Author of:
Who Stole the American Dream?
Sunday, June 19th @ 7 pm EST
(641) 715-3605 Code 767775#
IndependentVoting.org President, Jackie Salit with Hedrick Smith, Feb 2016
I am looking forward to our conversation with Hedrick Smith this evening and the opportunity to discuss Who Stole The American Dream? We have been having a rich conversation about the book both on and off the blog. Below are just three excerpts from postings members have made about the book.
In speaking with Hedrick on Friday, he suggested that people might find it valuable to visit Reclaimtheamericandream.org and particularly recommended the success stories section.
Dial in this evening and spend an hour with Pulitzer prize winning author, Hedrick Smith as we explore what happened to the American dream, how the power of the American people to do something about our economy has been diminished and Smith’s view on what needs to happen to move forward. We share much — especially in the need for broad based mass movement of Americans to revitalize our democracy.
Talk with everyone tonight!
…I don’t like to talk about electoral reform as a means to the end of “electing moderates.” Any electoral system that’s implemented to get a particular ideological outcome is no electoral system at all. I support open primaries and nonpartisan primaries and other electoral reform because it gives candidates greater access to the ballot, gives people an equal voice in our process, and provides for greater choice and competition in our election system, and thus holds elected officials more accountable.”
It has been argued that Americans do best when confronted by a powerful and imminent threat. It’s here. It’s us, just as Pogo once observed. Nobody said that keeping a republic alive and well would be easy and they were surely right. Hedrick Smith offers ample evidence. He also presents a coherent strategy for rebuilding confidence in ourselves. This Mr. Smith brought Washington to us. Bravo!”
The timing of our discussion could not be better… Americans are just now coming to the realization we are dealing with systemic challenges. It is encouraging that voters are looking beyond the political party establishment for solutions. I would like to think that behind the campaign circus is an awakening – that voters know more than they have been given credit for and they’re exercising the only obvious options. In that case, there is hope for voters who have basically slept through the burglary of their dream.”
I regret missing this discussion. As for the “stealing of the American Dream.” This dream was taken from the average Citizen by the corporate lobbyists, who are apart of these Congressional Committees that draft policies that later becomes the laws that our controlled Congressional Representatives in Congress sign into law on the City, State, and Federal level. The Mainstream Media (corporate controlled) keeps the Public ignorant of these economic policies that have shipped much resources, and jobs overseas, import cheaper labor. Destroyed the middle-class, which is not much left of it. Brought about the nearly complete eradication of the American Manufacturing base with these trade treaties, “passed off as trade agreements.” Economic policies that have increased the wealth gap between the rich and the poor, and shifted the bulk of the tax base on the “working class”, and the “poor.” The purchasing power of the “dollar” continues to decrease every year, as the cost of living increases, while incomes have remained stagnant.