Is the American Dream still alive?

Martha Teichner heads to the Rust Belt town of Port Clinton, Ohio, and hears the stories of people from all walks of life struggling to acquire the American Dream. What is that dream today? And is it, as some believe, getting harder to achieve?

[mrthomaslaux]

Hard to admit but it's a thing of the past. It was the previous generations gift. America is just another country like any other now.

[georgfriedrichhandel]

Former Pres. Jimmy Carter once said that what we call the middle class today would have been classified as the poor class in the 70s. Living standards have declined for the vast majority of Americans. Most families may own two or three cars, provide a computer for each of their children, have all the creature comforts they can stand but in order to afford those luxuries, both parents have to work and/or are carrying a mountain of personal debt.

[anniebellemiller]

And people wonder why I want to live in a bus, raise chickens, and blast Queen music all day. I don't want to go to college, I don't want to get married, I don't want kids. I am happy with my personal dream.

[Scott-byks]

I am living the American Dream. I grew up in rural Oklahoma. There are so many things I have today that were out of reach for my family while I was growing up. We have a modern professionally wired house. I remember rewiring our house when I was a child. I had to crawl between the ceilings to run the wire for my dad. I remember redoing the pluming in our house. I chopped wood everyday from the time I was 10 until I left home for the Army at 23. We heated our house with a wood burning stove that we often cooked on as well. We didn't have air conditioning and the summers in Oklahoma are sweltering. I never got new cloths and 1997 was the first year we had a car with air conditioning, I was 16. I remember doing agricultural work in the hot sun for less than minimum wage because that was legal there at the time. I had a lot of hardships, too many to list but I made it. I now live a comfortable lifestyle that I am proud of.

[TaylorMade]

Not enough money. Everything costs too much.

[robertdigiovanni]

I live in a van. I love it because I don't have to worry about taxes,  high rents, mortgages and don't have to worry about any debts. I work at my job and I'm happy. I can take my home anywhere I want and boondock anywhere I want. I'm free and I don't have to be a slave to the system...lol

[Hithere-ekqt]

Like George Carlin said'
"they call it the American dream -because you have to be asleep to believe it."

[snow.white]

there isn’t a middle class anymore. there is poor or rich

[spaceballs]

The American Dream is dead. It’s been that way for some time now.

[algallego]

All of that travel for their kids and they say they're not living lavishly? Some people are quite deluded about their sense of what is enough!

[Inferno]

Anybody remember back when all you needed was a strong work ethic and you could have it all? The wife, the house, the cars, the were the days.

[brianb]

2:49 "A few bad choices and we could have been them". But....you didn't make those bad decisions. You didn't get someone pregnant before you were established. You valued education and pursued a degree in a field that would afford you the life you wanted. You did not over extend yourself and live beyond your means. You did not develop a drug or alcohol habit. You didn't get arrested for a crime and ruin your chances of future employment. You don't smoke 3 packs a day. Etc..

Life is simple folks....don't do dumb sh!t that sends the train off the rails, develop a skill that has marketability in the economy, be ethical and have a strong work ethic. Show up for work 15 minutes early every day and stay 15 minutes later than needed. Always do your best work.

Realize that your success is dependent upon YOU. Do not expect others to bail you out. Do these things and life generally turns out fine.

[michaelchristophergutierre]

Sometimes it's a combination of good choices and luck. You can say get a degree but then your strapped with 100k in student debt. Then if your lucky enough to buy a house your strapped with debt for 30 years and the property taxes keep going up. Don't get paid off or get sick because you will loose everything. No wonder why over 1 million older Americans have moved to Mexico and other places and can have a better quality of life. Scary times huh.

[BellTunnel]

Today, the American dream has risen 1, 000% against inflation and requires not only true grit, but luck and a soft platoon of guiding angels.

[peters]

The American dream was that through hard work and determination anyone can become whoever they wanted but now idk

[faithrada]

THE PROBLEM... with the American Dream is... two words... Global Economy .. and, well.. ok..3 words... GREED.
The moment U.S. Corporations started outsourcing jobs... to SAVE MONEY... and make MORE PROFITS... for the 1%... at the cost of the U.S. WORKER... the American Dream started turning into the American nightmare.

Granted that's a bit simplified... that global imbalance could not... and SHOULD NOT continue at the expense of keeping other human beings in economic bondage... but UNTIL humanity matures enough to seek FAIRNESS and reject GREED... Nations will simply continue to do what they have always done ... Rise and Fall... Rise and Fall... and humanity will continue to suffer... needlessly.

[karimaogden]

The "American Dream" is on Life Support!

[philtubeful]

The " American Dream"  actually lasted from the end of the Korean war  1953  to the OPEC embargo of the mid 70s, only 20 years.  It was a fluke, an anomaly.

[snakechrmr]

I grew up poor. Didn't have money or encouragement to go to school after HS. After a couple of years I wanted to learn a skill and joined the Army. 3 years enlisted, reenlisted and went to Flight School. 3 years as a Warrant Officer helicopter pilot and out of the service with a marketable skill, solid mid mgmt exp, zero debt, nice savings and the GI Bill if I wanted college (I didn't). Flying allowed me to work most anywhere around the world and I was never w/o a position when I wanted to work. Never had to take unemployment, food stamps or any govt assistance.

Worked all around the lower US, Alaska, Africa and Europe finally retiring in eastern Europe at 62 in 2013. Most of my time now is spent riding a Harley around secondary roads searching out little known history, ruins, art, museums and cultures. And still only a HS diploma.

This is my American Dream. It's still out there you just have to work towards it.

[corgifloofi]

Baby boomers devoured the dream and left us this. Thanks for outsourcing our wealth so you can have a fifth house.