Comments on: Karma and the American Dream http://mattblair.ca/2010/01/18/karma-and-the-american-dream/ Toronto creative classer and family man Mon, 19 Aug 2013 13:49:16 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.6 By: Matt http://mattblair.ca/2010/01/18/karma-and-the-american-dream/#comment-514 Matt Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:43:08 +0000 http://www.mattblair.ca/?p=1070#comment-514 Absolutely. There’s a rich history of faith and philosophy there, from the Calvinists on down. I’m just saying it’s a nice idea that doesn’t really work in real life.

]]> By: jason http://mattblair.ca/2010/01/18/karma-and-the-american-dream/#comment-485 jason Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:21:14 +0000 http://www.mattblair.ca/?p=1070#comment-485 The American Dream (and overall ethos down there) was largely shaped by the Puritan/Protestant idea of salvation through hard work and personal success — if you haven’t achieved anything, that means you haven’t worked hard, and if you haven’t worked hard, you’re going to hell, and since God is just, if you’re going to hell, you deserve it.

About 150 years after the Puritans washed ashore on Plymouth Rock, this had morphed into “Don’t Tread On Me,” the battle cry of the Revolutionary War. Fast-forward to now, add a dash of unfettered capitalism, throw in a few decades’ worth of Cold War Commie paranoia, and… well, it’s not so surprising they are where they are today.

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