this post was submitted on 05 May 2025
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According to a recent Gallup poll, 70% of Americans now believe the American Dream is no longer attainable for the average person. This stark figure represents a seismic shift in national consciousness.

The myth of American exceptionalism is crumbling under the weight of reality. Economic Collapse

The numbers tell a story of economic devastation wrought by unfettered capitalism. Since 1978, CEO compensation has grown 940%, while typical worker compensation has risen just 12%.

Three men now own more wealth than the bottom 50% of Americans combined.

Nearly 40% of Americans cannot afford a $400 emergency expense, according to the Federal Reserve, while Wall Street posts record profits.

“What we’re witnessing isn’t just inequality — it’s a systematic transfer of wealth from the working class to the ultra-wealthy,” says economist Dr. Thomas Piketty, author of “Capital in the Twenty-First Century.”

The average American worker needs to work 2.8 jobs to afford rent in most major cities, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Real wages, when adjusted for inflation, have remained essentially stagnant since the 1970s while productivity has increased by over 250%. Healthcare Crisis

Americans pay 2.5 times more for healthcare than citizens in other developed nations while receiving worse outcomes.

Medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy in America, with 66.5% of all bankruptcies tied to medical issues, according to the American Journal of Public Health.

“The American healthcare system isn’t broken — it’s functioning exactly as designed: to extract maximum profit while providing minimum care,” notes Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Over 500,000 families go bankrupt each year due to medical bills — a phenomenon that doesn’t exist in any other developed nation.

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[–] miguel@fedia.io 46 points 1 week ago

"That's why they call it the American Dream, because you'd have to be asleep to believe it" --George Carlin

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago

We've been granted eyes and we use them to see. The oligarchs aren't hiding any of this. Everything is visibly stagnant and the only movement is in these bitches' net worths. Nothing means anything anymore.

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 25 points 1 week ago (2 children)

The average American worker needs to work 2.8 jobs to afford rent in most major cities, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Not even a "normal" fulfilling life and it requires 2 incomes. No house, no family, no savings, definitely not on a single income. I'm rapidly approaching 40 and have been single for a decade now so a happy relationship and 2 incomes in my life is about as likely to be a thing as unicorns are. Then COVID comes around, kills millions and destroyed the housing market so I've completely gave up on the idea that I'll ever own a home.

"Retirement" for me is a shotgun sandwich deep in the woods somewhere I won't be found.

Ahh the American dream.

[–] StarshotJohn@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yeah, I always say my retirement plan is a 12 guage.

[–] knightmare1147@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

I prefer to say I'll die happy with a heart attack on a bicycle. Gonna keep trying to enjoy the little things for as long as I can even if everything says give up. Spite is a powerful motivator.

[–] Angry_Autist@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Just do what I do:drugs and questionably safe activities

It'll work eventually

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 2 points 1 week ago

My body doesn't let me do drugs anymore lol everything gives me panic attacks that feel like heart attacks now

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago (3 children)
[–] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

30% are boomers who already have everything and are blind to the current situation.

[–] Angry_Autist@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

30% of people are pretty well off honestly

[–] Angry_Autist@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Everyone forgets we have a fucktonne of non-billionaire rich as well. The top 30% START at 100k a year

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 1 week ago

I’d say thirty percent of Americans live comfortably, so I’m not surprised. And some others that aren’t comfortable still believe the propaganda that they might make in the future because they’re just down on their luck.

[–] InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago
[–] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

The American Dream is still going strong; it's just the contents of the dream that have changed. Currently the dream is to get the fuck out of the US and into somewhere less dystopian.

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

There’s that ~30% again.

Wonder how much overlap there is with the MAGA Qaeda.

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

There’s that ~30% again.

Some of the people all of the time.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 9 points 1 week ago

House-Kids-Retirement: pick one if you're lucky, two if you're really lucky

[–] klemptor@startrek.website 5 points 1 week ago

“What we’re witnessing isn’t just inequality — it’s a systematic transfer of wealth from the working class to the ultra-wealthy,” says economist Dr. Thomas Piketty, author of “Capital in the Twenty-First Century.”

Aka, a trickle-up economy.

Thanks, Reaganomics!

[–] Angry_Autist@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This has been said every year since I was a kid and I'm so old I remember doctors smoking during examinations

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

It's been a long decline.

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

1978 was more than 45 years ago.

[–] Angry_Autist@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yes I know, I can count. The point I am making is shit has been going downhill steadily since Nixon

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 0 points 1 week ago

Agreeing with you lol

[–] ProvableGecko@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Good. Now do "freedom"

[–] Jumpingspiderman@lemmy.world -3 points 1 week ago

Why would anyone think that a nation is in decline because the majority of the citizens stopped believing a pernicious lie used to facilitate exploitation of working people. To me, people finally realizing that the American has long been absolute bullshit is a sign that Americans have finally grown the fuck up and our better days are to come.