The American handout

The fading of an age-long dream

BEN POGGEMILLER STAFF/

From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, the “American dream,” typically associated with immigration to North America, was a noble pursuit. Th e idea was that hard work, determination, and an idea could yield limitless rewards. While it was a materialistic outlook, it provided western European and Asian people with the hope of escape from overbearing monarchs, and a romantic view of the New World. In short, it meant being in control of your own life. Unfortunately, the dream has fl uctuated amongst the pursuit of freedom, the pursuit of fi nancial stability, and the pursuit of extreme wealth.

North American society has adopted a “get-rich-quick” mentality. It started mainly with the gold rush of the 19th century,

when scores of prospectors herded to gold-abundant locations in search of lifelong wealth. In the “roaring ’20s,” prohibition-era gangsters were among the wealthiest men in America due to their capitalistic foresight. During the great depression, however, hard times restored a slightly damaged work ethic, where hard work was required to survive. After the Second World War, the conservative 1950s regained some of the American dream’s credibility. Financial stability and a comfortable life were the goals of the 1950s American family.

Today, typical North Americans no longer seem satisfi ed with a comfortable life. How often have you heard blue-collar workers proclaim what they would do if they ever won the lottery? Usually it involves performing inappropriate acts on their boss’s desk and buying everything they’ve ever wanted. Having worked at a gas station, I’ve experienced this fi rst-hand, numerous times. It seems the American dream has progressed from the pursuit of freedom from persecution to freedom from responsibility. It’s the hope that they’ll never have to work again that causes people to buy lottery tickets every week.

A modern gold rush occurred in the late ’90s during the dot-com craze. Th e Internet was the new frontier, and the idea was that anyone with determination and the right skills could make millions with an Internet company. Investors were wowed with speculative profi ts without a proper business model in sight. Ultimately, many companies learned the hard way that hope is not a strategy.

Another example is game shows, the most recent being NBC’s Deal or No Deal. Th ere are precious few contestants who play the game properly. Th e majority of contestants try to “beat the odds” and walk away with millions, even though the odds are stacked horribly against them. Th is comes down to a matter of perspective. In the contestant’s mind, they’ve already spent the money they hope to win. They see their potential winnings, and anything less than that is a disappointment. Th e smart players will perceive any amount won as money they did not have before, and thus try to fi nd a healthy balance between risk and reward. In other words, many contestants dismiss the idea of riskaversion based on their own greed.

In 1992, Stella Liebeck made history when she made $2.9 million by spilling hot coff ee on her lap. Since then, ridiculous lawsuits have infested American courts, a plague less common in Canadian courts. Th e most preposterous of these is the class-action suit against four major fast food chains for making innocent, ignorant citizens obese. Apparently, Caesar Barber, the fi rst man to fi le a suit, needed his doctor to tell him that fast food was bad for his health.

With the “old” American dream, freedom was accompanied by responsibility for one’s actions. In these modern times, responsibility has been sold. Pride and a solid work ethic have been cashed in. Now, the question, “How stupid do you think I am?” is no longer one of defence, but of voracity.

Ben Poggemiller is the Manitoban’s culture reporter and a second-year computer science student.