Bitcoin Forum

My conjecture is that the term itself is a reflection of something which is ultimately unattainable and more deeply, reflective of a cognitive dissonance central to American culture.  Discuss...

The American dream of a house with a white picket fence and a car in the garage.

It is basically an ideal of having a productive society where you work to pay for your house, you have a car that you can use to get to work and a fence to signify ownership of your own piece of the world.

Unfortunately the banks took the dream and turned the house into your chains for your slavery to working for the bank and making payments on your car. And the fence became your prison walls where you are supposed to stay put and be a good citizen.

American dream is basically capitalism. If you are in the middle-class you try to jump upside and be rich.

The American dream, Made in China.

Replace 'advertising' with 'the american dream'

http://moveon.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/fight-club-5001.jpg

"... is that we have human rights which cannot be infringed with effective impunity."

the american dream, is not about happiness. its about acquiring wealth and "the package", for no other reason that's its a false symbol of happiness, same as freedom. Free people are not necessarily happy.

Right; if happiness were so simple, that merely existing without rulers was the key, life would be such a simple, dull passage.  But in the very least, those who wish not to be ruled couldn't be made unhappy by it.

Except for the people who want to be ruled, and I know people like that, and I think that's great.  Just stop asking me to participate.  A free society would allow the people who enjoy rulers to continue to enjoy that.  A free society also allows the people who do not want rulers to enjoy their lives as well.  Freedom, then, may not make us happier, but it'll make a lot less people unhappy; and we'll all have an easier time to pursue the things which would make us happy, whatever they may be.

Except for those who will only be happy when everyone is ruled.  But I don't mind them being the small percentage that die unhappy.

and some people like to rule over people that don't like to be ruled, who are you to deny them happiness?

The guy whose happiness is being denied.

Go live on you little way-out-in-the-ocean-island where no one can influence you through force, thread of force, suggestion of force, communication and free markets, only then you will be truly-free^tm. Stop telling the rest of us what is wrong and right, most of the world clearly have different opinions then you.

You are shouting in the echo chambers of the anarchistic internet, afraid of the real world.

"Stop telling me what to think!"

"Now, think the same way I do!"

I promise you, kokjo, we will find the cure for autism.

We are the future!

Chine became quite developped recently.
Soon, it won't be attractive to product there, and it will be "Made in Africa".

The American Dream was destroyed by the Millennium Falcon ;D We are the afterMATH.

Was that before or after Luke Skywalker destroyed the Death Star?

Go to college, work your whole life, buy a car, buy a house, get married, grow old, and die. Rinse and repeat.

The american dream is about individual freedom and the ability to create your own future, life as you define it yourself. It is mostly in the gutter now.

^

The american dream is owning your house, some cars, a big screen tv, a big ass refrigerator... turning your garage into a bitcoin mining operation...

my american dream is to get the hell out of america. but my passport privileges have been revoked, so i am now a prisoner in the "land of the free"

Nowadays it's rather bitcoin dream.  ;)

The american dream - you have to be asleep to believe it.

The American dream is a noble aspiration that still exists. Just understand that it doesn't stop at the American border. I am British but I live and work overseas. I kept it quiet in my job interview, but I am here for largely ideological reasons, the same reason why I am in bitcoin. For me the American dream is about bettering yourself and chasing opportunities. It holds out material gain as a noble thing to be pursued. It means not being shaked down by the tax man to fund social engineering, health care, education and other services. These are better provided by the free market. It means being free to transact commerce and trade amongst your peers for personal gain.

I once saw a documentary about Italian football hooligans. At the time, they would all jeer their own team and call them merceneries. This was due to their high pay. They don't play for the team with passion, they just play for money. One hooligan explained that they come to the match to support the badge, the club and the flag, but not the players. This is how I feel about America. I support the flag, the notion, the ideal, the constitution, but not the "players", the government, the corrupt.

I'm sitting here with a stars and stripes on the wall to my left, and a Gadsen flag above me. I support the flag but not the players.

I am a British citizen. I am embarrased by our national anthem, "God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen, Long to reign over us". What kind of anthem is that? Praising deference to fuedalism, aristocracy. Compare to the American national anthem, "Land of the free and home of the brave". I know which one I support.

People don't realise how perilous economic freedom is. Take a look at what I am fleeing from in the country in my birth:

One half of the coalition government want to ban petrol and diesel cars: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/liberaldemocrats/10224801/Lib-Dems-ban-petrol-and-diesel-cars-from-UK-roads-by-2040.html

I am forced to give money to people who have kids: https://www.gov.uk/child-tax-credit/overview

In the mean time, my former feudal overlords need someone to help pay their new TV: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_expenses_claims_in_the_United_Kingdom_parliamentary_expenses_scandal

Makes me think of the old car war slogan: "Better dead than red". Life isn't worth living if you can't be free and prosperous.