The promise of the “American Dream” is that every person will have the chance to work hard so that they can attain the life they want. And while that “dream” may be different for different people, it typically involves a couple of key components. We generally want basic security, such as being able to live peacefully and safely, afford a place to live, pay our bills and get care if we are sick. And we hope to be able to have some sense of fulfillment – perhaps getting married and starting a family, being able to pursue our interests, and even enjoy a few golden years in retirement.
The problem is that the American Dream has not been as easily attainable for everyone. One poll found that only 28% of Americans believe that the American Dream is attainable for them. Part of the reason for this low figure is that there are significant disparities that exist whereby some people are more likely to attain the American Dream, whereas other people are left behind. There is inequality in the country across a number of factors, including race, gender, sexual orientation and religion in terms of access to work, education, housing, healthcare, and justice. And as a result, the “American Dream” feels elusive and even unattainable for many people.
Perhaps one of the most glaring disparities that can interfere with people achieving the life they want is economic. As an example, research has demonstrated that people with higher incomes tend to live longer and demonstrate improved mental health. There is significant debate as to how we as a society should understand and handle these disparities. Some people point to a broken and unfair system that needs to be changed. Others suggest that people need to accept the system and try to do whatever they can to make the system work for them.
But according to Tim McIlrath of the band Rise Against, the best way to fight disparities in this country is to fight the war on both fronts. McIlrath encourages a dual approach by which people feel empowered not only to fight the current system but also to feel agency within the existing system to work for what they want in their lives. Rise Against addresses these issues in their new album Nowhere Generation, and particularly takes on the effects of systemic disparity on the youth of America. And in our conversation for The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, McIlrath, vocalist and songwriter of Rise Against, discusses how he hopes young people will both find their agency and fight the system to challenge systemic disparities.
“What am I seeing on a systemic level that’s interrupting people from getting what they want in life? So, I think that comes down to the institutions that we’re sort of corralled into every day. And that can be political institutions, economic institutions, social institutions,” McIlrath told me. “I think that probably some of the more glaring examples that we would be seeing in today’s world — people will be watching the unprecedented rise of concentrated wealth … And that’s something that I think young people are being forced to look at, deal with. And then ask themselves, how is this affecting me and my life? And if there are systems put in place to actually actively concentrate wealth … if someone’s being advantaged then someone else is being disadvantaged.”
Historically, the American Dream generally involved a thriving and sustainable middle class. But McIlrath notes that the opportunities for middle class Americans appear to be dwindling. “You also see the hollowing out of the middle class. I feel like there was once a time in this country where you could work a nine to five job and expect that that would provide you with a home, you could take care of a family, benefits. You could expect to retire and live the American dream on a modest income,” McIlrath said. “You’re not gonna be living in a castle or sitting on a yacht, but you’ll be able to live a decent life. And then, as we get into a place where it seems like that becomes less and less possible, you start to ask yourself why. Why is this generation different in previous generations?”
The systemic economic disparities that many people face is just one of the many destabilizing and potentially traumatizing experiences young people face today. Young people today have experienced the terrorist attacks of 9/11, frequent mass shootings, the collapse of the economy, and natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. McIlrath sees these combined experiences as all possible ways that people could feel demoralized and helpless to make change in their lives or the world around them. “If you were born after the year 2000, all you’ve seen is a lot of trauma. All you’ve seen is a lot of instability about what tomorrow looks like,” McIlrath explained. “And so, whether that comes as a concentrated wealth, the rise of the 1%, or maybe you want to talk about global warming and climate change … college debt … These are all things that seem to be happening to this generation in a way it’s never happened before. Like there’s new and improved ways to keep people down.”
McIlrath sees the effects of disparities as two-fold. First, we are subjected to social systems that exist that place certain limitations on us. And second, the structures, among other factors, can affect our sense of agency – our ability to engage in thoughts or behaviors that allow us to be effective at making change in our lives. “We are a combination of our agency and the structures around us — the structures that make up who we are. So like, our structure is like, maybe your gender or your race, the neighborhood you grew up in, your family, your income level, like all those things are part of like, the structure,” he described. “And your agency is like your own freewill. Like the things you do yourself… and what you decide to do with all that. Because you could decide to do nothing with all that, you know, you could just go back to sleep. But you do something with that and so that’s your agency.”
When we as a society address this problem, we tend to focus on one approach or the other – systems or agency. But according to McIlrath, we need to address both in order to truly effect widespread change. “And that’s what – the push and pull I think is happening nowadays, is we’re talking a lot about agency, and we’re talking about structure,” McIlrath described. “But we can’t talk about structure without talking about agency. And we can’t talk about agency without talking about structure. You know, I think that a lot of people today will talk about one or the other. So, if you are successful, it is because you are part of an unlevel playing field and you did nothing to get there. Which isn’t entirely true, you know what I mean? Like, we are a part of an unlevel playing field, but you did something to get there. Or on the flip side of that coin — I can’t get anywhere because the structure is weighted against me, whether it’s race, gender, whatever. And the idea that the structure is weighted against you is entirely true. It is. But you still have some agency and some choice.”
McIlrath is hoping that as a society, we start having the conversations needed to address both systemic change and personal empowerment and agency. “It’s talking about what happens next, what does tomorrow look like? What are the conversations that we need to have? And how do we bridge this gap between personal responsibility and the institutions that we’re … corralled into every day,” McIlrath said. “I think it’s all about just having those tough conversations, admitting to each other where we’re at…It’s about creating as many outcomes for success as possible. Because I think that we want to live in a world that’s a level playing field. And we don’t, in my opinion. We don’t live in a world with a level playing field …
“Nobody wants to live in that world.”
Photo credit: Jason Siegel
