Is the American Dream still alive?

Martha Teichner heads to the Rust Belt town of Port Clinton, Ohio, and hears the stories of people from all walks of life struggling to acquire the American Dream. What is that dream today? And is it, as some believe, getting harder to achieve?

[@anniebellemiller2986]

And people wonder why I want to live in a bus, raise chickens, and blast Queen music all day. I don't want to go to college, I don't want to get married, I don't want kids. I am happy with my personal dream.

[@TaylorMade511]

Not enough money. Everything costs too much.

[@rbodell]

still living above your means huh. How you gonna get ahead on that plan. That doesn't even cover your retirement or are you going to work till you die? If it costs too much to live on your working abilities, why stay there move someplace where you can live reasonably and Start on your retirement or go to school and learn a trade. I actually put $100 a month in savings after paying all my bills with my social security check,, That leave my 1250 a month retirement check for pocket money. I went to 2 weeks of th grade and never been unemployed or in debt. I make more now retired than I ever did working for a living.I ALWAYS live below my means and my means just keep increasing. The only time I played the stock market was after 911. When it hit bottom and just started back up I bought too big to loose stock. 6 months later I sold every one and never played that game again.I don't gamble. Compound interest works both ways, in debt as well as savings.

[@GEVINCHYGAMEZ]

Good point a shirt at the mall is $80

[@snakechrmr6398]

@@GEVINCHYGAMEZ Sounds like a good reason NOT to buy your shirts at the mall.

[@patrickeckhard7958]

Shop @ your local Sally Ann bouquet 😉

[@robertmoore6149]

Plenty of money out there. Just ask Bezos for example. You just dont have it.

[@Inferno5150]

Anybody remember back when all you needed was a strong work ethic and you could have it all? The wife, the house, the cars, the kids.......those were the days.

[@brandonwombacher2559]

Yes They Were

[@DIVISIONINCISION]

Scratch the wife and kids. I love life without worrying about the expectations of others.

[@vgxezo7371]

Too bad those days have passed 😪

[@russelltackett4779]

@@DIVISIONINCISION 😮‍💨

[@ezridaxsgender3914]

no, I'm not a white person who was around then. It never existed for millions of minorities

[@georgfriedrichhandel4390]

Former Pres. Jimmy Carter once said that what we call the middle class today would have been classified as the poor class in the 70s. Living standards have declined for the vast majority of Americans. Most families may own two or three cars, provide a computer for each of their children, have all the creature comforts they can stand but in order to afford those luxuries, both parents have to work and/or are carrying a mountain of personal debt.

[@Scott-by9ks]

I am living the American Dream. I grew up in rural Oklahoma. There are so many things I have today that were out of reach for my family while I was growing up. We have a modern professionally wired house. I remember rewiring our house when I was a child. I had to crawl between the ceilings to run the wire for my dad. I remember redoing the pluming in our house. I chopped wood everyday from the time I was 10 until I left home for the Army at 23. We heated our house with a wood burning stove that we often cooked on as well. We didn't have air conditioning and the summers in Oklahoma are sweltering. I never got new cloths and 1997 was the first year we had a car with air conditioning, I was 16. I remember doing agricultural work in the hot sun for less than minimum wage because that was legal there at the time. I had a lot of hardships, too many to list but I made it. I now live a comfortable lifestyle that I am proud of.

[@rentslave]

You can do it in Oklahoma-but not in New Jersey.I have a cousin who moved there.I can't go there.I need running tracks.

[@Scott-by9ks]

@@rentslave Move! I didn't make it in Oklahoma, I didn't find opportunity there so I moved! I joined the army with nothing to my name and left the place I had lived for more than 20 years to have a better life. If there are no opportunities where you live for your skills you can either get more skills or leave the place you live. This isn't rocket surgery.

[@rentslave]

@@Scott-by9ks Again!I need running tracks.No place on Earth has running tracks as has North Jersey.Do a Google map search.In the meantime,I'll wait for Great Depression II to bring reality to Real Estate.

[@Scott-by9ks]

@@rentslave maybe I'm just confused as to why you need running tracks? Is this something you will die without?

[@rentslave]

@@Scott-by9ks Regular roads are too even for serious exercise.At my age-69-I need all the exercise that I can get.

[@mrthomaslaux1]

Hard to admit but it's a thing of the past. It was the previous generations gift. America is just another country like any other now.

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

Right, so they can all go home now. When they leave we won't give them visas. We will breathe a sigh of relief. Now our wages won't be held down by cheaper foreigners. All they gave me was Montezuma's revenge when I ate out.

[@lunafringe10]

the entitled generation.

[@13Grneyez]

PIANOPHUNGUY when are you going to leave?

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

@@13Grneyez I am home. I was born here.

[@13Grneyez]

PIANOPHUNGUY if they live “here”then I guess they’re “home” too.

[@robertdigiovanni3398]

I live in a van. I love it because I don't have to worry about taxes, high rents, mortgages and don't have to worry about any debts. I work at my job and I'm happy. I can take my home anywhere I want and boondock anywhere I want. I'm free and I don't have to be a slave to the system...lol

[@jakelavaclaw2759]

PaiN I get you think he's a tree hugger (He is) and I don't like him either but saying "hippe" doesn't make sense and makes you look like a idiot heres the correction. HIPPIE

[@carolachadinha1589]

Robert Di Giovanni qqaa3

[@twczzkm]

Just keep your van away from my cul-de-sac. Thank you.

[@movieguy992]

Are you down by the river?

[@bdgoins1]

jakelavaclaw You grammar sucks so who are you to POST

[@Hithere-ek4qt]

Like George Carlin said' "they call it the American dream -because you have to be asleep to believe it."

[@meeksde]

debunker300 and made enough to pay his back taxes he tried to skip out on

[@fbyi2940]

@debunker300 anyone would be celebrity and work hard for to be one and promote their iteam and other marketing than do their casual 9-5 jobs. He had lived like normal Americans and probably became"woke" and started a comedy show or carrer. Thats what rappers doing back and now days, not the dump rappers like lil pump or other mainstream. American dream was about working the normal real job for 5 days while atually owning a house and having a family. Americans who had passive income and 5 days job was to become wealthy. Passive income with real job is nowdays is all about survival.

[@sportshighlightcollection7433]

@debunker300 He didn't live the "American dream" If he lived in Britain he would have been just as popular and successful. Because he spoke the truth.

[@annjean8709]

So very well said!

[@snakechrmr6398]

@debunker300 He left an estate of $10 million when he died. Looks like he slept pretty well.

[@karimaogden3875]

The "American Dream" is on Life Support!

[@Athenstrainman]

Its dead

[@creamcheese1048]

LOL

[@DaveBoswell-lz3kc]

It was on life support between the 1970's/80's it's been long dead for the past three decades.

[@algallego]

All of that travel for their kids and they say they're not living lavishly? Some people are quite deluded about their sense of what is enough!

[@DIVISIONINCISION]

They're a well-off couple. He's a judge and she's a lawyer. They can afford a nice house in the suburbs and I'm sure vacations to Europe are not a huge dent in their budget. Kids look educated and raised well. Scary thing is, they are upper middle class in this culture but in the 50's most of the middle class lived like that. The quality of life in America has gone down. Many people are scraping by on $30K/year.

[@nkwari]

AG - in the age of Instagram, living lavish means laborginis, and Prada and Gucci and private jets. you know like steve mnuchen

[@thomasmaxwell954]

They’re not living lavishly, they’re upper middle class

[@michelesimko7541]

The dream was over in the 70’s

[@michaelashtonjr.ashohara1414]

More like it died in the '80s

[@superjoshi6654]

Died in 80s When teenagers got trapped in mall culture

[@YoniNadi]

super Joshi .And the MTV culture!

[@isaiahmoses7670]

More like slow decline that began after 77,

[@alwillk]

80s with Reaganomics and 90s with NAFTA. First, Give a 40% tax cut to the Rich and then give a 2% tax cut for the poor middle class. Then out source union factory jobs where people are making double and triple minimum wage to other countries where the people will work for pennies a day.

[@spaceballs44]

The American Dream is dead. It’s been that way for some time now.

[@BellTunnel]

Today, the American dream has risen 1,000% against inflation and requires not only true grit, but luck and a soft platoon of guiding angels.

[@crosscounty24]

I hope the single father makes it

[@princessmarlena1359]

“He’s gonna make it after aaalll!” 🎶 (I hope)

[@samye.1558]

Man... I think hes in prison. I googled his name and found a 25 year old inmate search.

[@nkwari]

Our tax dollars should go to employ young neglected men to give the community stability! When spend plenty of money on foreign aid.

[@schawnettarobinson8584]

Life got him.

[@vladimir-6632]

Yeah man he’s in prison I grew up with him

[@peters840]

The American dream was that through hard work and determination anyone can become whoever they wanted but now idk

[@theonetheonlymemelord5738]

Peter Sparta hard work is still a necessity but now you require a good education and occasionally a connection. It's still alive but a bit more complex.

[@milesinwyatteandcora]

@@theonetheonlymemelord5738 I agree and it's so complex that regarding ti connections , for us average people connections is something like a gem to find . My friend who's family been living in the lower end has never prospered in a sense of the "american dream" even when his dad was a manager at a factory and his mom was a doctor even they were struggling with making ends meet . Which is weird cause I thought that people in the medical field live in moderate or big houses but I didnt take account of the debts from medical school etc

[@theonetheonlymemelord5738]

@@milesinwyatteandcora yeah the insurance and the debt from school can really set you back. But how you handle your money is a big contributing factor. Even if you make a lot if you don't know how to invest or save or spend it well it doesn't matter.

[@milesinwyatteandcora]

@@theonetheonlymemelord5738 yeah and how much you make is a big factor I would think for a family. But single and have means to reduce rent cna help alot. For example u was recently divorced a out a a out a year ago and my exwife left me 24,000 in debt and I just got it down to 3,000 in debt . Man talk about fair 😂

[@creamcheese1048]

Do you really buy that ?

[@snow.white1937]

there isn’t a middle class anymore. there is poor or rich

[@ariefraiser140]

Well I'm not poor and I'm most definitely not rich....If there's no middle class the what am I?

[@lynnmarieanderson1744]

It's become medical and computers and technology are where the well paying jobs are. Everything else is low pay. Or else a lot of better jobs want more than a bachelor's degree. I'm in my 40s now and living on a low income. I was hoping I could have a better life than this. Plodding through college can take forever.

[@debunker300]

@@lynnmarieanderson1744Absolutely NOT true....you can drive a shale sand truck in West Texas or North Dakota without any college degree required, and make 75k/yr. There are all sorts of options that don't require a Bachelor's degree....trade schools, apprenticeship programs, etc. There are shortages right now of electricians, plumbers, etc. Just because you made poor decisions in your own life doesn't mean the American Dream is dead for others.

[@lynnmarieanderson1744]

@@debunker300 You do have a point there. I wonder if anyone's that excited or happy doing that as a life long career choice. I just know so many people who absolutely hate everything about their jobs. They might pay the bills, but it's been very rare to hear someone say I like my job.

[@alek488]

Lynn Marie Anderson my parents work as nurse and a union construction worker, we are certainly living the American dream. They came from Poland in the 90s for a better life. There are many success stories of people coming out of places like the ghetto and making lots of money and living great lives.

[@corgifloofi4840]

Baby boomers devoured the dream and left us this. Thanks for outsourcing our wealth so you can have a fifth house.

[@mistywoods4407]

Most baby boomers I know have only one house and don't feel "entitled" to it.

[@inkey2]

What a crock of $hit. By far most baby boomers are/were just working class people......garage mechanics, retail workers, factory workers, self employed in a small business etc. Many of these social programs that were so costly people complain about were put through when baby boomers were just kids like during the President Johnson administration. I am a baby boomer and get $1000 a month social security and $400 goes to my medicare payments. I live in a one bedroom basement apartment 700 sq feet in size.......that's like the size of a garage. Most of us are just getting by.

[@christinamowatt8855]

@RaFari1119 Bee Sounds crazy but you are absolutely correct!

[@golightly5121]

Actually Clinton dismantled factories and sent them lock, stock and barrel to China.

[@christinamowatt8855]

@@golightly5121 Yes he did. My mom lost her pension from working in a furniture factory for 30 years. All of those jobs went overseas. But old Bill and Hillary received a fat check to their foundation from the Waltons.

[@michaelchristophergutierre7244]

Sometimes it's a combination of good choices and luck. You can say get a degree but then your strapped with 100k in student debt. Then if your lucky enough to buy a house your strapped with debt for 30 years and the property taxes keep going up. Don't get paid off or get sick because you will loose everything. No wonder why over 1 million older Americans have moved to Mexico and other places and can have a better quality of life. Scary times huh.

[@snakechrmr6398]

Or you can learn a skill or trade and start out with savings, no debt, experience and many job prospects. The choice is up to the individual.

[@soultec11]

or you can free education, like they do in GERMANY snakechrmr

[@snakechrmr6398]

@@soultec11 Except no matter how many times you capitalize the name of a country you still can't make the country provide free university education. While Germany (and most of Europe) used to provide free college to their youth that train left the station some time ago. It is true college educations are a lot cheaper in most European countries as countries began to run out of other people's money they began to charge. In 2005 Germany's Constitutional court scrapped the ban on fees and universities began to charge. By 2013 many states had scrapped tuition fees (as certain political parties came into power within the state) but saying higher education is free in Germany is only half true. There are small fees required and there is little housing available on campus causing students to have to use the local rental market. With the amount of debt public universities are racking up many predict 2020 will bring in another round of tuition fees. We're only talking about public universities as all private institutions charge tuition fees. I'm not going to waste a lot of time digging into the costs (you, of course, spent no time validating your claim) German universities now charge their students. I lived in Portugal for 10 years and my friends were paying around €9000/yr for their children to attend a university. There was a time that was free but no longer. For the past 2 years have lived in Serbia where there are also fees associated with university attendance.

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

Go to a junior (community college) don't get a 4 year degree. Wasteful. Get off your behind and get a job.

[@ezridaxsgender3914]

@@snakechrmr6398 the only reason there's any job opportunities in skill and trade is because so many jobs held by baby boomers. And lots of those jobs are only good jobs because of strong unions. There's no job growth in being a plumber or electrician. Basic economic facts

[@charlieortiz5399]

The Dream Fairy came to my pillow last night and left me a bill for the national debt.

[@NFSMAN50]

The american dream still exists, but everyone wants to move to all the big name cities like Los Angeles, NYC, San Fransisco, Portland, Seattle, and Miami, where the cost of living is expensive. There are so many smaller sized cities where you can get a decent good living situation there.

[@DaveBoswell-lz3kc]

Sorry but the American Dream has been dead for a long time. Cost of living is higher now than ever no matter where you live.

[@aaap3875]

It was destroyed by the banks

[@faithrada]

The problem is multi- tiered. The Banks, Greed, and an Ignorant population which refuses to educate itself were all at fault for the housing crisis. Who buys a $500,000. house with a 12% + interest rate while making $25,000 a year? Yes ... Those dirty BANKS LIED, Misrepresented, and encouraged BUYERS to LIE ALSO. The consumer was conned yes.. BUT they also allowed themselves to be CONNED. They did NOT do their DO Diligence... too many did NOT do their homework. Most homeowners in Europe could not believe how naive the American home buyer is.

[@Mitch-zr4wb]

Excuses

[@user-td7xf3gz4l]

Nah

[@mikerice5298]

@@faithrada 9 trillion missing in 2008

[@faithrada]

@@mikerice5298 I have no doubt. Beyond disgraceful

[@freelunchforchildren4040]

Yes, definitely . . . While u r Sleeping

[@budwzr8199]

You always have to watch for the cops giving tickets a 3 in the morning. Most of the time signs are not posted but you will still get hammered.

[@BabeArixo]

I think that disconnect between parents working all the time and kids being left to grow up in front of a phone screen speaks volumes about where we are headed as a society. Has a lot to do with anxiety and depressive disorders.

[@DIVISIONINCISION]

Stop overgeneralizing, baby Izzy. You have neither the education (Master's) nor experience (Mental Health) to make a statement like that.

[@russelltackett4779]

@@DIVISIONINCISION 🤐

[@snakechrmr6398]

I grew up poor. Didn't have money or encouragement to go to school after HS. After a couple of years I wanted to learn a skill and joined the Army. 3 years enlisted, reenlisted and went to Flight School. 3 years as a Warrant Officer helicopter pilot and out of the service with a marketable skill, solid mid mgmt exp, zero debt, nice savings and the GI Bill if I wanted college (I didn't). Flying allowed me to work most anywhere around the world and I was never w/o a position when I wanted to work. Never had to take unemployment, food stamps or any govt assistance. Worked all around the lower US, Alaska, Africa and Europe finally retiring in eastern Europe at 62 in 2013. Most of my time now is spent riding a Harley around secondary roads searching out little known history, ruins, art, museums and cultures. And still only a HS diploma. This is my American Dream. It's still out there you just have to work towards it.

[@bosnmatecaddie]

My mother came from Mexico, no understanding of the English language, went to school, learn English, became a naturalized citizen, became a secretary, gave her children a fighting chance, went to a private school but didn't take advantage, so joined the US Navy, saw the world, grew up, became a man, took responsibly for my own life, made mistakes, learned from them, now, own my own truck and I'm living MY American dream, find your niche and succeed in it, U will fail but with perseverance and drive, U can achieve!

[@LS-wh9rn]

snakechrmr no, you have to join the US Army or other branch...👀

[@toowhomitmayconcern2831]

Snakechrmr A government job is govt assistance.

[@thyslop1737]

Dude you are rubbing it in. I can feel the 10 inch knife now going in, then the twist.

[@snakechrmr6398]

@@thyslop1737 Rubbing it in? No, I'm showing one of the many pathways to creating a good life for yourself other than massive debt and college.

[@philtube1ful]

The " American Dream" actually lasted from the end of the Korean war 1953 to the OPEC embargo of the mid 70s , only 20 years. It was a fluke , an anomaly.

[@thecitizenjoan]

Still Alive for the Rich and their Children. Upward Mobility is harder than it’s ever been especially for minorities like myself. It’s not impossible to become monetarily rich or affluent, but definitely more difficult than it used to be and more difficult than it should be. Where you live and who you connect yourself too can help. But a lot of people don’t have opportunities to even get to the next step. It’s sad. Don’t let this be an excuse though for not trying, there are opportunities out there for all it just takes some knowledge, God’s blessings, good work ethic and you can still make it.

[@lilolme69]

You need to MAKE your OWN opportunity instead of waiting for it at the bus stop.... it ain't there. All you need to do is start your own business and you don't need to worry about a J.O.B. I'm living proof! I quit school in the 10th grade. Only had $3.17. Started a house cleaning business and made millions! What's stopping YOU?

[@ezridaxsgender3914]

@@lilolme69 if you did actually make millions, thats based on luck as much as any hard work you put in. I'm sure there's tens of millions of people who work just as hard as you, how come they haven't all pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and made millions?

[@lilolme69]

@@ezridaxsgender3914 I guess because you and everyone else isn't smart enough....?? I was a straight male in a female world getting house cleaning accounts. I cleaned myself at first, then I got my 1st worker and then 3 and then so-on and so-on. Just because you and everyone else isn't smart enough to do it, don't blame me. You and everyone else seem to be good with making a small hourly wage. My goal was to make $55 profit in my pocket per house cleaned after everything was paid including personal taxes. $55 per house x10 per day = $550 per day, Monday - Thursday. Fridays would be up to 27 houses. I had 5 of those businesses for 4 months shy of 20 years, so you do the math, Einstein.

[@brianb572]

2:49 "A few bad choices and we could have been them". But....you didn't make those bad decisions. You didn't get someone pregnant before you were established. You valued education and pursued a degree in a field that would afford you the life you wanted. You did not over extend yourself and live beyond your means. You did not develop a drug or alcohol habit. You didn't get arrested for a crime and ruin your chances of future employment. You don't smoke 3 packs a day. Etc.. Life is simple folks....don't do dumb sh!t that sends the train off the rails, develop a skill that has marketability in the economy, be ethical and have a strong work ethic. Show up for work 15 minutes early every day and stay 15 minutes later than needed. Always do your best work. Realize that your success is dependent upon YOU. Do not expect others to bail you out. Do these things and life generally turns out fine.

[@jewelboynton2641]

Tell trump this

[@aab434]

I show up an hour early every day

[@cherylT321]

aab434. Me, too! I get there before my boss does. It doesn’t really matter where I work, though because everything is based on favoritism, not hard work and dedication!

[@aab434]

@@cherylT321 that's all it is now is favoritism in most work places

[@MzCelticsChik9]

Thanks for the advice Brian B

[@keedinah]

"American Dream"?? When was that ever a reality?

[@faithrada]

THE PROBLEM... with the American Dream is... two words... Global Economy .. and, well.. ok..3 words... GREED. The moment U.S. Corporations started outsourcing jobs... to SAVE MONEY... and make MORE PROFITS... for the 1%... at the cost of the U.S. WORKER... the American Dream started turning into the American nightmare. Granted that's a bit simplified... that global imbalance could not... and SHOULD NOT continue at the expense of keeping other human beings in economic bondage... but UNTIL humanity matures enough to seek FAIRNESS and reject GREED... Nations will simply continue to do what they have always done ... Rise and Fall... Rise and Fall... and humanity will continue to suffer... needlessly.

[@typhoon320i]

"My old man worked hard... all they ever gave him, was more work..." - Weekend at Bernie's

[@ec992]

Then u get old collecting cans like the homeless after all that work pray to god 🙏we don't get sick

[@MoMotivation0304]

Now we're living in a nightmare. This is what happens when you try to fix things that aren't broken, they eventually break on you.... It stopped at the baby boomers. If you don't have wealth & security in your family then u can be sure to struggle all your life unless you come up with a brilliant idea or win the lotto 🤔

[@freakinfrugal5268]

I read Prof. Putnam's book. It's excellent. The dream is really only alive for kids born to well to do families. It's not a level playing field. The children of the poor are going to stay poor.

[@GetMikeNyce]

The two ambulance chaser lawyers working on the American dream : sue for everything

[@GhostSal]

Conservatives want you to believe you just have to work harder and tighten your belt more. The dream is attainable, and has nothing to do with the rich taking more and more for themselves. Nothing to do with jobs paying less. Nothing to do with pensions going away, unions shrinking, healthcare costs going through the roof and retirement age being raised. I mean who doesn’t want to work till you’re in your 70s (with health problems), doesn’t everyone want to work until we die? I mean someone has to make sure the rich can live like royalty, we must not be working hard enough because we haven’t even seen our first trillionaire yet.

[@lilolme69]

All you need to do is start your own business and you don't need to worry about a J.O.B. I'm living proof! Why do you work for someone else and make them all the money?

[@DIVISIONINCISION]

I'm not rich, but I own my own home, two cars, two degrees and a career. Why couldn't you do that? What's stopping you? You are.

[@miniliebenberg9644]

DIVISIONINCISION agreed!

[@miniliebenberg9644]

Sal Agnello and the liberals want you to believe everything is for free

[@sveingeraldhansen7275]

In the Scandinavia we are living good lives, we have everything we need. And we have small differences between rich and poor. And we have a government we trust. Police without guns, nice prisons. No one need 2 jobs, and we don`t work more than 38 hours a week, we have 5 weeks Vacation, 1 year Maternity Leave Paid, all this is all this is due to "The Nordic Model." We have a mix between Capitalism and Socialism. Where the state owns 31% of all jobs plus all the Oil. And the only difference between working for the state or Private is that the state jobs are safer. The United States also has socialist jobs, such as Police, Fire, The Army etc. In our country, The Workers Union and Unions for the companies discuss wages, working hours, holidays etc to agree, while The Government are waiting, to see if mediation becomes necessary, and so far we have: 5 weeks paid Holiday, 1 year Paid Maternity Leave for Ma and Pa, subsidized Child care Free Schools, Free Health Care and much more etc etc The United States, which is one of the richest countries in the world, has not. The United States together with New Guinea, Suriname are the only countries in the world without Maternity Leave. But you have a lot of billionaires, of which only 19 people want more tax to help this country. Finland are the no 1 in Schools, in the world 5 Videos: A Documentary on Finland`s Schools The real reason American health care is so expensive Michael Moore On French & American Taxes Why Don’t Norwegians Immigrate to the United States? Are the Nordic countries Socialists? How to argue with Conservative.

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

How many million of immigrants has Scandinavia taken in? How many more do you want? If you don't take in 30 million then you are mean spirited.

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

Women with young children should not have a job outside the home. You can save on child care.

[@sveingeraldhansen7275]

@@PIANOPHUNGUY So US should take in about 500 millions, In Scandinavia we are 20 mill so it is 1 and a half time more. And US can`t handle the people they already have. So you better work on making less children. Max 2 children for each couple.

[@sveingeraldhansen7275]

@@PIANOPHUNGUY You have to learn more about economy. Or more about the Nordic Economy. First you have to get Maternity Leave in US, US is the only country without Maternity leave. You can receive parental benefit while on maternity leave if you are part of the Swedish social security scheme and if the child is resident in Sweden or lives in the EU / EEA or Switzerland. Parental benefit is paid for 480 days for a child. For 390 days, the parenting money is based on your income. The remaining 90 days are the lowest performance.

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

US population is over 375 million, so we are almost at half a billion. Now it it Europe's turn.

[@goldstandardaviation1667]

Small business owner here. My business continues to do extremely well. My business owner friends report the same thing. Of course there is a cohort of the population who will always struggle financially. Making the right decisions in high school and early adulthood.will likely put you on the road to prosperity.

[@Vision33r]

You can thank Amazon, Silicon Valley, and Wall Street.

[@user-td7xf3gz4l]

Blame everyone but yourself?

[@ag-bk5wf]

Yes...i bet some people who there came from poverty...so it still exist.

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

The cause is cheap labor because China has a large population . 1.3 billion. Maybe we should help them decrease their surplus population. Any ideas?

[@funkymarilenecat5364]

@@PIANOPHUNGUY hopefully corona virus will do the job

[@edaxsachorwzky8898]

It's alive in ones head. But reality is different 🙄

[@Clintsessentials]

True

[@snakechrmr6398]

No, the "American Dream" is different for everyone. Mine's alive both in my head and in reality. I've been living it for the past 47 years.

[@lindavel43]

Yep. I agree that many things are messed up with America's economy. But, I have my cousin and her husband as examples. They didn't go to college and the husband speaks broken English. The husband didn't go to a fancy culinary school, he learned on the job. Years later he is now the head cook! My cousin was an office manager, she started as the assistant. But, she works now part-time with another company so she doesn't need a babysitter.They lived below their means for more than 15 years. They now own 3 homes, 2 payed in cash. They now have the luxury to take vacations every year, but they still don't splurge on their vacations. They made the right decisions.

[@itsasetup8652]

“Go to work, send your kids to school, follow fashion, act normal, walk on the pavement, watch t.v., save for your old age, obey the law, repeat after me: I am free.” Yeah my definition of American dream is different than the next person. I find the golden handcuffs, mortgage, 2.1 kids, white picket fence, etc are the opposite of freedom.

[@debunker300]

So, I'm confused...for most people, the American Dream is having a good job, house, family and the ability to save for retirement. Now those things are "the opposite of freedom"? Please explain.

[@nihilisticbarbie]

Ok then go live in the woods then. Some people just want a normal life. Others want something else.

[@DIVISIONINCISION]

Depending on where and when you buy, a house is a good investment. If the area is growing, you can flip it in a few years for a profit if need be. Real Estate is a market in itself.

[@macneoh7418]

Here's an idea; If you are poor, don't have kids. It will do nothing to improve your socioeconomic status.

[@lilolme69]

YES!! ^^^ And, all you need to do is start your own business and you don't need to worry about a J.O.B. or the government feeding you. I'm living proof!

[@expendablesubhuman8592]

Better yet, don't have a kid at all!

[@MegaMementoMori]

So, is it only me that the American dream is supposed to mean having a golden retriever, a SUV and a suburban house with a swimming pool?

[@snakechrmr6398]

Might only be you because the "American Dream" is many different things to many different people. Me? Had a goldie (died at 8 years old), swore after my last pool that I'd NEVER have another and find suburban houses too common. So, is it only me that the American dream is supposed to mean retired, living in Europe (10 years in Portugal last 2 in Serbia), a small 50mpg car (bought new w/cash), an '07 Harley (bought new w/cash), renting a 50s era European home and spending most of my time riding around the backroads of southern Europe searching out lesser known ruins, castles, history and art?

[@limestonecrafter9044]

Dream is there but you have to work at least 80 hours of skilled job for good 10 years to get a good start. You do this and you'll be alright, I wish someone gave me this simple advice when I was teenagers. I lost many years wasting it on temporary jobs

[@KendraSchwartz]

It’s so sad to see all of the cities up in the Midwest getting poorer and poorer.

[@sail1999]

Convert the old factory to a Amazon Fulfillment Center.

[@tonycollins8679]

Keep faith, hope, believe ,stay positive, love your neighbour, one day at a time, read write sing, God Bless Abundantly from Scotland

[@new2dayuser151]

The 1950's and 60's were fairy tale times. Nowadays the nightmare begins for sleeping dreaming too hard.. Those parents during the 50's and 60's knew their funtime was short, thus the influx of sci fi movies, space movies, horror movies, etc. They knew what was coming for their children but they didn't care. They continued to enjoy their American dreams!!!

[@sunnyd4734]

Parents of the 1950s and 1960s didn't know their children would financially suffer until everyone began to feel the financial strain of semi hyper inflation and high interest rates of the 1970s. There was now the necessity of the two income family and a demand for higher education. The cost of the Vietnam War was enormous and President Nixon took America off of the gold standard in 1971. The die was permanently cast. The American dollar is near collapse.

[@mgp-bct7723]

Now it’s The Indiana and China dream because all the factories there now ,

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

Yes let India and China take in millions of immigrants. Let them suffer.

[@VivKittie32]

Well that’s why Trump is playing hard ball with China.

[@fbyi2940]

@@VivKittie32 he is kinda jealous of china

[@student1062]

I don't think many american factories are there in India, companies yes but factories no. The reason is because it is a headache to deal with labour policies(if the state government does not turn blind eye). And the labour is less productive compared to other south-east Asian countries and east Asia.

[@randomcharizard7015]

The American Dream is still alive in particular places, for example, Charleston SC. Only 4 years ago my parents only had enough stuff to fill the back cab of my dads 1994 Tacoma. Now we have a five bedroom house, a boat, a golf cart and a RV. I believe this is the American Dream.

[@lynnmarieanderson1744]

There's too many people living out of cars or vans or who are totally homeless. What kind of American dream is that??? It's fading away.

[@flutterbyenterprises8452]

The same in the UK. Class of your parents usually dictates those of the off spring.

[@abegetsbuckwild]

Life is a adjustment Sometimes it’s going to be good and bad, it’s how you adjust to it that makes you stronger

[@movieguy992]

American dream existed for mostly one reason...WWII. Any time there is a major disaster the survivors have great lives in the aftermath. Little competition...lots of work rebuilding...lots of demand for the few remaining warm bodies. Same thing happened after the plague hit Europe. That was the first time they had a middle class because workers became so rare and valuable.

[@zionnuby842]

That house looked lavish to me🤨

[@garygerard4290]

there are winners and losers - always have been but things change winners now have to work harder, save more, spend smarter and there will be winners and losers

[@carieyoung1111]

“If it is to be- it’s up to me”...

[@meeksde]

Carie Young Ph.D, CTNC Holistic Wealth & Health well thank you Norman Vincent Peale.

[@edkaeuper5607]

We all get our launch point off our parents shoulder.

[@Cmorrison626]

Pretty much. I thought the dream was to build on and do better than what your parents left you with. It’s all relative to each individual’s personal situation

[@meeksde]

Cameron Morrison it was easy to do for me. They were dirt broke and in debt.

[@FASTPISTOLDRAW]

The only way you can believe it is in your sleep.

[@miniliebenberg9644]

As an immigrant I am living the American Dream. I have a house, a job, a car and I pay 18% taxes. I came from a country where interest on a house was 18%, my taxes were 51% and there was no gas to fill my car and no food on the shelves. I had a job but I was working 45 hours a week to support those who want “free” stuff. Why do you think everyone wants to come to this country?? Because our own countries suck! I love my newfound country. I have been welcomed with open arms and I have assimilated completely. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 USA FOREVER. Those who think the dream is gone, go and live in a socialist country where they despise the working class.

[@jagdpanther2224]

'The American Dream !?' This is just a dream! This is just a dream! Why some naive people still obessed to make such a dream?? Unless you wanna to run cocaine business and killing a lot of people !

[@Saturdayz_In_The_Fall]

Everything going up including food prices but yet, congress agree the minimum wage should stay at $7.25... Yes the American Dream is D E A D.

[@davidkaser7423]

They gave themselves a $125.000 dollar raise this year. Most America do not make $30,000

[@snakechrmr6398]

"American Dream" is not a finite "thing". It means many different things to different people. I retired at 62 in western Europe with $35,000 savings, a small pension, new inexpensive high mpg car (bought for cash), 7 y/o Harley (bought new w/cash) and I followed the SS website to start collecting benefits when the monthly amount reached a level where I could live. Here I sit coming into 2020 having moved to eastern Europe 2 years ago with a 7 y/o high mpg car, 13 y/o Harley, $17,000 savings, a small pension and US Social Security where my rent is 6.4% of my monthly benefit. I have no debt and wake every morning wondering what I want to do today. That's the American Dream. You might just have to leave America to find it,

[@DaveBoswell-lz3kc]

I've found plenty of KZbin videos discussing Americans leaving the United States to find the American Dream elsewhere.

[@tristanthomas5006]

The American dream is still alive. Among the 1%.

[@daniellanzotti2391]

Take shelter in the House of the Lord. Money will never satisfy or make u feel safe. Being with your maker is solving that yearning empty feeling. You try to fill it with worldly things. Jesus died just for you my friend and washed away all our pain. Repent now and ask Jesus into your heart. That brings true comfort for this life and the next.

[@user-jd4qy1fd6m]

There is a certain level of ungreatfulness in not seeing how blessed the U S is compared to other places...and any dream that is dying is a result of our own doing...we are the ones killing small businessesby choosing to support certain companies at the expense of the small ones, we are the ones giving up our privacy...we are the ones engaging in racism, we are the ones killing the dream.

[@faithrada]

There is something to what you say here. Unfortunately when the majority choose poorly.. they take us with them.

[@user-jd4qy1fd6m]

Faith Rada so true

[@TheAureliac]

A couple of bad choices. Like you got hit by an uninsured driver, spent two years in rehab, lost your livelihood and have been fighting insurance companies ever since. Like you were raped before you were sexually active, were thrown out of your family's home for disgracing them, have been used and abused by the foster system. Like the company you worked for found an excuse to let you go in order to avoid paying for your cancer treatment and no one else will hire you. Life doesn't always present us with good or bad choices. Sometimes two choices seem equivalent but play out differently. Sometimes people must choose between survival and being crippled. Everyone who works hard and follows the rules doesn't make it: plenty who do neither thrive. The American Dream is that the playing field is level. It isn't. Those of us who have done well should thank our lucky stars and stop smugly saying we earned our good fortune and others earned their bad luck. Hubris is not an admirable trait.

[@asriel_dreemurr6666]

I won't emigrate to America bcs of the American Dream. Culture, people, the language, the food everything. I just love America🇺🇲🇺🇸❤🤍💙

[@Agrippa666]

They call it the American dream because you gotta be asleep to believe it -George Carlin

[@terrybrady8588]

Yes, and the Government sold it.

[@timbirch3869]

The American dream did exist I believe but only for about thirty years. 1950-1975. Then ......

[@wholeNwon]

Sure it's alive. It MAY be more difficult to achieve depending on what that dream actually is. But it can always or almost always be done.

[@johnobrien8398]

The dream is a nightmare now and all the comfortable well off people are paying the price for being supine sycophants it’s their own fault we let the rich destroy us

[@hammer3293]

Budget your money and invest in retirement, the only one in your way is you

[@r6master69]

Finally a smart comment on this video

[@ARyan-yk9qh]

The American Dream ended in 1964.

[@sunnyd4734]

You are correct. America's decline began right after JFK's assassination in 1963. Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War. America has been on a permanent economic decline for the middle class ever since.

[@accident1583]

Personal opinion, most of the people migrated on that country are not that kind of productive in short, they get there because of connections, most of the Filipinos went and work and live there are already productive before they went in America, as long as you valued hard work, dreams and having a creativity on your desired job or business you can make it unlike the others which most of them becomes excess

[@mr.centrist5789]

You are still dreaming?

[@ctdieselnut]

Devaluation of our money. Cheap foreign labor produces cheap foreign goods. Increase in population. Wages not even tracking inflation. Taxes are enforced lopsided on the middle class. Min wage kept way too low for too long. Property/ housing market prices are out of reach to the masses. Education costs soaring, along with education debt. Credit card debt. Unemployment/ underemployment. The American dream is still alive, but the uphill battle is far worse on many fronts than what previous generations had to endure. What do you expect?

[@mike.p.1400]

American dream. American dream. That’s all I ever hear. What is the American dream ? Who invented that saying. I’ll bet it was s real estate agent. I’m an American and I have a dream. But it’s not an American dream. It’s my dream.

[@jacksimms2053]

It is for me!

[@jacobthompson6265]

My parents were both drug addicts. I graduated salutatorian and attend USC. It’s hard. The odds aren’t in your favor. It takes a lot of persistence. But it proves despite it all, it can be done.

[@DaveBoswell-lz3kc]

Yeah like getting into debt through student loans just to pursue the job of your choice. Try Again!!!

[@virginiemnkodia1708]

Thanks to the lobbyist that influence the law that work agaist our interest ., There is so much space in this country how can we lack housing ??

[@faithrada]

Greed.. plain and simple.

[@ikerivers1795]

Because so many people want to live in the same place

[@toowhomitmayconcern2831]

Because we lack natural resources.

[@Kaiyats]

They call it the American dream because you have to be asleep to believe in it - George Carlin RIP

[@karenhardie1132]

Rich and poor people now. Middle class is disappearing.

[@hmbld1]

The politicians sold us out.

[@empirestate8791]

To be honest, the economy changes. Just move to Houston or the Bay Area or Boston - there's an abundance of good (and relatively cheap) public education, as well as wonderful employment opportunities!

[@sunnyd4734]

I live right outside of Boston. Yes, job opportunities are great if you have the right education but homes are $600K for average house. A one bedroom apartment in Boston is $2,500 per month. When I moved to Boston from Pennsylvania in 1989, one bedroom apartments were $600. I plan to move out of Massachusetts when I retire. It's gotten way too expensive.

[@oneznzeroz]

If you fall in love with something that can make you money and you spend years working at that trade, you should be able to make decent money and eventually a place of your own [whatever that is to you]. Don't spend what you make, save some and in fact invest some of it. One of the sayings that has resonated through my life is "You get out of life what you put into it". I don't mean this as a message of criticism but a message of hope. Bust your tail and keep plugging away. Study something that is useful to a wealthy company [in my case IT]. Keep working and keep developing yourself. You'll be amazed how far you can go.

[@maryshaffer8474]

Yes a measure of freedom. I never expected a middle class life so I got what I expected.

[@richbrake9910]

No. that dream ended a long time ago.

[@thaintriguing1]

The American Dream. You have to be asleep to believe it. ~George Carlin

[@mgtowlife54]

The American dream is just that.....a dream. Then you wake up.

[@lilolme69]

All you need to do is start your own business and you don't need to worry about a J.O.B. I'm living proof! Started with $3.17 and made millions..... but I did get off my lazy @ss to do it.

[@callmedave1280]

Port Clinton/Sandusky is probably my favorite part of Ohio.

[@rentslave]

The one in East Rutherford is struggling already.

[@TopHatRonin]

The American Dream is Alive-ish, with stomach tubes, breathing tube, & full paralysis; but yes it's alive ♿

[@junglesbongles8592]

globalism is about money having all the power and the worker being property. it used to be the other way around for a while and it was good.

[@thekingofmoney2000]

There are better options now for a comfortable life. Sure, you may not become a millionaire as easily in some other developed countries, but few people will become millionaires in America anyway. For a nice, comfortable, middle class life, I'd choose Western Europe, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, over America.

[@rentslave]

What can a million dollars earn today without risk,20 K?

[@kentfrederick8929]

I know people who work in IT and say there is a dearth of talented, experienced people. An opening for a job paying over $100K can get 2 resumes, and neither applicant is qualified. I have a teenager, and it's surprising how many of his friends plan to skip college in favor of vocational training. Jobs in plumbing, electrical work, and HVAC, are paying $40K or more to start, without the college loan burden. You have to be frugal. It was my parents' fifth new car that had FM radio. I was in college, when they got rid of the rotary dial phones, because ATT charged extra for Touch-Tone service.

[@kentfrederick8929]

@@GothamsFinest My friends in IT would interview someone in a New York minute with a degree in the computer field and a certification in something like Agile, for an entry level job. What is frustrating is when you advertise for someone with 5-7 years experience in IT, and you get a resume from a middle school English teacher, looking to make a career change.

[@truckerwellnesssusa]

"A banker in Pakistan... but it was too dangerous so he walked to Afghanistan to escape." Fast forward this story five years later (August 18th, 2021) and I think it's the opposite way around. People want to walk to Pakistan to escape Afghanistan.🥺

[@drinkingpoolwater]

NAFTA was the end of the american dream.

[@alexcharles2726]

Go to Newark NJ and show how politics continue to make a urban environment worse and worse.

[@mariaa.5829]

I still believe.