Dream State

I'd like to share some of my thoughts on the documentary "Requiem for the American Dream," which I have encountered frequently lately.

In this documentary, which took five years to film, one of today's most important global critics, Noam Chomsky, examines the world's landscape through the foundational principles of America's establishment. He evaluates the topic through ten principles. The three principles that intrigued me the most are: Reduce Democracy, Shift the Burden, and Marginalize the Population. The reason I chose these three principles is that I see their reflections in my own country, Turkey.

Reduce Democracy

Democracy is a system that allows the people to have a say in the governance of the state through representation, and it has been targeted by elites even 2000 years ago in the Roman Empire. For them, democracy was a system that prevented the concentration of power and wealth. The elite group referred to as the "Masters of Mankind" in Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" prioritized their own welfare and wealth over that of society.

Although America's founding fathers believed in democracy, they thought that power should be vested in the wealthy because they carried more responsibility. Thus, they established an elite senate. This senate created a constitutional order that increased the concentration of power and wealth and developed a system that has sustained itself to this day.

Aristotle stated that democracy is the best of all systems, echoing James Madison's sentiments. There was a concern that when freedom is distributed equally throughout society, the poor would covet the wealth of the rich. However, Aristotle and Madison proposed opposing solutions to this problem. Aristotle argued for a welfare state to ensure equality, while Madison advocated for reducing democracy. Compulsory taxes taken from the wealthy and distributed to the poor could somewhat reduce the source of inequality. However, the elite senate neither established nor maintained a tax policy based on this principle, leading to unprecedented inequality.

Shift the Burden

In the 1960s, America began to spread prosperity across society with balanced growth. An African American worker could find a good job and send their children to school more comfortably, at least for a while. However, the rich class's significant share in the growth brought about plutonomy. The system foresaw the distribution of their production through exports and the condemnation of workers and low-income groups to instability.

The high taxes imposed on the wealthy and corporations were reduced. Thus, the burden was shifted onto the rest of the population. Despite claims that investment and employment would increase, companies with increased profitability began to earn money from money instead. For instance, General Electric (GE) could make more money with its cash without producing anything. This situation led companies to take the safe route instead of encouraging employment and investment.

Marginalize the Population

A study shows that 70% of the population has no influence on politics, leading to a divide among people. Individuals prioritize their personal interests and do nothing for others. For example, April 15, the day taxes are paid in the USA, should be a holiday, but it is quite the opposite—a day of sorrow. However, the necessary tax system for maintaining state programs and ensuring prosperity has come to mean money stolen from people's pockets. The distancing of people from each other has overshadowed the principles of nationhood in many areas, including tax awareness. A society has been created where people say, "Everything for me," destroying human instincts, sympathy, and solidarity.

Freedom of speech was gained in the USA in the 19th century and is not even included in the constitution. It increased during the struggles for African American rights in the 1960s. Women's rights were discussed much more seriously, and all of these were achieved through societal organization. If people organize and fight, much can be accomplished.

What matters is the countless small deeds of unknown people who lay the basis for the significant events that enter into history. ⏤ Howard Zinn