The American Dream is Dead

    The American Dream is different for everyone, though it is most commonly associated with success, freedom, and happiness. The concept of the American Dream seems to have dwindled from where it was in the past few generations. It has gone from success, freedom, and happiness to having lots of money and the nicest possessions.

     On weekend edition on February 7-9, 2014 CounterPunch: "America'sBest Political Newsletter" posted the article “The American Dream is dead” where is author providing strong pessimistic opinion.  He says the dream is a myth.  People discouraged with current situation and have low expectations for better future standards.  People disappointed with the government, with their jobs and miserable salaries, with health care and retirement plan, with hopeless future for their kids, with equivocate US media that owned by 6 giant companies.  No one believes that economic system has right course and next generation will have improved quality of life than our own.  The American people tired of the lies, they voted thinking that their vote mattered and could change the system, although, the whole process is designed to put the wool over people’s eyes and power is just handled from one group of elites to the next behind.  All the productivity profits hold by “moneybags” or divided between “shareholders” instead of going to working people. Less than half - 43% of people suppose that to accomplish the American dream like buying a house is possible in this economy. People live pay check to pay check and consume their savings to meet ends day to day. Two of three Americans displeased with the way income are currently spread in USA compare to 77% that were satisfied in 2002.

      In this article author argues there is no dream left and opportunities vanished. He supports his pessimistic view with polls and data from different sources.  Through the entire report, it is obviously to notice that author is against political bloviating and considers that things are getting worse and worse. He defines Obama and Congress guilty for all of the above mentioned. 

‘Williams,’ the Princess and the Gender Pay Gap

     On Wednesday, February 5th 2014, The New York Times published an article about women average earnings are less than men. A 2011 census report obtained that in 2010 “the earnings of women who worked full time, year-round were 77% of that for men working full time, year-round.” While the pay gap diverged by occupation, women’s median income was lower than men in almost all. Women still can not get out of the social stereotyped jobs such as health aid and childcare jobs.

The researches propose two theories that might explain the gap: gender discrimination and gender varieties in the willingness to negotiate salary, women are generally unenthusiastic to negotiate a starting salary and pay rate.  Even though when work hours, college major, employment sector, practice type and other factors related with pay were adjusted, the pay gap shrinks still occurred.

This article is worth to read because these kinds of inequalities are unfair and unreasonable. Discrimination against women in employment is topic that has long been an issue in society.