Why the American Dream is a Myth

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[@DoodleThis]

"It's expensive to be poor" Just.... damn man

[@MrGamelover23]

Someone wrote an article called that.

[@copperhead577]

@@MrGamelover23 We know this...

[@alecmurray7826]

Not true though

[@drgorkin2703]

@@alecmurray7826 why not? Poor people can't buy in bulks so everything will cost more. If you mean food stamps, it's not enough.

[@Mejaton]

@@alecmurray7826 oh but it is true imagine each month you make roughly only $2000. Now you can do the math while I list the average bills. Apartment not including other things like electricity and plumbing can be anywhere from $600-$1200. Car insurance can go up a shit ton but from what I understand it can go up to $200. Phone bills if you have one of the cheaper wireless networks goes up to at most $100. Credit cards as you know those can get to be pretty high each month especially if you're using it a lot highest I've seen them go is $200. Wifi is roughly $100-$200. Food for just one person trying to eat healthy can get up to $400 per month. So as you can see a lot of that adds up. If you're saying "well why don't they just go learn a trade to get even more money" They'd love to but school can be expensive and if FAFSA doesn't help you then that's even more money you pay monthly to pay for your schooling.

[@sudhasaini7572]

If hard work was the only thing that was required to be successful, then coal workers would be the richest

[@Zeffers716]

The fact that there are no comments disputing this after 3 years shows how true it is

[@Cyanide_and_Loneliness]

@@Zeffers716 it is very true. People like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos only got richer because they were lucky enough to either have rich parents (Elon Musk) or be fortunate enough to be born in a time when something like online shopping is a new concept so you can capitalise on it and make a fortune.

[@fantasticalthoughts]

​@@Cyanide_and_Lonelinesswhat are you on bruh. There are a lot of things you can capitalise on nowadays elon musk and jeff bezos made their made off of hard work. Yes the world is not fair as in not everyone in the world at their time could achieve what they achieved but many people had the chance but didn't take it. I'm certain Elon the rich kid with rich parents has worked and gambled 100x times than you ever had.

[@DConnectEmpire]

@@Cyanide_and_Loneliness Jeff Bezos did get a loan from his father to start Amazon.

[@yusufkadar]

I guess that's why it's called the "American Dream" and not the "American Reality"

[@behappy5869]

well yea nothing is guaranteed

[@alecmurray7826]

It's not only hard work but good decisions. There are too many sucess stories to ignore. Bottom line is, if your life is bad, there's a 99% chance it was your fault

[@DanielP533Scripts]

Alec Murray Agreed

[@yearswriter]

@@alecmurray7826 That's just not how life works, anywhere, USA or not. Also, considering how many people there are, there are too little success stories. People are born into existing socioeconomics, a lot of decisions made for you before you are able to make them properly.

[@wwewify]

@@alecmurray7826 lmao

[@Mr.nesser]

Ironic, the "american dream" works better in other places that aren't america

[@e2b265]

The American dream has to do with land, and America’s land tends to be a lot cheaper than most of the East.

[@lin6748]

Canada, Australia, New zeland, etc

[@AxenfonKlatismrek]

Because most of those countries are awake

[@theketaminekid1241]

@@AxenfonKlatismrek gimme a break

[@AxenfonKlatismrek]

@@theketaminekid1241 what in the yare goddamn daze?

[@AJ84291]

wait! i thought this was just common knowledge

[@julcaos]

now that you mentioned it, yeah... this is common sense!

[@eoincampbell1584]

Sadly many capitalists still completely buy into the idea that anyone can succeed if they work hard enough. Because if they didn't their beliefs would fall apart.

[@TheFINNHERO]

Mario's art “They government opening food back for the homeless *Gasp* that sound like communist bread lines

[@JustAnotherPerson4U]

Yeah, tell that to the idiots who still assume that all poor people are lazy and don't deserve any help. Anyone who has either experienced poverty or knows someone who has been through it understands that more often than not it's not a case of laziness but of being born into a system that demonises and does its best to keep you at the bottom.

[@josethethinket9819]

Storylover especially since it could be that they worn born poor instead of gone poor because then its not that they are lazy its just they are trying to survive

[@maxchrysler7925]

"They call it the American dream because you'd have to be asleep to believe it". -George Carlin

[@joman388]

More nonsense by Carlin ,Did you know Carlin was worth 10 million when he died,thus refuting his own nonsense and fooling those most gullible.thanks

[@joman388]

@Akshay 786 More nonsense by you ,because the "facts" he exposed were not facts at all in many cases,thus making you and him certainly not a genius or at minimun he was a genius, liar,Which do you prefer? Also shit comes from the opposite end of the body and degenerate also doesnt fit.However the word fool would fit Carlin and likely you also,because the bible says says the fool in his heart says there is no God. Yes folks are hypocrites who say one thing and do another,something which we all most likely are at times.thanks

[@emuriddle9364]

I can already see the Far-Right trolls victim-blaming us too. The American Dream is about success. Regardless of social class, culture, or otherwise. With few barriers to hold people back. But that's not our current situation in this country. Contempt for the poor. Insults. Taking advantage of others. Denial of assistance. Corruption. Attempts at voter suppression. And then what happened at The Capitol on January 6th. Just because we chose to elect someone else. What Trump supporters want isn't the "American Dream." But a Confederate Dream. They're on top, while the rest of us coddle them.

[@TheNecessaryEvil]

You can’t even decide what gender you are, how can you be successful in your safe space

[@justin9202]

@@joman388 being worth 10 million is not the same as actually having $10 million dollars. The average human is worth 1 million dollars. Being worth 10 millions means remarkability your skill set your personality or your assets can equal to a value of 10 million throughout an entire life span it does not directly mean that that is how much money you have in the bank.

[@julcaos]

That outro was a perfect summary of the elite's mentality... spot-on!

[@tomtomwarwar9101]

Andrew O'Sulliva exactly, just because some rich people are arrogant, stupid and were born rich, doesn’t mean all of them are, many did work hard for their money.

[@tailbonetailbone9380]

@@tomtomwarwar9101 Still means that the American dream is broken, which I think was the point of the show.

[@tomtomwarwar9101]

Davy Vidal I’m just saying, that it is possible (at lest in the UK where I live) to get ahead through hard work, as long as you start working hard early enough in school so that you can get a good job in the first place.

[@julcaos]

@@tomtomwarwar9101 I have to agree with Davy Vidal here... it's always gonna be a disagreement on how rich people got to, and stay on top...

[@tomtomwarwar9101]

JulCaos Elliott I don’t know for others, but from personal experience I know multiple people who cane from poor families and got good jobs and became rich through hard work at school, eg my parents, both came from very low income, working class families, my mum is now a corporate lawyer and my dad is a high ranking military officer, my mum was able to pay of her student loans very quickly as she had their combined income to play it off, and my dad never had to go to uni and instead went to officer training college(for free obviously)

[@cheeze38]

It's been a long time since I saw An Adam Ruins Everything video on College Humor

[@Thuazabi]

Probably means CH is low on content this week, else ARE has a new season out or is doing bad in the ratings.

[@WhatWeMadeTeam]

Everything is behind the paywall.

[@Anime_Dragoon]

Thuazabi new season starts tomorrow

[@4rcowboy]

Mainly because he's constantly debunked on his own information.

[@rubofmcjubalob8288]

What’s funnier is that Adam doesn’t get his own info his script writers do all the work for him.

[@PhilipZeplinDK]

To quote a TedTalk: "If you want to live the American dream, move to Denmark." (source: "How economic inequality harms societies ")

[@worldeator]

Shutup Projared

[@PhilipZeplinDK]

@@worldeator huh?

[@ralphso5567]

@@PhilipZeplinDK don't mind him. You have a YT lookalike with a bad reputation thats why

[@orestisconstantinou5707]

Philip Zeplin but why do people care about economic inequality. We just have to find a way for the poor to have good living standards, and let the rich be rich. It doesn’t have anything to do with it.

[@orestisconstantinou5707]

Philip Zeplin but why do people care about economic inequality. We just have to find a way for the poor to have good living standards, and let the rich be rich. It doesn’t have anything to do with it.

[@autodeskgeek]

I'm in Sweden, and our average yearly salary is 35-40k USD converted. alot of americans seem to bash our high taxes which shaves off around 40% of that salary, but when we have free quality schools (with free food), daycare, healthcare, universities etc, a lot less of our income is spent on those things. if we all pitch in together, dependant on how much we earn, we can all enjoj a better standard of life :) and if we find ourselves between jobs we're also guaranteed 60% of our salary per month for a maximum of 3 months, so we can concentrate on getting a new job instead of watching our lives crumble before us. I like it, and I'm happy to contribute to that system with my taxes. xoxo swedennn represent!!!!

[@GayRage707]

oh dont worry, many of us dream of moving to Europe one day

[@KitsunoIRL]

The problem with that is too many people and groups in power don't want us doing that...

[@speks36]

@@KitsunoIRL also many folks in America have a me vs you mentality. "Why should I pay for someone else's healthcare?" is an all too common excuse not to establish universal healthcare.

[@KitsunoIRL]

@@speks36 That too. My stepdad is one of them. He justifies that thought by saying there are just too many people who don't deserve the benefit and will more than likely abuse the system. That the number of system players outweigh the number of those who actually need it

[@templar684]

But SOCIALISM. (All Americans scramble to their bunkers of utopia with absurd medical bills.

[@perdiendomitiempo6403]

So this is an episode where Adam ruins everything for Uncle Sam head-on, instead of the Uncle just being a background character that was always messing things up or being a jerk. I'm all out for this

[@realdiamond1524]

me too.

[@BoogsterSU2]

I wonder who's playing Uncle Sam.

[@SurprisinglyDeep]

@@BoogsterSU2 I don't know but I know its always the same actor in each episode uncle sam appears

[@AdeonHawkwood]

@@BoogsterSU2 According to IMDB his name is Amos Vernon

[@smeaglesmegg1243]

@Tim Huh. A part of me hoped his first name was ‘Sam’

[@mjstory1976]

Love this show on Netflix Not mine though I am too poor I just watch it through other people's windows

[@OceanAce]

Wait it's on Netflix?

[@adaoraelliott9254]

OceanA that was my thought too

[@Idofphoenix]

You had me in the first half...

[@olis87]

My man here can't even afford his own operating system. :(

[@leophyte9663]

It'S nOt On NeTfLiX

[@tokenetta8070]

Reality, working your way up the ladder is very difficult. Some ppl don't need merit, just charisma and confidence. Others just need more money. Others need a degree. Others just know someone and got hooked up. There's many cases where some ppl have special circumstances and are just lucky. Regardless, there's competition and you have to show loyalty. Sometimes not everyone scores the job for that interview. Life is very complicated especially in America, so the excuse of "I can do it, why can't you" mentality doesn't apply to everyone.

[@alexandrub8786]

Also "down on all fours" is what some womans do.

[@haydenarchambault2927]

Side hustles. It is now easier to start your own business (with some starting captial, nothing is free) with nothinf but a laptop. Mow lawns, scoop dog poop, walk dogs, water plants, babysit, ect. Save as much as possible and then use that to create more income. Invest in dividends. Use compound interest to your advantadge. Don't expect to make more than 15,000- 20,000 dollars by workinf a 15-20k job. If you do work at ups for example, you are not going to move up unless you work for it.

[@danielgehring7437]

@@haydenarchambault2927 The primary law of competition: if it's really that easy, everyone else would be doing it too. I highly doubt most people here think the $20 and a free popsicle you get from babysitting counts towards their social mobility.

[@vitaliytaran5423]

But you just explained that it's different for everyone, and that also applies when it comes to making money. There are so many ways that you can make it, you just have to find the right ways. Some people have just given up on that.

[@GhostSamaritan]

@@danielgehring7437 Learned helplessness: occurs when an individual continuously faces a negative, uncontrollable situation and stops trying to change their circumstances, even when they have the ability to do so.

[@goingfreenow3297]

The worst thing about waking up from a dream is that you become confused and don't know where you are. You don't even know how or remember the origin of a dream.

[@danielgehring7437]

"In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread." - Anatole France

[@aMilling]

Huh what would you know, the American dream is alive and well in Denmark! I have always felt that. I love getting a good pay, a 37 hour work week, 5-6 weeks of vacation and healthcare.

[@cherna4282]

Denmark isn't America now is it?

[@aMilling]

@@cherna4282 No but we're clearly doing it much better than America. We have also been ranked one of the happiest country several years in a row.

[@lifeofentropy]

@@cherna4282 denmark dream? anyhoo denmark is great and all but also has really high rates of depression

[@shizuwolf]

Can I move in with you? I hate where I live

[@nickster5207]

LifeofEntropy Not really, just some teens who think they have depression

[@Cor_onus]

I've had 3 explosive water incidents in the last 12 months, I'm completely wiped out, and I don't see any path to not being upside down in bills/debts.

[@christianwaters3437]

TheHartTech that’s why u have insurance and plan ahead.

[@healslut1553]

@@christianwaters3437 That costs money. Often times a great deal of money.

[@missl1775]

That sucks. Sorry to hear that

[@cultistivator809]

Hope you get through it man. Sounds rough.

[@nfzeta128]

@@noahleigh2144 Do you ever ask yourself why that is? There are people who're scraping by who can't afford to have such insurance or if they're aiming to improve their lives must let go of such things as part of the 'gamble'. Then you have the simple fact that insurance is a scam in and of itself, it just has a consolation prize sometimes.

[@KaiserCrocer]

I can't wait for people to get triggered by this.

[@antardas6734]

Curdlemetle431 well I’m somewhat bc I know a few people who went from being poor to becoming the richest people in America

[@drabberfrog]

I found the socialist!

[@BlakeBigfoot]

@@antardas6734 no you don't.

[@emz1412]

@@antardas6734 Where did you find them? Searching on Wikipedia while you sip your triple moca caf and ponder how smart and edgy you are until your mother comes downstairs and tells you that computer time is up for the day.

[@antardas6734]

@@BlakeBigfoot personally, no, but I know some people who have done this

[@deiyeti3014]

The American dream isn't for adults anymore. Sorry not sorry. No matter what class you're born in, as long as you graduate highschool, get a job, and don't have kids out of wedlock (or at least when youre not in a committed relationship and/or financially steady), you will not live in poverty. The US is so low because our culture practically encourages one of those things, while children brought up in poverty don't see a good future for whatever reason (shitty teachers, bad local governing, or local culture saying school isnt important). The fact is, if you work hard from the age of 16 on, you'll be more than just fine. Also live inside your means. I know families scrounging for food but making sure their $1000 phones have nice cases, the best plan with the most internet, unlimited wifi, and cigarettes. Our priorities are fucked these days, but the American dream? Alive and well. Even older people can get entry level jobs at a grocery store and make as much as our teachers if they move up in management.

[@joelincoln9531]

Unless of course: you have to look after a sick family member, have a disability, don't have the means to travel to a place of work, don't live in an area with low unemployment, live in an area with poor education, are born into debt, have to pay for sudden health-related bills, are exposed to a natural disaster and without insurance so your house and possessions were destroyed, if your parents kick you out for being LGBT, if you live in a single parent household with siblings and all money you make must be used to support them, are a person of color in a state that doesn't regulate employment discrimination very well. But yeah. All poor people have Iphone X's, Tyler, and none of these little upsets can stop them from getting rich.

[@liberalbias4462]

Pregnancies are at an all time low high school graduation have increased. So explain to me how poverty in America keeps increasing? Almost like you have no idea what your talking about.

[@keremcantarhan]

It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it. -George Carlin

[@HaydenLau.]

The rest of the world doesn't have an American dream, because we're awake -Al Murray

[@zachh127zh]

George Carlin went from being a delinquent kid with an immigrant alcoholic father, divorced parents, and being court martialed 3 times. To one of the most renowned Comedians in American (and world) history with a net worth of over 10 Mil. Am I crazy or is George? 🤔

[@TheS4RP]

@@HaydenLau. haha tell that to millions of people who are trying to immigrate there inluding myself

[@funkymonkeyofficialchannel6182]

keremcantarhan delete this you copied a comment with more likes than you shame

[@HaydenLau.]

@@TheS4RP Just because it's better than whatever shithole you and others come from, doesn't mean it's the best. I considered going to the US to pursue further education, but in the end I didn't want to be shot by a school shooter or a racist police officer.

[@mrtime1802]

When I was a small lad. I was sailing to the golden land of opportunities. But I ended up in America. (Take this as a joke. I don't want to offend anyone)

[@christianwaters3437]

Mr Time the lack of patriotism today is disgusting you live in the greatest country in the world and u complain. I hope tomorrow u wake up in a war torn 3rd world country

[@ha8536]

Mr Time Dr doofenshmirtz?

[@TheDragonboy2001]

Honestly... i came from China after Tiananmen Square so any where is an upgrade...

[@pranavshridhar3818]

@@christianwaters3437 He doesn't live in Switzerland.

[@SM-ev6if]

@@christianwaters3437 Maybe like 10th best country lol.

[@samaelherself4286]

The fact that you're worse than Spain in anything economically related should always be a bad sign, at least since 2008.

[@alexandrub8786]

I am pretty sure that the civil war countrues have the most social mobility because one guy may kill the leader to become the leader in every 45 minutes.

[@samaelherself4286]

The last civil war in Spain was during the 30s, so I don't see your point being applied. In fact, the issue has been that elections had to be repeated multiple times, due to a lack of consistency.

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

It's funny because it's true.

[@johnblunt6693]

@notBjoern ha it's funny because it's tru

[@GoblynGoods]

Anyone else realized how poor they where when he said a surprise $400 bill? I would start crying immediately.

[@oklywright8886]

This is so dishonest. Being poor in America means you’re still richer than 90% of the rest of the world. “Poverty” means you’re in the bottom 30% (or something like that) of your countries median income, & because we have so many in this range, they say our country is poor. When in fact, the bottom 30% of the poorest people in America, are still richer than the middle class of most other countries.

[@mdrahbarahmedkhan]

😂

[@jrhprs]

Capitalism is called Capitalism cuz the capitalists keep cappin that the poor are lazy

[@rosie-cp1rq]

Yes but those conditions are in almost every other country too. As someone whose entire family majored in social studies and as someone who has lived in multiple countries with drastically different lifestyles, I've notice that yes it's easier to get from 0 to 3 in many countries other than USA. But its much easier to go from 3 to like 7 in USA simply because you have more opportunities. This concept of the "American dream" fuels itself because ambitious people join it which leads to a smarter/ambitious workforce creating more opportunities and ultimately allowing the "dream" to exist. It's easy to say you don't have a lot when you compare yourself to those with more than you instead of to EVERYONE else (Or instead the countries where the people who dream the American dream are FROM)

[@rosie-cp1rq]

@@alexandrub8786 could you explain what you mean?

[@lego4virgo]

I was listening to NPR talking about the chicken plant raids in Mississippi, and they were saying that the employees could make UPWARDS to about $10/hr. And one guy, who came for a job fair there, said that he would be willing to drive cause at least he'd be making more than what his current job pays him. That's assuming he actually GETS the $10/hr.

[@fredyalonso4675]

he won't once he understands the working conditions, and pretty sure that plant will outsource to prison labor now since i'm sure no immigrants want to work there anymore.

[@mhypersonic]

That's Mississippi Red state economics

[@thepurplepanda4]

@@mhypersonic yikes

[@deityjc]

Middle and Upper Class: *Shocked* Lower Class: "The truth finally comes out!""

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

So why are we accused of violating human rights for not letting 10s of millions flood our country, when they will end up living on a dollar of disposable income a day and never leave their income bracket? Aren't we doing them a favor?

[@roboboro4254]

@@Dennis-nc3vw Don't even try to act like it's that easy. They come over here because, I don't know, maybe it's *GASP* worse where they came from. You are not the first to think of this. America is not the best, but there are far worse places.

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

@@roboboro4254 Worse than having only a dollar of disposable income a day?

[@roboboro4254]

@@Dennis-nc3vw Yes. Absolutely. Are you really not aware of this? Do you really think America is as bad as it gets? Take Venezuela. Because of their unstable economy, they have went through hyperinflation that, at one point, made a standard I-phone cost the equivalent of $50,000! At it's highest, their inflation rate has reached over 300,000%! Their government has stated it is in the middle of an "economic war". They go through regular food shortages due to inflated prices, medical care and equipment is regularly not availabe, and their oil businesses (which is their most important industry, FYI) have been decreasing in revenue. Also, the reason for their inflation? The black market controls a huge part of their economy, and has the power to influence the economy heavily. To top it all off, the rate of violence in their country has SKYROCKETED. America isn't perfect, but we are called a "first-world country" for a reason, and the fact that someone like you is somehow ignorant to all this astounds me. Venezuala is far worse, and there are many more countries that fit the bill. Look it up for crying out loud, news like that is everywhere! How are you this fucking ignorant?

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

@@roboboro4254 If the poor in America literally had only 1 dollar a day of disposable income, that would mean they would keel over and die if their they were cut by 10 minutes at work. I'm well aware things can get much worse than they are in America, which is why Adam's statement is absurd. If poor Americans truly spent all but one dollar on necessities, most of the planet would already be dead.

[@TRtherocknroller]

”It’s called the American dream because you have to be asleep to believe it” -George Carlin

[@joman388]

Nonsense by George believed by the gullible,since George was worth 10 million when he died most likely from too much drink,drugs and smoke.thanks

[@daiselol]

Dammit Adam how dare you accurately describe how poor I am

[@KitNeedsCoffee]

Adam: "Tells you how poor you are & then goes home to his mansion." Oh the irony..

[@ethancheung2696]

Shadow Kit based on what?

[@KitNeedsCoffee]

@@ethancheung2696 based on the fact that his net worth is estimated to be $50 million. He's just an actor. The stuff he talks about are just scripts other people make, in the end he's the same people that gets made fun of in these episodes.

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

If you are really that poor, pawn your computer.

[@daiselol]

@@Dennis-nc3vw jokes on you, I watched this from my Smart Fridge

[@ShawnRavenfire]

It's weird to see your own life explained and realize that there are still some people out there who haven't figured these basic facts out yet.

[@ShawnRavenfire]

​@@joshuamatthews8326 1. I work hard and I'm broke. 2. Video says people work hard and are broke. 3. Video is correct. QED

[@ShawnRavenfire]

@@joshuamatthews8326They sound middle class to me.

[@uberchops]

The ending to this clip is basically the premise and theme for the film The Bicycle Thief. It's.... upsettingly relevant.

[@rickiex]

Lmao the end got me dying, he seems lazy! Bahahaha

[@Tearintime]

Something tells me that wasn’t supposed to be funny

[@rickiex]

@@Tearintime it's not, but her expression and how she said it was funny lmao

[@bjap1563]

@@Tearintime Its infuriating! If someone tells you that while you work your ass to death, That is a hard insult.

[@Relesy]

“Just get a better job!” Yeah like it’s easy haha

[@theeleventh805gamer7]

I remember reading the Great Gatsby. It touched upon this “American Dream” a lot. Sometimes, no matter how hard you work, you can’t always get the thing you worked hard on. Sometimes some people just have the upper hand. But that shouldn’t stop you from working hard. As long as you showed you did what you can, maybe someone will see how hard you worked for. I’ve been here in America for almost two years and I see in the part where I live that we all don’t have equal opportunities. Me and my mom live off low income and she had a hard time opening a credit card because we had no idea on how to build credit

[@BrieoRobino]

Google secured credit card

[@theeleventh805gamer7]

PlagueDctr thanks bro but mom already build up a decent amount of credit and has one now

[@IkBenDigio]

That is what happens when real wages haven't risen in over 30+ years.

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

In the last 30 years the life expectancy has increased 6 years and the median house size has increased by 700 square feet, so obviously "real wages haven't risen" is meaningless jargon meant to deceive.

[@IkBenDigio]

@@Dennis-nc3vw Life expectancy is going down since recently. It is about wages not wealth which rich people earn their money from and buy big houses with.

[@melodyperez2292]

Legit, upward mobility is basically dead here.

[@micahphilson]

No, not dead. Sure, we're a far cry from the top countries, and connections are really far more important than anything to do with money in mobility in the US, but at least it's still possible. Difficult, but some people do find a way, which is unfortunately far more than can be said for many, many countries, 3rd world nations in particular. As developed nations go, though, sure, we're f***ed.

[@jerrydickerson1111]

its not if you go to school for something useful like trades, medical or criminal justice sure if your work an office job or It, or working in the entire states of NY,CA,WA ETC, sure but here in the south for instance in North Carolina I went form having no money dirt poor living with parents 2 years of college to making 40k a year with great benefits.

[@melodyperez2292]

@@micahphilson Yeah for sure, in the end, anything in this world is possible, but for a first world country, it's starting to get a lot harder for a good amount of people.

[@melodyperez2292]

@@jerrydickerson1111 Ok in my mind America is like a car. We are a brand new, fancy, luxury. At least on the outside and interior. But our engine is getting messed up a lot. (Exterior = upper class, interior = middle class, engine = lower class) We don't care enough to fix the problem because we still look good getting to our destination and the car runs fine enough. Now the check engine lights are on and the car is struggling to get anywhere. Instead of spending money to check the engine and make sure it's working instead we spend on the upkeep of our interior and exterior. For the engine without any proper help, or mechanic it will chug along, but it will break down little by little. Despite the lights blaring help, the beeps of the car getting louder that driving is getting harder. The engine can only chug along so far before it dies completely. That doesn't matter though, because we gotta make sure to get that custom paint job with the sick finish.

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

Not only is upward mobility not dead, it's essentially impossible not to live a life of upward mobility because the longer you work the more experience you gain and the more money you make. Look at a graph of average income by age.

[@wizahxx8065]

If we were equal then who would go to work tomorrow.

[@CursedDepartmentEastOffice]

The American dream "is a myth" if you live in America, the European Union or any other first world country. It's because you're used to living a life better than the rest of the world. But as a person that lives in South East Asia, the "American Dream" is something which is real. Not because people here think America is some perfect fantasy land, but it's because even a working class American lives like a king in comparison to the masses in Nigeria, Indonesia or any other developing country. Because outside of Europe and America, the world is a lot tougher, rigorous and difficult. You could do a lot worse than be a middle class man in America, Americans just don't realize it.

[@angterrastriker]

But we're not even middle class. Tf are you talking about.

[@duderyandude9515]

3 things: 1) The middle class doesn't exist.There are not clear definable lines and people don't even know where they rank when surveyed. 2) Those countries are poor due to the imperialist and neo-colonial polices of the US and the other imperial powers like those in Europe. 3)The American dream is not the idea that everything is excellent in America, although that's part of it, the core premise is that America should have the greatest social mobility because it's a capitalist meritocracy where the harder you work, the further you go and it doesn't matter where you come from. Ultimately, that's not true and life is INCREDIBLY difficult for most working class Americans who are part of a system that is stacked against them.

[@hamzaghazi]

0:33 how did my country (Pakistan) get a better ranking than the states and SWITZERLAND!!!

[@kamronspencer4910]

That graph is I believe how often someone born or living in a specific economic level (aka lower class middle lower class ect) actually manages to rise from that level not how much anyone in those countries actually makes.

[@leoGearth]

because they skew the data by misrepresenting the fact the upward mobility in many of the countries above the US still leaves a person worse off than the poorest person in the US

[@eagle3676]

@@leoGearth stop lying

[@MrHerecomesjohnny]

first world countries can very well have really, really high stratification.

[@RupertFoulmouth]

@Nob the Knave to an extent, but having live in Iran, Philippines, Zambia, and Mexico (in addition to the US), i can assure you the average person in the US lives a more luxurious life. There is a legitimate debate to be had if that means a "better" life but we certainly have more comforts.

[@romxxii]

Forgot to mention that there _are_ financial institutions that will offer credit cards that appear to favor people with bad credit (i.e. no background checks), but have higher fees if you miss a payment. I know, I used to sell those cards to those poor schmucks.

[@jcrowley1985]

Unrealistic, uncle Sam is not pickpocketing them

[@nukiradio]

And calling it a "tax"

[@randomlineofletters]

These cool handy dandy clips are nice but everyone needs to listen to Adam's podcast "Factually" because these skits, well-produced as they might be can never reach the necessary depth.

[@mattmorgan000]

Forbes statistic states that approximately 70% of millionaires in the United States, were considered "poor" in their childhood, meaning that family had little to no money. This country absolutely has the opportunity to rise up the ladder. People that disagree should visit Europe and see how difficult it is to get a job and own a business.

[@rigen97]

That's survivor bias. 70% of millionaires were poor, but how many percentage of poor people became a millionaire?

[@DarkGT]

I watched this cartoon on KZbin today - "Cartoon predicts the future more than 60 years ago. This is amazing insight!"

[@norefunds4731]

Its great for one reason... *CollegeHumor is an American company.*

[@britipinojeff]

That last bit is me just out of college To get a job I need experience, but to get experience I need a job.

[@Russo-Delenda-Est]

My personal favorite was you need a car to get to a job, and a job to afford a car.

[@bt3743]

@@joshuamatthews8326 buisness aren't forced to give even 8 dollars an hour for it yet america still has a problem with entry level jobs going unfulfilled

[@Nemz1987]

American dream? Sounds more like the American nightmare.

[@kiratastic7048]

Me: Man I sure do miss aAdam Ruins Everything! Well, back to doing my thing. Adam: (jumps out from behind the corner) ACTUALLY-

[@antonymilne1346]

"American dream" Me: **Laughs in English** Also me: **Cries in English**

[@ThuyBui-ph9uh]

My grandfather is living the american dream. He came from Vietnam and had to go back to highschool because they didn’t recognize his education. He worked to provide for a wife and three children. Now, he is living relatively comfortably. I do appreciate the facts, but it is possible.

[@MrPogee]

1:00 Wait, is this guy, Joel Kim from "Knowing you're gay before knowing your Asian?"

[@michaelgalvin3588]

The American dream, may you never wake up.

[@xxjonnohxx2449]

I think it's very important to find a balance between this kind of video (the facts) and having an almost illogical self-belief in yourself. If you were raised up poor please, please, please do not let this video let you accept that you will be poor in the future. I would highly recommend reading 7 habits of highly effective people. It really showed me that self belief is everything, and allowed me to completely change my life. I will leave you with this quote from Ford - "whether you believe you can or can't. You're correct."

[@Baraborn]

Do you have a link to pirate the book? Otherwise you're not exactly "helping" now are you...

[@joelincoln9531]

The main group of people discussed in the video (salary $15-20k) wouldn't be able to afford the book after necessities if Adam's research is accurate - they'd have to save up for a $5 book that *may* help them.

[@shubham.machhi]

My parents came here poor and are now upper-middle-class. 99% of the world wants to come here for the same opportunity. Seems pretty alive to me.

[@Baraborn]

"Your PARENTS" where born in a different time. Look up the "Passage of time" on Wikipedia.

[@alexandrub8786]

@@Baraborn still most of the world want to go there(in america)

[@hiiamhi.23]

Where do you get this "99%" number?? Just because you are doing better than some south american or south african country, doesn't mean you are doing good. You can compare the USA with Venezuela and you will come up on top... who wouldn't.

[@WarriorPaxo]

you should spend less time shit posting with statistics pulled outta your ass and more time reading and learning...

[@liberalbias4462]

No 99% of the world doesn't want to come here stop.

[@dansquared6218]

Mmm and this is indeed one of the multiple flaws in America :)

[@randomboys1000]

yet over half of the world is still worse off :)

[@Thuazabi]

I know this is being played for laughs and to make a point, but I genuinely want to slap people like that woman at the end. Those are the same f***ing morons who think "pick yourself up by your bootstraps" is an actual thing - the entire phrase was coined to illustrate socio-economic inequality and how "true-grit" could only get you so far, so they used the bootstraps phrase because they thought it would be IMMEDIATELY obvious to anyone that such an action is physiologically impossible. Yet ironically (and depressingly) it had the reverse effect.

[@KitNeedsCoffee]

Adam is estimated to be worth $50 million, but no one's sure bc he refuses to actually disclose the info. He literally talks about all of the poor suffering & then goes home to a mansion. If that woman at the end bothered you, then why do you like him?

[@liberalbias4462]

@@KitNeedsCoffee because the women embodies everything wrong with the rich.

[@caesar4104]

The American Dream is a real thing, Remember MICROSOFT started in a fucking Garage it’s a real thing, don’t say it isn’t Adam, same with Apple, and Amazon

[@lifeisactuallyveryboring.7771]

"He seems lazy" was literally the cherry on top! The rich especially one involved in nepotism are so clueless. 😂

[@TheRandomJim]

After seeing Adam on Joe Rogan, I cant watch him as an authority on “facts” anymore :/

[@zachh127zh]

Same! I have to be super critical with what he says! Like people have risen from poverty to become rich before. Its hardly happens, but isn't that what makes it a DREAM. Not a reality. 🤔. So why would it be a myth? Saying its a "Myth" implies that its not real and would never happen.

[@sinistersweet5236]

@@zachh127zh I think it's because waaaaay to many people still believe this myth in America.

[@AnotherVoiceless]

He's a writer and comedian who happens to have a lot of trivia type knowledge. Shows like this one are often written by people like instigative journalists. Don't confuse the face of the show with the messages of the show.

[@redpanda7967]

Most of this was just basic economics

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

If you're willfully blind. How can people making $15,000 a year and people making $20,000 a year only have 1 dollar a day of disposable income? That's mathematically impossible unless increased wage correlates with increase cost of living at a greater than 99.9% rate.

[@liberalbias4462]

@@Dennis-nc3vw because the cost of living is high.

[@alexs.6711]

"A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet." -Terry Pratchett

[@jmunday7811]

That's a really good analogy

[@rjjabile4115]

See that is the misconception..if the poor buys something to splurge on himself doesnt mean he is being idiotic about his money..the market needs to have an even playing field with regards to the rich and the poor and jobs and employers needs to make the minimum wage higher than the basic means..plus not all $50 shoes can last for 10 years and not all $100 cannot last for months..companies earn Billions and billions of dollars every year with all higher ups are getting richer while their employees are stuck with minimum wage or even less than minimum wage..

[@noahleigh2144]

In my opinion the american dream is not a "myth", It may have gotten EXPONENTIALLY harder to achieve due to other real problems in this country, but the dream is not dead and if it does die, then tbh I would be ashamed to live here

[@bambiwaddlefeet]

USA Social Mobility Rank in 2020 - 2021: 27th

[@kaiabutton5775]

Heck...affording a dog is and was my splurging. And I never regret that decision to adopt my best friend. But it is a struggle... he wasn't kidding.

[@cato_ix]

Can't wait til Steven Crowder sees this "masterpiece".

[@MrMelkor98]

Yeah, I'm sure he'll be able to fit a response somewhere between denying Global Warming and collaborating with ""race realists""

[@alexandrub8786]

@Nob the Knave ok but what does alt-right means, because i know that neo-nazi are only nazis who now think that to kill slavs isn't cool anymore and race matter more than nationality.

[@hiiamhi.23]

Oh yeah the same way he "debunked" America isn't the best country in world anymore. By saying that America has the biggest economy and the biggest military. That was his counter arguments. Those 2 things....

[@cato_ix]

@@hiiamhi.23 Did you even watch the video because it's a lot more than that lmfao

[@hiiamhi.23]

@@cato_ix The other stuff was mostly his opinion, those 2 are the ones that are factually correct. Maybe he said more, saw it ages ago, I remember those 2 the most and I remember it not being convincing enough to agree with the statement of "America is the greatest country in the world" He had no real evidence to support that claim.

[@burnpygmalion39]

ADAM IS BACK SKSKSKSKS

[@aarond23]

How to build wealth in America: Get married and stay married, get an education and a well paying job (community college should work fine) common sense money management budget and you should be good to go. Kids are optional and aren't as crazy expensive as most are led to believe....the daycare years (if necessary) will be the most expensive.

[@DefinitelyFakeGrantOBrien]

NEW EPISODE YEET

[@JohnVKaravitis]

1:48 Get a secured credit card. You give the credit card company a few hundred dollars, which earn interest, and you get a credit card with the same amount of credit available. After two years of using your credit card RESPONSIBLY, you get the money back.

[@yuirick]

I don't know why, but I'm rather shocked at the number of dislikes this has. Like, this is provable, there's evidence behind this. Disliking this is nothing short of plugging up your ears with your fingers and screaming loudly to distract everyone from the issue at hand.

[@hiiamhi.23]

"Everyone is just lazy and want handouts, they don't want to work"

[@reeceyb505]

I live in Rhode Island, and my mother AND sister who left school (had to) earlier had to get jobs outside of RI, as any job here wouldn't be enough to pay for the cheapest (spent months looking) apartment that shows how cheap it is. It is hard, and this vid shows how dumb it is to live in US, no offence.

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

The US has literally the second most living space per capita of any country in the world and you are going to cry about the price of rent? By all means, take your spoiled ass elsewhere.

[@reeceyb505]

@@Dennis-nc3vw Defuq, dude your not the one living in one of the poorest places in US, RI, your also not the one who if rent ever goes up it they'll literally be homeless. But you are the one that doesn't know their could be some damn poor places in the US, you must be an alien or something. Ready for the raid?

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

@@reeceyb505 Right, but there are poor places everywhere, and you are talking like this is a uniquely American problem when it's anything but.

[@liberalbias4462]

@@Dennis-nc3vw just because America has a lot of land doesn't mean shit Alaska is tge biggest state but hardly any one lives there. People tend to live were the jobs are like City's.

[@ariadgaia5932]

Yep! The only time I have ever lived comfortably is when I started working overseas as an English Teacher.

[@DonSultanable]

I love this show! I gotta admit I mostly gave up on CollegeHumor but I'm glad I came back for this

[@tyler1234321]

20% of my annual income goes straight to my car insurance. Yayyy...

[@TheFINNHERO]

I can’t remember the last time I saw my money make it past my rent bill.............

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

My car insurance is 80 dollars a month. So either you're working part time for minimum wage, or you own a monster truck.

[@SurprisinglyDeep]

@@Dennis-nc3vw I know you posted this a year ago but I thought this was worth mentioning: you obviously live in an area with far lower car insurance rates than they do. Also the cost of living is MASSIVELY different between different regions. Its like how in some small towns you can rent a 2 bedroom apartment for $500 or less a month but in big city the cheapest crappiest 1 bedroom apartment costs $900 a month (Edited studio to 1 bedroom)

[@Daniel-ht4wr]

But hey, at least uncle Sam has your healthcare... Oh wait, college educa... Why is America the best country again?

[@StregaStrooga]

Because America

[@StregaStrooga]

At least that’s what school taught me

[@E0011]

It isn't.

[@ItsZorroDood]

Because you can have guns to defend yourself from whatever.

[@E0011]

@@ItsZorroDood Like from what? School shooters?

[@hynek596]

I live in a first world european country and 15-20k dollars a year is the average salary here

[@StregaStrooga]

*what is this sorcery*

[@obvioustubist2481]

You make dollars in Europe?

[@LaughwithBeo]

And free healthcare, and gap years, and a system that knows how to house and feed the poor.

[@hynek596]

​@@obvioustubist2481i just converted the currency to the USD because people who do not live here probably don't know the value of our currency

[@mariusspadasinul]

Im romanian this feels right at home

[@gray9590]

The American Dream is to move to Scandinavia

[@aaronfrogy1465]

True

[@blyat5352]

Boring cold country with lower GDP per capita than USA

[@chabri2000]

15000 dollars a year is considered poor there? Here, being a profesional working on one of the top companys of my country, im still earning less than 13000 dollars a year, and we spend more than half of our earnings paying taxes

[@BrieoRobino]

One person can barely scrape by with that here.

[@joelincoln9531]

What's the average disposable income and average cost of living - maybe that's where it differs to the states?

[@PYROWORKSTV]

1100 proud Americans dislike the reality. Greetings from Germany ;D

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

Our country has almost twice as much living space per capita as yours, so you can suck it.

[@EzekielMessenger]

I thought he would still be hiding in a cave somewhere after his JRE disaster.

[@NewMessage]

Because it's actually a friggin' nightmare?

[@TheWeirdKitty]

Damn you guys just described how my life has always been, I didn't even realize how bad off I was until I went to a charter high school and saw all these kids with iphones, cars, and some of them even went to a food cart down the street everyday where the breakfast hoagies were $5 - $7. All I could do at the time was stare at them wondering how they could afford all of it while I had a $40 off brand phone, always ate cafeteria food and rarely ever saw money back then. It's not any better now but hey, at least where I'm from a roll of toilet paper is a $1.50 instead of $3.

[@AbeLeon07]

You realise how serious the problem is when your country is ranked below Pakistan.

[@ishfaqshah10]

These days even if you make 80 to 100k, you will still feel broke after taxes and medical insurance.

[@FirstnameLastname-bp2pg]

Yeah if you live in California

[@ishfaqshah10]

Yeah, I'm living in California

[@ratface1208]

Get out of that shithole state then

[@jayking8767]

Adam couldn’t make this video in any other country without being executed lmao that tells you how good we have it 👍🏼

[@littlebigmarc]

You need to go out more 😂😂😂

[@rigen97]

Then again there aren't really any other country advertising the dream of freedom and wealth as aggressively as America. He won't be making any videos about any other nations because the inhabitants already knew that the world is a stupid place.

[@jayking8767]

littlebigmarc elaborate?

[@StregaStrooga]

What he’s saying is that your living in a hyper exaggerated fantasy

[@yoholup19]

He could do it in England, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, even Mexico The US has the right to free speech but a lot of other countries do it better

[@trueexposure7487]

I am living the American dream right now. The fact that people say it’s a myth is absolutely stupid to say the least. Maybe it is in your fucked up city like LA, and I don’t mean to brag, but I am living my best life. Thank God for this country.

[@hiimpeyton671]

So you were born lucky

[@trueexposure7487]

@@hiimpeyton671 nope. If you are a hard working, a kind, and loving individual, who won’t give up, and don’t get offended at dumb shit, you can achieve anything.

[@trueexposure7487]

@@hiimpeyton671 Also, Jesus

[@hiimpeyton671]

@@trueexposure7487 that is exactly what poor people do. They are hard working, kind, loving individuals, and they don’t get offended by dumb shit. While the rich are the complete opposite. They are lazy, mean, horrible individuals, who yes technically doesn’t give up because they never start, and they get offended by the dumbest shit I can think of.

[@schmetterling4477]

@@trueexposure7487 Jesus is either dead or the name of the guy who mows the mostly dead lawn in front of my apartment building. Which one are you talking about? The real Jesus is a kind, loving individual who won't give up. The historical Jesus is a zombie who has sworn to come back to torture you for eternity. I take the gardener, thank you very much.

[@BabyScarecrow]

I remember reading a comment somewhere about the critique of working class people wanting higher minimum-pay but still affording iphones: Things are cheap in america. You can get a phone, a computer, even a car pretty cheap. But those are just basic necessities we need in our society today. How many of you DON'T use a computer work work, or when you're looking for work? But if any of those tings break down, it's expensive to fix them. If you get sick, you miss out on work. And if your company requires a doctor's note, that's going to cost you to. You want to eat healthy, but the fast food is way cheaper than fresh produce, and comes already made if you've worked double shifts. So things are cheap in America. All except living there.

[@darkpaw1522]

Didn't even mention how if you start of wealthy, it's a lot easier to stay wealthy.

[@biologicalmale]

He should go discuss this with Joe rogan.

[@Sebpet03]

Norway #2!! Sadly.... but i guess Denmark beat us somehow.

[@hopelessmoonlight]

I love being Canadian. Sorry 😬 but seriously I think everyone already knew that the American Dream was crushed a long time ago.

[@hopelessmoonlight]

BeastlyPanda true. But still isn’t as perfect as it seems in the “American Dream”.

[@liberalbias4462]

@BeastlyPanda not even close to true.

[@yourneighborhoodwierdo8349]

@@hopelessmoonlight that's because the american dream is an outdated ideology

[@Xenn000]

1:48. God this is so true. Credit and how it works is one of the stupidest things I've ever had to deal with.

[@sanctificate6285]

America Vs Canada America: Good army, power and nukes Canada: *All the other good stuff*

[@MyNameHandle]

The dislikes are triggerd Americans

[@Doki722]

Probably lol but being from the usa i can agree with him lol

[@gothicpando]

What else would it be? It's like saying all your science is fake and wrong, because it has a few false points of data. He is throwing out the baby, with the bathwater.

[@Doki722]

@@gothicpando oh well its just bringing eyes forwards to it

[@emptybottleof151]

He could get a gas card to start his credit. Age 32 FicoScore 781, but I'm just a lazy millennial though.

[@Fafnd]

He has a bike it wouldn't help in that example.

[@emptybottleof151]

@@Fafnd Doesn't matter if he uses it or not. Just having credit history will increase your score.

[@durden02]

I agree with the statement, but he's not building a convincing case here. 1. In terms of daily necessities, there is not much you really need to buy in bulk in order to save money. And those things you do buy in bulk do not need a major investment, as implied here; moreover, people will have more money in the next months - it's about planning. Don't tell me a large number of people cannot buy five toothbrushes at once. 2. He makes the point that many people have to get by with very little after covering basic living expenses, but it would have been more convincing to look into how this is curtailing people's opportunities for upward mobility, rather than emphasising low living standards, which makes the viewer emphasise and agree, but is beside the point. 3. He implies not being able to get a loan affects one's chances of living the American Dream; the argument is that not being able to get a credit card impacts on people's ability to accumulate wealth - not a valid argument. Again, it would have been necessary to show how this affects access to education, or perhaps supplies needed to go into a different career. 4. Bicycles in the US are not included in the household insurance? Don't you have such a thing there? Anyway, it's not a good example, especially since people can just borrow one (most people live within networks of family and friends, a fact ignored in this video), or buy a cheap, used one. Unfortunately, this video just feels manipulative. It's populism. That the video is short is no excuse; it's a mistake to even make a two and a half minute clip on this issue, which is obviously very complex.

[@alexandrub8786]

At 3. The americans didn't tried to resolve that by obligating the banks to give money without to verify the borrowers and that lead to the 3008 crash? Also i don't think is really populist rather propagandist,the best kind in which you don't really need to lie but just to ignore the "inconveniant facts".

[@joelincoln9531]

1. Of course some people can't afford to buy things in bulk when they live paycheck to paycheck are you kidding me? 2. It doesn't emphasize low living standards - he's saying that people at that income level have to spend all their income just to survive and thus don't have a disposable income to save up; effectively trapped in place. 3. You need to rephrase and elaborate on this one as it makes little sense. The basic premise is more about loans than credit cards. They just used cards as an example of how avenues are restricted when in poverty. 4. THEY CANNOT AFFORD INSURANCE - THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT. Also your idea is that they just happen to have a family member with a surplus of bikes to loan out? And, to address your final point: Your solution to people having no money to pay for transport and having their only means of transport stolen is to... throw money they don't have at it as a solution? Irregardless this point doesn't even matter as the bike thing was an example, the more likely emergency would be a sudden hospital bill or a need to repair something. Of course the issue is complex but for some reason all your points are based on the concept that people in poverty have savings (???) or have wealthy family or friends (super unlikely!) which just implies you were too busy looking for errors to actually listen to the video. I don't think you were trying to be malicious in making your comment, but honestly your list just seemed so presumptuous and inapplicable that it bothered me.

[@teamcyeborg]

And THEN, Kugrash ate A BAGEL!

[@That1powergamer]

For the record the the Classic American dream has happened for some people it's just so rare it might as well not exist overall.