Joseph E. Stiglitz, writing for the New York Times:
This is not how America is supposed to work. In his famous 1941 “four freedoms” speech, Franklin D. Roosevelt enunciated the principle that all Americans should have certain basic economic rights, including “freedom from want.” These ideas were later embraced by the international community in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which also enshrined the right to adequate food. But while the United States was instrumental in advocating for these basic economic human rights on the international scene — and getting them adopted — America’s performance back home has been disappointing.
How is it that politicians used to be able to work together to solve national problems? Or more to the point, how is it that today’s politicians repeatedly fail to do so?
Is it a problem of the politicians? Of politics? Of media? Or culture? Of something else?