America the Possible: A Discussion with James Gustave Speth, May 15

UPDATE: listen to the audio recording of this event.

America, it turns out, is number one—but in all the ways we don’t want to be. Compared to other advanced democracies, the U.S. has the largest per capita prison population, the highest homicide rate, the biggest inequality gap, and the lowest score on the UN’s index of “material well-being of children.”

The picture is grim. And yet, in the May/June 2012 issue of Orion, Gus Speth writes, “A future worth having awaits us, if we are willing to struggle and sacrifice for it.” Speth’s long career as an environmental advocate includes work at the White House and the United Nations, and his two-part essay in recent issues of the magazine explores both America’s decline and its possible renewal.

On May 15, at 4 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Pacific, join Speth and Andrew Blechman, Orion’s managing editor, for a discussion of Speth’s “America the Possible: A Manifesto”—the second part of which appears in the current issue of Orion. The event is free to join, will be moderated by Orion staff, and is open to all readers and friends. Register here.

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