PBS Frontline: The Middle Class and the New American Economy

[nvestysly]

July 9, 2013 is the premier of a new PBS Frontline episode "The Middle Class and the New American Economy"

I'm curious to see the show and understand more about the two families that are chronicled over a 20+ year period. Bill Moyers narrated the show and was involved over the 20 year period. I saw Bill Moyers on the Charlie Rose show last night and Bill described how much of life is a lottery. I don't disagree but I feel strongly that how you (as an individual) respond to the variations of the lottery throughout your lifetime can have a dramatic impact on the outcome.

I think the show is on at 10:00 PM Eastern. I'm sure it will air again if you miss it.

 

[rodi]

cool. Added it to my tivo queue. (Love the ability to do that online.)

 

[Calico]

July 9, 2013 is the premier of a new PBS Frontline episode "The Middle Class and the New American Economy"

I'm curious to see the show and understand more about the two families that are chronicled over a 20+ year period. Bill Moyers narrated the show and was involved over the 20 year period. I saw Bill Moyers on the Charlie Rose show last night and Bill described how much of life is a lottery. I don't disagree but I feel strongly that how you (as an individual) respond to the variations of the lottery throughout your lifetime can have a dramatic impact on the outcome.

I think the show is on at 10:00 PM Eastern. I'm sure it will air again if you miss it.

Thanks for the reminder - I knew this was coming, but couldn't remember when.

 

[Fishingmn]

cool. Added it to my tivo queue. (Love the ability to do that online.)

Or even better - from my smartphone app.

Thanks for the heads up on the show

 

[pb4uski]

I like Frontline but not Moyers so I'm not sure if I'll watch it.
'

 

[steelyman]

My DVR has the marching orders - thanks!

 

[mpeirce]

I like Frontline but not Moyers so I'm not sure if I'll watch it.

My thoughts as well. I'll TiVo it, then after seeing what people say here, either erase or watch it.

I used to watch lots of PBS. Sadly, there is less and less I can stomach. I used to love Nova and Nature, but these days too many of these shows spend the last 5 minutes (or more!) on a sermonette concerning some perceived evil or another.

 

[Midpack]

I have my DVR set to record it as well. Might be interesting to see actual footage of the two families from 1991 and intervals since to present, though it's pretty obvious how it plays out. Not a big Moyers fan (mostly handwringing-problems without offering viable solutions), if I don't think it's worthwhile, not afraid to hit delete. In the runup to this story, he asked a expert for a solution, and the guest said 'increase minimum wage to $15/hr...'

 

[HFWR]

I will likely watch, or at least record for later. Generally a fan boy of PBS; before cable, it was the only place I could catch history, science, etc. Other outlets for that now, but it's still a frequent landing spot in the wasteland of programming that is "television"...

 

[ERD50]

I will likely watch, or at least record for later. Generally a fan boy of PBS; before cable, it was the only place I could catch history, science, etc. Other outlets for that now, but it's still a frequent landing spot in the wasteland of programming that is "television"...

I'm surprised you were able to post that w/o the Zappa reference

-ERD50

 

[GoodWishes]

Bill described how much of life is a lottery. I don't disagree but I feel strongly that how you (as an individual) respond to the variations of the lottery throughout your lifetime can have a dramatic impact on the outcome.

I agree. There are certainly luck involved in life but there are also many choices that can lead to different outcomes.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

TiVo? I will have to program my pre-Y2K VCR and watch on my CRT TV.
FF and my pea shooter take care Moyers or any others who excite my Elvis alter ego.

 

[HFWR]

I'm surprised you were able to post that w/o the Zappa reference

-ERD50

Have issues posting youtube from my phone.

Feel free to link to "I am the slime"...

 

[SumDay]

45 minutes into this, I'm feeling like one very lucky duck. Yes, I've seen things both families have done that I wouldn't have (like sending your kid to an out-of-state college), but both have had more than their share of bad luck. We were always fortunate to have jobs that had benefits, which can be the difference between financial ruin or a $75 emergency room co-pay.

 

[harley]

I will likely watch, or at least record for later. Generally a fan boy of PBS; before cable, it was the only place I could catch history, science, etc. Other outlets for that now, but it's still a frequent landing spot in the wasteland of programming that is "television"...

Television is a living thing. Witness the evolution of TLC from "The Learning Channel" to "The Loser Channel". From Paleoworld to Here Comes...I can't say it. Aargh!

 

[HFWR]

Television is a living thing. Witness the evolution of TLC from "The Learning Channel" to "The Loser Channel". From Paleoworld to Here Comes...I can't say it. Aargh!

+1000

 

[Arifriekinel]

I found it very interesting. For a minute there it looked like they weren't going to tell how all of the children ended up, which was one of the biggest things I was interested in. A lot of it hit really close to home for me.

 

[scrabbler1]

While I found it interesting, I was not overly sympathetic. Both families made some bad choices which worsened their financial situations, and some of their children are making similarly bad choices to perpetuate their bad finances. Overall, I was not too impressed with the show. None of it hit home for me. If you don't end up watching it, you are not missing much.

 

[Gatordoc50]

45 minutes into this, I'm feeling like one very lucky duck. Yes, I've seen things both families have done that I wouldn't have (like sending your kid to an out-of-state college), but both have had more than their share of bad luck. We were always fortunate to have jobs that had benefits, which can be the difference between financial ruin or a $75 emergency room co-pay.

+1
I feel very fortunate. We worked very hard but I always felt like we were making progress unlike these folks.

 

[Bram]

I found it incredibly sad. These were very dedicated family oriented salt of the earth people with the "right" work ethic. Yes these people made ~some~ bad choices, but who among us hasn't? I know there are things that we did that, with 20/20 hindsight, were stupid or wrong or not well thought out. But thankfully we never faced real financial hardship or ruin. Some of that is just pure luck, or bad luck for some.

I find it scary for my ds & dil (both college grads) and my 3 grandchildren. Falling into poverty is just hairs breath away, even tho they live on a very careful budget. I came from poverty, but I never feared it as a possibility. Losing our middle class affects us all in a negative way.

 

[Meadbh]

I found it incredibly sad. These were very dedicated family oriented salt of the earth people with the "right" work ethic. Yes these people made ~some~ bad choices, but who among us hasn't? I know there are things that we did that, with 20/20 hindsight, were stupid or wrong or not well thought out. But thankfully we never faced real financial hardship or ruin. Some of that is just pure luck, or bad luck for some.

+1

It's hard to imagine these families and many more ever getting ahead on such subsistence earnings. There was a feeling of despair, particularly with the Neumanns. The most positive story was Keith Stanley, who clearly had an entrepreneurial and public service mindset. I hope he will have a bright future. The Stanleys are good parents.

Definitely not the American dream. Whatever happened to it?

 

[Lcountz]

While I was watching I was thinking how, from 1979 to 2013, when I retired, I had the SAME GREAT job with Megacorp, with benefits, raises, etc, in an industry that rode out the ups and downs ( at least pay wise, and no lay offs....)

I was oblivious to the problems these two families, and others, faced, and I realize that I was LUCKY in a way I never really appreciated...

We ALL made/make mistakes but no one deserves, at @ 60 in a large American city, to have an old age goal of "getting a spot in a trailer park". When the one lady was in her old house looking at the rooms, it was almost too much for me....

I personally really need to get my nose out of the air when I see anyone working who may be "only" making minimum wage..I am not religious but the expression "there but for the grace of God go I" really fits here.

Really made me think.

 

[REWahoo]

Definitely not the American dream. Whatever happened to it?

I didn't see the program, but looking at all the posts and the obviously bleak picture the program painted, I wonder what my parents would say if they saw it? They were a young married couple during the Great Depression and had three kids born between 1931 and 1936. They struggled to house, clothe and feed themselves and my siblings but, like millions of others, made it through and had a reasonably comfortable life. To them, the problems described here might look less dire than to those of us with a different base of experience.

My point is not to diminish how tough things are for many people or how bad luck or poor choices can lead to dire circumstances. History teaches us the 'American Dream' has not always been easy to achieve and there have been periods where things looked very bleak. Thankfully those times did not last forever and I'd like to think the circumstances described in this program will also improve given time - and the Bill Moyers of the world can focus on other gloom & doom topics.

 

[steelyman]

I personally really need to get my nose out of the air when I see anyone working who may be "only" making minimum wage..I am not religious but the expression "there but for the grace of God go I" really fits here.

Really made me think.

It sure did. There are a lot more good people out there than one may realize. And that want to work together.

 

[frayne]

The show illustrated the importance of having a good job, long term in order to achieve the so called American Dream. Both families appeared to have had good work ethics but were hamstrung when they lost their higher paying manufacturing jobs. There but by the grace of God could go anyone, especially in this day and age when a college degree is no guarantee of good paying steady employment.