For decades, many Americans bought into this economic philosophy, thinking maybe they too could be rich and famous someday. As Donald Trump once observed: "The average guy doesn't hate me; he wants to be me." And though I hate to admit it, Trump was right.
Since the 1980s many average Americans were convinced that becoming rich and famous was the crowning glory in a capitalist society, even if it meant selling one's soul, or committing a little fraud. Moreover, they were convinced that anyone could do it in America if they had a dream and just tried hard enough.
Unfortunately, this delusional mind set, promoted by the corporate media and the self-help gurus, defied not only logic but common sense. Worse, it allowed the upper one percent of the population to get rich beyond their wildest dreams without any serious blowback from the general population, who were still faithfully "visualizing" their success, writing down daily affirmations, and patiently awaiting their turn to become rich and famous-- despite the fact that the probability of this occurring was roughly the same as winning the lottery or going to Vegas and walking off with millions.
Nevertheless, they continued to wait" and wait" until finally a cold dose of reality hit them in the face when the financial markets melted down in 2008. Suddenly they began to lose their jobs and their homes and they wondered what the hell went wrong with the program.
Slowly but surely, these average working stiffs began to wake from their dreams of becoming "the next Donald Trump" and realize they had been played for chumps by the ruling class and the corporate media. How cruel and unfair the free market can be, they must have thought as they watched their 401K plans dwindle like the sands in an hour glass. As a result, their love and admiration for the rich and famous quickly turned to distrust and hostility.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
