Regardless of your politics, you cannot argue that this is a great speech.

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Self promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 9:40am PDT - promote requested by original submitter Hive13.

What about all those people who work every day of their lives and can't build a decent future and don't have enough to pay the bills or have anything extra? I don't really understand how anyone can still believe in the American Dream...

>> ^alien_concept:

What about all those people who work every day of their lives and can't build a decent future and don't have enough to pay the bills or have anything extra? I don't really understand how anyone can still believe in the American Dream...


I honestly still believe that the American Dream is still alive and well. There is a difference between working everyday to sustain versus working everyday to be better the next. You can't be comfortable in your life, no matter how successful or financially stable you are. You need to work hard to better yourself every day. The American Dream, to me, means a lot of hard work, dogged determination and a little luck. I honestly believe that ANYONE can be better today than they were yesterday.

I was kicked out of my house at age 17. I worked three jobs to have a shitty apartment and a car that barely ran, but I did it and life was pretty good. Then life reared its ugly head and it all came crashing down. I picked up the pieces and headed off to the Army. I had a great 6 years serving this country with lots of unique opportunities. It ended on a high note with me getting married and having my first child.

I started a new career, yet again, at the bottom eventually working my way up to project lead in charge of over 80 people through hard work, sacrifice and determination. It came crashing down again when my wife and I divorced and that company was closed and relocated.

I moved back home to Texas and literally started over from nothing at age 30. I took whatever jobs I could, eventually landing a six month contract deploying a software package and providing training to a worldwide engineering firm. At the end of the six months, I was given a three month extension to help overhaul the existing IT department and provide support to the existing IT staff and IT director. Again, through hard work and dedication, within 2 years I had saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in IT expenditures and was hired on as the new IT director. I am now remarried to my amazing wife, I have 4 amazing children, a house in the suburbs, a shiny new car and we have enough money to enjoy life and still put some away for our later years. Life is good.

I am not any better than anyone else. Anyone could have done the things I have done if they put their minds and hearts into it. That's the American Dream as I have lived it personally.

>> ^Hive13:

>> ^alien_concept:
What about all those people who work every day of their lives and can't build a decent future and don't have enough to pay the bills or have anything extra? I don't really understand how anyone can still believe in the American Dream...

I honestly still believe that the American Dream is still alive and well. There is a difference between working everyday to sustain versus working everyday to be better the next. You can't be comfortable in your life, no matter how successful or financially stable you are. You need to work hard to better yourself every day. The American Dream, to me, means a lot of hard work, dogged determination and a little luck. I honestly believe that ANYONE can be better today than they were yesterday.
I was kicked out of my house at age 17. I worked three jobs to have a shitty apartment and a car that barely ran, but I did it and life was pretty good. Then life reared its ugly head and it all came crashing down. I picked up the pieces and headed off to the Army. I had a great 6 years serving this country with lots of unique opportunities. It ended on a high note with me getting married and having my first child.
I started a new career, yet again, at the bottom eventually working my way up to project lead in charge of over 80 people through hard work, sacrifice and determination. It came crashing down again when my wife and I divorced and that company was closed and relocated.
I moved back home to Texas and literally started over from nothing at age 30. I took whatever jobs I could, eventually landing a six month contract deploying a software package and providing training to a worldwide engineering firm. At the end of the six months, I was given a three month extension to help overhaul the existing IT department and provide support to the existing IT staff and IT director. Again, through hard work and dedication, within 2 years I had saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in IT expenditures and was hired on as the new IT director. I am now remarried to my amazing wife, I have 4 amazing children, a house in the suburbs, a shiny new car and we have enough money to enjoy life and still put some away for our later years. Life is good.
I am not any better than anyone else. Anyone could have done the things I have done if they put their minds and hearts into it. That's the American Dream as I have lived it personally.


What about people with moderate learning difficulties, or disabilities? They're able to work, but not a chance in hell they could go into the army and take advantage of what they have to offer, or work in an IT department. I think the only people who believe in this dream are the ones who are lucky enough to have had it happen for them. Not everyone is in the same position as you were or are now. Some people will never be able to have a good job, because they just aren't able.

Or people with mental health issues.

I have a good friend of mine that got hit hard by an IED in Iraq. He lost both his legs and suffered some serious brain injuries. It took him a year just to be able to talk again, but he persevered and recovered as one can from something like that. He eventually got an entry-level job working as a teller at a bank. Within 5 years, he had worked his way up to branch manager. He is now on the short list for the regional manager's slot. He has to work 10x harder than his peers to even be considered, but he does it because he wants to be better than "just a cripple" (his words).

Honestly, a lot of people make excuses for why they can't instead of making strides to make it happen for them. He could have done nothing for the rest of his life and lived off his disability and pension modestly, but he chose to be better than that and worked his ass of for his successes.

Sure, there are people out there that flat out can't work or can't function normally in society, but that is a tiny fraction of the world as a whole.

>> ^alien_conceptWhat about people with moderate learning difficulties, or disabilities? They're able to work, but not a chance in hell they could go into the army and take advantage of what they have to offer, or work in an IT department. I think the only people who believe in this dream are the ones who are lucky enough to have had it happen for them. Not everyone is in the same position as you were or are now. Some people will never be able to have a good job, because they just aren't able.

@alien_concept all the more reason to have a caring society that looks after its weakest members, and not just the most successful.