Will “The American Dream” Transform to a Delusion after November 2?

The motto “Reaching the American Dream” has traditionally meant an American could transform from rags to riches if he or she worked hard enough. Over the past decades, there have been countless stories of Americans reaching the dream by starting with nothing but building up to success. A legal immigrant arriving in the U.S. with only the cash in his pocket could have reached his dream by years later being able to buy his own house. Or an even larger dream could have been a person beginning as the janitor of a company and then eventually becoming the company’s CEO. In our country’s first 200 years, the sky was the limit for what Americans’ dreams could be and what successes could possibly come true. That is why the U.S. has been the dream destination of people from other countries.

But fast forward to 2010, and due to the last two years of having a combination of a weak economy, a radical expansion of our government spending, and an unchecked majority party in charge, “Reaching the American Dream” may soon be out of the reach of our children’s and grandchildren’s generations. We could be just a few weeks away from permanently redefining what the “American Dream” is and making it less significant and meaningful. This is because the more progressive politicians want to limit the dream, and if they continue to hold the majority in Congress after November 2, they will believe they have been given a mandate to limit and redefine.

The philosophy of limiting the American Dream can be heard in the words of President Obama himself, who said, “At a certain point you’ve made enough money.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0JkyZx1LdQ&feature=related) Another example is our state’s U.S. Senator Patty Murray, who is proudly making her record of votes for substantial earmarks the reason why she should be re-elected. Senator Murray does not see that her continual votes to direct Americans’ money to pet projects we can’t afford has resulted in mortgaging our children’s future. Case in point, our children and grandchildren are born today already $44,000 in debt. (http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/) In the bills they support and policies they champion, progressive politicians such as Obama and Murray seem to be saying, “Americans should be satisfied with a little success and a little money - based on our definitions of what those levels are - and then they should use the rest of their earnings to spread the wealth around.”

How can anyone live the American Dream if they start their lives already in a $44,000 hole, and instead of seeing a bright future in their vision, they see more government control and less liberty? The answer is they can’t live the dream – unless of course the American Dream is redefined to be less of a dream and more of a delusion. If the Democrats don’t suffer large scale defeats in November’s election and lose their unchecked majorities in Congress, as many are predicting, they will see this as a “victory” and thus, as a mandate from the citizens that we are okay with a redefinition and limit of our American Dream. So this upcoming election is not like elections of the past. It will be a referendum on what type of country the people want – one that gives citizens the freedom to pursue happiness and reach for the traditional American Dream, or one that limits freedom so the government, which knows best, can regulate and redistribute wealth. If the Democrats do not experience a “tidal wave “ defeat on November 2, then “Reaching the American Dream” will forever after be redefined by the Democrat majority in Congress from the original phrase “going from rags to riches” to the new slogan “going from rags to nicer rags.”

What type of American do you want to wake up to on the morning of November 3? If you vote for fiscally conservative challengers such as Dino Ross, you will help to preserve the American Dream. If you vote for progressive tax and spend incumbents such as Patty Murray, you will limit it.

-Dan Michael