Doccie lifts the lid on US finances

01 August 2011 - 02:29 By Staff reporter
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Historian Simon Schama hosts the documentary 'Obama's America'
Historian Simon Schama hosts the documentary 'Obama's America'

Obama's America is a two-part documentary that explores the history of the US economy. It concludes next Monday.

Historian Simon Schama explores the US financially, and looks at what is believed to have contributed to the economic crisis. He recalls how President Barack Obama wrestled with challenges on the world stage, and a reeling economy at home.

Viewers are shown what is at stake and what the future might hold for the US.

"Outside the US we have become so accustomed to characterising America as the most mercenary nation on earth, in thrall to the Almighty Dollar, that we sometimes neglect its complicated relationship with pecuniary wealth," says Schama.

"Obama's challenge is to restore the American dream for the next generation. To do so, he must walk a tightrope between seemingly irreconcilable interests; he must use the power of the state to help those who are suffering, without suppressing the values of hard work, drive and personal responsibility that define America and have made it the most prosperous nation on earth," he says.

  • 'Obama's America' airs at 9.30pm on BBC Knowledge (channel 251) tonight
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