The concept is vague and has no concrete definition, so everyone is free to put their meaning into it. However, it does have a skeleton of meaning. In short, it is not only about material success but also about freedom of personality, speech, self-expression, and entrepreneurship. All doors are open before a person, and all that is needed is an effort to achieve success. For me, the American Dream is an image of prosperity because what else is needed for happiness when I have a loving family, which is provided with everything necessary for a comfortable and carefree existence.
Maintaining and spreading the myth of the American Dream is a planned political move by the United States. Initially, the existence of this myth set a very high pace and performance for the American economy because it was the only way to achieve the desired level of prosperity. The American economic system, as well as foreign policy and the behavior of citizens themselves, is focused on achieving a high standard of living for the population since it is on their well-being (Flax 45). However, it is impossible to achieve general welfare, especially under capitalism and at the expense of domestic resources.
The existence of the myth of a welfare, liberty and equality society is beneficial to the United States because it attracts professionals from other countries to work in the United States as bait. Many successful start-ups, programmers, and scientists consider the highest goal to get to the U.S. and Silicon Valley. They work for the benefit of this country, which ensures the U.S. scientific and technological progress and leadership in the global economy. These factors enable the U.S. to continue implementing its foreign policy through dominance in the political arena.
Work Cited
Flax, Jane. “The American Dream in Black and White.” The American Dream in Black and White. Cornell University Press, 2018.