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“Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream” Essay
America has always been taken as the land of hope and the land of possibilities. It was believed, that every person had a chance to become prosperous and rich. Everything depended on a persons abilities and luck. The term the American dream appeared as the reflection of this belief. It can be taken as the national ethos of the citizens of the USA. Every person is proud that values like tolerance, equality and liberty are appreciated and that the American dream attracts millions of people all over the world.
They leave everything in order to come to the USA and start a new life, hoping to become rich and prosperous. However, things changed and nowadays the main basis of the American dream is shaken. The movie Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream is devoted to this very issue.
The film starts with the description of the life at the 740 Park Avenue, Manhattan. It is believed, that the richest and the most influential people live there. The movie shows some shops which sell luxurious watches and clothes. At the first gaze, it seems that everything is perfect. However, the movie then shows the next avenue, which is situated near Manhattan, in South Bronx. The situation here is absolutely different. It is the poorest district of New York, where almost 40% of people live in poverty. Having depicted horrible conditions under which people live there, the movie than introduces the main question whether the issue of American dream is still topical or not.
One of the main problems touched by this movie is the idea of inequality. It was supposed that all people in the USA would have the same possibilities. However, the movie shows that it is almost impossible to improve a person’s state if he/she lives in South Bronx as since the beginning of the life people who live there are deprived of the possibilities and remedies which inhabitants of Manhattan have. The movie presents a great gap which exists between rich and poor people.
There has always been a difference between these layers of society, however, nowadays this gap became giant. The basis of the American society is broken and it is not united anymore. The video shows that nowadays more than half of all incomes of the USA is distributed between only 1% of its population. This fact, of course, makes the situation even worse. Rich people do not need all money which they have, while people, who live in poverty, have a great demand in it. Manhattan is always taken as the embodiment of his unfair distribution and seeing it people become more irritated with current state of affairs.
The video also states the fact that super rich people have created this system and now it functions to satisfy their main needs. The fact that great amount of money is also distributed between politicians who rule the country can serve as the best evidence of this statement can serve.
Current state of affairs introduces one more problem. Majority of people are not able to pay the taxes. Being the result of unfair distribution of finances, this problem can result in the collapse of American civilization as taxes are its basis.
The video ends with a threatening images and conclusion. It states that America has become the place where everything could be bought. Moreover, there are no equal economic opportunities any more. That is why, people should think about current state of affairs until it is too late.
