Robert Putnam

you know, roughly speaking from the 1900 till about 1965, and even a little later than that, America, wait for this, when I was in high school in the 1950s, everybody thought the most equal country, people now would think maybe the most equal country in the world was socialist Sweden. Almost right. America, when I was in high school, was tied with Sweden as the most equal country in the world.

Think about it. We are used to America having a huge gap between rich and poor, but when I was in high school, the gap between rich and poor in capitalist America was about the same as the gap between rich and poor in socialist Sweden, and both of them were way ahead of anybody else. We're no longer there.

Think about it. We are used to America having a huge gap between rich and poor, but when I was in high school, the gap between rich and poor in capitalist America was about the same as the gap between rich and poor in socialist Sweden, and both of them were way ahead of anybody else. We're no longer there.

Think about it. We are used to America having a huge gap between rich and poor, but when I was in high school, the gap between rich and poor in capitalist America was about the same as the gap between rich and poor in socialist Sweden, and both of them were way ahead of anybody else. We're no longer there.

What I'm trying to say was the first half of the 20th century, roughly speaking, 1910 to 1960, 65, we were moving in the right direction. Less polarization, less inequality, less social isolation, less me, me, me. And that's why I think we need to look at that

What I'm trying to say was the first half of the 20th century, roughly speaking, 1910 to 1960, 65, we were moving in the right direction. Less polarization, less inequality, less social isolation, less me, me, me. And that's why I think we need to look at that

What I'm trying to say was the first half of the 20th century, roughly speaking, 1910 to 1960, 65, we were moving in the right direction. Less polarization, less inequality, less social isolation, less me, me, me. And that's why I think we need to look at that

The period in American history, which is most like the one we're in now, deep polarization, deep inequality, deep self-centeredness, deep social isolation. I don't know if I've mentioned all four of them, but they got out of it. And that means we could too. If we learn lessons from that period.

The period in American history, which is most like the one we're in now, deep polarization, deep inequality, deep self-centeredness, deep social isolation. I don't know if I've mentioned all four of them, but they got out of it. And that means we could too. If we learn lessons from that period.

The period in American history, which is most like the one we're in now, deep polarization, deep inequality, deep self-centeredness, deep social isolation. I don't know if I've mentioned all four of them, but they got out of it. And that means we could too. If we learn lessons from that period.

I don't know that I have any useful things to say about that. But I do want to say one thing, deriving from the book that you were dismissing.

I don't know that I have any useful things to say about that. But I do want to say one thing, deriving from the book that you were dismissing.

I don't know that I have any useful things to say about that. But I do want to say one thing, deriving from the book that you were dismissing.

Was the title of the book How We Can Come Together in 2020? No, it was How We Can Come Together Again. I didn't – careful. You can predict things as long as you don't predict the exact date in which it's going to happen. That's – I think Yogi said that too. This is what I want to say.

Was the title of the book How We Can Come Together in 2020? No, it was How We Can Come Together Again. I didn't – careful. You can predict things as long as you don't predict the exact date in which it's going to happen. That's – I think Yogi said that too. This is what I want to say.

Was the title of the book How We Can Come Together in 2020? No, it was How We Can Come Together Again. I didn't – careful. You can predict things as long as you don't predict the exact date in which it's going to happen. That's – I think Yogi said that too. This is what I want to say.

One of the things we learned in that book – and I'm going to shock your listeners if they think I'm a – you know, a pretty secular, straight guy. I mean, I am straight, but pretty secular, factual guy.

One of the things we learned in that book – and I'm going to shock your listeners if they think I'm a – you know, a pretty secular, straight guy. I mean, I am straight, but pretty secular, factual guy.

One of the things we learned in that book – and I'm going to shock your listeners if they think I'm a – you know, a pretty secular, straight guy. I mean, I am straight, but pretty secular, factual guy.

When you look at all those variables that I looked at, hundreds of variables we looked at, you know, how unequal and how self-centered or not we were, the leading indicator, the thing that had to change first was actually moral. If we had more time here, I'd go through the details. There was a very specific period in American history