What factors prevent people from achieving the american dream?

Answer 1

Victims of circumstance.

Answer 2

You should first define "American dream". What, exactly, is that? I don't live in America, but I have been there twice. The society is dysfunctional, racism and sexism are rampant, education is fundamentally underfunded to keep the poor uneducated and therefore poor. Clear Thinking is banned from the school curriculum ensuring that students are not taught to question, therefore political propaganda is believed. Religion saps the will of the people. Government has taken away individual freedoms at an alarming rate and the right wing are almost heading towards neo-nazism. Try looking at www.vdare.com some day, and you will discover the nasty underbelly of American society. Unfortunately, what started out as a great idea has spiralled into a mess. Reminds me more and more each day of the book 1984. Let's not even talk about gun ownership.

Answer 3

First of all, everyone has a different description of the American dream. So what you may think of as failure another could look at as success and happiness. It depends on what the individuals dream is! I'd say the #1 reason some can not achieve there dream is because they just don't believe in themselves and try hard enough.

Answer 4

Exactly what Sleepless says, victims of circumstance. It's all very well being able to go and earn big bucks and buy lots of nice stuff, in theory- but there's barriers to that which are nothing to do with how hard you work. And even if you get it, it's not so easy keeping onto it.

First, there's lack of job security and employee rights. I live in London and am employed on a permanent contract, which is fairly standard here. They can't fire me unless I commit gross misconduct, or have 3 minor disciplinary actions. If they want to make cutbacks, they can, but they'd have to give me a LOT of severence pay. This is not the norm in the USA- my father worked for a company in the states for 15 years but when he was laid off his money stopped the minute they told him he wasn't coming back the next day. In America you live under constant threat that one day the rug can be pulled straight from underneath you. His health insurance was terminated a few months later, leaving him with hundreds of dollars in bills each month to cover the medication he has to take - he ran up massive debts just to stay alive.

Which leads me on to the next thing- the health system. What an absolute sham. Even if you have "good" insurance, an illness or accident can bankrupt you. My mother's friend was diagnosed with cancer a while back, and even though she had medical coverage, the bills were absolutely enourmous. These were covered by a special "cancer insurance" add-on she had taken out, if she didn't have this (and most people don't!) she could have lost everything she owned. It happens every single day. My mother knew someone once who could not give up her job in order to care for her child with leukemia, because it would mean losing her insurance and her daughter's hospital bills would have bankrupted them in a week. That just wouldn't happen in other countries with national health plans, I will gladly pay more tax in the knowledge that sickness will never become a financial concern for me or anyone else.

The trouble with America is that the ones doing well turn their blind eye on the other guys, when it could so easily have been them- it's just greed and selfishness. All in the name of capitalism, but it doesn't have to be like that- plenty other countries throw a little socialism in to provide their citizens with a safety net, but still allow the pursuit of wealth and freedom and all that other stuff Americans think is so unique to them.

Answer 5

Well good buddy first of all the American dream being a reality is a myth. Behind every big fortune lie grubby shady acts that defile the very nature of the dream. In America ( as elswhere ) once you start to get ahead there is ALWAYS someone casting envious glances at you, ready and willing to take what you have for themselves.There is no "happily everafter" in this life I am afraid.Just enjoy what you make of your life without seeking the fabled dream, which really is just a nightmare.

Answer 6

You have to elaborate your question. What do you mean by American dream? You want to know why the Americans are so unpopular. The Americans are ego centric. They consider that whatever is detrimental to America is detrimental to the whole humanity. That which is good for America must be good for the world. Americanism is a dogma for them and all else should sub-serve that interest. That ideal is getting a drubbing every where they poked their nose in.

Answer 7

Not being American and not caring about American dreams would probably be the biggest factors.

Answer 8

My guess, same as any factors preventing the achievement of any other dream.....
And those differ between each person and situation

Answer 9

Various things. But honestly, I think the American dream needs to change, because it requires an exorbitant ammount of waste and consumption. If everyone had the American dream, we'd need 4 Earths to inhabit.

Answer 10

Having a different dream and considering the American dream a nightmare. Although living in Scotland doesn't help !

Answer 11

THEMSELVES!

You are the only thing stopping yourself from succeeding in life. Where there is a will there is a way, and in this country, there just isn't an excuse. As long as you work on constantly improving yourself (mind, skills etc.), and make good choices with your money (not getting into debt with expensive car payments or credit cards) and have a good solid work ethic, over time you can achieve anything you set your mind to doing.