American Dream

American Dream 2: Default On Mortgage, Then Rent For Less

Wall Street Journal | MARK WHITEHOUSE | Posted 12.10.2009 | Business


PALMDALE, Calif. -- Schoolteacher Shana Richey misses the playroom she decorated with Glamour Girl decals for her daughters. Fireman Jay Fernandez mis...

New American Dream: Default, Then Rent

Wall Street Journal | Posted 12.09.2009 | Business


People's increasing willingness to abandon their own piece of America illustrates a paradoxical change wrought by the housing bust: Even as it tarnish...

Epilepsy: Holding A Volcano

Lisa Guest | Posted 12.02.2009 | Living


Lisa Guest

He's had epilepsy for over fifteen years. He lost his license and his job fifteen years ago. Medicare says he's not "disabled enough."

Clive Crook: The American Dream Needs Repair

Clive Crook | Posted 11.16.2009 | Business


Sooner or later the US will find itself grappling with an immense fiscal problem. The recession and stimulus have combined to produce record-breaking ...

Mad Men and the Decline of America

Vivian Norris de Montaigu | Posted 11.16.2009 | Entertainment


Vivian Norris de Montaigu

As Don Draper reminds us again and again, love is something a guy like him creates to sell us nylons. We buy, we consume, we dream, but we need to build something real again.

An Entire Generation at Stake

Janet Murguía | Posted 10.30.2009 | Politics


Janet Murguía

Today, more than one-fourth of Latino children live in poverty. Three-fifths live in low-income families. One in five does not have health insurance. Only 55% graduate from high school.

Online Gossip: Push It Back

Jim Selman | Posted 10.09.2009 | Living


Jim Selman

In the past, if people dissented or trafficked in conspiracy theories, gossip and propaganda not too much damage was done.

John Thain, Ex-Merrill Chief COMPLAINS: It's Unfortunate The American Dream Has Been "Demonized"

Posted 10.07.2009 | Business


In a recent speech at the University Of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain -- he, of the $35,000 commode -...

Leaving the Law, Part One: Why I Chose My Second Bedroom Over the Corner Office

Laura A. Hutchings | Posted 11.15.2009 | Denver


Laura A. Hutchings

Somewhere in the kitchen of my summer sublet apartment on the hill in Boulder, grinding chicken livers, I came to believe that no one would ever take me seriously without a law degree.

The Dream Shall Not Die

Gershon Hepner | Posted 10.16.2009 | Politics


Gershon Hepner

"The dream shall never die," Ted Kennedy once said; the dream is flitting by, and very close to dead. Now we're kept awake by nightmares in which we f...

The Modesty of Hope

Hoyt Hilsman | Posted 09.24.2009 | Politics


Hoyt Hilsman

Since the dawn of the Industrial Age, and even before, there has been a deep strain of exceptionalism in the American character.

Open Letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Chantal Sicile-Kira | Posted 09.04.2009 | Politics


Chantal Sicile-Kira

I can't afford to volunteer for the community anymore. Got to spend every free moment earning money or taking care of my mom and son.

Following Unconventional Wisdom Toward the American Dream

Louise Mirrer | Posted 09.03.2009 | New York


Louise Mirrer

For people today who wonder whether the American Dream is still viable -- or if it is, how to achieve it -- The Education of an American Dreamer offers a fascinating and complex answer.

The American Dream is Leaving the Station

John F. Wasik | Posted 08.21.2009 | Business


John F. Wasik

There is no safety net to stop this free fall in our aspirations and nest eggs. Can we still afford the American Dream in a market economy?

Clarity and Intention in Business and Life

Jen Grisanti | Posted 08.06.2009 | Living


Jen Grisanti

How do we turn our dreams into a reality? We approach life knowing our purpose and tapping into the power of intention as well as moving past the fear.

The Great American Melting Pot (?)

Daniel Cubias | Posted 08.02.2009 | Politics


Daniel Cubias

You will not catch me dissing Schoolhouse Rock. Like all good Gen Xers, I grew up with the infectious tones of the Saturday morning series permeating...

The US Senate Apologized for Slavery. But We Ain't Gettin' 40 Acres and a Mule!

Yvonne R. Davis | Posted 07.20.2009 | Politics


Yvonne R. Davis

We can all feel relieved there is an official acknowledgment that something terrible was done to black people. Yet the reality is way too much time has passed for this apology to really mean anything.

ABC News: Is The American Dream Dead?

ABC News | DAN HARRIS and ANDREW SULLIVAN | Posted 07.17.2009 | Business


As the recession grinds on, and we take stock of our country's lost jobs, foreclosed homes and decimated 401(k)s, many Americans are lamenting the los...

The Unattainable Home

John F. Wasik | Posted 07.13.2009 | Business


John F. Wasik

Even before the home bubble burst, homes cost too much for more than four out of ten Americans. About 7.5 million people were spending more than half of their income on housing costs.

Homes Still Cost Too Much

John F. Wasik | Posted 07.04.2009 | Business


John F. Wasik

The American Dream as we know it was not sustainable. Now we have the chance to make it affordable, ecologically sound and socially beneficial. It's a rare opportunity.

An American Heartbreak

Norman Lear | Posted 06.29.2009 | Business


Norman Lear

What's going on with our car companies breaks the heart of this member of the Greatest Generation. The American motor car played such a significant part in our "American Dream."

Sotomayor Racist?

Abby L. Ferber | Posted 06.28.2009 | Politics


Abby L. Ferber

The fact that these conservative politicians and commentators don't even see racism unless they feel it is directed against them is precisely why we need the voices of women of color on the court.

Optimism Prevails: More Americans Believe In American Dream Though Only 44% Said They Had Achieved It

New York Times | KATHARINE Q. SEELYE | Posted 06.07.2009 | Living


Given the battered economy, increasing joblessness and collapse of the housing market, what is the state of the American dream? Pollsters for The New...

Amazon Failure, the Future of the Corporation and "Crisis Communications 101"

Richard Laermer | Posted 05.28.2009 | Business


Richard Laermer

Amazon moved gay, lesbian, and transgendered books to their Adult section. They say it was a re-categorization error which would have been a plausible excuse if they corrected it immediately.

A Fair Shake for Those Who are Not Already Rich and Powerful

Bob Herbert | Posted 05.22.2009 | Politics


Bob Herbert

If you don't think you can do anything about the conditions of the society, then you won't even make the effort to clearly understand the issues. What would be the point?