How The Democrats Lost Their Soul & The End of the American Dream: Ed Burmila & Alissa Quart

Summary: Why does the Democratic Party struggle so much to win elections by comfortable margins (when it isn’t losing them) despite the fact that the Republicans are so extreme?<br> Could there be a hint in the fact that so many ordinary Americans keep losing ground economically, no matter who holds the reins of power? Clearly, the myth of the American Dream isn’t working.<br> In this episode, we talk first with<a href="https://muckrack.com/ed-burmila"> Ed Burmila</a> about his book, <a href="https://www.boldtypebooks.com/contributor/ed-burmila/">Chaotic Neutral: How the Democrats Lost Their Soul in the Center</a>. Then, <a href="http://www.alissaquart.com/">Alissa Quart</a> of the <a href="https://economichardship.org/">Economic Hardship Reporting Project</a> tells us about her just released new book, <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/bootstrapped-alissa-quart?variant=40517189599266">Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream</a>.<br> Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.<br> Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice.<br> And don’t forget to subscribe to Writer’s Voice and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.<br> <br> Have The Democrats Lost Their Soul?<br> In Chaotic Neutral, Burmila examines the Democratic Party’s shift towards the political center-right over the past three decades and argues that this has come at a great cost, both to the party and the country.<br> He makes the case that the party has lost its soul and its ability to effectively represent its constituents, suggesting that it’s time for a new approach.<br> The American Dream Doesn’t Work Anymore (it never did)<br> The American Dream says, anyone can go from rags to riches by pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. It’s a cruel myth that Alissa Quart of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project explodes in her new book, Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream.<br> In Bootstrapped, Quart explores the ways in which the “American Dream” has been sold to us as a means of achieving success and happiness, but has instead created a culture of overwork, burnout, and inequality. She provides practical solutions for breaking free from this cycle and creating a new American Dream based not on “rugged individualism” but on social solidarity.<br> In this episode, we dive deep into these two important books and have a thought-provoking discussion about the state of American politics and culture.<br> About the Authors<br> Ed Burmila has written for the Nation magazine and the Washington Post and hosts the podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mass-for-shut-ins-the-gin-and-tacos-podcast/id1341525125">Mass for Shut-ins</a>.<br> In addition to Bootstrapped, Alissa Quart is the author of four other nonfiction books, including Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America. She is the Executive Director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and the author of two books of poetry, Thoughts and Prayers and Monetized.<br>