"life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth ~ James Truslow Adams in 1931 defining the American Dream.
According to Marsha Blackburn, the gop potus nominee Donald Trump "believes In the American dream because he has lived the American dream". Apparently she's been using this line a LOT, as when I Googled for it, I got many other instances of her saying it.
The one I was looking for was her saying it at the GOP Trump-tastic Convention. I heard it while watching the news, which, because I live in Tennessee and she is a member of the House representing Tennessee's 7th congressional district, the Tennessee news covered.
According to her Wikipedia page, "Blackburn is one of three female U.S. representatives in congress who identifies as a congressman"... as opposed to a congresswoman (translation: she's an anti-woman woman). Also an idiot, as she subscribes to the myth that the ACA contains "death panels". This, despite the fact that "it had been ...widely debunked by fact-checking journalism organizations".
Oh, and she doesn't believe in climate change or evolution. She was also "named one of the Most Corrupt Members of Congress by the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
Anyway, the American Dream, as I understand it, is having a good job that enables you to be able to pay for all the necessities in life (food, clothing, shelter, health care) and also send your kids to college, take a few vacations a year, and retire with no worries of living your old age in poverty.
Donald Trump was born on 3rd base and GOPers like Blackburn think he hit a homer. In the minds of Republicans Trump represents the "American Dream". Trump having been being born to wealthy parents and inheriting a LARGE amount of money from them.
Sure, many Americans might DREAM about this, but that all it is. A dream. Not attainable. At least the being born wealthy part. Some people work hard, and via a combination of skill and luck end up rich. But these people are in the minority. The American Dream SHOULD be something anyone can aspire to AND have at least a moderate chance of attaining.
BTW, Diane Black, a colleague of Blackburn's (in that she's a "congressman" from Tennessee) says (in a campaign commercial that I saw recently) that government shouldn't play a role in lifting people out of poverty. "Government doesn't get people out of poverty, hard work does" she says.
She must believe that the working poor just don't work hard enough. I mean, if they weren't lazy moochers expecting handouts they'd be rich and living the American Dream, right?
