Is the American Dream over? Essay

The American Dream is the American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire. The American Dream is a belief that, in the United States, if a person wants something, they can make it happen. It’s the attitude that no one can hold a person back from their own personal dreams. If someone desires to start a company, and willing to work hard, they can achieve the dream. There is no racism, sexism, or discrimination that can place limits on wealth, stature, appearance or health. Any dream can be made real because of the freedoms we enjoy granted by our constitution and moral standards we as a nation live up to. Immigrants also that come to this nation to escape oppression from their governments around the world or just looking for a better opportunity can live free and run after the American Dream. However, slowly the American dream is becoming more difficult to achieve in our society. Opportunities for success are progressively diminishing because of the rapid expansion of government and its intrusion in our lives. I do not believe the American Dream is dead but it is more difficult to obtain. We may not need a college degree to achieve it but it will make it somewhat easier. The dream starts with individuals taking personal responsibility for their own lives, their own action and their own success. The dream isn’t about getting rich. It is about working hard and intelligently which brings natural rewards. The American dream is liberty and self-government. We the people are free to choose what we want to do with our lives. Originally the American Dream was having freedom of speech and religion. It has evolved into personal prosperity which includes a family, home ownership and dependable transportation. Cal Thomas’s newest column is a controversial argument in the New York Times about the American Dream. Columnist Bob Herbert’s commented on Thomas’ column, â€Å"However you want to define the American dream, there is not much of it that’s left anymore†(Herbert, 568-569). Thomas doesn’t dispute the point, except to argue that the definition of the â€Å"American dream† makes a difference. He agrees that there’s not much left of Herbert’s â€Å"version of the American dream as opposed to the original dream, which remains for those who would embrace it.Herbert’s version of the American Dream is â€Å"liberalism’s American dream,† which has proved unsustainable. Thomas equates the â€Å"liberal† American dream with an entitlement mentality that â€Å"has produced a country of government addicts† devoid of self-reliance, individual initiative and personal accountability. For Thomas, this is a dream in the worst sense of the word. â€Å"People who believe a politician of whatever party or persuasion can make their life better than individual initiative are doing more than dreaming,† he writes, â€Å"such persons are displaying cult-like faith, which can never be fulfilled†(Thomas, 569).