Day: May 13, 2025

What Happened To The ‘American Dream’?

All of our lives we have heard about the American Dream….that one should aspire to this concept at all costs….family, home, good job, etc etc….but just what does this ‘American Dream’ really mean?

The term “American dream” refers to the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or their socio-economic status, can attain their own version of success in a society in which upward mobility is possible for everyone.

The American dream is believed to be achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance.

The term was coined by writer and historian James Truslow Adams in his best-selling 1931 book “Epic of America.” He described it as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.

Adams went on to explain: “It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motorcars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/american-dream.asp

If interested here is a brief history of the so-called American Dream….

Let’s go as far back as John Adams….

Adams, worshipping material success was not the definition of the American dream: It was, by contrast, the failure of “the American dream of a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank.” Adams did not mean “richer” materially, but spiritually; he distinguished the American dream from dreams of prosperity. It was, he declared, “not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”

That repudiation is crucial, but almost always overlooked when this famous passage is quoted. Adams specifically gainsays the idea that the American dream is of material success. The American dream, according to Adams, was about collective moral character: It was a vision of “commonweal,” common well-being, well-being that is held in common and therefore mutually supported.

https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/state-of-the-american-dream/churchwell-history-of-the-american-dream

But times are different and the old ‘American Dream’ is no longer.

According to a report from Moody’s Analytics in February, the richest 10 percent of Americans (households with an annual income of at least $250,000) drove half of all US consumer spending (about $10 trillion) between September 2023 and September 2024.

The fact that 12.7 million households could collectively outspend much of the rest of the nation is truly jaw-dropping. It points to the end of an economy that has depended primarily on the needs-based and discretionary spending of ordinary working Americans since the end of World War II.

The biggest surprise of all on the end of the American dream, though, is that for tens of millions of Americans, this is not a surprise. The dismantling of the American dream and the consumer capitalism that defined the nation from 1945 through the housing bubble bust in 2008 began more than a half-century ago.

…

The US, then, is back to its pre-Great Depression economy. Except that in 2025, it’s an economy in which the consumer habits of the wealthiest 10 percent have an outsized influence compared with the bottom 300 million Americans. One cannot truly have consumer capitalism if most consumers cannot make enough money to afford to rent or buy a home, take a vacation, or even pay for food and basic healthcare. But this was the end goal of wealthy Americans pretty much all along, with help from both political parties. Any remaining American dream is but a mere fantasy these days. All because all the on-ramps to general middle-class prosperity have been carpet-bombed.

(aje.com)

Sorry but the American Dream has been over for awhile just too many still want to believe.

What to do?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Wannabe ‘King’s’ New Ride

Little Donny is on his second overseas trip this time he will visit Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar…..the visit is said to be for talks on the Middle East….while on the visit to Qatar he will accept delivery of his new Air Force One from the Qatari government.

U.S. President Donald Trump—no stranger to allegations of blatant corruption—faced an onslaught of criticism on Sunday in response to ABC Newsreporting that his administration is preparing to accept “what may be the most valuable gift ever extended to the United States from a foreign government.”

Ahead of Trump’s trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, sources told ABC that the administration “is preparing to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar—a gift that is to be available for use by… Trump as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation.”

The unnamed sources also explained that “lawyers for the White House counsel’s office and the Department of Justice drafted an analysis for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concluding that is legal for the Department of Defense to accept the aircraft as a gift and later turn it over to the Trump library, and that it does not violate laws against bribery or the Constitution’s prohibition (the emoluments clause) of any U.S. government official accepting gifts ‘from any king, prince, or foreign state.’

…

Amid the uncertainty, a range of people across the internet blasted the supposed plan, slamming it as “indefensible,” “incredibly illegal,” and “comically corrupt.” Some critics pointed out that the reporting comes after the Trump Organization, the Saudi partner DarGlobal, and a company owned by the Qatari government last month reached a deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar.

Some critics highlighted security concerns. One legal expert declared, “An emolument and security risk all wrapped up in one!”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-air-force-one

If a new Air Force One is needed what was wrong with American manufacturer, Boeing?

This incident should keep the tongues wagging for some time or at least until the next bombshell that falls out of Donny’s mouth.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Cost Of Your Meds

As an old fart that must take meds daily I am always interested in news that someone is making me spend less money to continue in good health.

Yesterday the news broke that Donny and his Magic Sharpie would go to work to bring down the cost of medication.

Prescription drugs taken by millions could soon become more affordable under a new executive order from President Donald Trump.

Trump plans to revive a policy from his first term that would require drug companies to charge Americans no more than what they charge in other countries.

According to officials familiar with the plan, Trump will sign an executive order next week instructing federal health agencies to adopt a ‘most favored nation’ pricing model for certain drugs covered by Medicare.

The model is designed to lower costs by ensuring the US pays no more than the lowest price charged elsewhere.

In many developed countries, single-payer systems allow governments to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies.

But in the US, a fragmented, privatized system gives drugmakers broad pricing power — with some medications costing up to 10 times more than abroad.

The order would mark a major shift in how pharmaceutical companies operate and could lead to lower drug prices for American consumers.

Industry leaders warn the move threatens profits and innovation, with one executive calling it the biggest ‘existential threat to the industry and U.S. biosciences innovation.’

Three people familiar with the matter told Politico the proposal is still being finalized and Trump has not approved any plans, but he did tease a ‘very big announcement’ that would be coming next week.

The president said: ‘We’re going to have a very, very big announcement to make — like as big as it gets.

‘It will be one of the most important announcements that have been made in many years about a certain subject.’

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14696157/Trumps-earth-shattering-new-executive-order-thats-set-slash-cost-drugs-millions-rely-on.html

For decades the drug industry has used the old dodge of R&D to justify the high costs of medication prescriptions….and it will be used again and the lobbyists will descend on Congress to stop and progress on making drugs cheaper….

There is a story about one drug….

David Armstrong has been writing about sky-high health care costs and the tactics of Big Pharma for years. His latest story in ProPublica has a far more personal angle: After being diagnosed with cancer—multiple myeloma—in 2023, he started taking a drug called Revlimid made by Celgene. The great thing is that it works. The major downside is that it cost $1,000 for each daily pill, out of reach for many patients. “When I started taking the drug, I’d look at the smooth, cylindrical capsule in my hand and consider the fact I was about to swallow something that costs about the same as a new iPhone,” writes Armstrong. Why so much? That’s what Armstrong wondered, too. Some key points of his investigation:

  • The first thing to know about Revlimid may be a surprise: It’s a derivative of thalidomide, the 1950s drug infamous for causing birth defects. But it’s been repurposed to fight multiple myeloma, and the story explains the mechanics, which involves blocking the growth of new blood vessels.
  • The second thing to know is that it costs only 25 cents to manufacture a single pill, which Armstrong discovered in a deposition marked “highly confidential.”
  • So how do you get from spending 25 cents to make a pill to charging $1,000? Think legal loopholes, FDA red tape, and plenty of doctor schmoozing to mute critics, all of which Armstrong details. In particular, the company’s legal battles have delayed the entry of generic competitors. “Those tactics, detailed in reams of court filings, allowed Celgene to treat Revlimid like a piggy bank, tapping it whenever it wanted,” writes Armstrong.” In fact, the company has hiked the price 26 times since its 2005 launch. The cost increases have only continued since Celgene was bought by Bristol Myers Squibb for $74 billion in 2019.

Will the Magic Sharpie actually make our drugs cheaper?

Damn good question!

I am not sure how this will work and if this will bring down my drug prices….and I am not alone….

…

Trump’s first-term rule—“Most Favored Nation”—was focused on lowering the cost of Medicare payments on certain drugs, but it barely made it out of the White House. The policy was blocked by federal courts shortly after it was announced in late 2020, and was then rescinded by President Joe Biden in 2021.

This time around, Trump’s order sets a 30-day deadline for drugmakers to negotiate lower prices. If there is no deal, then the U.S. will tie its drug prices to those paid by other countries. But as of now, nothing has changed.

Trump reiterated that the U.S. would no longer “subsidize” drug prices in other countries, telling reporters that the “game is up,” while alluding to potentially increasing auto tariffs if they don’t comply.

“If they want to get cute, they don’t have to sell cars into the United States anymore. They won’t get cute,” Trump said. “I’ll defend the drug companies from that standpoint.”

He was also characteristically vague on how much prices would change.

“Drug prices will come down by much more really if you think,” Trump said. “But between 59 and 80 and I guess even 90 percent.”

“We’re getting them down 60, 70, 80, 90 percent. But actually more than that if you think about it in a way, mathematically.”

https://newrepublic.com/post/195126/donald-trump-drug-prices-executive-order-nothing

I am not believing this for a minute, I want to but he has given us nothing in return for our patience….in other words he has lied to us before why should we believe him now?

I will watch and write.

If you depend on meds for your continued good health the surely you have something to say.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”