The American Dream includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers. Rick Danko once said, “As time goes on we get closer to that American Dream of there being a pie cut up and shared. Usually greed and selfishness prevent that and there is always one bad apple in every barrel.” Danko’s perception of human nature is the reality that United States citizens live in today. The American Dream was once based off the necessity for an object or quality of someone's lifestyle, whereas now because, it is based off the desire for an object or quality of someone’s lifestyle.
The century following world war II is …show more content…
culture, one with enduring significance. During the years preceding the credit market collapse in 2008, the subprime mortgage industry thrived. Individuals with bad credit were given access to loans that weren’t supposed to be able to go to them. But as long as home prices were on the rise, these poor lending practices were simply ignored. Lenders could afford to write poorly used loans as long as the homeowner's equity outpaced their desire for new debt. If borrowers were to fail to payback their loans, lenders could always foreclose on the home, since it was an asset with ever-increasing value. The credit market's problems began when housing prices started to fall in 2007. Homeowners frequently found themselves with underwater loans, owed lenders more than the home was worth and when faced with these facts, homeowners began to fear the threat of foreclosure. Even more disturbing was the fact that some families abandoned their homes; choosing to start their lives anew elsewhere rather than worry about paying off their debts. Many Americans had wages lowered, resulting in strike, others were laid off or fired. This caused a major debt in the economy and stunted the growth of