You can hear our interview with Frosty on Freedom Talk Netcast, http://www.freedomtalknetcast.com/ in the archives.
HAS THE AMERICAN DREAM COME TO AN END?
By Frosty Wooldridge
November 25, 2010
NewsWithViews.com
"For generations, parents have told their children about "The American
Dream." Basically it has meant building a life based on the foundational
principles that created and have sustained America for more than 200 years."
Greater than any other country in the modern world, the United States
offered, from 1776 to 2010, unprecedented opportunities to the common
citizen to manifest the "American Dream." Every resident enjoys the choices
of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
How do you define the American Dream? Basically, it allows average
citizens to enjoy higher education, greater choices and fulfillment of their
personal goals. Those aspirations allow farm boys to play in the New York
Philharmonic, or a Texas kid to sing the National Anthem in Yankee Stadium,
or a poor black girl like Oprah Winfrey to become a movie star, fabulously
rich and the host of the Oprah Show. She that educates and enlightens
millions around the world. It allows inner-city ghetto kids like O.J.
Simpson to gain stardom, money and a mega-wealthy home-only to sit in prison
for his transgressions.
It allows men like Bernie Madoff to rise to astonishing wealth only to
fall into disgrace and prison. The American Dream allows a poor white kid
like Abe Lincoln to rise to the presidency as well as an illegitimate black
kid like Barack Obama to sit in the White House in 2010. The American Dream
allows anyone with fortitude, integrity, drive and creative talents to chase
their dreams.
For example: how could a poor boy step off the farm in the 1950s,
graduate from college, become a teacher, and move on to live a life of
adventure? How could he jump on a bicycle and ride it 100,000 miles across
six continents and seven times coast-to-coast across America? How could a
kid enjoy such an amazing life that Marco Polo or Captain Cook would envy?
How could he write 10 books with more on the way? How could he speak up
against his own government and fight for what's right and not get thrown
into political prison? I don't know, but I am that kid. I must pinch myself
because it all gets down to the luck of my birth and country of origin.
If you look around the planet, you will not see the "Indian Dream";
"China Dream"; "Mexican Dream"; "Bangladesh Dream" or "African Dream." In
those places-poverty, death, disease, famine, few choices and a pretty
unfortunate life experience await many human beings.
For that matter in my 40 years of world travel, only about 15
countries allow their citizens the ability to make enough money to travel
the planet. The rest of humanity scratches out a living.
But, I am willing to bet, that for the United States, the American
Dream will turn out to be a brief fantasy in the history of our country,
ending circa 2010 or so. Our own leaders bankrupted our government,
defrauded future generations with $13 trillion in debt, forced us into
useless and immoral wars like Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and
Afghanistan; they sold the American people downstream by shipping our entire
manufacturing foundation and mercantile goods to other countries.
We suffer a mind-numbing 41.8 million Americans subsisting on food
stamps. Another 15 million stand in unemployment lines and seven million
cannot procure a full time job. Our country and its citizens morph into a
welfare state. Personal accountability and personal responsibility-die in
the schools of America where Black, White and Hispanic kids flunk out of
high school at 7,000 per day-over 1.2 million annually. A record 72 percent
of black teens give birth to children without fathers-and live off the backs
of taxpaying Americans-without giving it a second thought as they birth two,
three and more babies.
"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way
through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that
democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'" -
Isaac Asimov
Is the American Dream dead? I submit that it staggers on life-support
and the final diagnosis may prove unfortunate.
Charleston Tea Party writer KC said, "We have created a new definition
of "The American Dream". It has nothing to do with values and principles,
but has everything to do with "stuff." Is the goal an accumulation of
possessions? If that's the case, then our nation of bureaucratic welfare
recipients should be the happiest, most fulfilled people the world has ever
produced. Instead Prozac, valium and therapists abound. Suicide is an
epidemic and we are engaged in major sociological soul searching to find
fulfillment in this wealthy but empty lifestyle."
As I learned in my travels-as human numbers climb into the millions
and billions in any civilization, human options diminish and degrade. As
human numbers grow-options and freedoms shrink. As human numbers accelerate,
everything degrades from standard of living to quality of life. And, once
enormous populations manifest-everyone lives in tense toleration,
intimidation and diminished opportunities. Can this country survive the next
added 100 million Americans manifesting via immigration within 25 years?
Bill Moyers asked the question to write Isaac Asimov, "What happens to
the idea of the dignity of the human species if population growth continues
at its present rate?"
"It will be completely destroyed," said Asimov. "I will use what I
call my bathroom metaphor. Two people live in an apartment and there are two
bathrooms, then both have the freedom of the bathroom. You can go to the
bathroom anytime you want, and stay as long as you want, for whatever you
need. Everyone believes in the freedom of the bathroom. It should be right
there in the Constitution. But if you have 20 people in the apartment and
two bathrooms, no matter how much every person believes in the freedom of
the bathroom, there is no such thing. You have to set up times for each
person, you have to bang at the door, "Aren't you through yet?" and so on.
"The same way democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Human dignity
cannot survive it. Convenience and decency cannot survive it. As you put
more and more people into the world, the value of life not only declines, it
disappears. It doesn't matter if someone dies. The more people there are the
less one individual matters."
From my world traveling perspective, the American Dream will not
survive what's coming.
Listen to Frosty Wooldridge on Wednesdays as he interviews top
national leaders on his radio show "Connecting the Dots" at
www.themicroeffect.com at 6:00 PM Mountain Time. Adjust tuning in to your
time zone.
© 2010 Frosty Wooldridge - All Rights Reserved
Frosty Wooldridge possesses a unique view of the world, cultures and
families in that he has bicycled around the globe 100,000 miles, on six
continents and six times across the United States in the past 30 years. His
published books include: "HANDBOOK FOR TOURING BICYCLISTS" ; "STRIKE THREE!
TAKE YOUR BASE"; "IMMIGRATION'S UNARMED INVASION: DEADLY CONSEQUENCES";
"MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE TO ALASKA: INTO THE WIND-A TEEN NOVEL"; "BICYCLING
AROUND THE WORLD: TIRE TRACKS FOR YOUR IMAGINATION"; "AN EXTREME ENCOUNTER:
ANTARCTICA." His next book: "TILTING THE STATUE OF LIBERTY INTO A SWAMP." He
lives in Denver, Colorado.
His latest book. 'IMMIGRATION'S UNARMED INVASION-DEADLY CONSEQUENCES.'
Website: www.FrostyWooldridge.com
E:Mail: frostyw@juno.com
HAS THE AMERICAN DREAM COME TO AN END?
By Frosty Wooldridge
November 25, 2010
NewsWithViews.com
"For generations, parents have told their children about "The American
Dream." Basically it has meant building a life based on the foundational
principles that created and have sustained America for more than 200 years."
Greater than any other country in the modern world, the United States
offered, from 1776 to 2010, unprecedented opportunities to the common
citizen to manifest the "American Dream." Every resident enjoys the choices
of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
How do you define the American Dream? Basically, it allows average
citizens to enjoy higher education, greater choices and fulfillment of their
personal goals. Those aspirations allow farm boys to play in the New York
Philharmonic, or a Texas kid to sing the National Anthem in Yankee Stadium,
or a poor black girl like Oprah Winfrey to become a movie star, fabulously
rich and the host of the Oprah Show. She that educates and enlightens
millions around the world. It allows inner-city ghetto kids like O.J.
Simpson to gain stardom, money and a mega-wealthy home-only to sit in prison
for his transgressions.
It allows men like Bernie Madoff to rise to astonishing wealth only to
fall into disgrace and prison. The American Dream allows a poor white kid
like Abe Lincoln to rise to the presidency as well as an illegitimate black
kid like Barack Obama to sit in the White House in 2010. The American Dream
allows anyone with fortitude, integrity, drive and creative talents to chase
their dreams.
For example: how could a poor boy step off the farm in the 1950s,
graduate from college, become a teacher, and move on to live a life of
adventure? How could he jump on a bicycle and ride it 100,000 miles across
six continents and seven times coast-to-coast across America? How could a
kid enjoy such an amazing life that Marco Polo or Captain Cook would envy?
How could he write 10 books with more on the way? How could he speak up
against his own government and fight for what's right and not get thrown
into political prison? I don't know, but I am that kid. I must pinch myself
because it all gets down to the luck of my birth and country of origin.
If you look around the planet, you will not see the "Indian Dream";
"China Dream"; "Mexican Dream"; "Bangladesh Dream" or "African Dream." In
those places-poverty, death, disease, famine, few choices and a pretty
unfortunate life experience await many human beings.
For that matter in my 40 years of world travel, only about 15
countries allow their citizens the ability to make enough money to travel
the planet. The rest of humanity scratches out a living.
But, I am willing to bet, that for the United States, the American
Dream will turn out to be a brief fantasy in the history of our country,
ending circa 2010 or so. Our own leaders bankrupted our government,
defrauded future generations with $13 trillion in debt, forced us into
useless and immoral wars like Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and
Afghanistan; they sold the American people downstream by shipping our entire
manufacturing foundation and mercantile goods to other countries.
We suffer a mind-numbing 41.8 million Americans subsisting on food
stamps. Another 15 million stand in unemployment lines and seven million
cannot procure a full time job. Our country and its citizens morph into a
welfare state. Personal accountability and personal responsibility-die in
the schools of America where Black, White and Hispanic kids flunk out of
high school at 7,000 per day-over 1.2 million annually. A record 72 percent
of black teens give birth to children without fathers-and live off the backs
of taxpaying Americans-without giving it a second thought as they birth two,
three and more babies.
"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way
through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that
democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'" -
Isaac Asimov
Is the American Dream dead? I submit that it staggers on life-support
and the final diagnosis may prove unfortunate.
Charleston Tea Party writer KC said, "We have created a new definition
of "The American Dream". It has nothing to do with values and principles,
but has everything to do with "stuff." Is the goal an accumulation of
possessions? If that's the case, then our nation of bureaucratic welfare
recipients should be the happiest, most fulfilled people the world has ever
produced. Instead Prozac, valium and therapists abound. Suicide is an
epidemic and we are engaged in major sociological soul searching to find
fulfillment in this wealthy but empty lifestyle."
As I learned in my travels-as human numbers climb into the millions
and billions in any civilization, human options diminish and degrade. As
human numbers grow-options and freedoms shrink. As human numbers accelerate,
everything degrades from standard of living to quality of life. And, once
enormous populations manifest-everyone lives in tense toleration,
intimidation and diminished opportunities. Can this country survive the next
added 100 million Americans manifesting via immigration within 25 years?
Bill Moyers asked the question to write Isaac Asimov, "What happens to
the idea of the dignity of the human species if population growth continues
at its present rate?"
"It will be completely destroyed," said Asimov. "I will use what I
call my bathroom metaphor. Two people live in an apartment and there are two
bathrooms, then both have the freedom of the bathroom. You can go to the
bathroom anytime you want, and stay as long as you want, for whatever you
need. Everyone believes in the freedom of the bathroom. It should be right
there in the Constitution. But if you have 20 people in the apartment and
two bathrooms, no matter how much every person believes in the freedom of
the bathroom, there is no such thing. You have to set up times for each
person, you have to bang at the door, "Aren't you through yet?" and so on.
"The same way democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Human dignity
cannot survive it. Convenience and decency cannot survive it. As you put
more and more people into the world, the value of life not only declines, it
disappears. It doesn't matter if someone dies. The more people there are the
less one individual matters."
From my world traveling perspective, the American Dream will not
survive what's coming.
Listen to Frosty Wooldridge on Wednesdays as he interviews top
national leaders on his radio show "Connecting the Dots" at
www.themicroeffect.com at 6:00 PM Mountain Time. Adjust tuning in to your
time zone.
© 2010 Frosty Wooldridge - All Rights Reserved
Frosty Wooldridge possesses a unique view of the world, cultures and
families in that he has bicycled around the globe 100,000 miles, on six
continents and six times across the United States in the past 30 years. His
published books include: "HANDBOOK FOR TOURING BICYCLISTS" ; "STRIKE THREE!
TAKE YOUR BASE"; "IMMIGRATION'S UNARMED INVASION: DEADLY CONSEQUENCES";
"MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE TO ALASKA: INTO THE WIND-A TEEN NOVEL"; "BICYCLING
AROUND THE WORLD: TIRE TRACKS FOR YOUR IMAGINATION"; "AN EXTREME ENCOUNTER:
ANTARCTICA." His next book: "TILTING THE STATUE OF LIBERTY INTO A SWAMP." He
lives in Denver, Colorado.
His latest book. 'IMMIGRATION'S UNARMED INVASION-DEADLY CONSEQUENCES.'
Website: www.FrostyWooldridge.com
E:Mail: frostyw@juno.com
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