Thoughts on The American Dream

Written in my 4th year at University.

In Michaelmas term 2022, the Oxford Union held a debate with the proposition “This House Believes The American Dream Has Become a Global Nightmare”. As a member (and keen attendee), I can go up and make a brief floor speech either for or against the motion, during the debate. As an American citizen, I wanted to put down some thoughts...

Coca-Cola.

Coke is what they use to clean the blood off the sidewalk in New York City when someone has jumped.

I may not always sound it, but I grew up in New York. Which despite the best intentions of New Yorkers, is still a part of America.

The American dream has become a global nightmare due to the culture of waste it’s built upon.

The waste of human capital.

The waste of humans.

The American dream is a system predicated on a constant influx of starry-eyed dreamers to replace the burnt-out, broken people who “didn't make it”. I’ve seen first-hand the culture in New York, an epicentre of the American dream, the disregard for the value of each human as there is always someone ready to replace them.

Inherent in this dream is the waste of all but one person, the one who ends up on top.

Systems such as Enron's rank and yank scheme, variations of which are still in use today, and the accepted churn rate in American corporations are a disgrace. We waste our greatest asset as company laptops have a longer shelf life than most employees.

When we won’t tolerate waste on the shelves of our shops why do we accept it with other humans? Is it all because we’ve been intoxicated by the self-affirming belief that we’ll be the one on top?

When do we wake up from this dream, this nightmare? In the moments before we meet the pavement?

Dreaming isn't bad. Dreaming is beautiful. Dreaming is essential.

Perhaps we can dream of a society in which we can make the most of what we have rather than fetishising what we don’t.

Until then, the American dream will continue to require coke to clean the sidewalk.