[Author's Note: The following essay that sounds like an impassioned "rant" is actually a result of eighteen months or so of thought, based on observations of the society in which I live -- or should I say "exist"? The piece attempts to argue against an aspect of American life that is promoted by what's called "both sides of the aisle," and as such is not a partisan issue. Even so, I respectfully remind any fellow NitLetters wishing to comment that political discussion is not allowed on this site. Thank you.]
A Dirty Little Secret
by Aunt Shecky
Perhaps you recall from your high school days a force-feeding of this out-of-context tidbit from a cherished British poet: “[A] man’s reach must exceed his grasp or what’s a Heaven for?” Under the assumption that the irrepressible Browning, the sly realist in an optimist’s disguise, would not have intended a blatant platitude be taken literally,* it’s a pretty good bet that the well-meaning teacher thought otherwise. She (or he) may have interpreted the lines to say “Setting your sights on the stars will almost bring you there.” The poet himself, however, seems to imply that while hope is a desirable –- indeed necessary -- thing, the chances of ever fulfilling all of one’s personal hopes are as remote as actually making it to Heaven (whether the observably celestial or the theological one). To put it in contemporary terms, the odds are about the same as arriving near Alpha Centauri in a twin-engine puddle-jumper.
Disheartening, right? Boosters of American “Exceptionalism” like to show off upward mobility like a shiny new yacht, but recently that proud element of American machinery has gone – as old-timers used to say –“on the fritz.” Though little-publicized, the flaw is a serious one; one could argue that it has always been broken, and even if it’s possible to repair it, it might take moving both kinds of heaven and earth to have it fixed. The problem first arose when Americans were coached and coaxed into believing in the impossible, and steadily worsened with the very opposite of its original purpose; instead of fostering personal motivation and cultivating ambition, it has created a nearly-incurable sense of despair.
The fact of the matter is that there are few things more insidiously cruel than abetting unrealistic expectations. It all began as a lie, perhaps to cover up a dirty little secret. Nobody wants to divulge the stark fact that many Americans have been duped into aspiring to success far beyond their ability to achieve it.
Yet time and time again, explicitly and subliminally, we are fed the dubious message that fulfillment (which in this country almost always means “prosperity”) is an American birthright. The reality is, when we try to claim that birthright, we are thwarted by obstacles not of our own making, yet fundamentally devoted to blocking our progress.
The United States of America embedded optimism in its structure from its infancy and had barely emerged from its adolescence when it started writing its uplifting autobiography, chock-a-block with dramatic examples of the American Success story, the time-honored rags-to-riches sagas with their dependably happy endings,the latter-day Horatio Alger testimonials to grit and stick-to-itiveness guaranteeing that a plucky go-getter will become an exemplary millionaire, the “m” replaced in recent years with a “b.” Just as equal rights expanded to include equal opportunity, our collective notion of opportunity also broadened to the point where Americans are led to believe that with “setting a goal,”“hard work,” “perseverance,” “a strong work ethic,” and similar Calvinistic virtues, they are all but assured of success.
The provenance of this no-fault, no-fail national Life Insurance Policy are the widely-visible, glad-handing cheerleaders and motivational snake oil salesman spouting inspirational platitudes hard-wired in the American DNA:
“If you dream it, you can do it.”
“You can be anything you want to be, achieve anything you want to achieve if you’re willing to play by the rules and work hard.”
And lest we forget, the perennial favorite: “You can make your own luck.”
Such a mythology appeals to a misguided sense of poetic justice somehow. It stubbornly clings to our collective consciousness, because deep down inside lurks a sacred promise: This could be you.
Never mind that the inspirational fables are – as cable news pundits like to say “anecdotal,” the tale of a “disadvantaged” kid coming up from nothing to gain the whole world (through hard work, perseverance, etc. etc.)is the rare exception. These are flukes-- “outliers” if you will -- presented as the norm, designed to make Americans “feel” successful, even though by no evidence found on God’s green earth have they ventured anywhere near that exalted place. As John W. Gardner puts it, “For every talent that poverty has stimulated it has blighted a hundred.” A lucky few may very well have made it to Alpha Centauri, or even a more glorious paradise in the far reaches of the universe, but most working class folk find themselves stuck on the launching pad.
The highly-touted egalitarian ideal in this country requires, like ground rules for a professional sport, a so-called “level playing field.” The American establishment takes pride in “Playing Fair” (or saying so, at least.) The mantra which gushes from the mouths of social arbiters in every section of the social/economic/political spectrum is the assurance of Equal Opportunity.
A glaring omission is the explanation of the barriers which thwart the path of equal opportunity, the dirty laundry list of downsizing, outsourcing, the continuous collapse of the public education system, and preferential treatment for the children of those who’ve already “made” it, the impenetrable “old boy network,” the all-too-real cliché of “it’s not what you know, it’s whom you know.” This is not the kind of thriving economic environment which would endow working class people with an easy climb up the economic ladder. No one thinks of giving aspirants a leg up, let alone a map or the proper tools. Other than the encouraging words, we’re on our own.
Like the view of earth dims the farther into space one travels, the possibility of economic success grows faint with aging. The optimism of youth fades with the stark realization that - regardless of hard work, perseverance, the vaunted promises taken to heart – if one is born poor, most likely he will die that way.
A working class poor person has plenty of company, but a short visit to a “better” neighborhood makes him feel like an anomaly. The shrinking but still extant “middle class” just a couple of rungs up the economic ladder has much to show for its “hard work,” and “perseverance,” if not a set of generous parents staking the down payment on a one-family house, as opposed to so-called “affordable” rental housing. Throw in well-crafted and modern furniture rather than mildewed sticks culled from yard sales. Not to mention the cars (which seem to come in pairs) instead of unreliable public transportation, the more than merely presentable clothes, the up-to-the minute technical gadgets, the vacation trips and all the other symbols of relative affluence, the lack of which the “less-fortunate” working class person is acutely aware.
It is no secret that world’s population suffers poverty to such an extreme that starvation is no mere abstraction but an everyday occurrence. The average working class person in the U.S. seems almost rich by comparison. Even so, a poor person in America carries a different kind of burden not shared by his destitute counterparts elsewhere on the globe. This may be what deTocqueville meant with his observation that America is the worst country in which to be poor. In countries where poverty is pervasive, everyone is more or less “in the same boat,” not that it mollifies any of the misery but at least precludes the aspect of shame. One facet of the American mind-set holds that if a person is poor, it is his own fault, that he has failed to make the most of opportunities (which, of course, knock down his doors daily), or perhaps he is just plain “lazy.” Such mythical yet widely-expressed opinions tend to compel poor people to blame themselves.
Yet the member of the working class has always been told that if he “played by the rules,” he will move up in the world. With the almost-inevitable failure, the working class person begins to question -not the system – but himself. “ I must be doing something wrong. I just can’t reach my goals. Maybe I should work a little harder. Give a little more time. Success is just around the corner.” Perhaps he needs a different job – a “better” job. Maybe he should learn some new skills, take a few technical courses as well as taking out another set of loans, thus stepping into a never-ending cycle of Hell in which his current job (if he can find one) never generates enough income to cover both his living expenses and his loan payments. Not only does he fail to strike it rich, he doesn’t even manage to get ahead.
And what happens when an observant member of the working class notices that the emperor is naked and calls attention to the stacked deck, the rigged game? The whistle-blower becomes chastised for fostering “class warfare,” or dismissed as having a bad case of sour grapes, for it’s obvious that this “unAmerican spoilsport” is operating from a “false sense of entitlement.”
A few voices may be quick to add that this country offers “Equal opportunity, but not equal results,” which, while registering complete faith in a optimistic starting point, amounts to a craven cop-out, hedge-betting of the most cynical sort. If there is reluctance over the possibility of the desired outcome –“ success” in some degree – why bother mentioning this golden opportunity in the first place?
What possible reason could there be for promoting the opportunity of success while simultaneously withholding the means to attain it? One answer could be the insidious marketing of profit-making diploma mills propped up by a billion-dollar predatory student loan industry. Another motive might be to insure a steady stream of cheap labor. Over the decades thousands of manufacturing jobs have been shipped to the aforementioned poor countries, but it is impossible to ship retail, food service, and lower-lever health care jobs overseas. The demand for workers for these traditionally low wage jobs has never been higher. And perhaps it’s more than a conspiracy theory to speculate that a dearth of well-paying jobs might have the effect of providing a de facto pool of available recruits for military service. (It should be noted, however, that there have been reports that the various military branches are experiencing difficulty in finding a “few good men,” due to ineffective public education as well as the national epidemic of obesity, aggravated by the typical poverty diet of high calorie fare that fills up the belly but fails to nourish.)
The working class person, trapped indefinitely into a low-paying job (if he has managed to land one in the first place), is liable to becoming resentful, if not bitter. That’s where the pep talks come in, promising a brighter, albeit nebulous future in order to tamp down any incipient stirring of public protest or insurrection. The little shot of false hope keeps the economic engine running smoothly.
Despite the bleak outlook, individuals can escape total despair. There is a way out of this, provided one can find a way to keep soul and body together. The opportunities to be seized are not Royal Road to Riches scams or self-defeating lottery tickets but opportunities to support others in similar circumstances. (As the old saying goes, if you believe nobody has it worse than you, look around.) Doing what one can to dispel the income gap and to convince society to adopt a realistic living wage can go a long way to brightening one’s attitude.
Finally, a positive step would be to redefine “success.” Religious authorities, such as every Pope from Leo XIII to the present-day Francis, have warned against the evils of rampant materialism. The more obvious an idea is, the more likely it is to be ignored, yet we cannot dismiss the fact that the things that one can or cannot acquire are not nearly as important as the things one can offer.
In E. B. White's “Second Tree From the Corner,” included among The Best Short Stories of the Twentieth Century, a doctor asks his troubled patient, “What do you want?” The patient, Trexler, lobs the question right back at him. The doctor says he wants a new wing on his house in Westport, as well as more money and more leisure. It’s only after Trexler leaves the doctor’s office and starts walking along Third Avenue that he realizes what he does indeed want:
This - not reaching the top of the money mountain - is the ineffable truth behind reaching beyond one’s grasp. Hope is not some manufactured notion of success imposed by society but the indefinable yearning within the individual soul, or, as Browning puts it, “[I]ncentives come from the soul’s self/the rest avail not.”Quote:
“Trexler knew what he wanted, and what, in general, all men wanted: and he was glad, in a way that it was both inexpressible and unattainable, and that it wasn’t a wing. He was satisfied to remember that it was deep, formless and enduring and impossible of fulfillment. . .Trexler found himself renewed by the remembrance that what he wanted was great and microscopic, and that although it borrowed from the nature of large deeds and of youthful love and of old songs and early intimations, that it had not been isolated or pinned down, and that a man who attempted to define it in a doctor’s office would fall flat on his face.”
*
As Browning scholar Daniel Karlin puts it, “It is a mistake to assume that Browning is advocating, or practiced himself, a literal-minded realism.”
