The Anti-Hero’s Tale: Will We Learn From History?

Hang-Up,Dial 002: The "Divine Right" of the American Dream

Manny Mohamed

Nov 07, 2024

Who Dreamt this Dream?

We’ve been sold a story—wrapped in red, white, and blue—about the “American Dream.”

A story where hard work guarantees success.

Where opportunity is endless.

And where freedom is our birthright?????

But let’s be real: the American Dream is a brand.

It’s a carefully packaged belief system, much like the divine right of kings during the Age of Enlightenment—a narrative designed to justify power and keep the masses hopeful, distracted, and compliant.

Time for a quick history lesson.

The Divine Right of the American Dream

In the Age of Enlightenment, kings claimed their authority as a divine mandate, an unchallengeable truth.

The government and its corporate counterparts have rebranded that same concept under the guise of the American Dream:

unlimited opportunity..

…unrestricted potential…

and all the freedom you can imagine..

as long as you play by their rules.

But also: just like the French monarchy during the 18th century, this system thrives on inequality. It demands the labor, taxes, and obedience of the many to sustain the indulgence and profits of the few.

And just as France had its tiers état (the three estates), we’re seeing eerily similar dynamics today:

The First Estate: The elite, the ultra-wealthy, and corporate overlords hoarding wealth and resources
The Second Estate: Politicians, lobbyists, and enablers of the First Estate, consolidating power and protecting their own.
The Third Estate: That’s us. The workers, the consumers, the taxpayers—the ones carrying the weight of the entire system on our backs.

The Starvation Before the Revolution

Before the French Revolution, the Third Estate was starving.

Bread prices soared, taxes were crushing, and the First and Second Estates sat fat and happy, untouched by the struggles of the masses.

The rich profited while the poor suffered—sound familiar?

Now let’s jump to America.

Rising costs of living…check

Inaccessible healthcare? You bet.

Skyrocketing student debt. (*turns a blind eye*)

And stagnant wages? (right….?)

Meanwhile, billionaires grow their wealth at unprecedented rates, and we’re told to just work harder or pick up a “side hustle”

And just like Marie Antoinette and her let them eat cake energy….(*source: met gala 2024 smh.)….

..We’ve got leaders embroiled in corruption and extortion while telling us to tighten our belts.

One of then even managed to claw his way back into relevance after being impeached.

Twice.

(Let them eat…what?)

But history shows us this doesn’t last forever.

When the Cracks Appear

During the Age of Enlightenment, thinkers like Abbé Sieyès began asking bold questions about the purpose of government and the role of the people.

In his famous pamphlet, What is the Third Estate? he wrote:

"What is the Third Estate? Everything.
What has it been in the political order? Nothing.
What does it want to be? Something."

The French Revolution didn’t come out of nowhere—it was born of awareness, of enlightenment.

The people began to see the cracks in the system and demanded something better

America likes to think of itself as the shining city on a hill, the inspiration for revolutions around the world (funny how the French literally helped us win ours back in the day…)

But that “shining city” brand has worn thin.

We’re no longer the beacon of hope—we’re the example of a system past its breaking point.

The Fall of Great Nations

History shows that every great nation has a lifecycle, and most fall after about 250 years.

Guess how old the United States is? Right at that point.

(who’s going to tell them they have only 30 minutes???)

The last great nation to fall around this mark was—you guessed it—France.

The French Revolution reshaped the world, birthing modern concepts of democracy, equality, and human rights.

But it also came with bloodshed, chaos, and upheaval.

History repeats itself.

The question is: will we learn from it?

Our Choice

We’re at a crossroads.

This isn’t just about a single election—it’s about the system we choose to uphold or dismantle.

It’s about recognizing that the power we have is not in fighting for their dream but in creating our own reality.

We’ve seen the cracks. Now it’s time to plant our seeds.

Speak up.

Organize.

Build communities that embody the world you want to create.

And most importantly, take the time to truly know yourself. Dive deep into your values and develop your inner compass so you can move through these times with truth and trust.

Spend time genuinely listening to others—seeking understanding, not just responding.

Use your platform—whatever it may be—to share your vision for the future.

The cracks are where revolutions begin.