The American Dream

As Americans we are told from the beginning that our success depends on our willingness to work hard and push ahead. School faculty tell students you can be anything you want when you grow up if you work hard. Politicians tell the people that America is what it is today because people worked hard, never gave up, believing that we could make a society where everyone is equal and can be prosperous if they give it 100%. Success stories are widely published and praised of people starting with very little and ending with tons of wealth.
Is the American dream something that is still real today or is it a myth? Does inequality hold back people from succeeding even when they have a strong desire to do so? As we see the gap divide further of the rich and poor, and the middle class disappears, is it logical in our current social structure to believe that anyone can make it if they try?

I think its still possible for a determined person to succeed. Determined ambitious people can still accomplish their goals. For the average person just trying to make a decent living I would say its harder. Harder to be "middle class" maybe. Because of taxes and regulations we have now, theirs barriers to entry making it harder for people to gain experience they need and climb the ladder. That's why eventually when you go down the road we're going on now, you end up with no middle class, just rich and poor eventually.

if you were to try to make the american dream happen to you, you must either realize that you either need money to make money, or you have to be not so honest in order to make more money to make lots of money. You cannot do it trying to be straight., everybody cheats to get ahead. Take take and take some more, you don't earn it, you steal it from someone else in one way or another,but you steal to get ahead, and i don't mean go and hold up a place, i'm talking about business deals, contracts, politics, banking, etc, etc. Everybody is trying to get something for as little as possible, so in essence, people cheat and steal in little and big ways in order to make things happen for them. But it ain't cause people really "work" hard and get rich, nope, they learn how to evade things like rules and regulations and laws, and they learn how to get around them and make them work for them and get away with cheating. You're not going to get ahead with just hard work, chales, you got to learn how to scheme, that is really how the american dream is made by the rich., the rest of us are just complacent with what we got.

wolfman wrote: You're not going to get ahead with just hard work, chales, you got to learn how to scheme, that is really how the american dream is made by the rich., the rest of us are just complacent with what we got.

Thats capitalism in a nutshell. I am not complaining about it or promoting it either, it is what it is. Capitalism is build around greed, the desires and basic needs of people and not around fairness or justice. 
But it is the system that is the most in tune with our instincts. We are tribal, we are not fair, we are greedy and we are bent on survival. And we dont give a fuck about people far away. And that is what capitalism is about and its the most effective system so far. I dont have to like it, but this is a fact.

I think of capitalism a bit differently. 

Although I prefer "market economy" or "free market."  

Which ever term, I'd argue that "greed" has very little to do with the market economy.

All capitalism/free market truly is, is people buying, trading and selling things voluntarily and with basic set rules: respect for private property and arbitration methods to defuse and avoid violent disputes. Any form of greediness or general disregard for others exists with or without capitalism.

There's only a couple of ways to obtain what we want in this world: voluntary agreements or through the use of force and coercion.

At least under a market system you have to provide some sort of value to your fellow man in order to make a profit. Beats robbing and looting for a living, at least in the long run.