For Boston Globe, 'American Dream' = More Big Government

Boston Globe/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

by Mark Finkelstein

July 24, 2006 - 09:22

Complete this sentence: The American Dream is the notion that all Americans, regardless of race, country of origin or obstacles to overcome can succeed, providing they . . .

I'm guessing that for most people, the answer was along the lines "work hard."

Not for the Boston Globe. In an editorial of this morning, American Dream Hopes, the Globe has managed to stand the American Dream on its head. What is required to achieve the American Dream is not self-reliance, hard work, gumption, etc. No, what we need to succeed are government-provided or inspired "housing, employment, diversity, justice, access to technology, education, and healthcare." The editorial later makes clear it is talking about 'affordable housing.' Yet another element of restoring the American Dream: jail diversion programs. But of course!

The Globe has an odd way of telling time. It writes: "The work-hard promise of social mobility used to be a fact. From 1947, when Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, to 1968, when Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. were killed, income inequality decreased, according to the Census Bureau. And families could expect to see their incomes rise. But from 1968 to 1998, income inequality increased."

Was there some cause-and-effect with Jackie playing for the Dodgers and Bobby running for President that the Globe meant to imply? And if the dark ages were 1968-1998, well, LBJ was president in 1968, and Clinton in 1998. So who's to blame?

Still, the Globe manages to identify the guilty party, and it turns out to be . . . capitalism. Or as the Globe puts it: "The dream was deflated by well-known culprits: lost manufacturing jobs, expensive housing, single-parent households, the declining worth of the minimum wage, and pay lavished on highly skilled workers while the income of regular folks stagnated."

Don't you love that last line? 'Pay lavished on highly skilled workers'?

Yes, if only the power to fix pay levels were taken away from those evil forces of the free market, and given to government bureaucrats - those paragons of wisdom and fairness - we would have true equity in this great land of ours. The American Dream would once again flourish - at least in the minds of the nostalgics for socialism that are the editorial board of the Boston Globe.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Boston Globe/NewsBusters ping to Today show list.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Here's a link to the Globe editorial. Read it if you dare!

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2006/07/24/american_dream_hopes/

[Gay State Conservative]

The senior editors and staff of the Boston Globe live in Chestnut Hill and Weston,among the $3 million "bungalows" and summer on Martha's Vineyard along side the Kerrys,the Clintons and the Cronkites.

What could they *possibly* know about *achieving* the American Dream,as opposed to having it handed to them by Mommy's and Daddy's trust fund?

[the invisib1e hand]

two words: Big Dig.

[Carry_Okie]

But from 1968 to 1998, income inequality increased."

Gosh, that just happens to coincide with the implementation of indentured constituency: the programs of the Great Society.

So what doth the Globe recommend? More of the same!

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Perhaps the Globe should put its capitalist money where its mouth is and distribute its paper for free...

[gridlock]

Here's a link to the Globe editorial. Read it if you dare!

I'm already stupider just reading the synopsis!

[ClaireSolt]

Watch out. these income inequality figures are directly controlled by government programs. It is those who live on the government programs who are at the bottom of the heap. I know old women living on $450/mo Social Security and some welfare payments are less. That has nothing to do with capitalism, and it is going to get a lot worse as baby boomers retire. Average Social Security is $1000/mo and ave senior income is $15,000/yr vs ave sal of $43,000. Yet Dem's won't fix the kink in the system that leaves $25% of elderly women very poor. They woiuld rather demagogue the issue with pilgrimages to a statue of FDR.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

LOL. You might want to read a couple National Review editorials or the like as a quick antidote ;-)

[gridlock]

The resulting blueprint for change could be a simple idea -- such as put children first. The goal is to pull the American Dream back within reach in seven areas: housing, employment, diversity, justice, access to technology, education, and healthcare.

I think this guy has The American Dream confused with The Canadian Dream. If this is your dream, buddy, hop in your car and drive North. When you start seeing more moose than people, stop. But if you're going to stay here, keep your hand out of my pocket!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

"I think this guy has The American Dream confused with The Canadian Dream." LOL - too true!

[Lou L]

while the income of regular folks stagnated."

Just who are these "regular folk" that they're talking about?

[Mr. Jeeves]

The Boston Globe's version of the American Dream translates to "middle class lifestyles for working class intellects/skill-sets" - something that was briefly possible in the wake of WWII with the rise of American industry, but was mistakenly accepted as the new norm (and as their just due) by unions and New Deal leftists. Now the Left is willing to spend any amount of government money necessary to get back to those halcyon days...when the only thing likely to create them again would be for the USA to fight and win WWIII (or WWIV, if you prefer). Redistributing wealth to accomplish those goals has already proven to be a total failure over the last forty years.

[stephenjohnbanker]

"They woiuld rather demagogue the issue with pilgrimages to a statue of FDR."

Yep. FDR = patron saint of American socialism.

[MNJohnnie]

Come out of the closet Democrats. Just admit it. You are European style Socialists in everything but name

[Lancey Howard]

BUMP! Good column!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks as always, Lancey! The editorial really does provide a good insight into the liberal mentality, doesn't it? They basically don't believe people can accomplish much without government.

[Lancey Howard]

By the way, I presume this Globe editorial is simply part of its effort to help the Democrats unveil their ‘American Dream’ initiative?

[Lancey Howard]

P.S., By the way, I love the ending of the editorial where the Globe bats its eyes at communism:

It is not actually a matter of recovering a dream, but of restoring the reality of shared American prosperity.

Equally "shared", I'm sure - - you know, "From each according to his means to each...", etc.