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American Dream Is 'Flat on Its Back,' Moyers Charges Washington - Retired journalist Bill Moyers told a gathering of liberal activists Friday that the American dream has been knocked "flat on its back" by the influence of "right-wing radicals." Moyers, who was the opening speaker for the final day of the Take Back America conference in Washington, D.C., pointed to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal as proof of his claim. "Despite a widespread belief that the United States remains a more mobile society than Europe," Moyers quoted the article to his audience, "economists and sociologists say that in recent decades, the typical child starting out in poverty in Europe or in Canada has had a better chance at prosperity. "That knocks the American dream flat on its back," he said, "but it should put fire in our bellies because what's at stake is nothing less than what it means to be an American." Moyers told his audience that being in the nation's capital evokes different emotions for him now than when he served as press secretary for President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s. When he visits the Lincoln Memorial, "the temple of democracy seems as deeply steeped in melancholy as it was during the McCarthy era, the war in Vietnam or the trial of Watergate," Moyers said, reminding his audience about Abraham Lincoln's struggles so "government of, for and by the people shall not perish." Moyers continued: "Then, you turn and you look out as he does on the city where those words are daily mocked. This is no longer Lincoln's city," but instead "an occupied town, a company town," he added to applause from the audience. "This is a divided city," Moyers said, "not between North and South as in previous times, but between those who can buy all the government they want and those ... who can't even afford to buy a seat in the bleachers. The retired journalist cited several examples of "what's at stake" for liberals seeking to take back America. He mentioned workers in the American territory of the Northern Mariana Islands who Moyers said were being paid half the minimum wage in a "sweatshop" to produce garments that bore the label "Made in the USA." A Democratic congressman learned of the situation and got a bill passed by the Senate to extend protections of workers in the country's 50 states to those in the U.S. territories as well. The journalist stated that he had listened to many Americans during his years as a journalist, and he said the "people on the ground" don't want to get rich, but they do want "a decent-paying job, full Social Security benefits and a simple, comprehensive health-care system." Moyers said Americans also "want the political system cleaned up. These are not radical views. These are not even liberal views. They are plain American values." The journalist had words of encouragement for those attending the liberal conference. "You may be on the losing side of the moment, but you will be on the winning side of history," Moyers said before receiving a standing ovation from the audience. Cybercast News Service ~ Randy Hall ** American Dream Is 'Flat on Its Back,' Moyers Charges
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