Is America really the land of opportunity?
Aug 5, 2018 20:10:42 GMT 10
Post by SharksFan99 on Aug 5, 2018 20:10:42 GMT 10
For many decades, the United States has affectionately been known as the "land of opportunity", a land where one could achieve anything they set their mind to, no matter who they are as a person. It's a melting pot of different cultures which offers a plentiful amount of economic and lifestyle opportunities. The country is one of the most-developed countries in the world. As such, it's easy to see why the United States has acquired such a title, but is the title truly accurate?
I feel as though the title is purely a sensationalist product of patriotism, rather than a true reflection of American society. The "land of opportunity" message has been fueled by the media for decades and that has undoubtedly been driven by an underlying theme of patriotism; the mindset that America is the greatest country on Earth. There's no doubting that America offers a lot of avenues to succeed, but i'm not sure how it (or any country, for that matter) can really be regarded as land of opportunity when there are so many people who are struggling to make a living.
For instance, it was reported that there were around 554,000 homeless people in the United States in 2017. Amnesty International found that vacant houses outnumber homeless people by five times, which is an appalling statistic. The US Government does very little to support people living on the streets. They represent 0.17% of the US population, yet they have limited opportunities to get back on their feet and succeed in life.
This is only compounded by the fact that the minimum wage can be as low as $7.25 USD and there isn't a set minimum wage that applies to everyone. Take, for instance, two people working as a waiter in two different restaurants, one living/working in California and the other living/working in Nevada. They may live as little as 10 minutes away from each other and work the exact same hours, but the California person could be earning as much as $3 more per hour.
While it may seem like an insignificant difference, the addition or loss of $3 can have a substantial influence on someone's livelihood. Someone earning less money may not have the same opportunities as others, purely because they wouldn't have as much money to spare after paying bills and utilities. It's unfair and unjustified. They can be as devoted and hard-working as someone doing the exact same role in another state (with a better minimum wage), but they won't earn as much money.
I personally think the "land of opportunity" label is ignorant and fails to take into context the inequality of society. What are your thoughts on it? Is America the land of opportunity?
I feel as though the title is purely a sensationalist product of patriotism, rather than a true reflection of American society. The "land of opportunity" message has been fueled by the media for decades and that has undoubtedly been driven by an underlying theme of patriotism; the mindset that America is the greatest country on Earth. There's no doubting that America offers a lot of avenues to succeed, but i'm not sure how it (or any country, for that matter) can really be regarded as land of opportunity when there are so many people who are struggling to make a living.
For instance, it was reported that there were around 554,000 homeless people in the United States in 2017. Amnesty International found that vacant houses outnumber homeless people by five times, which is an appalling statistic. The US Government does very little to support people living on the streets. They represent 0.17% of the US population, yet they have limited opportunities to get back on their feet and succeed in life.
This is only compounded by the fact that the minimum wage can be as low as $7.25 USD and there isn't a set minimum wage that applies to everyone. Take, for instance, two people working as a waiter in two different restaurants, one living/working in California and the other living/working in Nevada. They may live as little as 10 minutes away from each other and work the exact same hours, but the California person could be earning as much as $3 more per hour.
While it may seem like an insignificant difference, the addition or loss of $3 can have a substantial influence on someone's livelihood. Someone earning less money may not have the same opportunities as others, purely because they wouldn't have as much money to spare after paying bills and utilities. It's unfair and unjustified. They can be as devoted and hard-working as someone doing the exact same role in another state (with a better minimum wage), but they won't earn as much money.
I personally think the "land of opportunity" label is ignorant and fails to take into context the inequality of society. What are your thoughts on it? Is America the land of opportunity?
