Hard America, Soft America

In this trenchant analysis of American society, political expert Michael Barone sees two Americas, and wants to change one. He uses the term Hard America for the real world, the adult world of accountability; Soft America describes the years when people are in school, where, in his view, they are coddled and protected from competition. Barone asserts that the competitive edge that America enjoys in the world is because of Hard America. (Europe and other nations have it backwards; with so many social programs they are soft in adulthood.) Barone examines the tensions between hardening and softening influences in American life over the past century, and acknowledges that when life is difficult, as it was in years past, softening influences may be welcome. But he holds the influence of progressive educators like John Dewey responsible for softening a key aspect of American life--its schools. Barone opts strongly for traditional, hard schools. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.