Mitt Romney made some remarks recently that illustrate a
problem I have with the right wing interpretation of the celebrated American Dream.
Romney stood on Papa John’s founder John Schnatter’s lawn and
explained a distinction he sees between the way Republicans and Democrats view success.
Romney pointed to the mansion behind him and remarked, “Democrats see this and
don’t think anyone should live like this. Republicans think- everyone should
live like this!” This is in the same vein as Marco Rubio’s quote that, “we are
not a nation of haves and have-nots. We are a nation of haves and
soon-to-haves.” These quotes do more than just preview the tactics the GOP will use this fall to defend an economic platform that critics say
favors the rich. Far more interesting is what
these remarks reveal about the way many of today’s conservatives view the pursuit of happiness in our country.
The implication of Romney and Rubio's statements is that wealth is there for the taking in America and critics should join the chase instead of trying to reform the system. It’s true
that the barriers to success are historically low in 21st century America , a credit to our political and economic system. But Romney and company are
out of touch with a key point, and they may suffer politically for
it. And that is that not everyone wants to be a rich
business owner in the first place. Some people “just” want to teach our children, put out our
fires, fight our wars, or rush us to the hospital when we get sick. And most of those people earn less than $50,000 a year. Could they save or borrow the capital to start a business from the ground up? Perhaps. And Romney thinks that’s exactly what
they should do. Because it’s just what he would do- you know, if he
hadn’t already inherited the silver spoon and the prep school upbringing. But
as a society do we really want our teachers and nurses to view their careers as
a stop-gap until their start-up takes off? Do we want them rushing out the door
at 4 o’clock to get to work on their side venture? Or do we want them to focus on their students and patients?
The subtext of the conservative message- that if you haven’t “made
it” it’s because you haven't had the guts, savvy and work ethic to stake your claim- is
not lost on most middle class people. Nor is it appreciated. Just because a person doesn't view life as a big game of monopoly doesn't mean they aren't ambitious or industrious. They may simply choose to direct their energy towards goals other than making money. The guy who lives in the $150k
house isn’t necessarily less smart and hard-working than the guy in the $1.5M
house. He may just be a paramedic instead of a lobbyist.
