• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        The American Dream has morphed into this “anyone can be rich” idea.

        When I was a kid, it was a house and two cars.

        • Daft_ish@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Which is basically a multimillionaire in today’s standards. Unless you mean two junkers and a house in the hood. I’m not opposed to the latter but it’s hardly anyone’s first choice.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            You’re being very hyperbolic. We have a house and two cars. I have around $200 in my bank account. Admittedly, it helps that we do not live in the most desirable part of the country, but we also live paycheck-to-paycheck and have not even ever been hundred thousandaires.

            You can’t be poor and achieve it, but you don’t have to be rich either.

            • Daft_ish@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              I feel you. I have my house in the hood with my two Hondas.

              Shit should not be this difficult.

              A $200,000 home isn’t luxury but it also isn’t the American dream.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                I didn’t mean to suggest that. Housing prices and car prices are ridiculously and unnecessarily high. I’m just saying that the American dream has morphed into something that at least a large proportion of the population can even now achieve into something that almost no one can achieve.

      • tegs_terry@feddit.uk
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        7 months ago

        Yeah, it was started by rich people looking to increase their wealth and influence and has remained under their control ever since.

    • rayyy@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      It’s only going to get worse. Money buys elections and Putin, along with American oligarchs have a lot to spend on getting their desired results.

    • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      Yet it remains one of the happiest countries in the world. I’m not saying we don’t have our problems, because we clearly do, but the idea that the country is a “shit hole” is just baseless nonsense.