Thank you for covering this subject in more depth. I personally feel that informed perspective on the American Dream is core to putting the current state of affairs a context that will help lead us out of this mess - take stock, remain optimistic, and get to work.

As a complimentary follow up to the Vanity Fair article, I recently read a great analysis / opinion about the state of the American Dream, and economic implications of changes in American psychology & political policy that enabled it to flourish - in addition to fiscal policy, at the core is our view of immigration policy & ability to trust in government institutions.

http://josephcari.com/?p=19