American Dreaming

American Dreaming offers commentary on political and cultural issues from a critical perspective, often challenging mainstream views on topics like social justice, cancel culture, Middle East conflicts, drug policies, and the impact of ideological movements on society. It emphasizes individual liberty, critiques authoritarian tendencies, and examines societal shifts towards or away from traditional values.

Politics Culture Social Justice Freedom of Speech Middle East Conflict Cancel Culture Liberal Values Elections and Voter Behavior Drug Policy Comedy and Social Norms Capitalism and Socialism Literary Censorship LGBTQ+ Issues Electoral Systems Religion and Morality

The hottest Substack posts of American Dreaming

And their main takeaways

Israel and Genocide, Revisited: A Response to Critics

424 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🌍 World Politics Genocide Warfare Geopolitics Ethics Human Rights
  1. Genocide is being redefined to include a wide range of actions such as civilian deaths, dropping bombs, and even destroying cultural sites, creating confusion and making the term lose its significance.
  2. Linguistic hyperinflation is blurring the meaning of words like 'genocide' and 'war crimes', causing a dangerous trend where serious distinctions are being erased for political convenience.
  3. The lack of reliable information and the bias in reporting on conflicts, like the Israel-Palestine situation, highlights the importance of verifying sources and considering agendas in understanding complex geopolitical issues.

No, Winning a War Isn't "Genocide"

318 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Conflict Genocide International relations Middle East
  1. Many young people hold misconceptions about Israel and the Holocaust, with a significant percentage believing in false narratives.
  2. There is a growing disconnect between the perception of 'genocide' and the reality of Israel's actions in the war with Hamas.
  3. Israel's military actions, while criticized as disproportionate by some, are viewed by many as necessary for self-defense and preserving their nation.

LGBT Social Contagion: A Failed Hypothesis

106 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Generation Z Sexuality Culture
  1. LGBT identification rates have significantly increased among Gen Z, sparking skepticism and ridicule.
  2. Bisexuality is a major component of the LGBT community, often overlooked or misunderstood.
  3. The rise in LGBT identification is not solely attributed to social contagion, as historical data and research show higher rates of same-sex attraction and behavior.
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The Coming Anti-Drug Backlash

166 implied HN points • 11 Dec 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Law enforcement
  1. Marijuana decriminalization and legalization in the US have been positive for freedom, but public consumption may trigger a backlash.
  2. Recent focus on public drug use threatens the progress made in drug reform policies, sparking concerns and potential reversal of gains.
  3. Efforts are needed to balance drug legalization with regulations on public drug use to avoid a resurgence of anti-drug sentiments and policies.

Young Voters Are Furious at Biden. That’s Nice.

212 implied HN points • 10 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Election Polls Voting Youth Foreign Policy
  1. Critics argue that young voters are angry at Biden due to his support for Israel, but data shows this may not be impacting his re-election chances.
  2. Despite concerns about young progressive voters turning away from Biden, the data indicates that they are not a significant voting bloc and may not sway elections.
  3. Changing his stance on Israel/Palestine would not benefit Biden politically, as it could alienate reliable voters to cater to a smaller, less reliable group.

Stealth Editing a Culture

136 implied HN points • 09 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Literature Censorship Art Editing Society
  1. Literature is being sensitivity edited to conform to political correctness, even posthumously, which is seen as cultural whitewashing.
  2. Sensitivity editing of literary works without author consent or after their death is considered morally wrong and limits cultural history.
  3. Normalizing sensitivity editing in literature sets a troubling precedent for other mediums like film and music, potentially rewriting past art to suit current sensitivities.

The True Darkness of Cancel Culture

121 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Cancel Culture Political violence Authoritarianism
  1. Cancel culture is more than just public figures losing jobs, it's a mentality that can lead to extreme consequences.
  2. Turning disagreements into attacks on a person rather than their arguments can lead down a dark path.
  3. The cancel culture mentality is part of a broader authoritarian mindset, and can ultimately result in violence and even assassination attempts.

Why Interventionism Isn’t a Dirty Word

3 HN points • 11 Mar 24
🌍 World Politics Interventionism Foreign Policy Military Democracy Geopolitics
  1. Interventionism, once a common practice for the US, has fallen out of favor with the public over the years due to costly wars, military failures, and lack of success in conflicts.
  2. Public opinion in the US has shifted towards anti-interventionism, with many Americans opposing military interventions to stabilize conflicts, promote democracy, or protect business interests abroad.
  3. While some interventions have been catastrophic failures, not all military actions should be dismissed, as there have been instances like World War II and Kosovo where intervention led to positive outcomes.

When More Democracy Is Less: The Paradox Of Primaries

3 HN points • 12 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Democracy Partisanship Reform
  1. Primaries were meant to bring more democracy by letting voters help choose candidates, but the system often leads to unsatisfying choices due to low voter turnout.
  2. The primary system replaced party bosses with a more democratic candidate selection process, but voter participation remains low, favoring extremists and special interests.
  3. Abolishing primaries in favor of ranked-choice voting could lead to better candidate selection and reduce the influence of partisanship, extremism, and special interests in elections.

Smiting the Pooch

1 HN point • 16 Feb 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Religion God Morality Beliefs Ancient Texts
  1. The author discusses the idea that the God of the Bible kills dogs, presenting examples from biblical stories where dogs were harmed or killed.
  2. The post challenges readers to reconcile the portrayal of God in religious texts with concepts of morality and personal beliefs.
  3. It highlights the theme of divine actions in various religions that might conflict with modern ethical standards, prompting reflection on personal values and interpretation of ancient texts.