In an interview on Theo Von’s podcast This Past Weekend, Mamdani warned that if the American Dream is just an ideal that’s out of within reach, then people may start to give up.
The democratic socialist compared it to legendary NYC Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s observation during the rise of fascism in Europe, saying people turned away from democracy not because they were tired of liberty, but because they were tired of being hungry.
“So if democracy doesn’t mean the better life that it has to, it’ll lose its worth. And the same thing with the American Dream: if it’s something you can only see when you turn on your TV or you hear about that one guy you grew up with who made it, that doesn’t mean enough,” Mamdani said.
What is “The American Dream”?
It always seems to be portrayed idealistically as a single family home in a car dependent suburb. A large driveway, and massive front lawn with a white picket fence. Something like in the image below.
Almost all these similar photos have a “traditional family values vibe”, white family, stay at home mom, two kids of different genders. Honestly it all just screams propaganda to me.
On top of all that when you “zoom out”, that typical “American Dream” becomes a car dependent hellscape ike the one below. With no way to get around.
I don’t know, but not everyone has a wish to live in a place like this. Give me walkable transit oriented mixed use neighborhoods with “missing middle” housing types any day.
Throw in “third-place” public areas where I can hang out with friends and family outside of home and work. Give me regional trains between cities, subways and trams, dedicated bus infrastructure. Give me safe cycling networks and dedicated trails. Give me city parks and fresh produce markets I can walk to.
The original American dream was independence and self sufficiency which was realized through land grants and farming. At some point, the dream got switched to owning a house that is only a collection of monthly expenses, and without any income-producing potential which farming granted. I’m not sure how many other shifts occurred along the way.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream