In his Depression Era book, The American Epic, James Truslow Adams popularized the term The American Dream. In Adams’ words, the American Dream is “of a land in which life should be better and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement… It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are regardless of the fortuitous circumstances or birth or position.”
It is important to remember that Adams was talking about a “dream” not a real, human condition. Moreover, Adams stated that the Dream was not just about motor cars or high wages but opportunity and ability and the attainment of the fullest stature that is innately capable. Today the American Dream has become an integral part of the national conversation. Politicians and pundits talk about the quest for the American Dream as an integral part of American life and a realistic goal for all Americans no matter “fortuitous circumstances or birth or position.” But in the times that we live in now, the American Dream is becoming increasingly out of the reach of too many workers, no matter their educational background, their family heritage, their personal strength of character and determination.
For those of us who remember the post-World War II years, life in our country was marked by quiet neighborhoods, cozy homes, stable marriages and families, job security and television heroes and heroines like Ozzie and Harriet, Leave It To Beaver, and The Brady Bunch. Sadly, those days are gone. Today, home ownership is not the American Dream but the Impossible Dream. Families are often torn apart by divorce and dysfunction, stable employment is a distant vision and the individuals who often are looked up to are in video games or violent, tattooed cage fighters.
The global malaise that we endure today is not a dream but a nightmare. The nightmare is marked by uncertainty, anger, inequality, racial and ethnic discord, and gross maldistribution of wealth and opportunity. Every day, we are bombarded with news that young people just can’t make it in the current economy, workers are likely to be replaced with AI robots, bankruptcy and credit card default is now a way of life, and strategies of revenge and retribution are the solutions to the challenges of politics and public policy. Kindness and cooperation are in short supply. Social stability and economic predictability are conditions of a bygone era. The world of 2026 is not just filled with uncertainty but is simply scary and dangerous. Gated communities have replaced those quiet, friendly neighborhoods. Everyday living is now much like being in a survivalist bunker where all the essentials are delivered by Amazon, Door Dash, Fed Ex or the Post Office. People often don’t talk to each other but hold their phones tightly as if this technological marvel has the answer to their problems and their good fortune.
So is it possible to return to the American Dream and leave the world of the evil nightmare? The answer may not be replicating the home life of Ozzie and Harriet (who actually were terrible parents in real life) or the unity of the Brady family. Rather, the key may be in finding ways to live a better life, more secure with more stability and opportunity. Some have said that what is needed is a redistribution of wealth by taxing the rich and strengthening the middle class, while others have said that a return to Big Government programs that help those who are living on the economic fringes is the critical ingredient for a better life.
In many respects these are problematic ideas that would be difficult to implement and the subject of relentless partisan infighting. What is needed are new ideas, new values, new visions of the American Dream, perhaps a renewed commitment to religious belief and spirituality may hold an answer, or maybe a deeper appreciation of civic life and civic understanding, or an embrace of long forgotten words such as honesty, integrity, discipline, and consensus. Rather than stressing political and economic approaches, the way to achieve the American Dream may be more cultural, philosophical, behavioral and certainly moral. It would seem that Americans have to relearn what it is to be human and humane and leave behind the ways that have led to the nightmare marked by greed, retribution, discrimination, selfishness and intolerance. Following this new pathway to the American Dream will certainly be difficult and demanding but taxing billionaires or pushing for big government programs rarely changes people or provides a lasting solution to our national malaise. If we are to end the nightmare, we must look inside ourselves and strive to become better people.
I would like to end on a positive note with optimism about the future and a better tomorrow. Unfortunately, the nightmare will be with us for a while since changing ideas, values, and visions does not come easy. If we as a nation are to achieve a new American Dream, then we must make a commitment to reform ourselves and the way we live and behave. That goal will take some time, but we must try.