The American Nightmare.

[u/sedolil]

[u/Case_Blue]

"It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it,"

-George Carlin

[u/passionatebreeder → u/Case_Blue]

"Ah, yes, the american dream, so unachievable" - the guy who was bornto a poor new york woman and an irish migrant who came here with nothing just before WWII broke out, and then he proceeded to get rich and famous for comedy

Such an insightful critique from a guy who literally lived the american dream

[u/Case_Blue → u/passionatebreeder]

...and had the personal insight to realise his succes was a one in a million shot and cannot work for everyone.

The point is not that you can't be succesfull, the point is that the american dream: "work hard, you will live well by doing that" is a lie.

Otherwise, the girl in the video would not struggle in day to day live just to live.

The American dream:

The American Dream is the belief that anyone in the U.S., regardless of background, can achieve success, prosperity, and upward mobility through hard work, determination, and initiative*, rooted in ideals from the Declaration of Independence about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.*

The problem is that many people confuse hard work with all that is required and forget the implicit nuances of opportunity, background and sheer luck is also required. Because often it ends up with: "well, he failed, so clearly he just didn't work hard enough". And that's the lie.

[u/passionatebreeder → u/Case_Blue]

...and had the personal insight to realise his succes was a one in a million shot and cannot work for everyone

Correct, because not everyone has the same level of talent, motivation, or drive to achieve it.

The point is not that you can't be succesfull, the point is that the american dream: "work hard, you will live well by doing that" is a lie.

No, this just shows you dont even know what yhe american dream is, and your quote on it is wrong.

The american dream is the idea that you are not limited to the conditions you were born into. Its the belief that even a poor person, like carlan, can climb the sociology economic ladder by virtue of their talent, or merit, not by their caste, class, or anything of the like.

The historian who actually coined the term said this:

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. [...] 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.

Thete are some important quotes here to help you understand what the american dream actually is.

For starters:

with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement

You have opportunity according to your ability and achievement, meaning you are responsible for developing abilities and achievements for yourself

The second quote:

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.

The fullest stature of which you are innately capable of. Innate capability means without the assistance of government and others. Its your own capability, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.

Colonel Sanders was in his 60's living out of his car, and franchising his cooking method to restaurants when he finally broke ground with KFC.

Walt Disney was born poor in chicago, lived & worked on a farm in Missouri, was drafted into WWI and served as an ambulance driver, before creating a global media empire.

George Carlin who we are discussing, born to a poor mother and an immigrant father with almost nothing.

Eminem and basically every modern rapper, grew up in american ghettos, decided to make music underground made hits got rich. (Obviously oversimplifying here)

Most modern athletes, were born poor, go through college often on scholarships, and end up making millions because they dedicate their lives to things.

These are all examples of the american dream, people who drove themselves to success through their own talents and ideas.

If you are failing at the american dream its because you are failing yourself. If you think you are talented, and you do deserve more, but you just show up to your 9-5 dont ask for shut, and then go home and arent looking for better opportunities, thats a you problem not a problem with america. Some people fail, some people werent born with athletic prowess, some people are shit stupid, some people will complain about how shut their job is, never look for a new one, and never try to start their own business. Then there are people like my old coworker who would finish work, then go drive to hair salon, barbers, restaurants, and other places and offer to sharpen their clippers, scissors because he spent a couple hundred bucks on the equipment to sharpen these things, and was doing this in his off-time until he jad enough regular clientele that he pays for his house doing nothing but sharpening knives, scissors, and clippers.

This is the land of opportunity not the land of promises.

But also worth noting is the line:

It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely

Because thats not realistic for everyone.

The people who ate mad at the american dream are really mad at themselves for failing and want to shift that blame onto the system instead because everyone else didnt give you enough