Requiem for the American Dream: The 10 Principles of Concentration of Wealth & Power

“A significant part of the American Dream is class mobility.”

This quote highlights what Chomsky considers the essence of the American Dream. He argues later in the passage that, to a large extent, certain periods in US history allowed for class mobility. However, this is no longer the case; the US observes even more rigid class lines than many European countries.

“Democracy puts power into the hands of the general population and takes it away from the privileged and the powerful. It’s a principle of concentration of wealth and power.”

In this quote, Chomsky defines democracy as a tool for the broader population to contest those in power. Throughout the book, Chomsky explores ways that the extremely wealthy have increasingly consolidated power at the expense of the general population. This phenomenon has accelerated in the US since the 1970s.

“The Senate had most of the power, but it also was the most remote from the population.”

Chomsky believes that the US Constitution as designed by Madison doesn’t reflect true democracy because it deliberately ignores the concerns of the people in favor of the elites. This quote shows how the Senate, which at the time was appointed, was deliberately kept away from public influence.