The American Dream is Dead by Mike Whitney

[Crewleader]

Last edited Sat Feb 8, 2014, 03:05 PM - Edit history (1)

Weekend Edition February 7-9, 2014

Obama Killed It

The American Dream is Dead
by MIKE WHITNEY

“The U.S. worked hard to create the American dream of opportunity. But today, that dream is a myth.”

Economist Joseph Stiglitz, Financial Times

If you follow the financial news, you already know that the American people are on an epic downer. Just check out some of these headlines I pulled up in a five minute Internet search and you’ll see what I mean:

“Gloom and doom? Americans more pessimistic about future” Las Vegas Review

“U.S. Standard of Living Index Sinks to 10-Month Low; Expectations for future standard of living drops more than current satisfaction” Gallup

“Americans Still Pessimistic About Economy–Almost 70 percent think the economy is in bad shape” Time Magazine

‘Slipping behind’: Are we becoming a nation of pessimists?” NBC News

Income Inequality in the United States Fuels Pessimism and Threatens Social Cohesion” Center for American Progress.

And here’s my personal favorite:

“NBC/WSJ poll: 60 percent say fire every member of Congress” NBC News

http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/02/07/the-american-dream-is-dead/

[Newsjock]

1. Nice sentiment, but

... the subhead at the source says "Obama killed it."

[Crewleader]

2. Thank you

[DemReadingDU]

6. Obama may be finishing the American Dream

but one could say it's been dying for several decades, when our good jobs started being offshored. Our standard of living has been declining since then.

[Crewleader]

7. The last 30 years have been a struggle

but you are correct DemReadingDU, outsourcing good jobs most definitely made our standard of living decline rapidly.

I would say not just Obama but all politicians sold out the American people and their opportunity to achieve the American Dream except Elizabeth Warren she gives me hope.

[kickysnana]

3. I think I saw this especially in our male skaters this year..n/t

[Doctor_J]

4. I think that the past 5 years have broken the spirit of the country

I am pretty comfortable and will survive to my natural end, but the president got everyone's hopes up so high in 2008 and as such has been a soul-crushing failure. And the worst of it is that he doesn't give a flying fuck. With the exception of a few platitudes that he has no intention of actually making happen, he doesn't even give lip service to the poor and working class who showed up for him in 2008. His soaring rhetoric of the SOTU is followed immediately by signing huge cuts to subsistence for the poor. Now he wants to fast track TPP and will likely sign off on KXL and further corporatize education the way he did healthcare. His time in office was the beginning of the end. Without him there is absolutely no one (who can actually make a difference) fighting the wingers.

[Crewleader]

5. Well said Doctor_J

I feel for the working families and the poor for their struggle is even harder when there's no one in their corner fighting for them. And in Washington DC, the politicians are worried about their own hide. The only one I see that is a fighter for the middle class is Elizabeth Warren and we have to hope there will be more like her in our future to put the people first so they can once again live the American Dream.