Do you think the U.S.A. has been advertised for years as the land of plenty?

Question

I recently had a conversation with an illegal friend. We talked of hardships we've both faced in our lives and also about our countries. He was surprised to learn I had faced many hard times in my life the same as him. He had always thought America was the land of plenty and it was only those here illegally who struggled daily. He obviously faces other things we don't here like getting shot for speaking out but basically we had a lot in common.
So...My question for you is...Do you think America needs to be more honest in exactly how we're sold to the world in general as a weathy nation?

Maybe if the true struggles of day to day life for us citizens became world knowledge less would believe we're just selfish in wanting it all for ourselves.

Yo it's me...yes our youth today don't have a clue what a " True " hard time is. But many of us older ones do. And it makes us react in different ways. Me... I'd like to save the world. Others maybe still want to hang on in fear they might lose all they've earned. Whatever the reasoning we DO know hardship and should be respected for working our way up.

Answer 1

Yes,we are advertised as some wonderful land where you can do anything and everyone is rich. Other countries simply don't know the realities. Think about this,we often see fund raisers on television for children of other countries but we never see that for American children. We have many homeless and poor children here but it's almost like it's a dirty little secret or something. Can't let the world know that we aren't Disneyland!

Answer 2

A lot of immigrants throw up the "land of the free" "land of milk and honey" crap, as apparently they have been led to believe America is this great, happy, carefree place. And then get here and realize it was all a lie. And all these people saying only old people know what its like to be poor, that's a bunch of crap. Millions of Americans live in squalor, live in their cars, in abandoned houses, in shelters, on park benches, Ive been homeless a few times from not being able to find jobs after moving to a new city (and i didn't qualify for welfare either, but the illegal in line in front of me did).

People not from here seem to believe the illusion they see on TV, where everyone is pretty, has a 2 story house but only works at a shoe store, jobs are opening left and right, plus the only people broadcasted internationally are either the rich and famous, or politicians, both of which seriously mis-represent the majority of Americans. And then they construe those peoples opinions as that of the general public, which makes us all look really ignorant.

Answer 3

the truth is life any where is going to be hard no matter what.
but anyone must admit that it is easier to get a job and start a living here. I don't know if many Americans know how hard it is to go through the best schools, study for a great profession, and then end up without a job in other countries.
this happens due to the rich controlling the economy that sell all jobs and companies to foreign European countries leaving nothing for the actual country to profit from.

I think it is important for everyone to know how Americans have fought for the rights that we have now, and the fact that the government did NOT give us those rights in the beginning.
many people don't really know the history of the U.S. and they just believe it is a perfect little world but they have to acknowledge how all this came to be.

Answer 4

I am trying to read the question and the dialog that follows objectively, but I disagree completely with this phrase.

What does the following sentence mean?? "less would believe we're just selfish in wanting it all for ourselves."

The United States is the the most generous nation in the world, but it is NOT the richest. There ARE countries richer but NOT as generous. Why criticism for only the U.S.??

Another point...the United States accepts BY FAR more legal immigrants than any other country on earth.

So what does this "wanting it all for ourselves" mean? Is this all based on the fact that U.S. citizens want illegal aliens out of our country? Not only do we accept more legal immigrants, we also probably have more ILLEGAL ALIENS than any other country, with the numbers increasing all the time, and we have a government that is doing little about it, and is actually trying to shove amnesty down our throat!!!. ...and it's crippling our nation.

How about this?? These countries that are criticizing us, we can ship every last one of our illegal aliens to them and let THEM deal with it!!! I don't see any of them offering to take them in, do you??

Answer 5

Of course we've been the Worlds Utopia and people have wanted to come here in the land of opportunity to live the American dream.
I've always thought actions speak louder than words, so although I'm against it, that's what our government is doing- giving away the American dream- without advertising it! The American Pie is only so big, and we've allowed the World to take what they want of it. I'm not sure of our Government's motives, but I think it's arrogant that they believe we can remain a World Power when we will have nothing left but a large deficit!
But we still have freedom of speech
and we're still innocent until proven guilty
and our right to privacy
and our other Bill of Rights
and our Constitution
check that-were day to day!
I'm glad my parents, who were both in WWII isn't here to see whats happening to our great country!

Answer 6

Compared to 99% of the world, we ARE the land of plenty. In sub-Saharan Africa the life expectancy is 38 years old, yours is 80. Do you go to bed hunger most nights (if so, I'd say ditch the computer and net connection and get a second job), drive a car, get to participate in recreation?

When my great grandmother got off the boat she had $5.65 in her pocket (with my grandfather and his sister), my grandfather didn't speak a word of English. My grandfather spent the Great Depression out of work, yet he was later able to put my dad through a private college and own (free and clear), 2 homes at the same time (one was his beach house).

And if you say it still isn't so, look at the cars we drive, the vacations we go on and the consumer goods we buy, a large part of our purchases are non-necessities, meaning most people have SOME extra money, meaning "plenty". Sacrcity would mean that most people are barely getting by, not buying iPhones, X-Boxes and all the other crap we can't get enough of.

But because we are all spoiled and feel entitled, we think that non having everything once we strike out on our own, that we are "struggling". Very sad.

Answer 7

there is hard ship all over the world. some worse then others. i think we should let people know what is really going on and then maybe they will realize the grass is not greener here. it does not matter if they get shot at. as long as they fight for the right reasons. they will be making the future for their kids better. our ancestors didn't stop once to think what if i get killed? no, they wasn't that selfish, they thought of their future generations. to me your friend is being selfish for not wanting to fight back and make it better. instead they go to another country illegally, they take and demand.

Answer 8

Immigrants think that they work harder than Americans, they think this country was like this since the begining, how do you think this country got so great ? I believe the "Land of Plenty" is in reference to food, we have more food in the U.S. than ANY other country, we could feed the whole world (not for very long but, we could do it).

Answer 9

Who pays for the advertising? I know I don't.

Tourist bureaus do, and visa scam sites, and real estate brokers or developers do, unscrupulous employers....people who make money off of it.

How would we control what they say?

Answer 10

since the beging usa was the land of freedom and opurtunity.the land of money.but noone tells of how we suffer here too.since im a high school dropout i can make only minimal wage.they think there is more money here because our money is worth more than theirs.