Is the American Dream still alive?

Is the American Dream still alive? I started out this quest by sitting down with a friend of mine, when asked about her dream she simply stated, "I don't have an American Dream."
How can someone not have a dream? After speaking with her, I realized she had "wishes and wants", but she just doesn't believe in the "dream" like she used to.

I don't want to seem extra negative this week, but these are real thoughts coming from a real person. I read an article out of The Christian Science Monitor at www.printthis.clickability.com, and found a quote from Jeremy Rifkin, author of "The End of Work", "what million of Americans are really embracing is not the American dream so much as the American daydream. We have become, say the critics, a people who have grown fat, lazy, and sedentary, who spend much of our time wishing for success but are willing to 'pay our dues' with the kind of personal commitment required to make something out of our live." I hate to admit this, but I agree with his statement. I'm usually not a negative person, but it's hard not to be in times such as this.

It's hard to focus on the American Dream the way the economy is now. I found another article out of U.S. News at www.usnews.com that six in 10 find it hard to pay for gasoline; and five in 10 say they can't afford health care. More than a quarter say they have trouble even affording food. More people are going back to work, taking out more loans and building credit card debt to make ends meet. Where is the American Dream?

The American Dream has changed over the years. When my great grandparents came to American from Germany they knew that by just being in America life would be better. My parents knew that with hard work and dedication their American Dream of having good jobs, family and a home would be accomplished. Now, it seems it's hard to accomplished that. It's much harder to get loans for homes or vehicles. People are putting everything on credit cards because they don't have the money to pay for food, gas or bills.

I'm worried that down the road, there won't be an American Dream to obtain.
Don't get me wrong, I am one lucky person to live where I live and I wouldn't change it for the world, but I am worried about the next generation. What will they be able to hope for?