I remember telling a group of students from China who just arrived in America at the university where I was doing my masters that "the American Dream is a scam". Being Chinese American and able to speak their language fluently, some of these students seemed to take in my words. This was in 2007 and by 2008-2009 when most of us were graduating without a job, the message seemed clear. Needless to say, the vast majority of them ended up returning to China.

My dad, on the other hand, immigrated to the US in the early 80s. He unfortunately couldn't be around for my birth and was already in the US to begin his PhD studies with only about $500 in his pocket when he arrived at customs. My mom and I joined him a few years later. Fast forward to today and he's accumulated a nest egg in the low millions upon retirement. Of course, a retirement nest egg of a couple million isn't "wealthy" by any means these days but it took tremendous sacrifice on his part plus living in poverty until I was in high school in order for him to save up that nest egg and to send me to college. Nowadays, it seems like the only people who end up achieving the American dream are extremely driven immigrants who came from almost nothing as well as other fellow Americans who have this insane level of drive.

Speaking of China, I'm extremely sick and disturbed by people who accuse critics of the current system of American capitalism of wanting a system closer to China's. My family worked so hard to escape the corruption in the Chinese economy and while the current system in America is far from perfect, I'd take it any day over China's. That doesn't mean it can't be improved and a lot of the flaws that you mentioned are legit despite our politicians chronically turning a blind eye to them.