Is there such a thing as the American Dream anymore?

I think so. But I have two comments:

One - It depends greatly on how you define the "American Dream". I don't think the 'American Dream' is a 'Perfect Dream' in all aspects. It is being able to earn & attain a key element/goal which will contribute to your sustained happiness for most of your life. But it doesn't mean you've reached ALL your goals. Many people get their DREAM career, DREAM wife, DREAM relationship, DREAM house, DREAM car, etc. But very few have them all at once and for sustained amount of time in their lives. And for many that we perceive in the public eye to have all these things, usually have a lot more trouble in their lives behind the scenes.

So as I said, I think many people can reach their 'American Dream' and be very happy without it being 'perfect'.

Two - I think there are two missing pieces of the puzzle to obtain that dream, which a lot of people forget about - sacrifice and time. it's not only hard work and determination that are needed to get you your dream, but you must truly be able to sacrifice other elements of your life over years and decades.

For example, if you want that dream job with the dream perks, you will have give up some of the time you need to build healthy relationships with family and friends. Or you have to give up hard partying to be sure your the sharpest knife in the drawer every day that go to work.

Very seldom is an 'overnight success' overnight, and unfortunately most people can't sustain this element of sacrifice for the time it may take, and they give up and 'settle' for status quo life.

I think with out some thing to strive for a person may be inclined to just give up , I don't know how you define the American dream of today's world back in the day it meant 2.2 kids a small house full of love,a white picket fence and a desire to enjoy the simple pleasures of life friends family and a two week vacation every year if people set their sites to high there's bound to be some heart break

It's still there but no one really wants it anymore. I heard a story once about the early Americans. In Europe they had no chance of owning property. But here they could own their own land. And that meant being free because you could live independently if you had land to farm.

These early settlers looked at the vast wilderness and said thank you God. Because they knew with hard work they could provide for themselves, and need not depend on anyone else.

But now Americans don't see things that way. They want government retirement insurance (social security). Government health care medicare, food stamps, Wic programs, free government education. And they want someone else to pay for it. They don't want to be free or independent, just well cared for.

They don't want the American dream.

Of course! The American Dream has gotten hijacked along, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

What is your dream? You can still do anything! It may not be easy, but nothing worth attaining is.

Rich or Poor matters not, it matters what you do with what you got!

Good Luck & Blessings

I just dream of owning a home and being able to go on vacation every once and a while, and retiring without having to eat dog food. If I find a significant other in the process, swell.

I think for many, the term "dream" is just that.

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/class/index....

I think you might like this series....

"Class matter" from the New York Times - take a look at the graphs

Even a married couple that works for Mcdonalds can live the American Dream.

It is about management of your money and a very serious sacrafice to make it happen.

I know a couple that works at Shoney's and they did yard sales and his wife made things for sale out of baskets and such. They put their money in the bank and kept saving. When I met them they already had saved for six years and only had $3,000 back in 2000. Just last week I went to see my family and stopped by Shoney's to see him. They already bought a house. It's a nice two bedroom one bath. They bought it for $38,000 and put $4,000 as a down payment and financed the remainder.

This is what I am talking about and they work at Shoney's, but now they are living the American Dream. The last surprise is his wifes pregnant./

Homes are very reasonable in Fitzgerald ,Georgia, I bought a 2bd rm 2 full bath for $47.500 there and sold it for $60,000

So there you have it. A married couple that sacraficed and believed in what they wanted, saved their money and got what they could afford.

I told him that here in Columbus for that price he would have to live in the trash neighborhood where drugs are sold and the himes are junk.

What he got will sale in Columbus for $50,000 at least.

What I had would sale in Columbus for $145,000

The area you live in makes the big difference for property value.

The smaller the town the better odds of buying a house working in Shoney's, but hey their happy and thats all what counts.

No, the American Dream died years ago.

People overbuy with credit, so nothing is unattainable like it was in simpler times. We could live more humbly, but that would make us bored and fall short of a "good life".

We can't dream if we are surrounded by unemployment, inflation, rising oil prices and Bush. It's more of a nightmare.

Yes it is still there.

You work hard you will get ahead.

Pursit of Happiness is a real story.

Money isn't given to you. You have to work for it.

That is the American Dream.

A little black girl in AL friends killed by the KKK grew up to be Sec. of State.

You put limits on yourself not America.

The dream used to be house with a white picket fence, now, most people dream of making it to the next paycheck

The United States is still the "land of opportunity." Note that the word "opportunity" only means possibility, not promise. You are promised nothing. You merely have a chance here that you don't have elsewhere. Use that chance wisely.