Is the American Dream in Decline? (Open to Debate podcast)

The American Dream – the idea that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can achieve success in the U.S. through hard work and determination – is under scrutiny. Compared to post-World War II where most people could create a comfortable lifestyle, the viability of homeownership and stable employment doesn’t seem attainable to younger Americans and immigrants, according to some economists and policymakers. 

 Those who see a challenge say there’s a growing wealth gap between the richest and poorest people and that increasing healthcare, education, and housing costs create hardships for many. They also argue that the shift towards a more gig-based economy and the impact of automation and globalization on traditional jobs create uncertainty. Those who remain optimistic about a meritocratic path to success, say that compared to other countries, the U.S. still offers more opportunities for personal and financial growth and that new industries and technologies continually emerge, creating new pathways for advancement. Younger Americans also see different ways of achieving the American Dream than their parents, opening possibilities of a less rigid definition of the term in the future.

Interview: 

https://opentodebate.substack.com/p/is-the-american-dream-in-decline

The Good News You Might Have Missed | Angus Hervey | TED

Whether or not you believe the world is doomed might depend on where you get your news, says journalist Angus Hervey. He delivers stories of progress that mainstream media organizations missed last year — from advances in clean energy to declining rates of extreme poverty, crime and disease — and suggests we should pay more attention to such occurrences. "If we want more people to devote themselves to the task of making progress, then maybe we should be telling more people that it's possible to make progress," says Hervey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWZh9l8xUtY

It’s hard to believe, but things are getting better. They will continue to if we keep up the fight

Here's the thing to keep in mind. Setbacks notwithstanding, we are better today than we were 50 years ago, 20 years ago, even a year ago…https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/commentisfree/2023/jan/01/things-are-getting-better-keep-fighting-2023

‘The strain is the worst of my lifetime’: how Bill Gates is staying optimistic | Bill Gates | The Guardian

"I wrote a memo when I put the extra $20bn into the foundation, saying 'I'm not doing this because the near term looks super-rosy', and that's true, I'm doing it because these are important issues and in the long run I still am an optimist, that the war will end, the innovation pipeline and the kind of progress we saw until the pandemic in reducing malnutrition, reducing child death and getting digital bank accounts for women, will return. We were making progress and we can again.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/13/the-strain-is-the-worst-of-my-lifetime-how-bill-gates-is-staying-optimistic

The World Really Is Getting Better - The Atlantic

Since 1990, poverty and hunger have declined dramatically while life spans have increased on every continent. According to the report, the share of global smokers has declined by about 20 percent; children are roughly 30 percent less likely to be malnourished or stunted; rates of tuberculosis have similarly declined by about one-third; maternal deaths per live births have declined by 40 percent; the prevalence of neglected tropical diseases such as dengue and leprosy has declined by roughly 70 percent; and the share of the global population with access to toilets and safe plumbing has increased by 100 percent. The quality of data collection varies by category and country. But overall, it is hard to argue that human progress is some sort of sales pitch from the pathologically optimistic. Progress is simply a fact...

https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/09/bill-melinda-gates-foundation-goalkeepers-report-poverty/671415/

Yes, There Has Been Progress on Climate. No, It’s Not Nearly Enough. - The New York Times

"The pathway is extremely narrow," said Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency. "We really don't have much time left to shift course."

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/10/25/climate/world-climate-pledges-cop26.html

Rationality (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)

After listening to state/church news and decrying the religious anti-vaxxers, we hear Shelley Segal's song "I Don't Believe in Fairies" from her "Atheist Album." Then we talk with cognitive psychologist, linguist and author Steven Pinker (FFRF's Honorary Chair) about his book Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Humanism, Science, and Progress.

Interview: 

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-xcjm6-f56681a

Is the world getting better or worse? A look at the numbers | Steven Pinker

Was 2017 really the "worst year ever," as some would have us believe? In his analysis of recent data on homicide, war, poverty, pollution and more, psychologist Steven Pinker finds that we're doing better now in every one of them when compared with 30 years ago. But progress isn't inevitable, and it doesn't mean everything gets better for everyone all the time, Pinker says. Instead, progress is problem-solving, and we should look at things like climate change and nuclear war as problems to be solved, not apocalypses in waiting. "We will never have a perfect world, and it would be dangerous to seek one," he says. "But there's no limit to the betterments we can attain if we continue to apply knowledge to enhance human flourishing."...
https://youtu.be/yCm9Ng0bbEQ