I do not intend to write about The American Dream because … — well, it is only a dream. But I stumbled over this comment of Sergei on Bill Mitchell’s blog:

Human beings live in a society which sets the rules. These rules can be whatever the society wants. Americans are brain-washed on freedom and liberty values and accept lots of personal pain for low and ever decreasing probability of personal gain. These are the rules that they have setup. Scandinavian countries and continental Europe has different rules. And the famous Mittelstand in Germany shows that the probability of personal gain (American Dream) is much higher in Germany and comes without the associated American pain.

So Americans are Pavlov’s dogs once the words “Freedom” and “Liberty” are muttered. Which made me think that Corey Robin is on the point with »Reclaiming the Politics of Freedom«. Government is an instrument of freedom for ordinary Americans and the enemy of freedom and liberty for main-street are the men of money.