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“Coming Apart” author Charles Murray argues there is a growing divide between the American people.
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According to my next guest America's maintain -- national identity throughout our history.
Despite differences including -- own and come inequality but he says we've now reached a level of separation unlike anything the country's experience before.
Joining us to talk about these implications for policy culture.
American enterprises to scholar Charles -- author of the New York Times best selling book.
Coming apart the state of white America 1960 to 2010.
And it's just been released in paperback Charles did you -- rated either -- let's start with.
Country right now that's -- polarized.
There's alienation.
The the social scientists have six -- -- TARP and writing about we we don't hear the word anymore I -- reliving it.
So so thoroughly well it's not just on the we it's it's outright antagonist.
Where you have a lot of resentment.
Among a lot of mainstream Americans thinking there -- these people up on top who run the country that are.
Living by a different set of rules and they -- and I think I think there's a lot that joins both the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street movement that -- It's interest thing that they complaint around those issues and because in part.
Some areas of expression -- us you know there -- some hard damn truth that.
Yup -- and -- but it's not income inequality.
If you have lots of people of that a lot of money.
Selling auto parts or -- you know doing something like that we're sure that's not the source of the antagonism what that the source of the antagonism is partly.
People who seem to have the inside track about how to make money on Wall Street but it's also antagonism toward 150000 dollar a year government regulator.
Who is telling people how to live their lives in ways that the regulator has no.
Understanding of what's -- And you and you look the is it the four point middle class and and examines what has happened.
Two the American dream in the context of that middle class.
Predominantly white.
The separation is is is -- -- in any way is there are any change of direction.
You know the only thing I did should change with the paperback from the hard -- like could look at the 2010 census are.
And one of the themes of the book was that you have an upper class that is increasingly have on -- Living.
-- and a culture which is sequestered right coin a phrase from the rest the country.
I could look at 2010 census data and all of that has gotten worse over the -- -- -- -- become a sequestered.
Society haven't we we.
We allow our elderly to live in communities in which you have to be 55 or older.
We we don't have our families coming together under one roof as we once did.
We sequester -- need to communities where there their -- and California our.
Our Florida or over there maybe.
We we are not doing a very good job of supporting a family.
In in the since the Amway and I'm not talking just financial reform or just simply.
The restoring some some power to the family as -- fundamental unit of our society.
But if you sit take a look at who's sequestering themselves -- I think you've got to look first at the the new upper class because they're the ones who have the money first place to go to wherever they want.
And secondly they have been congregating in these areas where they pretty much live and everybody else you move that you know Des Moines, Iowa.
You do you have upper class -- sure you do you have some people a lot more money than others but -- neighborhoods are just neighborhood surrounded.
By other neighborhoods that are pretty normal.
You go to Los Angeles, California.
That's not the story New York City and the surrounding suburbs now -- you have a much more severe.
-- sucker fish in the midst of all of this now we have a president who's decided -- -- three million people unemployed underemployed who have given up looking for work.
To make as a priority.
Comprehensive immigration reform.
To start taking guns away from people and assault and outright assault on the -- Second Amendment there's no other construction that's reasonable.
For what this presidents trying to do.
How is all of that influence but what you described in the book.
You know I think they are classic cases -- a group of people who make the rules.
Who have themselves.
No bad experiences -- things are making rules about I was the think what immigration means for the the upper class.
It means availability of managed it means good yard workers.
What -- the negative consequences to them nothing.
But think about gun control for second how many members of the upper class care about guns and that although they they don't go hunting.
They are civil war re an actor so they they don't have income collections there's.
For them to say let's have gun control.
Does not touch a single solitary nerve in their own lives and in and more of if you -- perhaps powerful.
They have bodyguards if they feel in any -- -- they don't after the live on their own.
Selflessly lived in places where the danger of being assaulted this really really well.
The book is coming apart we can't recommend it to -- the authors who have just heard Charles Schumer thanks for being thank you appreciate.
-- it's available on line we've -- stock commented bookstores.
And now.
