At the height of the American Dream, no one was guaranteed a nice house in a nice suburb. But I think that sort of life was within the grasp of a lot of Americans — if they worked for it. It was the carrot held out in front of them and with some effort, you could grab that prize. There was also the stick of poverty — if you fell short in effort, character or ability, then you might live in poverty or go to jail.
In that post-WWII era, a lot of people achieved the American Dream. Their hard work paid off.
Today, it’s different. A nice house in a nice suburb? Well, if you are very special, you might possibly get that. But don’t count on it.
Young people today are living lives of quiet desperation. A lot of older people think that nothing has changed, it’s all the same as it ever was, and a firm handshake and a little effort will get that big prize. But it’s not so. A lot of young people have lost hope in the American Dream because it really is not there for them. Not because they “didn’t work hard enough” but because this country has changed and the deck is stacked against Normal people. They are screwed, and they know it.
“”””At the height of the American Dream, no one was guaranteed a nice house in a nice suburb. But I think that sort of life was within the grasp of a lot of Americans — if they worked for it. It was the carrot held out in front of them and with some effort, you could grab that prize. There was also the stick of poverty — if you fell short in effort, character or ability, then you might live in poverty or go to jail.””””
Nonsense, look around at all the old houses and trailer parks and apartment complexes that made up so much of the housing of pre-2000s America, look at the cheaper homes in any city and county limits today, those are where the working class lived, the suburban home was always a dream for lower paid Americans, it is the way of things.
This thing about people having a fantasy home dream and saying that something changed to make it impossible for them to have so they are deprived, is a psychological change in those people, and by the way, somebody keeps buying and living in those upscale suburbs.