OUR KIDS: THE AMERICAN DREAM IN CRISIS, BY ROBERT PUTNAM
A visit to Rome’s colosseum this summer reminded me that we can be quick to judge the moral failings of other societies, while accepting those in our own society. The tourist route around the colosseum emphasises the divisions of Roman society. The plebs occupied benches at the back, the patricians enjoyed prime views below them, while the senators enjoyed the comfort of a separate podium which afforded unbroken views of the spectacle unfolding before them. This spectacle involved animals and slaves being hoisted up from underground dungeons to fight for their lives in front of paying customers.
While marvelling at the architectural splendour, it’s easy for tourists to chide the moral failings of Roman society fossilised in these ancient ruins.
It was on this Italian trip that I read Robert Putnam’s Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis. I…
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The Echo Chamber 