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To the Point

The 'American Dream:' Does it have a future?

To the Point

KCRW

News

4.4583 Ratings

🗓️ 23 December 2016

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For the first time, it's possible to measure "the American Dream." The results are sobering — especially for the middle class.  We hear about the failures of government — and some individuals — and the role of income inequality. 

Transcript

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0:00.0

From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

0:07.9

The American Dream. Does it have a future?

0:14.2

Hello again, I'm Armin Almi, and this is To the Point.

0:17.2

The American Dream has been defined as an increased standard of living from generation to generation.

0:22.4

It's when children make better pay, own more property, and enjoy life's comforts more than their parents.

0:28.0

Now the American Dream can actually be measured.

0:31.2

The numbers are not encouraging.

0:33.4

The odds for children exceeding their parents' standard of living have dropped like a stone for the poor and the middle class.

0:40.0

And the concentration of wealth in the economic stratosphere has increased by orders of magnitude.

0:46.0

We'll hear what that means for the American dream.

0:48.8

On our talking point later, brutal homicides encouraged by the president of the Philippines, documented by a prize-winning

0:54.9

war photographer. First, here's the news.

1:01.0

Check out KCRW's All-News Channel, News 24, programming from KCRW, NPR, NPR, the BBC,

1:07.9

and more 24 hours a day. Go to KCRW.com slash News24 or you can listen on KCRW's app.

1:21.6

Support for To the Point comes from the members of KCRW and from the Public Radio International Program Fund.

1:28.8

This is to the point on Barbara Bogaven for Warren Allney. For the first time, it's possible to measure

1:34.1

the American dream and the results are sobering, especially for the middle class. We'll hear

1:39.2

about the failures of government and some individuals and the role of income inequality. Warren has that conversation

1:45.4

coming up. And later on our talking point, Warren speaks with a prize-winning photographer

1:50.0

who's covered wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the deadly toll of Ebola in Africa. He describes

1:56.3

President Duterte's drug war in the Philippines as setting a new level of ruthlessness.

2:01.7

And those conversations both coming up with Warren Olney. But first, this news update.

...

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