornstad, much of our country's foundation was based upon the teachings of Enlightenment thinkers (John Locke, Montesquie, etc..). Yet according to Mandeville's "Fable of the Bees" and Adam Smith's "laissez-faire" economic system and Hume's Of Commerce, self-interest was ultimately seen as a beneficial to society. Hmm.. I'm not quite sure.
(Sam Maliha)
Hey guys, happy holidays/new year.
In my essay I talked a lot about Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, as well as the interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger (which I most certainly spelled wrong in my essay). My hypothesis was that the free enterprise system of America and the commitment to individualism are what cause the American Dream to become possible, and what also allow America to remain as a great and powerful nation. In my essay I also referenced Mandeville’s "The fable of the bees," and that private vices yield public benefits. It is my conviction that the pursuit of accomplishment, coupled with the opportunity to do so, is what comprises the American Dream. In America one man can often make a difference, and it is that rugged individualism that I believe is the focal point of American success. In short, the American dream, the drive to be successful, makes America a stronger nation and has stirred the admiration of people across the globe. For that reason, it is my belief that it is the American Dream which makes America great.
(Kevin Trainer)
Hey guys, what I said was that the American Dream and ideas of Americas moral superiority had been founded upon truth and were excellent in and of themselves but were being distorted by our generation and the modern era. The American Dream is the ability of Americans to pursue whatever matters most to them and have the opportunity to attain it through hard work. Now people want to get it, without the hard work. That's why lottery ticket sales are through the roof. What matters most to people nowadays is money, and they want it, NOW. That combined with our generations inherent sense of entitlement have warped the dream beyond recognition. Those admirable concepts are changing, and with it the world's perception of America.
(Connor Tweardy)
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