There was a time when hard work brought most Americans a decent wage, a secure life, and opportunities to aim for a better life. George Packer says that's no longer the case for too many Americans.
Institutions that once anchored middle-class Americans are either collapsing or morphing into faceless institutions that benefit the wealthy, Packer says. Health and educational outcomes are significantly lower for the poor, who are also incarcerated at higher rates.
Packer sees two Americas today: one that prospers at the other's expense. The path of America's recovery from the 2008 financial collapse has led to high corporate profits and a booming stock market. At the same time, thousands of middle-class workers have dropped out of the labor force and wages remain stagnant.
Some say many Americans are losing hope in America. How did this happen? What can we do?
GUESTS:
- George Packer - Writes for The New Yorker, and author of The Assassins’ Gate: America in Iraq and The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America
- Jim Tankersley - Economic policy correspondent for the The Washington Post
- Annie Lowrey - Covers politics and economic policy for New York Magazine
MUSIC:
- "Youngstown" by Bruce Springsteen
- "AutoTune The News $8" by Gregory Brothers
- "America The Beautiful" by Ray Charles
You can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show. Thanks also to Chris Doyle, Chair, Watkinson School Global Studies Program for arranging to have George Packer join us.
