Persuasive

For children in third world countries, they are often told of the beautiful heaven which was America. I exist as one of those children. The land was described to be equivalent to heaven on earth and at some point a place better than the land overflowing with milk and honey. And yet, for the largest time, I believed in this promise land. What made it all so very exceptional was the vivid description given by the adults of a money tree. It was often said that this tree just shed down the money like leaves fall to the earth during autumn. Best part was that this money tree always produced and never ceased and not once did they ever run out. This so called money tree turned out to be a very a rude awakening when I landed in America myself and discovered that there was no such thing as having everything in life for free. From the food you buy in the store to the air that you breathe, free money is definitely not part of the American language. The American dream has often been expressed to be exhilarating for those who can think about but never truly touch it with their hands. In Lewis Lapham’s selection, the author implies that the American faith is placed in money. His assumption proves accurate for here in the United States, money is the living source of this nation, and it is valued more than any scarce resource. For many, this reasoning is false to them as they believe in something better than money and have wrapped their minds around the concept that it is not their deliverer. However, for those who have experienced and believe in the rough life, speaking a language aside from money loses their attention. With attention gone, then an individual can lose most Americans.

Faith has been expressed as what a person believes, and believes is the strongest attainment of any living thing. The ability to believe in something is what causes life to exist, thus, for those who believe in money as everything, taking it away from them also cuts of their life supply. Faith develops when life is placed into a particular belief, and through the author’s text, readers can realize that money has taken bigger hold on individuals than it use to in the past. “Against the faith in money, other men in other times and places have risen up countervailing faith in family, honor, religion, intellect, and social class.” Fact is that not everyone has fallen to the will of money. There are those who value other things than the taint that accompanies with money. Other men and other times survived their day and time without placing all their hopes and dreams with the aid of money. Their ability to do so prove that it is very possible so succeed in life without following what everyone believes is a living source. Evolving time is what seems to make money more significant than it needs to be. And the fact the spread of money causes so many to believe that it’s a living resource proves that minds are very powerful. In reality, money has no life; it is just as dead and lifeless than any other object in life that has no power. Its humans that bring money to life. It’s the thought that they place on it that causes money to feel like it is everything.

There were times where money had no value or significance. One must remember that in the past, things were bought, sold, used and received without the use of any note. The fact that it has gained so much territory is evident that the faith individuals express, must be placed and put into the right things. Otherwise, it becomes highly valued and the American dream (if it exists) will no longer flow with milk and honey, but rather on false practiced believe.