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Faded Dreams

Faded Dreams: The Politics and Economics of Race in America

Martin Carnoy wanted to achieve one of the most difficult, emotional, and political topics in America’s history.   Faded Dreams: The Politics and Economics of Race in America addresses the subject of economic inequalities among minorities.   For the past century, material goods have posed as the symbol of success and worth in our nation’s society.   Carnoy argues that efforts to improve technology have changed over the past century, but the social problems in our nation continue.   Carnoy agrees improvements have been made in the lives of minorities in America, but they have fallen short or have been dismantled.   He focuses on three reasons:   “individuals responsibility,” “persuasive racism,” and “economic restructuring.”
“Individual responsibility” refers to the issue that each person is the creator of his or her economic and social future.   “Individual responsibility” assumes that markets are open to all.   These markets reward those according to their worth and minorities are worth less then whites because they do not want a good education, good jobs, and improvements in their lives.   According to Carnoy, “individual-responsibility” explanations place the blame of minorities’ continued poverty on poor choices made by two social players:   minorities themselves and white politician trying to solve the problem of poverty.   Minorities have chosen to play the “victims” when the conditions that made them the victims have disappeared.   The white politicians have continued to supply solutions to the poverty of minorities that have been “victims,” therefore keeping minorities “locked” into the dependents status.   Carnoy states that minorities have taken advantage of all they possibly can, but programs and legislation have continually abandoned their initial cause of helping minorities.   Minorities simply need to work harder and the government needs to follow through with its plans to help minorities....