7/18 (Sat.) New American Dream (Host:Sunny sr.)

[sunny]

Reference Articles:
(Session1) American Dream
https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-the- ... ay-3306027

You Will Prepail (inspiring speech from CEO of Google and Alphabet) (Session2) Poverty isn’t a lack of character, it’s a lack of cash. Key Takeaways (In case you don’t have time to digest those articles…)

1. DEFINITION OF AMERICAN DREAM
“The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone. The American Dream is achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance.”

"Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.”
James Truslow Adams in 1931

“Every generation kind of leapfrogs the one before it, earning more, buying more, being more. America has exported this dream all over the world.”

“Homeownership and education are often seen as paths to achieving the American Dream.”

2.DEFINITION OF UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME
Universal basic income is a program where every citizen receives a monthly payment, regardless of whether they're working and earning an income or not. In 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. said a guaranteed income would abolish poverty. That means reducing income inequality as well.

Session1：American Dreams

Q1： “Millennials will be the first generation not to exceed the wealth or job status of their parents. They have lower homeownership rates than previous generations, too.”
Are you wealthier than your parents? Why, or why not?

Q2： “For the first time in American history, the majority of parents do not think that their kids will be “better off” than they were.”
Do you think you are better off than your parents? What’s your definition of “being better off”? What are your parental goals and expectations for your child?

Q3：“Traditionally, homeownership and education are often seen as paths to achieving the American Dream.”
Is homeownership still important in your own version of American dream?

Q4：Now it’s Millennials World. A Research survey reported that Millennials’(Generation Y) top priorities in life as below:
“being a good parent” (52%)
“having a successful marriage” (30%)
“owning a home” (20%)
“high-paying career” (15%).
“becoming famous” (1%).

What’re your priorities? Please share.


Session2: Poverty isn’t a lack of character, it’s a lack of cash?

Q1：Ex British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher called poverty "a personality defect."
Do you believe that the poor should be held responsible for their own mistakes?

Q2： Some countries are experimenting with pilot programs of “universal basic income.” What if everybody in Taiwan is guaranteed a basic income, ensuring that no one fell below the poverty line?
Do you go for this idea?

Q3： Just imagine again how much talent we're wasting, simply because we tell our kids they'll have to "earn a living. Do you like your job? Do you value your work by the amount of happiness you spread and the amount of meaning you give?




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Agenda:
3:45 ~ 4:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
4:00 ~ 4:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
4:10 ~ 4:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
4:50 ~ 5:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
5:10 ~ 5:15pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 10 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
5:15 ~ 5:55pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
6:00 ~ 6:20pm Summarization (20 mins)
6:20 ~ 6:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements ********************************************************************************************************************************************
聚會日期：列於該貼文主題內
聚會時間：請準時 4:00 pm 到 ~ 約 6:30 pm 左右結束
星期六聚會地點：丹堤濟南店
地址、電話：台北市濟南路三段25號 地圖 (02) 2740-2350
捷運站：板南線 忠孝新生站 3 號出口
走法：出忠孝新生站 3 號出口後，沿著巷子(忠孝東路三段10巷)走約 2 分鐘，到了濟南路口，左轉走約 2 分鐘即可看到。
最低消費： 80 元

注意事項：
1. 文章是否需要列印請自行斟酌，但與會者請務必自行列印 Questions for discussion。
2. 與會者請先閱讀過文章，並仔細想過所有的問題，謝謝合作！

給新朋友的話：
1. 請事先準備2~3分鐘的英語自我介紹；會議結束前可能會請你發表1~2分鐘的感想。
2. 請事先閱讀文章以及主持人所提的討論問題，並事先寫下自己所欲發表意見的英文。
3. 全程以英語進行，參加者應具備中等英語會話能力，對任一討論問題，能夠以5到10句英文表達個人見解。
4. 在正式加入之前，可以先來觀摩三次，觀摩者亦須參與討論。正式加入需繳交終身會費 NT$1,000。

[Janice Wang]

The poor are just like the rich, some are self-made and some inherited. The responsibility for the cause of being poor varies from a case-by-case basis. Pointing the finger at the poor over the onus of their poor choices and bad decisions may cause more harm than good for those generational poverty-plagued sufferers and victims dictated by a vicious circle of being neglected. It is pressing to help them shrug off poverty.

“Universal Basic Income” is a laudable approach; however, can it come to grips with the problem of the poor? To lay it on the line, it is bleak to the prospect of gaining ground in terms of the following concerns over its sustainability, equality, and feasibility.
- the four-year prior example of Canada serves as a stark reminder and a harbinger of the doubt about putting a large scale or a long-term plan for further scrutiny.
-unable to entirely rule out unqualified applicants, e.g. self-made poor and benefits abusers, also confront the financially strapped UHI.
-unable to make it on the front burner of the national agenda as the poor bear the brunt of having the least influence on the making of policy.

Another approach to rid poverty is to help the poor build resilience by teaching them skills that lead to a job. It's a concept that parallels to a pearl of proverbial wisdom, teaching a man to fish rather than giving him the fish. To bring "merit pay" into a skill training program to reward their progress as an incentive. Besides, we have to hold the government accountable for upgrading vocational education as it could improve and flourish the lives of all the people in need. It’s a tall order but, it is not out of reach at all.

To wrap up the last question, I saw nothing wrong with “earn a living” - it is a lesson of self-reliance kids need to perfect nowadays. Maybe the reason for nipping a kid’s talent in the bud is because we long for earning a “decent” living in the first place. We pressure them into taking loads of tutorial classes and extracurricular activities to reach the goal. We plant the unhappy seed since their childhood! Furthermore, a job should come with a promise that allows us to constantly rewrite the limits of our careers. Rather, “the cruel reality” displays a harsh truth that we are mostly a slave for the paycheck. Is it an unsolvable problem of our own making? Not really?! There is a will, there is a way! Be the one to give our job the power it needs to go the extra mile and take the helm of our positive emotions and learn to count our blessings to bounce back from negatives.

[Iris Wu]

At one point I was obsessed with Yo-Yo Ma’s music. I watched his documentary, a child prodigy performing cello at the age of 7 in front of President John F. Kennedy. At the time, his family just migrated from Paris to US. Before he and his sister’s performance, the legendary musician, Bernstein, introduced Ma to the audience, he closed his remarks with the statement:
“Now here’s a cultural image for you to ponder as you listen: A 7-year-old Chinese cellist playing old French music for his new American compatriots.”

Ma’s journey implied the elegant side of American Dream. His talent was well explored and cultivated because of the nurturing environment. America did nourish many talented individuals. Maybe that’s closer to my definition of “American Dream”.

For many of others, we hardly have dreams, neither the actual dreams nor the figurative ones. Our life journey is a series of “missions and tasks”, not “dreams”. That said, we do whatever it takes and settle with whatever we’ve got. Comparison is the source of unhappiness. If the “Generation Rent” don’t split hairs about owning a house, their lifestyle (e.g. free from family obligations, travel extensively, etc.) is actually “dream realization” for many of my generation.