Liberated from Myth of American dream

Alissa Quart, Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez (democracynow.org); Ed., Wisdom Quarterly

Alissa Quart on Liberating Ourselves from the Myth of the American Dream

Author Alissa Quart's Monetized: perfect pitch for the present (inquirer.com)

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Republic of Outsiders Alissa Quart (NYT)

(Democracy Now!) March 29, 2023. Journalist Alissa Quart (author of Squeezed), executive director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, talks about her new book, Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream, which examines myths about individualism and self-reliance that underpin the U.S. economy and the inequality it fosters. Banks get welfare bailouts in the billions, but we don't shame them the way we do a single parent living on scraps. Quart says a focus on "succeeding through hard work" obscures the degree to which many rich and powerful people have benefited from social support, resulting in a cycle of "shame and blame" [and severe racial inequality] for those who fall short.

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An unsparing, incisive, yet ultimately hopeful look at how we can shed the American obsession with self-reliance that has made us less healthy, less secure, and less fulfilled.

The promise that we can “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps” is central to the story of the American Dream. It’s the belief that if we work hard and rely on our own resources, we will eventually succeed.

However, time and again we have seen how this foundational myth, with its emphasis on individual determination, brittle self-sufficiency, and personal accomplishment, does not help us.

Instead, as income inequality rises all around us, we are left with shame and self-blame for our condition.

BOOK

Acclaimed journalist Alissa Quart argues that at the heart of our suffering is a do-it-yourself ethos, the misplaced belief in our own independence, and the conviction that we must rely on ourselves alone.

Looking at a range of delusions and half solutions — from “grit” to the false Horatio Alger story to the rise of GoFundMe — Quart reveals how we have been steered away from robust social programs that would address the root causes of our problems.

Meanwhile, the responsibility for survival has been shifted onto the backs of ordinary people, burdening generations with debt instead of providing the social safety net we so desperately need.

Insightful, sharply argued, and characterized by Quart’s lively writing and deep reporting, and for fans of Evicted and Nickel and Dimed, Bootstrapped is a powerful examination of what ails us at a societal level and a plan for how we can free ourselves from these self-defeating narratives. Bootstrapped

• Squeezed: Why Our Families Can't Afford America (Alissa Quart)
• What if there were a way to stay beautiful? (vegamour.com)