The American Dream

[DenaliDemocrat]

I would like to know when the "American Dream" became being a small business owner. Somehow, someway, the small business owner has become the goal of the new "American Dream" according to our President. Apparently, under his system, you are suppossed to be a small business owner, and then you can get other people to work for you and pay them minimum wage and offer them no benefits. Now of course I realize that not ALL small business owners do this, but our President seems to enocurage them to do just this.

Mr. President, I have a newsflash for you. The American Dream is NOT owning a small business. Your ideas are closer to feudal Europe than the American Dream. Under your thought process, a Burgious class can be built, but the workers, are nothing more than serfs, who work simply to stay alive. Under the Bush regime, the American Worker has become a serf.... a man who simply works to stay alive. The niceties of life are out of their grasp, and the downward spiral continues.

I have news for you, the American dream is that a person can get a job, and EARN a decent living to afford a home, a car, food, and medical care with some left over to save for the future. I never remembered the New Deal having a clause that all people should own a small business.

The President is breaking the back of the working man. I am one of them (although white collar). I have seen my earnings eaten away by insurance premiums, gasoline, etc. According to Bush, all I have to do is open a small business.

Perhaps he is right, then I could declar bankruptcy, still keep my home, and start all over again. This administration would make piss poor farmers. You see, if you feed the grain to your fancy Sunday Church Pull the Wagon Horse and make your plow horse crop grass, you soon end up with a plow horse unable to work, and the Sunday Horse soon runs out of food.

The Bottom Line....the well is running dry. The American Worker IS THE BACKBONE OF THIS NATION and we are being exploited for the benefit of a few. We are running out of energy and the ability to support this nation. Heed this warning, you cannot continue to exploit the middle class and continue to have an upper class. Without us, you do not exist. The relationship is not parasitic, as you like to pretend. It is in FACT, SYMBIOTIC, and you would do well to remember that.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Well written

and I owned a small business once. (florist) I didn't make near enough money and worked 12 hours a day.

I like the public sector.

[fiveleafclover]

2. The American Dream is dead

It has been for a while.

[StellaBlue]

3. The American Dream

Has always been Two American Dreams

For the poor of many countries (including more or fewer Americans depending on the era): freedom of speech, religion, association; a basic standard of living (e.g. not having a dirt floor in your house); having the ability to work, save money, and have a decent quality of life (e.g. no longer fearing you or your progeny will ever have to live on a dirt floor again).

For mainstream Americans: a big, ranch-style house; a big, tank of a car for each member of the family; envious neighbors; having to never think about money before spending it (e.g. the wet dream of the consumer culture).

My two cents.

[Vinca]

4. We have a small business. We can't afford health insurance.

Is that the American dream? I liked the one from the 1950's a whole lot better.

[obxhead]

5. How about the one that goes

Make a bunch of loot and move to another country with it. That's starting to sound better and better every day.