Arianna Huffington Discusses "Third World America"

Watch an interview with Arianna Huffington focusing on her book Third World America, which talks about deteriorating conditions for the Middle Class in America. Huffington suggests that we are headed for third world status if current economic trends continue. (I have mentioned several times that this is where we are headed, and believe that in some respects, we are already there). But what is different about Arianna Huffingtons commentary is that she sees things from a different perspective than most Progressives. The way that she somehow doesn't see the working class and working poor is quite annoying to me. In many ways, her perspective mirrors that of the Obama Administration in terms of being blind to the working class. Where in the Hell does she think the middle class comes from.... does she think they appear out of nowhere and are suddenly middle class? The working class and working poor of today are supposed to be tomorrows middle class. They make no effort to link these groups together and propose policies that benefit various groups collectively. They have a very myopic view of what the middle class really is.

This is one reason why I am not a big fan of Huffington. Her legitimacy is not very solid. I would much rather hear Barbara Ehrenreich speak on these issues. Someone who actually knows something about what life is like for the poor, the working class, and the middle class. But the discussions with Huffington were still interesting and worthwhile.

Hear a more in depth discussion from NPR.

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