What is today's American Dream?

[mookiemookie]

George Carlin said it best.

[Gerald]

It's good, but as I said my experience is based on many years of generations

[tater]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

George Carlin said it best.

Wow. I disagree with him pretty much 100%.

You actually believe that the reason people are so poorly educated is a conspiracy by our "corporate masters" to keep the people ignorant? You believe that? That in a nutshell is what Carlin says in that video.

The implication presumably is that even though MORE money is spent per student in poor areas, presumably they work hard to make sure the teachers there are incompetent. Myself, I don't blame teachers for poor outcomes, I blame parents. Private schools don't select on the basis of affluence, they select for parents who are involved. Affluent people live in nice areas. Nice areas have good public schools in general. Is that a money sorting? Yes, but the people with money have a different culture WRT education. They value it. The sad reality in urban areas is that the culture doesn't value education. Does that mean no poor people value education? Of course not, but just enough don't value it to really screw things up. Bussing in CT found that when they bussed in enough urban kids to the burbs that they hit >10% of the school population, they dragged the whole suburban school down with them.

A great story on an attempt to correct this cultural gap in NYC on This American Life:

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radi.../364/going-big

It's the "Baby College" story.

Regardless, it's not a conspiracy, that's as absurd as truthers, etc, frankly.

[August]

Originally Posted by tater

Wow. I disagree with him pretty much 100%.

You actually believe that the reason people are so poorly educated is a conspiracy by our "corporate masters" to keep the people ignorant? You believe that? That in a nutshell is what Carlin says in that video.

The implication presumably is that even though MORE money is spent per student in poor areas, presumably they work hard to make sure the teachers there are incompetent. Myself, I don't blame teachers for poor outcomes, I blame parents. Private schools don't select on the basis of affluence, they select for parents who are involved. Affluent people live in nice areas. Nice areas have good public schools in general. Is that a money sorting? Yes, but the people with money have a different culture WRT education. They value it. The sad reality in urban areas is that the culture doesn't value education. Does that mean no poor people value education? Of course not, but just enough don't value it to really screw things up. Bussing in CT found that when they bussed in enough urban kids to the burbs that they hit >10% of the school population, they dragged the whole suburban school down with them.

A great story on an attempt to correct this cultural gap in NYC on This American Life:

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radi.../364/going-big

It's the "Baby College" story.

Regardless, it's not a conspiracy, that's as absurd as truthers, etc, frankly.

This ^

[Ducimus]

All i want outta life, my idea of the American dream, is pretty much summed up in this song right here.

[Sailor Steve]

Oh, Duci, you evil, evil man. You had to go and remind me of this oldie about a man who really is living the American Dream.

[Gerald]

Of all the groups of immigrants coming to the US each year, Koreans are said to be among the most successful, many reaching the highest levels of achievement in this country in a single generation. The BBC's Katie Beck went to New York to meet some of those who came, and found the American Dream.

Sunhee and SeoJun Kim came to New York City from South Korea in 1986. They immigrated with hopes of giving their son Ron, then seven, every advantage and opportunity.

When the Kims arrived, along with thousands of other young Korean families, the social make-up of the city, and indeed the country, was undergoing big changes.

Two decades earlier, the US had done away with racially-based immigration quotas and, along with other immigrant groups, Koreans benefited from the new laws.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12888908

Note: Update Record,30 March 2011 Last updated at 11:57 GMT

[AVGWarhawk]

Of all the groups of immigrants coming to the US each year, Koreans are said to be among the most successful, many reaching the highest levels of achievement in this country in a single generation

I would agree 100%

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Oh, Duci, you evil, evil man. You had to go and remind me of this oldie about a man who really is living the American Dream.

That's pretty funny.

[Gerald]

The American Dream is a driving principle that has led millions of immigrants to head to the United States in pursuit of a better life.

But of course America is not limited just to the US, and neither is dreaming.

Paolo Cabral reports from Brazil where the American Dream is thriving in a unique way.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12942157


Note Update Record, 1 April 2011 Last updated at 22:08 GMT

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

George Carlin said it best.

Don'T know that guy, but I totally agree. I am saying exactly the same things in many threads here.

Allowing lobbyism is a stab with the knife into democracy's back. It means that those paying for lobbyist efforts think their opinion is much more worth in counts than the vote of a member of the ordinary voting cattle, and that one who pays for lobbyism deserves more influence on decision making and forming of policies, than voters. In the end, it is the effort to render all voting results meaningless, and to render all checks and balances of the democratic system meaningless as well. Both of which effectively is the declaration of invalidity of the democratic system itself.

And that is the reason why so many politicians - especially in America - but in other countries as well - love to be in bed with lobbyists. They both share the same intention: to bypass the electorate's power and legitimation by voting, and to bypass democracy itself. It is a form of hidden tyranny.

Lobbyism is not only corruption of a major kind - it is is high treason, nothing else.