Sofie Amalie Bech ​English​May 2015​

1.A​FG

Wiki – The American Dream
The American Dream is a phenomenon that has been created out of the American political system where they support the liberal and residual politics. This type of welfare model is called “the residual”, and it symbolizes a society with an extremely centralized market, national but also especially international. The market is supposed to be a big part of the support and welfare for the individual citizen, and the government only has one main goal: To help and support the weakest in the overall community. The way of earning your own money, buying your own safety-assurances to insure yours and your own family’s safety. The tax is very low, and if you want to give to others then it is proceed through donations.

The American Dream fits very suitable into this kind of society; The American Dream is a very self-obsessed phenomenon. Whoever works the hardest and is willing to do whatever to make success, ends on the top of the iceberg. On the financial side, it is also a lot about the money and the earnings. The American Dream is often connected to big cars and huge houses.

The American Dream is about creating your own road to success. The goal is a life without needs, because you already have it all. You manage to buy or get through your power and success. This dream is a life-long fight and it’s for everyone that is willing to do an effort. Whether you are pour or rich. Black or white.

But The American Dream has gotten a lot of criticism. As described before the main focus is to earn success, be powerful, get rich and buy all the expensive things on the market. This focus is worrying for a lot of people, who sees the material happiness but not the real happiness. Lives involving everything that the heart can imagine. But missing out on the more important things as family, love and friends.

What is also criticized is that the dream is very unrealistic. In the article “the Great Gatsby and The American Dream” from theguardian.com written by Sarah Churchwell, we see lots of criticism of The American Dream. For example it says: “Class inequality and 'the gospel of wealth' – in tackling such issues F Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece have never been more relevant. The 'American dream' has always been an idea of failure”. Here they claim that the dream will cause class inequality, which will ruin a community over longer periods of time.

It also says: “… for the possible rise of fortune that is the universal American dream and hope." The OED lists this as the first recorded instance of the American dream, although it's not yet the catchphrase as we know it. That meaning is clearly emerging – but only as "possible" rise of fortune; a dream, not a promise.” Here they definitely emphasize that this dream is no promise, but only an almost impossible dream.

A society where everybody fights their own battles and actually is somewhat on their own, fighting hard for the road to the top of the food chain, is something very different from the societies we see in Scandinavia. Definitely in Denmark. In Denmark the focus is very much on helping each others, not leaving the weakest behind. We pay taxes and that is through a progressive tax system, where the richest pays the most. This gives us a community with more equality and consideration among the population.