The American Dream Era

America at 250

Data can manipulated. Not saying it is here. What I am saying is that I’m sure, for a while now, there have been ways to make a chart where the U.S. is not #1.

Maybe it’s living much of my life in the Philadelphia area where there’s something like pride in being an underdog. I’ve never loved the U.S. position as #1 for the U.S. It’s possible that this is because during my lifetime as an “Elder Millennial”, the American Dream has not been the same dream (at least for those born in the U.S.— it’s often pointed out that the American Dream lives on in this “heyday” form with immigrants… those who are being treated so poorly… since 9/11?)

Quick search suggests: “The “American Dream era” primarily refers to the post-World War II boom from 1945 to 1970.”

Well, some say it had about a 50-year run.

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More on America at 250 (not-ship)

American freedom recently fell off a cliff. American’s civil liberties and freedom of expression are not faring particularly well since the Trump Regime went into full-blown authoritarian mode.

“Compared to 237 other regions in the world, the US currently ranks 62 for greatest life expectancy (sitting between Albania and Estonia). It’s no Monaco, but it’s in the top 30% of countries.”

“Indigenous Americans have the worst life expectancy in the US”

“The US has one of the highest prison populations in the world”

The U.S. happiness ranking is poor… but this is (imho) a complicated issue.

The “pursuit” of happiness meant something very different at the time of the nation’s founding. In short, Americans are chasing a kind of happiness that has diminishing returns. We know by now that money doesn’t buy happiness. There’s a baseline of wealth needed for a decent American life in which a person can actively participate fully as a citizen. Those who are financially disenfranchised are, in fact, not free.

“At its core, the Founders viewed the pursuit of happiness as a lifelong quest for character improvement, which requires a commitment to practicing the daily habits that lead to self-regulation, emotional intelligence, flourishing, and growth. Understood in these terms, happiness is always something to be pursued rather than obtained—a quest rather than a destination.” (National Constitution Center)

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Notably, many World Cup fans who are visiting the U.S. seem pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome. Yes, it’s true, the World Cup is doing some good work of bringing people together (much like, in theory, the Olympics can do).

Keep in mind: Vistors, like any traveler, do not have the same experience as those who live the day-to-day drudgery of being rooted in a place. This is why Transcendentalists like Emerson and Thoreau understood that with travel you (a) take yourself with you, and (b) partly travel to understand what you already have (or don’t have) back home. It’s worth reflecting on the value of what we prefer to have freedom from.

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‘Fresh Air: Banned books, shocking art & the birth of the culture wars’

I highly recommend this listen.

Isaac Butler’s book sounds excellent—

The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America’s Culture Wars

This conversion is, in part, an overview of the methodical, long game takedown of the NEA by rightwing Conservatives.

I do think there’s a conversation to be had about how government money is used for The Arts, just like there is a conversation to be had about how NPR developed a kind of learned dependency on government funding. The answer, in my view, is we can have it both ways. The amount of taxpayer money used on The Arts and NPR is miniscule compared to almost any other area of interest. One can argue, at least in the theoretical (though I beg to differ), that today public radio doesn’t serve the same need it did when the Public Broadcasting Act established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the late 1960s.

Obviously we have Joe Rogan now and everything is fine, right?

When it comes to the NEA, it’s complicated. I’ve always liked the way Aaron Sorkin portrayed Republican attacks on the NEA in The West Wing.

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It’s often noted that all truly great cultures value The Arts. America is singular in our lack of spending on/funding of The Arts. And yet, there’s no arguing that “Culture” remains among America’s top exports. Americans are good at figuring things out in spite of obstacles. Overcoming is part of the lifeblood the country’s founding and fraught history since its inception.

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I know a lot of folks who are in their 70s and 80s.

America is 250.

The math is pretty simple. There are people alive today who have lived as adults for about 1/3 of the existence of the country. A reminder that America is a young country. Perhaps, fledgling by some metrics. Historically, empires only last about this long.

Some say that Trump has cut short “The American Century” and given way to what we become China’s century at the dominant power. That remains to be seen. China has certainly had a top spot in the past being a much older culture.

Regardless, The American Experiment continues.

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NPR’s 1A asked a general question about “What does America at 250 mean to you?”

“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

Your thoughts?