That was the proposition being debated on the most recent Intelligence Squared debate. The debater included James A. Dorn (Cato Institute) and Russell Roberts (Hoover Institution) arguing in favor of the motion and Jared Bernstein (Former Chief Economist to Vice President Joe Biden) and Karen Kornbluh (Former US Ambassador, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).
Inequality
Higher Education, Lower Expectations
In a troubling op-ed, Fareed Zakaria discusses how colleges are no longer acting as a conduit for social mobility. Rather than accepting the best and the brightest, colleges rely on middling upper-middle class students who are able to pay full tuition and athletes who are able to bring revenues to the universities for their performances on the field. As a result, fewer qualified poor and disadvantaged students are populating that halls of higher education.
The Vanishing American Dream
New Republic editor Timothy Noah discusses the origin of the term “American Dream” and how inequality is frustrating social mobility in America. This brief (2:15) video was part of the weekly commentary segment on CBS Sunday Morning.
Portman (R-OH) Becomes First GOP Senator to Support Same-Sex Marriage
Portman (R-OH) Becomes First GOP Senator to Support Same-Sex Marriage
Conservative Republican Rob Portman recently announced his support of same-sex marriage. His announcement came on the heels of his son informing his family that he is gay, “it is not a choice,” and that “he’d been that way ever since he could remember.”
This clip from ABC News runs just over two minutes.
What About The Poor?
If one were to believe American political rhetoric, it would seem that there are no poor people in the United States. Neither Republicans nor Democrats discuss poverty, or “the little guy.” Instead, both political parties talk of the plight of the mythic “middle class.” Of course, the middle class is not as large as our politics would suggest. Especially in the wake of the Great Recession, there is staggering (and disturbing) number of Americans living in poverty–nearly 50 million people, or 1 in 5 children in the US. This episode of the Moral Maze radio programme (yes, it is British) debates the ethics of poverty, entitlements (“benefits” in the British lexicon), and the social safety net.
The show is a bit on the dry side and runs approximately 43 minutes. It is, however, relevant to potential SLACE members as this is the format that will be utilized by the SLACE debate podcast.