Catching the American dream.

This note is about American exceptionalism.  This is the idea that the united states of America is the awesomest place on the planet earth. In. The US anyone can be vertically mobile. Anyone can become anything they want to if they try hard enough.  While this idea is true, in general, this can happen anywhere in the world.
It may seem that I am highlighting the obvious, but if we consider how the statement of American exceptionalism, which for convience we will hereafter abbreviate as AE, is shouted around we would think that it was easy.

Truth be told, it is easier to become happy than achieve the American dream.

Bold statement right? Not really.  I started from zero. And, from this point I can see why people do all kinds of strange things to just taste a little of the pervibial American pie.  From an outsiders perspective, poor people in America own cars,have have cool gadgets like big televisions, smart phones and such.  Food is cheap. And one can find any job to make a living.

Of course the missleading notions  of the above statements is that just because one can pay ones bills they are self actualized.  That expensive objects make most people happy. 
These ponderings have lead me to conclude that AE is BS.