I grew up hearing that the United States was an example to be followed in (almost) everything whether it was sports, education, the financial system, or lifestyle. While the American dream was being sold, there was one important theme that was never talked about: American social poverty.
I’m sure that the vast majority of Brazilians who live or have lived in the United States miss the bond that we Brazilians are able to create. Bonding comes from a place where there is a genuine interest in meeting and bringing other people together. In Brazil, among the ways we bond are by getting to know our neighbors; by inviting people we just met to a party; or by offering dessert or a coffee to the internet guy who walks into your place to get the cables fixed. We greet others with hugs, kisses and a handshake.
In the United States, the development model turns this dream into a nightmare. In the most monetized country in the world, everything becomes a transaction, even exchanges between people. All human relationships have been transformed into a service, leaving no space or time for human connection and disinterested inclusion.
Meals are quick and lack affection. Fruits and vegetables shine on the outside but are hollow on the inside. The architecture is cold and impersonal while the obsession with low costs leaves no room for charm and personality. The houses are gigantic but the space for intimacy is minimal. Songs become great big hits, but their melodies are superficial.
This is the “American Dream”. The United States is financially abundant, but socially poor. No wonder suicide and depression rates continue to rise, as does the addiction to pills and drugs.
Ok. I understand that material conditions in Brazil are very precarious. If, on the one hand, Brazilians are dying due to material poverty, on the other, Americans are depressed and find themselves immersed in a state of social misery. How to strike a balance between these two universes? Is the American Dream the civilizational equivalent of nirvana? What are the relevant factors that are being left out of this equation?
My impression is that we are sick and we don’t even want to go see the doctor. On the contrary: we want to stick to our intoxicating diet. We are destroying natural resources and are out of sync with ecological cycles, but the interests of shareholders continue to be maximized. We are reducing time spent with family and friends, but our businesses are growing. The bottom line is that we live under an economic system that prioritizes the maximization of capital at the expense of natural and social resources. The obsession with GDP quantifies economic activity while leaving aside the very factors that make life worth living.
Originally Published at https://spdiario.com.br/fernando-maskobi-o-sonho-americano-mito-ou-verdade/