Ayatoilet:

Every foreign correspondent visiting Iran seems to come back with stories of ordinary Iranians approaching them, and asking them for help with getting a visa to come to the U.S. America, it seems remains the land of dreams for millions of improvised and oppressed people throughout the world. Yet, ironically, America isn’t what it used to be! Over the past two decades there has been a steady erosion of the ‘American Dream’.

Don’t get me wrong, America is still much better than many places around the world. And for sure, the American Dream (for an Iranian) is much more than a European Dream or should I say European Nightmare (for an Iranian). America still has a comparatively pluralistic society. Despite pockets of racism and fanaticism (against Muslim-Iranian after 9/11), there is still relative tolerance. In most cases there is real appreciation for immigrants and the contributions they can make to America. The record uprising of  ultra-right wing parties throughout Europe (notably, France, UK, Germany etc.) still make Europe relatively unpleasant for most immigrants (especially Muslim-Iranians).

But even with incredible economic news coming out of America recently  – with a new record for the Dow Jones Index, and an unemployment rate drop to pre-08/09-crisis levels – there is a noticeable ‘lag’ in America’s economy. Almost all the prosperity has been funneled upwards to the top 2% – not broadly across America.

There has been a serious erosion of ‘dynamism’ in America. The broad economy is NOT recovering to the precise point it was at in say 2007 or even a decade or so ago.

This graph from the Brookings Institution illustrates this shift, very well:

I am sure, in future centuries historians will look back at the demise of the American empire.  And, the “W” era (King George Bush II [“W”]) will be seen as a turning point in America’s history. Like King Louis XVI before the French revolution, or Britain’s King George III (during the American Revolution) or the Shah (before the Iranian Revolution), the “W” era will mark the inflexion point before a downward turn.

For it was “W”’s reckless policies that created a chain of events that has resulted in a series of reactionaries policies. And these policies will have a profound (and deep) consequences on the U.S. no matter what is done going forward. A system that took many decades, maybe centuries to be established was undermined quickly in 8 years of the Bush II reign.

You see, America was always the land of opportunity. Many people explain this with tales of how America is the melting pot. I am told people of all nations (like us, Iranian-Americans) can come here study, find jobs and work side by side without prejudice to better their lives. Others say it is the land of opportunity because of its endless free enterprise system that results in open, free competition resulting in those that work hardest to eventually win in the market place. But all this is a partial truth. Not the whole story.

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