What lies behind the term American Dream? Such a family has

Chernyakov A.

American dream is what America considers to be an ideal of life that includes prosperity and success for every resident of the United States.

Initially, the United States in the eyes of Europeans was amazing country, where democracy reigns instead of monarchy, where there is no division into classes, but there is civil society. In the USA there was also freedom of conscience and religious tolerance of one religion towards another, which is an absolute plus. Thus, the American had freedom unheard of in the rest of the world. Therefore, the United States in the 19th century received the name “land of freedom.”

This standard of the “land of freedom” is based, firstly:

On the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence of 1776 (that men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights, that they include the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, regardless of social class or circumstances of birth).

Secondly, on ideas James Adams, who officially introduced the concept of the American Dream in his book in 1931.

In this book, Adams understood the American dream as a country where everyone lives well, where everyone has the opportunity to self-realize and achieve everything. own efforts, “to take advantage of life” to the fullest, to make the most of it maximum benefit, benefit.

The United States had everything necessary to American dream has become a reality for the ordinary resident of the country: these are huge Natural resources, which are still unknown, efficient economy, convenient geographical position, far from European conflicts. Thus, a person could become successful overnight, thanks to his own luck - for example, by discovering a gold deposit or implementing an original business idea. Period 1870-1900 proved it. Vivid examples became the then millionaires and owners of corporations (Carnegie, Rockefeller, Morgan, etc.), who started virtually from scratch and after a few years or decades became successful people.

There is no clear definition of the “American Dream,” but every resident of the United States puts his or her own ideas about a wonderful future.

It is generally accepted that the following concepts are inextricably linked with the American Dream:

2. “self-made person” (that is, a person who has independently, through hard work, achieved success in life) and a well-paid job;

3. reputation and the process of transition from one social class to another, a higher one, of course.

In other words, the American Dream is a certain standard of happiness in a consumer society. Although for many residents of the United States, the American dream is identified with their own home, built with their own income on their own land with a large courtyard, a car, a large friendly family and friendly neighbors. One of the main symbols of the American Dream is Statue of Liberty in New York.

During Cold War party leadership The USSR spread anti-American propaganda of the American Dream, by which they understood nothing more than eating hamburgers, popcorn and coca-cola in a cinema or other public place.

In conclusion, David Brooks said: “Americans live their lives dreaming about future. To understand America, you need to take the central cliché seriously American life - American dream. Despite the fact that we are faced with the boredom and banality of everyday life, this dream revitalizes us, gives us strength and forces us to work so hard, move so often, innovate so actively and change so rapidly. We continue to strive for the new and unusual, even though it does not always bring us benefit or pleasure.”

Sources:

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

...the American dream of a country where everyone's life will be better, richer and fuller, where everyone will have the opportunity to get what they deserve.

James Adams wanted to encourage his fellow Americans, to remind them of America's purpose and achievements. This phrase caught on and then became the title of a play by Edward Albee (1961) and a novel by Norman Mailer (1965), but in these works it was reinterpreted ironically.
The meaning of the term "American Dream" is very vague. Thus, historian F. Carpenter wrote: “The American dream has never been precisely defined and, obviously, will never be defined. It is both too varied and too vague: different people invest different meaning into this concept." However, almost all US presidents, when taking office and making important decisions, have to promise their voters that their policies will bring the realization of this dream closer.

“certain unalienable rights,” including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The concept of the "American Dream" is often associated with immigrants who came to the United States in search of better life. The fact that they were leaving countries where, unlike the United States, there was a fairly rigid class system that limited social mobility, determined their commitment to the philosophy of individual freedom and free enterprise. The concept of the American dream is closely related to the concept of “self-made person”, that is, a person who has independently achieved success in life through hard work.
Components of the “American Dream” are also the ideal of equality of all before the law, regardless of ethnic origin and social status, as well as the veneration of symbols, models and heroes common to all Americans.
Ownership of a private home is often considered physical proof of the realization of the “American Dream.”
The theme of the search for the “American Dream” was touched upon in his works by Hunter Thompson.

Criticism

What happened to the American dream? The sounds of a single powerful voice expressing our common hope and will are no longer heard. What we hear now is a cacophony of horror, reconciliation and compromise, empty chatter, loud words “freedom, democracy, patriotism”, from which we have emptied all content.
American writer,

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

...the American dream of a country where everyone's life will be better, richer and fuller, where everyone will have the opportunity to get what they deserve.

James Adams wanted to encourage his fellow Americans, to remind them of America's purpose and achievements. This phrase caught on and then became the title of a play by Edward Albee (1961) and a novel by Norman Mailer (1965), but in these works it was reinterpreted ironically.
The meaning of the term "American Dream" is very vague. Thus, historian F. Carpenter wrote: “The American dream has never been precisely defined and, obviously, will never be defined. It is both too varied and too vague: different people put different meanings into this concept.” However, almost all US presidents, when taking office and making important decisions, have to promise their voters that their policies will bring the realization of this dream closer.

“certain unalienable rights,” including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The concept of the "American Dream" is often associated with immigrants who came to the United States in search of a better life. The fact that they were leaving countries where, unlike the United States, there was a fairly rigid class system that limited social mobility, determined their commitment to the philosophy of individual freedom and free enterprise. The concept of the American dream is closely related to the concept of “self-made person”, that is, a person who has independently achieved success in life through hard work.
Components of the “American Dream” are also the ideal of equality of all before the law, regardless of ethnic origin and social status, as well as the veneration of symbols, models and heroes common to all Americans.
Ownership of a private home is often considered physical proof of the realization of the “American Dream.”
The theme of the search for the “American Dream” was touched upon in his works by Hunter Thompson.

Criticism

What happened to the American dream? The sounds of a single powerful voice expressing our common hope and will are no longer heard. What we hear now is a cacophony of horror, reconciliation and compromise, empty chatter, loud words “freedom, democracy, patriotism”, from which we have emptied all content.

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Mark Lapitsky (Doctor of Historical Sciences, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute comparative politics RAS)

Notes

An excerpt characterizing the American Dream
Bennigsen went down from Gorki high road to the bridge, which the officer from the mound pointed out to Pierre as the center of the position and on the bank of which lay rows of mown grass that smelled of hay. They drove across the bridge to the village of Borodino, from there they turned left and past a huge number of troops and cannons they drove out to a high mound on which the militia was digging. It was a redoubt that did not yet have a name, but later received the name Raevsky redoubt, or barrow battery.
Pierre did not pay much attention to this redoubt. He did not know that this place would be more memorable for him than all the places in the Borodino field. Then they drove through the ravine to Semenovsky, in which the soldiers were taking away the last logs of the huts and barns. Then, downhill and uphill, they drove forward through broken rye, knocked out like hail, along a road newly laid by artillery along the ridges of arable land to flushes [a type of fortification. (Note by L.N. Tolstoy.) ], also still being dug at that time.
Bennigsen stopped at the flushes and began to look ahead at the Shevardinsky redoubt (which was ours only yesterday), on which several horsemen could be seen. The officers said that Napoleon or Murat was there. And everyone looked greedily at this bunch of horsemen. Pierre also looked there, trying to guess which of these barely visible people was Napoleon. Finally, the riders rode off the mound and disappeared.
Bennigsen turned to the general who approached him and began to explain the entire position of our troops. Pierre listened to Bennigsen's words, straining all his mental strength to understand the essence of the upcoming battle, but with grief he felt that mental capacity it was insufficient for this. He didn't understand anything. Bennigsen stopped talking, and noticing the figure of Pierre, who was listening, he suddenly said, turning to him:
– I think you’re not interested?
“Oh, on the contrary, it’s very interesting,” Pierre repeated, not entirely truthfully.
From the flush they drove even further to the left along a road winding through a dense, low birch forest. In the middle of it
forest, a brown hare with white legs jumped out onto the road in front of them and, frightened by the stomping large quantity horses, was so confused that he jumped for a long time along the road in front of them, exciting general attention and laughter, and only when several voices shouted at him, he rushed to the side and disappeared into the thicket. After driving about two miles through the forest, they came to a clearing where the troops of Tuchkov’s corps, which was supposed to protect the left flank, were stationed.
Here, on the extreme left flank, Bennigsen spoke a lot and passionately and made, as it seemed to Pierre, an important military order. There was a hill in front of Tuchkov’s troops. This hill was not occupied by troops. Bennigsen loudly criticized this mistake, saying that it was crazy to leave the height commanding the area unoccupied and place troops under it. Some generals expressed the same opinion. One in particular spoke with military fervor about the fact that they were put here for slaughter. Bennigsen ordered in his name to move the troops to the heights.
This order on the left flank made Pierre even more doubtful of his ability to understand military affairs. Listening to Bennigsen and the generals condemning the position of the troops under the mountain, Pierre fully understood them and shared their opinion; but precisely because of this, he could not understand how the one who placed them here under the mountain could make such an obvious and gross mistake.
Pierre did not know that these troops were not placed to defend the position, as Bennigsen thought, but were placed in a hidden place for an ambush, that is, in order to be unnoticed and suddenly attack the advancing enemy. Bennigsen did not know this and moved the troops forward for special reasons without telling the commander-in-chief about it.
On this clear August evening on the 25th, Prince Andrei lay leaning on his arm in a broken barn in the village of Knyazkova, on the edge of his regiment’s location. Through the hole in the broken wall, he looked at a strip of thirty-year-old birch trees with their lower branches cut off running along the fence, at an arable land with stacks of oats broken on it, and at bushes through which the smoke of fires—soldiers’ kitchens—could be seen.
No matter how cramped and no one needed and no matter how difficult his life now seemed to Prince Andrei, he, just like seven years ago at Austerlitz on the eve of the battle, felt agitated and irritated.
Orders for tomorrow's battle were given and received by him. There was nothing else he could do. But the simplest, clearest thoughts and therefore terrible thoughts did not leave him alone. He knew that tomorrow's battle was going to be the most terrible of all those in which he participated, and the possibility of death for the first time in his life, without any regard to everyday life, without consideration of how it would affect others, but only according to in relation to himself, to his soul, with vividness, almost with certainty, simply and horribly, it presented itself to him. And from the height of this idea, everything that had previously tormented and occupied him was suddenly illuminated by a cold white light, without shadows, without perspective, without distinction of outlines. His whole life seemed to him like a magic lantern, into which he looked for a long time through glass and under artificial lighting. Now he suddenly saw, without glass, in bright daylight, these poorly painted pictures. “Yes, yes, these are the false images that worried and delighted and tormented me,” he said to himself, turning over in his imagination the main pictures of his magic lantern of life, now looking at them in this cold white light of day - a clear thought of death. “Here they are, these crudely painted figures that seemed to be something beautiful and mysterious. Glory, the public good, love for a woman, the fatherland itself - how great these pictures seemed to me, what deep meaning they seemed fulfilled! And all this is so simple, pale and rough in the cold white light of that morning, which I feel is rising for me. Three major sorrows of his life in particular occupied his attention. His love for a woman, the death of his father and the French invasion that captured half of Russia. “Love!.. This girl, who seemed to me full of mysterious powers. How I loved her! I made poetic plans about love, about happiness with it. Oh dear boy! – he said out loud angrily. - Of course! I believed in something perfect love, which was supposed to remain faithful to me during the whole year of my absence! Like the tender dove of a fable, she was to wither away from me. And all this is much simpler... All this is terribly simple, disgusting!

Preface

Due to recent political events in the world, people have increased negative attitude to the USA and its citizens. Obama's ratings fell, Putin's ratings soared. It feels like your memory is like a floppy disk! Just yesterday you were against it, and today you are saying: “Handsome, Vladimir Vladimirovich!” Once again I am convinced how many rednecks live in this world, whose opinions can so easily be influenced by rigging everything in the right way. I won’t discuss politics - it’s a swamp that needs to be sorted out a common person I just can't. I can only emphasize one thing with confidence: there is no policy that is not beneficial to someone. Naturally, neither you nor me.

But let me return to the defense of the United States. As the old colonel said " N" from the city " H": "America main enemy Russia, has always been and will be, no matter how much they smile at us and say otherwise." And he’s right. But it’s all to blame conscription, and I don’t even want to remember its bloodiest and most terrible victims... You could reset it without hesitation atomic bomb for a city with a population of millions? Answer yourself. Imagine what it should be like psychological preparation from a soldier in order to kill hundreds of thousands of his own kind, knowing in advance in what agony they would die... In the Third Reich, soldiers were given German shepherd puppies and set the goal of raising the best dog. The soldiers dedicated great time dogs, took care of them, played with them, raised and protected them, became very attached. A year later, the soldiers were ordered to kill their dogs. This is how the most prepared cruel soldiers. And I think it was not without reason that this happened during the Second World War great amount cases when, due to the killing of a German shepherd (for example, blowing it up by partisans), entire settlements were killed.

History lesson

But closer to the topic. "American Dream" more and more often they throw mud at them, and Star Spangled Banner they want to tear it apart and burn it. But is it really that bad? "American dream"? The concept goes back to the very origins of the formation of the United States as an independent and integral state. And I personally understand very clearly the desire of people to get out from under the colonial heel of England. Then people really believed in a good goal, and those who led them also believed. Create an independent strong state with a developed economy, where everyone will be equal and everyone will have the opportunity to get what they deserve. One can remember the unfortunate Indians, but is it really the only example genocide in human history? People believed in the idea, that’s the trick!

William Safire's New Political Dictionary (Random House, New York, 1993) says:

The American Dream is the ideal of freedom or opportunity that was formulated by the Founding Fathers; spiritual power of the nation. If American system is the skeleton of American politics, the American dream is its soul.

Source of the phrase "American dream" James Adams' historical treatise, entitled The Epic of America, 1931, is considered to have been written during the Great Depression:

...the American Dream of a country where every person's life should be better, richer, and fuller, with opportunity for everyone according to their abilities or achievements—regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.

Really, "American dream" justified itself, and the United States became pioneers and innovators in many areas human activity. They managed to subjugate the whole world to their economics, trends popular culture ; they have good weapons, huge scientific potential; the whole world looks their movie, listens their music, enjoys their gadgets, adopts"their" way of life, which is served from the "box".

Their policies are successfully being implemented in states, they are excellent at pitting people against each other, they won the Cold War!

Summarizing

And now the most interesting thing, in my opinion. IN "American dream" There is nothing bad. Freedom, equality, everyone according to their capabilities. Is it bad to have a spacious house, a good car and confidence in tomorrow? The idea is wonderful, it’s just a pity that no matter how noble it is, sooner or later it still turns into something opposite. The same thing happened with "American dream". The endless pursuit of money, the desire to be only the very first and the best! Stay up to date with the latest trends! Don't have an iPhone yet? You are fool!!! They distorted everything and then mentioned it "American dream". Everyone stole it, everyone was unhappy. Americans are devilish tempters, sowers of debauchery and sins. But only you and I are to blame! They only showed us how it was possible, but the choice was only ours! We were offered “freedom”, money, a luxurious easy life, parties and fun, sex without obligations and permissiveness. America has proven that man is not much different from an animal that satisfies basic instincts. The world is our reflection in the mirror!

The typical modern American is similar to us in many ways, but completely opposite in many ways. They dress very simply, and as some might say, tasteless. Their problem with obesity is much more acute. Mental disorders and there are more quirks too. You shouldn’t call them stupid - they’re no dumber than our smart ones! They also drink less than we do, and in general the laws with alcohol and tobacco are stricter there.

Americans are caring people - they readily come to the aid of even strangers, help the poor, donate to charity and volunteer. Moreover, this is the norm of life. They never push each other, do not jump in line, are polite and attentive to others. By the way, the guys there handle tools better than here!

They are just like us - people! Many of them treat Russians as badly as we treat them. But I am sure there are those who look at what is happening like me.

Anyway globalization continues, and all this show It's just needed to distract attention. But everyone should have their own opinion about what is happening. The only question is Is this your opinion?

The American Dream is almost a spiritual ideology for all of America. The term was first used in James Adams's historical treatise to encourage people during the Depression that affected various segments of the population.

The meaning of the American dream

This term does not and cannot have a single meaning for everyone. In general, the American dream is understood as freedom of opportunity and high level welfare.

For immigrants, such a dream means changing a country with worse conditions to one with better ones. For the Americans themselves this dream contains the following postulates:

Freedom of the individual;
Freedom of enterprise;
Freedom of expression;
Work for good to achieve success.

Many works have been written and many songs sung on the theme of the American Dream. Cinema glorifies her. The theme of dreams runs like a red thread through many plays and musicals. The living embodiment of this ideology is the private Vacation home in a prestigious area, high-class car, private school for children, a personal gardener and respectable neighbors.

The material symbol of such a dream is the Statue of Liberty. A high salary is its indispensable attribute. Social equality is another characteristic this term. No one has the right to judge another if he is successful and rich.

American dream today

Today, Western ideology is undergoing significant changes. Just 65 years ago, American productivity was extremely high. Subsequently, the United States began to promote world hegemony, instead of healthy competition, since the competitive market turned out to be oversaturated with offers.

Previously, the average American believed that hard work and determination were the two keys to inevitable success. That's all now more people have debts, become unemployed, live from paycheck to paycheck.

Will the American dream survive in such conditions? If the Western economy does not experience any more huge shocks, then this ideology will only change slightly to suit the new times, but new crises threaten the American dream with complete destruction.

There is another important principle hidden in the ideology of the American Dream. A person's value is directly related to his socio-economic status. Success equates a person to the category of saints, and a failure becomes an outcast, whom everyone bypasses. This reverse side similar idea. Her shadow politics.

Modern Americans live in a saturated world where many old models simply don't work. How do they cope with inevitable change?

People strive to maintain a high standard of living with the help of loans and borrowings. Now a good credit history is as valuable as a person's business reputation. Relatively young American culture influences the whole world, but changes in it hardly extend beyond the borders of this huge state. Immigrants still believe in the American dream, and US citizens themselves are trying to live in a new way.

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