American Dream or American Fantasy ?

With the change in our political landscape I thought this would be a good time to discuss whether the American Dream is dead or alive.

If you watch the news or read a newspaper nowadays it seems the dream has changed over the past 50 years. In the 40s and 50s when the GIs were returning from WWII and the Korean War it seemed that the American Dream consisted of a new home in 'burbs, a new Chrysler in the driveway and a television in the living room.

As the 50s turned into the 60s the dream (for many) shifted to less materialistic comforts and led to a more spiritual pursuit. The "Great Society" as LBJ phrased it became more interested in what was inside ourselves than what we could accumulate. "Tune in, turn on and drop out" became the American dream for many young people during the 60s. While many dropped acid, smoked marijuana and turned to Eastern religions in search of their dreams millions of Americans still considered a home to live in, a new car to drive and a yearly vacation at the beach the dream to strive for. Still others in the 60s just wanted to be able to ride in the front of the bus, drink from the same water fountains and attend the same schools as their fellow Americans. The American dream seemed to be a noble pursuit back then. As the writer Hunter S. Thompson explained about the time " In the mid to late 60s many of us thought society was riding the crest of a wave and our culture was actually going to change. Unfortunately somewhere during the turbulence of 1968 the wave crested and began to pull back." Many feel the nation never recovered from that fateful year. For those of you unfamiliar with 1968, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King were assassinated, thousands riot in our inner cities, the Chicago police brutalize thousands at the Democratic Convention, the war in Vietnam escalates and Richard Nixon is elected President all in one calendar year. A lot to overcome that year. The counterculture would have its defining moment in 1969 with Woodstock but" the wave" had already crested by that point and in December would come crashing down at the Rolling Stones infamous Altamont concert outside San Francisco. Ironically, just down the coast from where the Beats (later to become hippies) had started the whole counterculture movement in the late 50s.

The American dream began to change in the 1970s. We Americans began to become much more self absorbed. With the turmoil of the 60s behind us, we as a nation turned inwards. TM(transcendental meditation), communes and a back to nature movement engulfed us in the early 70s. Everyone became interested in "finding themselves" and less interested in society as a whole. Watergate didn't help our malaise either. Disco, cocaine, streaking and "swinging"became the rage in the late 70s and the American dream seemed to become a little less wholesome and righteous. The dream couldn't help but change as Americans dealt with gas shortages, double digit inflation and eventually the beginning of the terrorist movements with the taking of the U.S. embassy in Iran. The dream seemed to have grown to be a 2-story home with an in ground pool, 2 new cars in the driveway, and cocaine in the living room candy jar.

As America hit the 80s with Ronald Reagan in office and the Religious Right beginning to let its voice be heard the dream became much more materialistic. As we muddled through "Just Say No" and the Iran-Contra debacle the American dream became 2 homes, a boat, private colleges and an ever increasing stock portfolio. Unfortunately for many others in the 80s the American dream became food stamps and subsidized housing as the middle class began to shrink. In the 80s we became accustom to microwave ovens, cable TV and car phones. Our psyche would never recover. Then Bill Clinton took over in 1988 and politics became polarized in a way that is still with us today.

The 1990s rolled in and Americans seemed to become self absorbed in a way the country had never seen. Gas guzzling SUVs, beach front mansions, Rolex watches, private jets and multi-million dollar salaries became de jour for many affluent Americans. Even though America experienced a dot.com explosion during this time due to the increase interest in PCs and the internet, shanty towns, homelessness and hunger also increased during this period. While many Americans were experiencing the American dream in a way their ancestors could only imagine, the middle class were slowly beginning to feel the squeeze.

Then the new millenium swept in and suddenly we became intent on obtaining our 15 minutes of fame (or infamy). One way or another. Reality TV became the rage and we Americans seemed to become obsessed with Hummers, Ipods, Iphones, and Viagra. We as a country wanted bigger homes, bigger portfolios and bigger body parts. No matter what the cost. Now as we head into the end of the 1st decade of the 21st century, we have home foreclosures, massive layoffs and astronomical bailouts for the housing, financial and car industries.

For many it looks like we may have to readjust the dream back to a nice home in the 'burbs" , 2 cars and a college education for our kids. Unfortunately for lots of Americans that has become increasingly harder to obtain. Unless of course you are in the upper 1% of the tax bracket or an illegal immigrant. The upper class seems to be able to insulate themselves from the problems of the middle and lower class. Or just work around the laws. The illegal immigrants are able to come to this country now and instead of learning the language and assimulateing into the country, now they sneak in and get benefits and privilages that used to be for U.S. citizens. The "new" American dream seems to have left out most of the Americans.

Time of the Season or Sign of the Times ?

Did you happen to notice over the past holiday season how many people were cranky, impatient, rude or basically just unhappy. More so than usualI thought. I realize the stock market has tanked, housing prices are free fallin' and consumer confidence is hovering around W's approval rating, but I think our psyches have been infected with the blues.
So I decided to do a little research and after hours of research on WebMD I have come to the conclusion that,yes, we as a country have come down with the blues.
While I could only go by my symptons and the symptons of the people I encountered this holiday season. I believe without a doubt that America has the U.S., Worried Life, Hometown, Blue Jean, Bell Bottom, Apolitical, Come and Go, 3 o'clock, Black Out, How Long, Folsom Prison, Cumberland, Mean Woman, Driftin', Muleskinner, Kansas City, Laundromat, Spike Drivers', Catfish, Hesitation, Crossroads, Walkin', Roadhouse, San Francisco Bay, Struttin', 99 Year, Tombstone, Statesboro (which I'm pretty sure Grandma has them too), Madison, Deep Elem, Stop Breakin' Down, Lonesome Fiddle, Dem Ol' Kozmic, Dupree's Diamond, Wasted Union, Voodoo Chile, Just Like Tom Thumb's and the dreaded Summertime (cuz there ain't no cure ) blues.
If you know the blues then you know i've probably missed a strain or two. Feel free to tell me about it.
Gotta go, time for my medication.

Happy New Year !