1. FOUNDATION VS. REALITY
America was built on the idea that all people are created equal—that anyone, from anywhere, could find a path to freedom and success. The story says: if you work hard, you will be rewarded. But that’s the mythology. The truth is far more complicated.
The United States has long prided itself on being a nation of immigrants. And yes, immigrant contributions have shaped every part of this country—from our food and music to our innovation and economy. But that exchange has never been equal. Immigrants offered labor, creativity, and culture. In return, they got surveillance, discrimination, and locked doors.
THAT’S THE AMERICAN PATTERN: TAKE THE CULTURE, DISCARD THE America calls itself the land of opportunity. Yet time and again, it has hoarded that opportunity while extracting…