…we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history…
-President Obama, Oslo, Norway,
Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech
Lately I’ve struggled to apply this concept in my life: the reality that my actions and fate work together as opposed to two separate concepts battling it out in the metaphysical realm. Mainly because I have a feeling I’ve been bamboozled by this notion of the American Dream.
The concept of The American Dream is quite basic;
If you work hard, go to school, and contribute positively to society then you too can own a piece of America. And climb the socio-economic ladder. You can buy a home, put your children through school so that one day they can build upon the legacy you have left them and surpass their parents achievements.
But now I wonder if it is merely a tactic to keep Americans in check. Because in hindsight it all seems like a big FAT lie (at least it is for the middle and lower class citizens). Think about it, What is it that you own anyway?
That home you bought 2, 5, or 15 years ago isn’t yours, it belongs to the bank. The city owns a piece of the land its sitting on. And if you don’t have the proper documents in place before you die, the bank gets to have it back once you decease.
And how about that job that you slave at week in and week out so you are able to take care of your family and personal needs. Don’t you ever feel that you deserve more than you are being given. Here you are making money for this company only to be treated like dispensable collateral when the bottom line of the company doesn’t correspond with the earnings.
by 2005, the typical CEO made more in an hour
than a minimum-wage worker made in a month
Not to mention the student loans you and your children will be paying for the rest of your lives.
With all this in mind The American Dream boils down to this; nearly 17 years of programming in school amassing nearly $100,000 in debt (before interest). Work for some firm and sit at a cubicle, accrue credit card debt, buy a home (accumulating in more debt), and die….. how pathetic.
The reality is economic mobility and the American Dream go hand in hand. And within the past three decades regardless of the amount of work one puts into improving their condition most Americans are not able to move up the proverbial economic/social ladder.
So in hearing the President say “Our actions matter…” I remembered that although the stats are against me, I can still change my odds… no matter how grim they seem… or is that too delusional thinking?
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