Letters from Linden
by JACK LINDEN
Dreams, whether they occur while one is asleep or one is daydreaming, are wonderful things. All of us have had and have them. Sometimes those dreams come true, but were they really dreams? Maybe those dreams were really goals that we set for ourselves as we moved along in life.
Unfortunately, we in America talk about the “American Dream,” but we never really define what that dream is. Too many times however, we let dreams interfere with really rational thinking when it comes to politics and political beliefs.
There is much talk among historians about the question of why poor Southern farmers side with the plantation and slave owners in the Civil War. Some Southerners still say that slavery was not the issue; it was really states rights that caused the war.
With ever mounting evidence, it is very clear that the retention of slavery in the South was the primary reason for the secession of the southern states.
If that was the case, why then did so many poor Southern farmers and other people side with the slave–owning class? There is growing evidence that it was because of the “dream.” That dream was that “I too will someday have my own plantation, will have slaves, and have the good life.” Owning the plantation was a noble idea, I think, but not having the slaves. It permeated the Southern mind however, even though the vast majority of the people in the South were not large landowners or slave holders.
The Gilded Age in America is another example of the “people” looking toward the wealthy without looking at the processes that were used to gain the wealth. Who really questioned the monopolies that were created by the Rockefellers, the Vanderbilts, the Morgans, et.al? We go to the homes they built now or see them on television as wonders of the age. Perhaps if we are to understand the true depiction of the times, we should re-read Jacob Riis’ book “How the Other Half Lives.” Those folks had a dream too, but little did they realize that the “deck was stacked.”
Horatio Alger, one of the most widely read authors of the period, emphasized that if one really wanted to lead the good life, there were certain things one needed to do. You only had to work long hours, work hard, etc. and you would get ahead. The problem was that the hero of his books was not recognized until he did something spectacular like stopping the runaway carriage with the boss’s daughter in it.
Many people today have the same vision for themselves. Yes, they too will become a millionaire. They are working hard, even more than what the boss requires. Surely, if they put in more hours, someone will recognize them. “If only, I can put more money in that stock venture, I will get wealthy. I will be able to lead the good life.” That has become the American Dream.
What many Republicans believe is that the government is getting in the way of their American Dream.” They state that “It is the government that is holding back the economy by having programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Not only having those programs holding people back, all the regulations are also holding them back.” Their idea is that if we could only have a Republican president and Congress, the world would be a better place and the American Dream will come true. They are not looking at history realistically.
Think about the programs that have helped America reach the economic summit that it is on. The programs for workers were introduced by people who were looking out for the common man, the person who was doing the work. Democrats gave us Social Security, they gave us Medicare. The 40 hour week and safety regulations allowed people who were working to enjoy a life they had not known before. The American Dream is more than just having money, it is a dream of being respected as humans, not as a money maker for someone else. When some politicians talk about achieving the “American Dream,” we should ask for whom are they trying to get it – you or themselves?
