In this episode of Night Owls, Joe Klein and John Ellis talk with political economist Nicholas Eberstadt about his latest book: a collection of essays entitled America’s Human Arithmetic. One of those essays -- 'Our Miserable 21st Century' -- remains the most read "article" in the long history of Commentary magazine. In the book, Eberstadt argues that while the U.S. is more prosperous than ever, tens of millions of Americans are not flourishing. 

The conversation explores how cultural erosion, not just economics, drives these trends, touching on the collapse of community, failures in education, the unintended consequences of welfare and disability systems and the astonishing rise of men in their prime working years who don't work. Eberstadt describes stark geographic and demographic divides as well, while maintaining cautious optimism about America’s resilience, entrepreneurial energy, and capacity for renewal.

Hosted by John Ellis and Joe Klein

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Produced by Dale Eisinger