Don Barlett and James Steele on New Book, "The Betrayal of the American Dream."

[Lars77]

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DemocracyNow.org - The famed award-winning investigative reporting team of Donald Barlett and James Steele have just published a new book, "The Betrayal of the American Dream," a followup to their landmark bestseller, "America: What Went Wrong." As Republicans and Democrats continue disputing who should bear the brunt of the tax burden, Barlett and Steele argue that America's middle class has been decimated over the years due to policies governing not only taxes but also bank regulations, trade deficits and pension funds. Their book chronicles how the American middle class has been systematically impoverished and its prospects thwarted in favor of a new ruling elite. Barlett and Steele have worked together for more than 40 years, sharing two Pulitzer prizes and two National Magazine awards. The duo joins us for the hour to discuss the assault on the middle class, the great tax heist, deregulation, the end of retirement, the outsourcing of U.S. jobs, the 2012 election and more.

To watch this interview uninterrupted, visit http://www.democracynow.org/2012/7/30/pulitzer_winning_reporting_duo_don_barlett

To watch the complete weekday independent news hour, read the transcript, download the podcast, search our vast archive, or to find more information about Democracy Now! and Amy Goodman, visit http://www.democracynow.org/

[JHB]

1. "America: What went Wrong" should still be required reading

They connected all the dots of what was happening and how financial tricks shook out in peoples' lives. Subsequent books in the same 'series' (America: Who Stole The Dream and America: Who Really Pays the Taxes) built on it, but it was the sort of thing the "New Economy" folks didn't want to hear.

Excerpts from the 1992 book are available at their website:
http://americawhatwentwrong.org/stories/excerpt-america-what-went-wrong/

[whathehell]

2. Yes, I read "America: Who Stole the Dream" some years ago

and It's probably the book I have quoted MOST from when trying to explain

"what is wrong/what went wrong in America" to anyone who will listen.

[midnight]

3. Larrs thanks.... It's another critical look at how the rich were helped with the greatest transfer

of wealth.... and that the stealing is not over... Now the Paul Ryans and the rest of the inside traders from Washington want us to take their medicine "Austerity" and pay down their greedy debt maneuvers.... One does not have to be a Pulitzer prize
award winner to know that the Americans should tell these lost souls to shove it...