The "American" Dream?

[Halbhh]

To what extent is this the American Dream -- what % of Americans wish this for themselves?

Of course, we know of another famous 'American Dream' -- of the past?? -- a different one, symbolized this way:


Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
--Inscription on a certain statue given us by France

 

[Rion]

Of course, we know of another famous 'American Dream' -- of the past?? -- a different one, symbolized this way:

View attachment 225130
Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
--Inscription on a certain statue given us by France

That was never the American dream? Also, America, like most nations, always goes through cycles of immigration influx and tap down. It's actually important as it allows the new immigrants to assimilate to their new home land. Otherwise, you end up with situations like Europe is currently facing.

 

[Halbhh]

That was never the American dream? Also, America, like most nations, always goes through cycles of immigration influx and tap down. It's actually important as it allows the new immigrants to assimilate to their new home land. Otherwise, you end up with situations like Europe is currently facing.

What came to mind for me: My father and his wife (my mother passed on and he remarried) were living in Baytown, Texas, just east of Houston about 20 miles, and the big floods came from Hurricane Harvey. Here's a video of very near their house (their house was actually closer to the bayou, so more flooded, about 25-35 feet above normal water level I think).

I-10 not far from their house:

Now, what happened is that a fan boat (the flat bottom boats with the giant fans) rescue team, private citizens from Louisiana, came to their door and rescued them -- just like you saw on the news, exactly like that -- and boated them up the bayou about 25 miles or so to a large church where they were taken in for the night, and given all manner of basic things, clothing, items, help.

 

[HereIStand]

The American dream for my parents' generation was about having a secure job and a house. It was never about amassing wealth for its own sake.

 

[faroukfarouk]

That was never the American dream? Also, America, like most nations, always goes through cycles of immigration influx and tap down. It's actually important as it allows the new immigrants to assimilate to their new home land. Otherwise, you end up with situations like Europe is currently facing.

When Ephraim Halevy, future head of the Mossad, was Israel's Ambassador to the European Union 20 years ago, he would tell officials in Brussels that they would be well advised to help to integrate immigrant youth; he was ignored.