Benjamin Franklin, who did pretty well for himself in his day, is quoted as saying that

money never made a man happy yet nor will it.

The more man has, the more he wants.

Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.

Why is man Mr. Franklin?

Growing up in the 60s and early 70s, my family and bruises didn't have a lot and didn't

expect a lot when it came to money.

But we had enough.

American society wasn't so stratified then.

Life was still a struggle for a lot of people and the doors of our opportunity were too often

closed for women and people of color.

But thanks to strong unions and government investment, upward mobility wasn't a myth.

Hard work didn't just deliver financial stability and the promise of a better life for your kids.

It also provided people with a sense of dignity and self-worth.

It's something that Bruce and I have both spent a lot of time thinking about.

Now the American economy changed.

How America became more unequal and how in the chase for the almighty dollar, we lost

some of the values of community, solidarity and shared sacrifice that we are going to

need to make us whole once again.

Part of your story about the draft is you suddenly realize there's a class basis to this

entire thing where how is it that the kids who are going to college don't have to go?

And this is part of what separates World War II, that greatest generation from the Vietnam

...