Get_What_You_Give

For a long time many have thought of America as a place of endless opportunity. However ,for some this is not the case. America also has many poor and needy people that do not have the life that one would expect for an American. If one were to walk through a low income neighborhood in America it would seem that the American dream is dead. However, is it completely by chance that these people ended up in this situation' Or is it the fault of the capitalistic society where some must win and some must lose. I believe that for the most part the American dream can still become a reality for many people who work hard their entire lives; but, like any rule there are exceptions. Some of these exceptions are just poor luck, and some are brought about by bad decisions made earlier in life. First of all America has a capitalist economy. In order for a capitalist economy to function you must have some people who are rich and some who are poor. The first tenet of the American dream states that “America is a promised land of beauty, unlimited resources, and endless opportunities.” While there may be many jobs available, high paying jobs are not unlimited and the low paying grunt work will always need to be done by someone. Grocery stores could not turn a profit if they paid every grocery clerk as much as a company CEO. American companies must make money and no company can afford to pay top dollar for unskilled labor. While it may seem cruel and harsh to think about, in order for some to be successful some must be unsuccessful. One would expect the wealth distribution in this system to look a lot like a pyramid, with the vast majority of the population occupying the bottom end of the pyramid and the super rich being a small community the top. However ,most of the people in the United States are in the middle class. While there are still many poor, their numbers are much less than one would expect in an unchecked capitalistic society that doesn’t care about the poor. The second tenet of the American Dream reads, “Americans have a birthright of ever expanding opportunity. Progress is a good thing, and we can optimistically expect life to keep getting better and better.” Americans are not guaranteed success because of the mere fact that they are Americans. While being an American does give an advantage over being raised in other areas of the world that are less wealthy, no one is guaranteed success based upon where they are raised. In order for success to be had in America, an individual must work hard throughout his life not just sporadically when the need arises. This is why some very hardworking people are still poor despite their best efforts. An adult who now works very hard to sustain income to feed his family might not have worked as hard in high school. As a result of this he didn’t go on to higher education and did not learn a good trade. Now, even though they work hard, because of previous life choices, it is very nearly impossible for self improvement. This is no one’s fault in the American Dream, sometimes is just too late to change one’s path. The third tenet of the American Dream states that, “The independent, self-reliant individual will triumph. Everything is possible for the person who places trust in his or her own powers and potential.” This is true for many businessmen and women who have founded companies on their own that have grown to be some of the world’s largest companies. Even some who are not educated can prosper. For example, a man who was a high school drop-out now owns his own alternative energy car company that brings in millions in profits each year. He was able to do this because instead of going to school he studied automotive technology own. Many in his place would not have the self motivation to make the best of that situation. Sometimes even hard work just doesn’t work out, but nothing can be perfect, much of the American dream can be summed up in the saying “you get what you put in.” As shown, the American dream is still alive, but not without its flaws. Sometimes once an individual is headed down a path towards poverty it can be hard to change. Not everyone can become a millionaire but if effort is put in for one’s whole life they should be able to achieve a decent life.