"The death of the American Dream" has been explored ad nauseam throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. It definitely pokes its head out more prominently in times of political and economic upheaval (eg the 60s and 70s, the 00s, now) but it is always there in the background humming. I think one of the reasons it is such a persistent narrative, other than the obvious being that the American Dream is nothing more than a myth, is that this country holds nothing sacred. There's definitely unfair preferences and biases but there's no status you can acquire or own that will make you invulnerable. This isn't to say we're egalitarian, far from it, but everyone can feel that the floor could come out from under you at any time. And that anxiety makes a quaint idea like universal opportunity for everyone seem ridiculous. But its also that unsentimentality about the traditional sources of security that I think keeps the dream alive for those seeking it.

Good article. I think we sometimes take for granted what others may see as an amazing opportunity. I wonder if there is such a thing as 'freedom fatigue', meaning that Americans enjoy so much freedom of choice that we become desensitized to the possibilities that freedom presents.