It’s a big club and you ain’t in it.
George Carlin, Life Is Worth Losing (2005)It’s called the American Dream, ‘cause you have to be asleep to believe it.
George Carlin, Life Is Worth Losing (2005)No, I’m not an American. I’m one of the 22 million black people who are the victims of Americanism. One of the 22 million black people who are the victims of democracy, nothing but disguised hypocrisy. So, I’m not standing here speaking to you as an American, or a patriot, or a flag-saluter, or a flag-waver—no, not I. I’m speaking as a victim of this American system. And I see America through the eyes of the victim. I don’t see any American dream; I see an American nightmare.
Malcolm X
- American Dream (Wikipedia)
The American Dream is the national ethos of the United States, that every person has the freedom and opportunity to succeed and attain a better life. The phrase has had different meanings over time. Originally, the emphasis was on democracy, liberty and equality, rather than on material wealth and upward mobility.