Posted on 04/16/2016 11:41:19 AM PDT by pabianice
From Occupy Wall Street to the Bernie Sanders campaign, Americans have embraced recent efforts to shed light on economic inequality. However, the success of economic reform lies in the hands of our generation, a generation CBS News referred to as “narcissistic praise hounds.”
To millennials, the threat of terrorism always existed, the Internet always accompanied a research paper, and the Cold War was taught in history class, not lived. We are a generation ‘with the world at our fingertips,’ a generation that religiously watches “Friends” and uses social media multiple times a day. But, do we have access to the American Dream?
In “The Epic of America” James Truslow Adams defines the American Dream: “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone…It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”
For the first time, the American Dream is in jeopardy. As inequality among the classes increases, the chance of finding success in the country thousands have flocked to in order to escape poverty, famine and persecution severely decreases.
As Time’s Assistant Managing Editor Rana Foroohar wrote, “the conventional wisdom…has always been that inequality was the price of growth.” Today, this conventional wisdom is shifting. As with many other aspects of society, millennials are causing the foundation upon which this belief was founded to shake.
In Iowa, by a margin of six to one, millennials voted for Bernie Sanders. By far, Sanders’ strongest support group, a majority of young voters back the self-proclaimed socialist. Throughout the campaign, Sanders’ repeated rhetoric has consisted of limiting, if not dismantling completely, the power of the nation’s one percent.
Why has this rhetoric proved so effective? Well, Americans are beginning to recognize the importance of our quickly escalating economic inequality. Sanders’ lofty policy proposals promise to create change, and that promise has struck a chord with young adults.
However, Sanders isn’t the only candidate to propose a solution to growing inequality. In fact, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump have outlined potential solutions to combat the epidemic of economic inequality. In this election, each candidate has acknowledged and suggested reforms to strengthen the middle class.
Regardless of which candidate gets elected, inequality in America is an issue that must be addressed sooner rather than later. According to Pew Research citing University of California Berkeley Economics Professor Emmanuel Saez, “U.S. income inequality has been increasing steadily since the 1970s, and now has reached levels not seen since 1928.”
If we are to save the American Dream, millennials must step up to the plate to create realistic, effective policies that will combat inequality.
Elizabeth Wallace is a Collegian contributor and can be reached at erwallace@umass.edu.
What, re-runs?
According to Wikpedia, the final episode was broadcast on May 6, 2004.
Regards,
Leftist scum bags talk about economic inequality like it was a bad thing.
It’s nature’s way of separating the slovenly, lazy, dead end moochers from the hard workers and the self reliant.
So these twits actually believe they can create a world in which every single person makes the same amount of money (except for the overlords of course), and that will solve all problems. The death of education has birthed a world of indoctrinated socialist idiots. This is the upcoming generation, who will complete the liberal nightmare.
There isn’t much hope left for this beaten down, morally bankrupt idiocracy.
Don’t know what he has been smoking or eating; but, it is really good stuff and I want some!
A reality check cupcake. Inequality is the norm not the exception. It has been that way since the first proto-human came out of the trees before another and got the first nut before some one else did.
It wasn’t before 1776 that inequality became an issue. Does the date sound familiar?
The Republic has the best track record in the world for ensuring a equal playing field; not the end result just the ability to attempt it.
The only way to solve the inequality he is so bent out of shape about is to ensure equal outcomes. And every time that has been attempted it has failed - miserably. There were several political parties, all advocating the same thing, that existed during the 20th Century. Their total body count - their own citizens and others - is something north of 100 million. And they still failed to achieve an equal outcome.
100 KIA and a failure. Could they be successful if the body count was 200 million? Or, 1 billion? Or higher? I think not.
These liberal millennial kids don’t have the maturity or life experience, or knowledge of history, to appreciate what you are saying.
They do not appreciate the track record of America vs. any other society on earth, from any time in history, to address issues such as inequality.
The lack of perspective is astounding and astonishing. My God, there’s never been a better time in our history than right now, to be a member of a minority group, or a woman, or homosexual, and achieve personal and professional success.
But these millennial types don’t realize that, because they don’t have personal life experience or knowledge of history.
They look to homosexual marriage as a given, but bitch about bathroom access for “Trans” whatever peoples as a cause celebre.
They worry about global warming, but ignore all of the work to clean the environment that has happened since the late 1960s. None of that history matters, because it’s ancient history to someone born in the ‘80s or ‘90s.
I’ve gotten off topic. But, I just have the notion, many of these millennial liberals want to fight inequality but see themselves at the top of whatever socio/economic pyramid we have. They expect to be more equal than others.
I really think that for these twenty somethings, they just don’t have the maturity or life experience or knowledge of history, to understand our place in the world, or why America and capitalism exist as they do.
Strange given their pull quote was from 1931. If income inequality is back to 1928 levels, seems the perfect time for some American Dreams to me.
a generation that religiously watches “Friends” and uses social media multiple times a day.
So they know the problem and still refuse to act on it. Maybe they should get OFF their lazy butts and get a JOB.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.