Collapse

Just seen one of the pithiest epithets for the generation I belonged to in the middle of the 20^th Century –

 “We were poor, but we didn’t know it.” In fact, however, in the breadth and depth of the social support we enjoyed, all my classmates (whom I have contacted recently) described our youth in strikingly similar terms – “we were rich, but we didn’t know it”.

It’s from a short piece - Crumbling American dreams - penned a couple of years ago by Robert Putnam (of “Bowling Alone” fame) about his home town into which he was born in 1941. 

He’s now expanded his thoughts into a book - Unhappy Days for America. The link is to a NYRB review which is less than enthusiastic in its assessment……