Comments on: Death of an American Dream 2 https://habitablezone.com/2011/06/05/death-of-an-american-dream-2/ Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:20:24 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: mcfly https://habitablezone.com/2011/06/05/death-of-an-american-dream-2/#comment-1645 mcfly Sun, 05 Jun 2011 21:49:36 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1416#comment-1645 Like I said somewhere else in here recently, change is the only constant. People will always have dreams and ideals. If one dream dies, it simply makes way for another. It's probably not reasonable for us to assume that the dreams of our grandchildren will be the same as those of our grandparents. America in a hundred years will be a different place, not just because of technological progress, but because of changing worldview. The future is, after all, the undiscovered country. (I get 10 points for a Trek reference.) Like I said somewhere else in here recently, change is the only constant.

People will always have dreams and ideals. If one dream dies, it simply makes way for another.

It’s probably not reasonable for us to assume that the dreams of our grandchildren will be the same as those of our grandparents. America in a hundred years will be a different place, not just because of technological progress, but because of changing worldview. The future is, after all, the undiscovered country. (I get 10 points for a Trek reference.)

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2011/06/05/death-of-an-american-dream-2/#comment-1638 Jody Sun, 05 Jun 2011 21:09:55 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1416#comment-1638 YOU may have seen it coming..to be honest..I didn't. I am a late bloomin' baby boomer. YOU may have seen it coming..to be honest..I didn’t. I am a late bloomin’ baby boomer.

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2011/06/05/death-of-an-american-dream-2/#comment-1637 Jody Sun, 05 Jun 2011 21:07:23 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1416#comment-1637 Hey...ALWAYS wear clean underwear...you never know...you might get in an accident. I will have Havarti cheese with that whine,btw. Hey…ALWAYS wear clean underwear…you never know…you might get in an accident.

I will have Havarti cheese with that whine,btw.

]]> By: mcfly https://habitablezone.com/2011/06/05/death-of-an-american-dream-2/#comment-1626 mcfly Sun, 05 Jun 2011 19:07:00 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1416#comment-1626 Well put, ER. My initial response was "here we go again, whining about the evil left destroying America with all its cities and education and insistence on clean underwear..." Well put, ER. My initial response was “here we go again, whining about the evil left destroying America with all its cities and education and insistence on clean underwear…”

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/06/05/death-of-an-american-dream-2/#comment-1625 ER Sun, 05 Jun 2011 19:01:04 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1416#comment-1625 <strong>EDITED:</strong>There's not much there I can disagree with (I located and read Part I, too). But neither is there much there we didn't see coming, either. Those conclusions were already being discussed and taught in academia half a century ago. America's growth was simply unsustainable. but that was not a popular position in mainstream society back then. In fact, it was considered Socialist, Luddite, downright subversive. The fundamental unsustainability of endlessly growing prosperity was the alternative vision of America I was taught in college, and which I accepted. By the time I graduated I was convinced we were all on borrowed time and based my own long term planning on it. I'm glad I did, things worked out pretty much the way they (and I) expected, and I was well prepared for what eventually came. As I've said here before, besides the science and math, I got a terrific general education on the GI Bill at my State University. At the risk of oversimplifying, the hippies were right. Those who took conventional American society and culture with a grain of salt in the 60s and 70s and made other plans, were not disappointed. And today, they're not doing too bad. They may not be rich, but they're laying back, lighting up, and laughing their ass off. EDITED:There’s not much there I can disagree with (I located and read Part I, too). But neither is there much there we didn’t see coming, either. Those conclusions were already being discussed and taught in academia half a century ago. America’s growth was simply unsustainable. but that was not a popular position in mainstream society back then. In fact, it was considered Socialist, Luddite, downright subversive.

The fundamental unsustainability of endlessly growing prosperity was the alternative vision of America I was taught in college, and which I accepted. By the time I graduated I was convinced we were all on borrowed time and based my own long term planning on it. I’m glad I did, things worked out pretty much the way they (and I) expected, and I was well prepared for what eventually came. As I’ve said here before, besides the science and math, I got a terrific general education on the GI Bill at my State University.

At the risk of oversimplifying, the hippies were right. Those who took conventional American society and culture with a grain of salt in the 60s and 70s and made other plans, were not disappointed.
And today, they’re not doing too bad. They may not be rich, but they’re laying back, lighting up, and laughing their ass off.

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