it does not sound like a russian name. i am just wondering about that. >> callous and in its various derivations, keels and come back to listen, and so forth a fairly unusual. and that helped me a lot. a great thing started with haley and his book, routes to and 1977. i think we owe that man a great debt. roots kicked off the resurgence of people seeing the importance of family and knowing family history. and because there is so much interest today, there are a lot of freelancers in the soviet union, and russia.

for a fairly small sum you can hire to go look at russian records. and there still our records with the help of the gentleman that i hired, we found them going back into the 17th century. it was this particular area. and, of course, they came to russia after the spanish inquisition ran them out of spain and portugal. the name is unusual, and that was very fortunate for me because it really -- the name -- if the name had been brown would have had a lot more trouble. >> thank you. >> i just last month when

listen to to concert to. and there was this story of his life. and also, program, the jews of the time. here he was playing the piano. he was a musician before. but he ended up being one of the great composers of america. >> he was one of our greatest composers, and he was composing into his late 90's. >> the 1920's he composed the greatest. >> so do live.

i want to sort of sum up something about the book. this book is not a memoir. i appear in it only as child . i have been writing history for many years, and this book is not just a book about the family. i used the family as the guiding family to take us through almost a century of our history. and thanks to that approach i think that i learned more about all the great events in our history by seeing how one family was affected. and the place where they lived. i learned so much. and i hope if any of you are

interested in buying it i understand between two and 3:00 i will be on the book signing floor. i would love to sign some books for you. [applause] one more question. >> i admit, i am a close friend of next, but i am not a plan. and i think there is a dimension of the book that he has neglected. he has told us wonderful things about the research and all of that, but it is how much people like had contributed to buildings in southwest texas and san antonio which is now one of the great cities of our country. i think you ought to tell us just a little bit more. i no you're going to run out of time. >> nathan was always looking over the next hill.

in terms of him as a merchant, nathan was doing what walmart did 50, 60, 70 years later. he saw of the technique. all lot of us in cities and suburbs do not like wal-mart's to become planted next to less, but for those small towns of america walmart provided services and goods at reasonable prices that they could not kid without traveling long distances. and nathan was really doing a walmart as a merchandiser very early on. end anything new that came along, this ended up being the largest farm and ranch supply store in the

southwestern united states. but when television sets came along he was right there as one of the biggest seller of television sets. after world war ii another great story. what happened after world war ii? suddenly we hit 20 some odd million gic came home. there was no housing. there were not jobs. and he figured out how to deal with both of those issues, one by creating jobs and to by figuring out how to help families buy all of these modern, new devices which were suddenly available, freezers, kitchen

devices combine new kinds of stow's. he was a man who was always looking ahead. he served as customers away and succeeded as a businessman by doing that. thank you all very much. [applause] and i'm going to be down here with these for anyone who wants them. >> interested in american history? watch american history television every weekend. forty-eight hours of people and events that help document the american story.

a visit c-span.org for more information. >> mary ann cooper is a sociologist and stanford university and lead researcher for the sheryl sandberg bulk "lean in". ms. cooper reports on the state of the economic family she is joined by sheryl sandberg in this one-hour conversation. [applause] >> thank you so much. i am super excited to be here. i will do the official opening. welcome to this meeting of the commonwealth club. you can find in form on line. it i am really excited to be here. over a decade ago. it is exciting to be back home.

the mother's day singing rendition of frozen. [laughter] and there were hundreds of little girls and boys that marched across the stages and austin. this is a different and equally important type of evening. it is exciting to be back. always a great pleasure to introduce a phenomenal woman and a great friend, marianna cooper. she is a stanford sociologists who works at the claman's institute for gender research. i first get to know who she was when she wrote this article court the other. [inaudible] any guesses with that word was? feminism. the article was about women in college who were taking a feminist studies class. i did not associate with the word feminist.

and marianna cooper brought of humor and seriousness to the topic. one hours looking for a partner to read the research i met and interviewed and then had the experience of spending an entire year working together. a pretty special combination of someone who is deeply, deeply fantastic who understands research and understands methodology. understand equipment and has this incredible desire to make the world a better place, more equal for women and make the world more equal for people who don't have the same economic opportunities and that is the passion that comes out of his book. an amazing person and great friend to me and so many in this audience. please join me in war coming marianna cooper. [applause]

>> so we are here tonight to talk about "cut adrift." this is her new book just out. and it talks about families coping in insecure *. it is actually a very intimate look of the charges facing modern families. our goal is to have this conversation. or get a chance to ask questions and you with his answers to questions. hopefully we will leave with a better understanding of how we understand economic and security that occurs to many different families in different ways but also what we can do airs a society and community to address it. the very beginning. you are interested in some many things. the are obviously interested in feminism and gender to. and this is a remarkable book. as you know, i read it, my

husband thought maybe i would not be reading the book. i could not put it down. it is amazing what led you to write this book at this time? >> i wrote it because a major part of the story, what is happening in society is missing security is been on the rise. we now have families losing jobs, homes. that story is mostly told through statistics. academics look at records and reports. what they have concluded is that right now we have almost unprecedented levels of inequality in insecurity. by some measures things have not been this bad since the great depression. that is a pretty dramatic conclusion. i felt like the dramatic

part of it was not come across in the statistical tables and charts that are so meticulously documented. i felt like someone needed to go and talk to people about how they're coping. so underneath these hard numbers are people who live out these trends and their everyday life. more of them are experiencing a security, on the run. we don't know how they're coping and light don't understand how there is growing divide between the haves and the have-nots in our society the changes the way we manage and experience security. so let's start there. as you say, a longstanding trend leaning toward economic and security and from other income disparity. i think in some -- income and security and is happening% 2008 and then a recession. what we start by talking

about the overall economic trend. >> it is a big story actually. i think three of the most important things have happened for families is the decline of middle-income jobs, we would call the shift in risk, which i can explain, and growing inequality. so it used to be that our economy was based on manufacturing. today is based on services. but 80 percent of jobs are in the service sector now. in comparison to manufacturing jobs service sector jobs pay less and come with your benefits, much more insecure. and then layered on top of this is that workers no longer have the leverage that they wanted to collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions because unions are on a steep decline.

sarah after world war ii and into the 1950's and about one-third of and pledged people were in unions. 11 percent of workers are represented by unions. that has another effect. not just the workers cannot collectively bargain but that this has eroded a moral commitment to fair perry. it used to be even if your not in a year in a union set the wage and other employers respected that. that increased from lot of other people. we got a double whammy. and then the other thing that occurred is what is called the shift in risk. there has been every riding of the social contract which employers and employees. it used to be based upon mutual loyalties employers pay people good wages and benefits and return people worked hard and use their

talent to grow the company. but what happened is that increasingly risk is been offloaded by governments and corporations on individuals and families. he think about the movement from pensions to a 401k. it i'm ready for retirement so all of these things together, the types of jobs that creating a thriving middle class in this country are harder to find and hold onto. it is definitely tougher than it used to be paid and families are experiencing at . in the growing insecurity, many half in come rest. there are some highly educated and skilled workers are doing really well. they still have really good jobs.

so these transplant for different families in different ways. >> correct the bulky and to heed of the 50 families of a long time. what you will find if you read the book is that the information is detailed and intimate. you are not just able to describe how these families are living in their situations but in deep detail how they feel, why they feel how they feel. you taught me. the reason, the why, the underlying reason. first, there was a methodology. how did you get 50 families to invite you this deeply into their lives? >> because i wanted to understand this more personal emotional side of it. i did interviews. i went out and wanted to find middle class poor and rich and interview him about the obstacles. but i wanted to add something to that.

i follows smaller group of families around in a very in-depth way, like really follow them around. like they went here and you went here. >> right. we pick the kids. went to the soccer game. i really got to know them. the hardest part was recruiting families. specifically if someone ever asks you, please say yes. >> when you pick it up. >> yes. >> for example. >> but what was extra hard is that i need to know what income level someone was an. in a normal personal interaction you don't walk up to a stranger and say how much you learn? and had to figure out another way. i've met laura del donald working in a big box door one day when i was starting this project.

and she seemed nice. i knew says she was a cashier how much probably made. i interviewed her and she invited me along to her son is also the lead. i don't know how much any of you know about that era of what i learned what i ever wanted to. >> really long dance. >> really long gains. and sometimes they're not so sad when they lose because of music and go home. and the parents are dying for something to talk about. it is an interesting place, and we should study it. [laughter] >> so i was sitting in the stands. an all-star team. i am trying to get a layer of the land. a kid hits a foul ball. it goes into the parking lot where the opposing team's

cars are page looks over at me and says, are up a car doesn't get hit. as our fancy cars. mercedes and bmws. asked where his other school came from and said it was from an affluent community that we have. i realized then that might that this was a miniature version of the stores are trying to tell. and so i drove home with laura. she had this aging beaten up minivan. and wonder what it is like driving home with one of the opposing team's families. and that is on my realized this would be great way to recruit families because i could tell what level the family was. is that the next few weeks driving around. >> the next time you are in a baseball game for abcaeight deasy someone sitting there it might be a

stanford researcher. >> yes. and i got turned down a few times, but a lot of people said yes. from the core of the families that i ended up working with but i started interviewing families. and then figuring out what the themes were. i've picked families who were representative of these terms to do in-depth field reports. and so establishing report is an art and science. a lot that you can read as a social scientist to understand how to establish. at eight really starts with genuinely caring about what people have to stay. i got to know the families well, and they got to know me. technically they had only signed up for me to spend 30

hours with them. i spent a lot more time than at. i have stayed in contact with them since this research began. you know you are and when the kid starts swearing in front of you. that is when you know you are getting backstage. i definitely thought at first the people were on their best behavior but every time there really let their guard down. >> said he went to 50 families, and you were looking for what kind of financial issues? so let's start. another was a full range of families. what kind of financial issues with these families facing? >> welcome all of the statistics i have been reading about came to life. so soaring debt, bankruptcy, foreclosure, all these kinds of things. so her family is jammed with

massive debt. she was a cashier when i met her but was in the middle of separating from her husband paid her husband had done with long-term unemployment. their family was almost a historical case study. the about ten years before a matter her husband had worked for companies that did not offer health insurance. so they went without it. she had a seizure while driving her car and hit a parked car. she suffered severe internal injuries and was in the intensive care unit for about a week. she and out of a hospital and was $50,000 in debt. and for a family that was just giving by to begin with this was too much for them to bear. and in the bucket plays out that this is just the beginning of a series. dealing with declines in bank. in the book are talk about a family working as an account

manager for a technology company. the technology company instituted pay cut after for local after picket. really trying to figure out how to pay the bill. and she illustrated something that is important. insecurity is moving up the cost letter. it is actually moving into enough people. the data shows that by 2001 when her college graduates lost her job their earnings often went down by as much as 20% in the next job. so i saw her on the front lines of that. and the affluent families. much more secure jobs, not dealing with pay decreases. they worry, which we will

talk about. think about that this is a multiple stories. but both have mbas. when talking about college. we don't have enough savings really? how much to you have? hundred $45. i was like, okay. tommy about that. really the issue was she felt like it was part of her obligation. you know, she could have gone through community college. she really felt like this was our responsibility. that is why she felt behind. i began to see that even for people who have a lot of resources, there's a lot of anxiety going on. really what i found is that

families have to do what i call security work or were work to fill those gaps between what they are and what they need. families have always done the lori work. their is a historical context, the kind of security work there we have to do. right now, managing insecurity has become i would say harder and more unforgivable. >> less talk about these financial challenges in the security work going from a large of got up to the family. what were the types of insecurities these families were facing and the strategies that they were appointed to deal with it? >> i understand that people respond to his security, but practically and emotionally. and this is a real contribution. so the job of creating

security has been transferred all of us and our families, people have lost the social conscience. and make contributions and the others go without, insurance, but there rely on different emotional coping mechanisms to get by. this is the part of the story that took me a long time to figure reward was hearing. farmers are one day doing something called exercise before had surgery a long time ago. and i heard this story that helped clarify and crystallize what it was. it was a story about a man named to the doors. sixty-two years old and have been laid off from his job. he was like a driver. and after three years of barely getting by he came up with the plan to get by until he was old enough to receive his full social

security benefits. he went down to a local bank and handed the teller. he turned the money over to the security guard. at his trial he told the judge that a three-year sentence at a minimum security prison would soon find because upon his release from prison he would be old enough to receive his full social security benefits. the new york times describes him as an honest to goodness visionary in the round of retirement planning. but his lawyers actually saw what he did differently and said after the struggling to find a job benefits he failed. so after hearing near his 603rd birthday a judge handed down something. it is a sad day when someone feels as is their only alternative. lagard to give you a birthday present and give

him exactly what he wanted, a three-year jail term and a minimum security prison. he's a stud on the server for oran was like, how does someone come to feel that going to jail is the perfect with a gift? no is it that he can work on his emotions enough or that his situation was so bad that this became an idea where he was like, i'm going to do it. this is a good way to go. he was talking himself and is something because this is the reality had to cope with which is what worries me to understand that our families are merely coping with insecurity feel and how to manage their feelings. so if so do it with our head in our hearts. >> talk a little bit about some of the specifics.

from the dugout to some of the wealthier families, a specific ways. share with us one of the specific ways, what they felt insecure about. one of the interesting things, a reference points matter a lot. you and i talked about this. a lot of what happens in the workplace as reference points. people have expectations. therefore they put those on and those create assumptions men are trapped. a lot in the book about reference points in the expectation. can you talk about those? >> so to start with from talking to families, i realize that what they have done is something very similar. the value generated. technology executive to domestic worker, and everyone feels insecure. there are feeling it in dealing with it differently. what i found among a flood

families as they want more and more. that is the way they are responding. middle class families of trying to get themselves to be apparent. so despite having outside support he tell me that he did not feel totally financially secure. he said to me, and in the top 1% but i still don't feel rich. with millions more to accumulate i could not have our interview with him. you know, and then on the other hand you have laura delgado. $50,000 in debt to in many ways was less worried because she has stopped hoping for more. she has scaled back her

definition of security to really just the basics, food, shelter, clothing. and she also filters out the bad by only focusing on the positive. she would say to our kids, don't whine and complain. don't throw yourself a pity party. focus on the positive and forward. one time she said to me, you know, having nothing isn't always a bad thing. i was like really? so what i realize is that -- and this is kind of a common thing that i was finding. they were trying to make the insecurity that they faced more tolerable. so one time she could not keep up with paying the lectures of the bill so they get turned off. she said to me, it's okay. it's like camping. so she took what really is a

symbol of a security, the lack of heat, and repackaged as a symbol of security like family bonding. so a fund families, the opposite direction. instead of trying to accommodate themselves there will invoke an economic fireball. and so that is where you get this wanting more and more and more. and they were particularly concerned about their children. i don't know how many times i heard that. they no longer have a competitive better vantage. i took my son with me and a business trip to china so he could see how the -- how are people in asia work. kids could see what was coming to another family took their daughters on a tour of india to understand the forces of globalization.

that mother said to them, if you don't have a skill set that is unique or knowledge set that is unique you're going to end up with your job door into another country which is terrifying to hear when your ten. it so these families, i hope i am conveying it, but a lot of anxiety. among the wealthiest how was i talked to the needed and net worth north of $109 before they felt really financial a secure. so all of this is to say that the dividing lines among house are not just economic. there are also emotional in terms of how we're defining security. one of the thing, a lot of coping mechanisms which is exacerbating the inequality. so it really is a reinforcing cycle.

increasing economic and security were ever your in the economic spectrum. behaviors' come out of that which reinforce the trend creating more insecurity in disparity. can you explain how that works? >> why are we complicity back. >> from this research would i realized where focus on our own situation. without these two his responses like laura delgado where she taught herself to this anxiety. and in doing that she is compensating for the very inequality that created the hardship. and so she is talking herself through this working on our feelings. what it is up doing is preventing her from taking a critical foreign toward the system. i can't believe i don't have

health care. she blames herself. i think russia just try to save more. so you have that response on one hand, and on the other, not satisfied with what they have been pushing for more because he lost to insulate his children, provision against a world that he sees so you have more pulling one way and paul pulling another. they are exacerbating the problem. in response to this insecurity what is happening is the rich don't think they have enough of the striving for more. everybody else realizes they can't do much about the situation. they're lowering their expectations. we are actually making inequality worse. because we're all busy treading water we actually failed to come together collectively to stop this.

>> i great example in your book. the role religion plays. one of the central thesis is that there is not the safety net there used to be. there is not a safety net provided by collective bargaining, long-term the employers. our fathers' generation people went to work for one company and often stayed their whole life. it does not happen frequently anymore, and there is not the government safety net. and so as a result that safety net is not there. the most optimistic thing is the role religion plays, the community's and some religions are able to facilitate to really be that safety net for people. so there are a lot of religious families from top to bottom and i talked to. the ones that really focus on religion or working-class

and poor families. and they turn to their kids for food and shelter and clothing but often relied on the stage for what i recall psychological comfort. the belief that god has a plan for them, rewards the faithful of material blessings provided a lot of comfort in what are difficult circumstances. so the story is told through the family's. the mother who have been a domestic worker. i don't know. the church gives them diapers when they needed it. several times and never short on rent the church provided money. the lord has a plan for me. she would give really stressed out and pray that the lord would find a way. so when that happened, like a friend of hers brought some food during the week

that was tight, she would interpret that has got looking after them. what is interesting is i never had someone of the top say mired 401k went up by 20% last year. god is really blessed me serve god works in different ways with different people and it was a remarkable thing to see this church community really rallying behind this family, but this actually comes back to the point about the shift in risk. welfare provision has increasingly gone from the federal government to the states and state based organizations. and the evidence is inconsistent about whether or not this is the best approach. but the problem that i think this creates is that oftentimes churches are the only place for people to

turn which creates a complex where people might feel like they need to say things i believe things that they don't necessarily. and i don't think this should be the only place where families can turn. the support systems we need to create new institutions that address these new realities. this is not the only haven. and what was interesting, you told the story through his family. there were posters and receivers of that safety net there were times when they needed food, basic needs would have lost their home in the church provided. one of the things the cubs and precision is that in the time when they have a little extra they would give back to their community. and there was a pretty strong sense of people not being alone.

optimistic. and it is a perfect segue. where a country of immigrants. all of our families migrated here. we can have been lines. as the american dream. you lead review come from, come here, work hard, get an education and the next generation is better off. that was the american dream of this family and my great grandparents came here. what is happening to the american dream? i think it's just a dream. so and it has long been equated with moving up the class ladder and noting how. for that to happen people have to actually think those goals are attainable. what i found was that people have let go of their dreams because something outside of

their control like a lay off or an uninsured medical emergency had come along. so in that context have a long-term goal is not only point was painful. you aren't literally setting yourself up for disappointment. people conservative thinking about their dreams, head down try to protect yourselves. people used to think that working hard would translate into moving up commander think that has gone by the wayside. we are starting to see interest changes in service about the american dream. people are much more focused now on holding on to what they have and they are with moving out. other surveys are finding that the desire to own a home has been replaced by a desire to be tax-free and a desire for financial stability. and it makes sense.

these are perfect to five perfectly rational responses . but an insecure society has a huge personal and societal cost. it really limits people's ability to trade. i think that is the moment we aren't. so obviously economic growth and an economy that is growing one of the public policy solutions? if the american dream has become just a dream come home to restart and reinvigorate to make it more american? >> are think we deal with the fact that we are pulling apart. we have to pull together. part of doing that is realizing that it does not have to be this way. and so when people experience in security they often experience of like a personal failure like to

have done something wrong. the reality is that did not do anything wrong. policy is driven and ushered in an age of insecurity. i think this is a conversation about morals and values and we have to have some standards. he worked full time you should not live in poverty. [applause] >> it was not one of the examples in your book, but if you serve our country in uniform he should not live in poverty. [applause] if you're a teacher in our schools, if you or someone who is providing emergency services and risking your life to fight fire with these people doing these jobs are so important. again, you would like the

people in uniform the in below the poverty line not able to up support the family is something as a society we should not tolerate. >> the are do that if someone gets of a car accident after that they should be under so much medical debt that it destroys them financially. that affects the family. we need to return to the values that led to policies that created a better class. and to be clear, we have only had one time in our society we're thriving middle-class. and so the program debased on those times, but we're much better off when we stand together, much better off away provide security. standing alone does not kidding when you were. these are the kind of policies that we need to return to.

when the living wages. when need affordable health care, affordable college education. people say is too expensive. i tell you is too expensive not to. and to add to the list command education, equal education a matter where you're from. if you go to school you should learn to read and write a way that prepares these things. as a society are take their we have -- returning our backs to quickly into often and leaving ourselves in the weeds. by staying focused of a factor winner as a society an enormous percentage of our children do not get a standard education. >> winner corey awareness resources. and i were also sarah when you have such inequality

among schools one of the raises the families aren't so much debt is there taking on these big mortgages. one of the main ones for families is that there could school district. mortgaging their families' future to get tickets because they know our important it is pitiful have better schools we would reduce that desire. it really puts families on the alps. one more question and then we will turn to the audience . would like me to remind you keep him to questions and keep them short so that we have a chance for a lot of people to participate. you and i are both passionate about inequality and opportunity and passionate about want. one thing that is clear in his book and on the research we did is that women are increasingly important in

bringing her in. women still wear an enormous, of their housework and child care in a matter what they're doing facing an unbelievable large part of this pressure. especially for middle-class and working-class from owners. these terms of families dealing with insecurity has become just commonplace. all these police tried dealing with layoffs or declines employee. are was interviewing. it does not happen in anyone else's house and like her version of the sociological version. so why -- an interesting one, dealing with her play going down unscrambling the deal with the.

she was stressed out about all of this. talking about it was one of the worst times of her life and lector having insomnia. and so a was to interview her husband. i expected him to have that same reaction. he was pretty light hearted. we were card. we cut back here and there. i'm like, this is interesting. i kept finding the same pattern. the wife of sir roland issue would or more of a husband would say she is certain to doing it should do it, the warring. the managing of the household finances and all that. these families, the women played the role of what are called the designated warrior. the designated warriors -- >> maybe not even designated

>> your slauson. you do it. so the issues that as he said women are doing the first shift, going to work, more of the second shift, and then turn more war i, and security shift. and this is a type of work that is becoming more common in families. increasingly experiencing destabilized events. they're having moments with after react to read what this is linked to his the improving situation of the he did a woman and a declining situation of less educated men they're married to men who only had a high-school degree. so they had more education. so in security alums of the

latter. increasingly it is the woman who is best positioned to deal with it. a lot of stress and conflict in marriages. other research is finding this as well. women and figure out when, as women who deal with foreclosure notices, negotiate with pau collectors and a deal with the stress. have heard a lot of women say i'm on antidepressant, tracking to much. she was sleeping at night and was later diagnosed with clinical depression. as you say, this is the direction that they had it in. >> we're going to turn out to the odyssey steady audience participation. presented by the commonwealth club. author of families and

insecure time. questions. >> good to be here. my question is about thinking, practical solutions for the financial and security, especially the middle class and lower class space. i worry about your opinion of the economy. companies that people can use existing resources to help supplement their income and sometimes rely substantially. and it could be a solution that will actually have an effect or if it's not enough >> it's having a positive effect. i was talking in the city a few weeks ago about how much earnings have increased substantially. i think you're right.

the problem is that the issues that families, it's not just one thing. it is everything together. it doesn't matter if he's any more money if he doesn't have health insurance. and i have a little bit more savings, but will it be the 50,000 the needs? what kind of solid foundation but we think has families. economic security. >> okay. thank you. >> thank you. >> my name is julia. i've noticed a lot of retribution that comes from trying. what do you think we can do to remove the stigma, coming out. >> i have never been worried about.

[applause] >> how would i say this? think you need to be on the right side of history. when you realize i think everyone should call themselves a feminist. >> i think the coast to marion's point. i think one of the main points of this book which is so beautifully written and well documented and researched, and security is affecting all of us. people have created the problems we seek to solve in the ways a very and explained. the insecurity is keeping people who could be understanding and feeling more giving, they are feeling nervous. giving up their hopes and dreams. it is the same thing with gender equality. we talked about below expectations. we think it's a big issue

when women took over the senate. when 20 percent of the seats in the senate. no. no. this not a takeover. [applause] if men ran 20% of the state's someone write a headline. is that men taking of a plan it? and so expectations are so big. i think we should expect because it is better for all of us. and so to report on economic and security, all of us coming together and providing more of a safety net is beneficial for the society. all of us coming together of gender inequality is better for everyone. the answer is, i am a feminist and you should be,

to. this is better for you. >> thank you. >> you talk about family security. as the vietnam veteran and learn about a federal bill in the congress that would have challenged to between 18 and 19 males and females to consider doing some kind of community service or military service or voluntaryism to a one-year dialogue. since september 11th the sociological paradox, have over 2,000 photos of speakers like you, and only one person provides feedback . 99 percent remain silent. it seems to be the only way is from the sociological to create a website the challenges feedback from these experts.

is that something that stanford or you might consider providing feedback on toward creating? >> sure. bring it on. >> thank you so much with the terrific and insightful remarks. he talked about the importance of a standing close together command by wholeheartedly agree. how optimistic you are that we will be standing closer together and why. >> well, i am optimistic because inequality, people are starting to talk about it more. i really believe that the first up, we have to have been we have a problem. and then we need to create or develop a plan to get through it. so i am optimistic because i think we realize we have a problem.

i think even business leaders are starting to realize if we don't have a strong middle-class we can't sell stuff which is bad news for a consumer driven economy. so i am a sociologists. i don't ever kid super optimistic. i mean, i doubt it. probably not. >> sometimes. >> no. [laughter] ..