America, Wake Up to the European Dream

Make way for the "European Dream," says Jeremy Rifkin in an opinion piece for the Washington Post.

"The old dream, the American Dream that made the individual the master of his fate and emphasized the personal accumulation of wealth, is faltering," he writes. "A national survey taken in 2001 showed that one-third of all Americans no longer believe in the American Dream, either because it has failed them, or because they believe that in an increasingly interdependent world, it no longer works. Even the most self-reliant among us are vulnerable to phenomena beyond our control: a SARS epidemic, a terrorist attack, global warming. In this sort of world, the European Dream, with its emphasis on inclusivity, diversity, sustainable development and interconnectedness, is the world's first attempt at creating a global consciousness. And it deserves our close attention."