If I may politely disagree.
I have plenty of confidence in the can-do spirit of most Americans. The upside of this dream is prosperity & peace, but it also contained a dollop of criticism for crooks, sloths, drunks, wantons, bribers and bribe-takers.
Sounds old-fashioned, but it worked, and can work again.
We've let a bunch of slick salesmen talk us out of what we know is right - salesmen who take our money, but fail to deliver the goods. Now, there are so many obstacles put in the way by leftists going back to the 1930's. They've been adding to these roadblocks over time, sandbag by sandbag.
Before we can begin rebuilding our economy, we must first work to open up the roads and let commerce flow freely, and unfetter the people from the chains of dependency, victimhood, sue-happiness, and red tape.
I guess that really depends on how one defines "the American Dream."
FReepers, Conservatives, etc., have always defined "The American Dream" as P.O.E. described it = individuals' opportunity to achieve whatever they want to achieve, whatever they want to put personal time and sweat into achieving, and then reaping the benefits of their own personal labor.
To liberals, socialists, Marxists, Obama et al, "the American Dream" is to end up on the dole, to receive from the hand of government what the hard work and enterprise of others (who HAVE worked) has accomplished for the liberals' own personal, lazy and selfish gain - and without any work, effort or input from themselves.
We need to start educating Americans about the original and real definition of "the American Dream." Otherwise, the "new" socialist definition will take root and our nation as founded will cease to exist.