>In another thread John Ryan referred several times to the American Dream. >So, what is (was) the American Dream, and has it disappeared?
No, it has not. Maybe our period of glory between WWII and Vietnam has passed. Still, I don't think I could ever live anywhere else, including the Scandinavian countries which are by many measures better off than us. "This is my country, my beloved country," as John Cheever wrote.
Instead of just plucking a quote, here is the whole thing. Cheever was arguably our greatest short story writer and this is in my opinion his best. This one goes straight to the heart of what it is to be an American.