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Former Senator Offers Sobering Advice for America

What kind of influence does America currently have on the world? Has America's influence on the world eroded or changed in some way over recent years? If so, why? What can America do to maintain an

Former Senator Offers Sobering Advice for America

Tom Fudge:  Is America facing a crisis? It's an interesting question because the lives of most Americans are much easier now than they were 40 or 50 years ago. We're no longer facing a cold war and possible nuclear annihilation. By most measures, we are financially and materially better off, but there is a crisis of confidence and a crisis of consensus that all of us feel. And, it's a crisis that affects not just Americans. It affects the rest of the world, given the leading role the U.S. plays in world affairs. Domestically, Americans are sharply divided politically and economically, as the middle class continues to be eaten away.

As for foreign relations, Americans used to be loved and respected by most of the world. Today, polls show the opposite is true. In fact, the question of how long the U.S. can remain the leader of the free, developed world is a very good question.

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Questions like this are addressed in a new book written by David Boren called A Letter to America . Mr. Boren is a former U.S. senator and former governor of the State of Oklahoma. Today, he is the president of Oklahoma University. He's seen a lot in his high-profile career of public service. His book, A Letter to America , is a argument that our country is broken and needs to be fixed.

David Boren will be discussing and signing copies of  A Letter to America tonight from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay.

Guest

  • David Boren, former governor, senator, and currently president of the University of Oklahoma.