The-American-Dream-VS-the-Chinese-Dream

Kong1JunyanKongJaalaA.ThibaultLinguistic3C;Section#4February11,2014Paper#2;“Economy/Class”-Draft#2TheAmericanDreamVStheChineseDreamFortyyearsago,whenDr.MartinLutherKingwasshot,hiswords“Ihaveadream,”spreadacrosstheworld.Andnowadays,asgenerallyunderstood,theAmericandreammeanstheindividualopportunitythatexistsinAmerica.ThedreamisanationalethosoftheUnitedStates,asetofidealsinwhichfreedomincludestheopportunityforprosperityandsuccess,andanupwardsocialmobilityforpeople,achievedthroughhardworkinasocietywithfewbarriers.Atthesametime,inanothercountry,presidentXiJinpingindicatedthatthegreatestChinesedreamisthegreatrejuvenationoftheChinesenation,duringaspeechattheNationalMuseum’sexhibit.ManyscholarsandjournalistshaveinterpretedMr.Xi’swordstomeanthattheChinesedreamisacollectivevision,whichcontrastswiththeAmericandreamwhichisanindividualone.However,inmypointofview,bothdreamshavesimilaranddifferentelementsbasedoneachnation’suniquecircumstances.Differentcultureshavecultivateddifferentvalues,beliefs,anddifferentpoliticalcultures,whichcannotbejudgedwithasinglemeta-narrative(Li).Infact,theirdifferencesmakeitmorepossiblefortheAmericandreamandtheChinesedreamtocoexist.Kong2Adreamoftenstartsfromthepursuitofbeautifulthingsandthedesireforfreedomfromsuffering.Becauseofdifferencesinpoliticalsystems,historyandnationalstrength,twodreamsarealsodifferent.Chinaistheoneofthegreatestdevelopingcountriesintheworld.170yearsago,JapanlaunchedmassiveaggressionagainstChina.Duetothisaggression,Chinesepeoplesoondevelopedastrongawarenessofsavingthenationandensuringitssurvival.Whatismore,Chinabecameacountrywithhighself-esteem.Andnowadays,theChinesepeoplearepursuinganationalrevival.AsWasserstromsaid,“AndheencouragesthestatemediatopromulgatetheideathattheChinesedream—agrandprocessofnationalresurgencethatwillreturnChinatothepositionofglobalcentralityitenjoyedbeforeacenturyofhumiliationatthehandsofWest,andJapan,between1842and1949—isabouttoberealized”(Wasserstrom).Asaresult,theChinesedreamisfirstofallacollectiveconceptthatarichcountryandstrongarmyareparamount.Onthecontrary,theAmericandreamemergedintheColonialPeriod.ManypeopleimmigratedtoAmericaforabetterlife.Ithasuniquenaturalresources,geographicalenvironment,andprogressiveideasofequalityandliberty.Sothemaindreamforthenationismakingsurepeoplelivinginthecountryarerichandhappyenough.Fordecades,theAmericandreamhasinspiredindividualcreativityandpositivityandhasinfluencedthewholeworldalot.Whatismore,theUnitedStatesisalsotherichestandstrongestcountryintheworld.AlsotherearesimilaritiesbetweentheChinesedreamandtheAmericandream.Thesimilaritieslieinthecommonaspirationsforabetterlife.Whilebothdreamshopeforsuccess,theAmericandreamstressesthespiritoffreedom,socialmobilityandindividualwealthbuttheChinesedreampinpointsnation’sprosperity,unityandstability.Kong3In21stcentury,everycountryisinacriticalhistoricalperiodofthecoexistofopportunitiesandchallenges.Becauseofthegrowthofcapitalismandglobalization,allthecountriesconnecttoeachothermuchbetterandhavemanyopportunitiesforeconomicbenefits.Also,thedifferencesbetweencultureandstandardoflivingmakeeverycountryfacetothechallengesoflivingqualitiesandcountrystrength.Itistruethatcapitalistideologystillholdsapowerfulinfluenceovermanypeople,liketheAmericandreamthatifyouworkhard,youcanraiseyourstandardofliving.Marche(269)says,“Workhardandstaylateandyougettobeabankerordoctor;dropoutofhighschoolorstartusingdrugsandyou’llendupatMcDonald’s.”Butthisideaisbeginningtocrackunderthepressureofcapitalismandtheclasssystem.Ashesays,“ItisobviousthataclasssystemhasarrivedinAmerica–arecentstudyofthethirty-fourcountriesintheOrganizationforEconomicCooperationandDevelopmentfoundthatonlyItalyandGreatBritainhavelesssocialmobility”(Marche267).TheAmericandreamhasnowturnedintoanightmare.WhileCEOsalariesandcorporateprofitssoar,workersareworkingharderandfasterforlesspayandbenefits.Nowadays,theforcesofinequalityaresimplytoopowerfulandithasbecomethebiggestchallengefacedbytheUnitedStates.Asadevelopingcountry,Chinaisfacingmuchmorechallenges.Mr.XiinsistsconfidentiallythattheChinesedreamwillsatisfynotjusthisaspirationbutthoseof“eachChineseperson”.AsWasserstromsaid,“However,itcannothidethefactthatChina’sleaderscontinuetobeplaguedbynightmaresnotunlikethosethathauntedthemin1989.UnderMr.Xithepartyhascarriedoutafiercecrackdownaimedatlimitingdissent,oftendescribedthehardestsince1989.”Ithasalsotightenedcontroloverthepressandsocialmedia.WhatisKong4more,Mr.XisaysthattheChinesedreamistokeeptheeconomygrowing.Inthelastthreedecades,chinahaslifted600millionpeopleoutofpoverty.Tocompletethis,Chinahasdevelopedalotofindustries.Asaresult,thepollutionstronglyinfluencedpeople’slifenowadays.Theairpollution,waterpollutionandsomeotherpollutionareallharmfultopeople’shealth.AsWasserstromsaid:Perhapsthemosturgentfearisthis:asenseamongeventhoseChinesewhoselivingstandardshavesoaredthatfranticdevelopmenthascomeattoohighaprice.Neverinhistoryhavethepromiseandperilofhead-spinningmodernizationbeensoapparentwithinthespaceofasinglelifetime.Acountrywher