Has the Dream been Deferred?, II (or, What Exactly Is the American Dream?)

All right, let's make this clear. America is a continent, not a country. This is the United States of America, not United States and America. Why is this necessary? The American dream, whatever it is, starts out on the wrong foot--it should be called the United States dream, or something to that effect. Saying it is the American Dream immediately includes all the countries in the continent, some whose nightmares people flee in search of the dream.

So what is this, uh, dream? Maybe the best way to see the "official" dream is by its "official" definition. Still, this is by far the hardest definition I've had to find.

According to what I found, it is the social ideas such as equality, democracy, material prosperity, freedom, opportunity, and a life of personal happiness and material comfort. Sounds dreamy, doesn't it? I can't help noticing how all of this, as laudable as it sounds, is a little too far-fetched.

Equality: When has the United States ever had equality? As much as they wish they have, it has never been true. Without going into racial issues, white, citizen women still don't earn as much as men in the same position.

Democracy: Probably one of the only example of a somewhat alive democracy in the world, the United States isn't a complete democracy either--the majority vote never wins any issue, it is the state votes with most power that wins. Welcome to a Republic.

Material prosperity/comfort: There's a picture I'll never forget: a line of people in a soup and bread line in front of a billboard featuring a family of four, all smiling, in a car. While material goods abound in the States, happiness does not. Divorce, Obesity, and Suicide (the eleventh cause of death) are rampant, and one begins to wonder if maybe all this "stuff" has anything to do with it.

Freedom: Freedom has always been a label the States has had, but at one point slavery was legal and now that it isn't there are still slaves in this country.

Opportunity: Yes, there is opportunity--available to all who meet certain requirements. Requirements that only certain people are able to meet. I was told at my workplace that it was my contacts, not my abilities, that got me the job.

Now don't get me wrong, and I can see why you might. All this sounds like I am bashing this horribly, but I, too, am here in search of that dream. What I want to do is to figure out exactly what it is I am looking for, to be able to set realistic goals and avoid falling for mere scams. Google's first result for the American Dream? A Real Estate website.