"To state the question in historical terms, how different is [this capitalist thuggery in support of Trump and lower taxes] from the wealthy European industrialists who quietly backed the fascists in the 1920s and 1930s? These billionaire and corporate funders are as complicit as are the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers in threatening American democracy."
You've answered your own rhetorical question. It' s really no different. Which is why the fascists a century ago called themselves National Socialists. When the wealthy and the corporations are, through lowering of their taxes, thereby empowered, capitalism goes off the rails. The very same forces that built and sustained a thriving economy now turn to evil.
Progressive taxation is key to a thriving economy and a congenial society. It prevents the wealthy from becoming sufficiently powerful to disrupt the market. Reagan and Friedman stood this logic on its head and, 40 years later, we are on the road to fascism.
A central Democrat plank of future elections should be an aggressive promotion of the idea of taxing the rich and the corporations, in order to promote education and healthcare for all.
Jul 12, 2022·edited Jul 12, 2022Liked by Robert Reich
To answer your question, it’s no different at all compared to what Uber did, it’s just more obvious and closer to home. After all the report doesn’t mention that happening to US Uber drivers. it’s also more dangerous in terms of what it means for the future of this country. Many people have tried to hold these companies responsible and failed simply because the companies provide essential services and have bottomless pockets. The answer is to regulate corporate donations to political campaigns and the companies themselves much tighter. Unfortunately not enough in power are willing to do that because that means giving up money they are receiving.
Amen! There is a clear connection between the very rich and very large corporations and the proud boys and the brown shirts! And so it goes…oligarchy. It’s all about power and therefore influence and money. Lord help us these United States! An age old struggle for justice and fairness. Those who have the money make the rules. A man’s need for power is directly proportional to his mental illness! When are people going to stop looking for a savior and start relying on their own recognizance? My answer to that question is central to democracy. Self worth and not narcissism. Competition generally gives most of us a feeling of not being good enough. And some become so obsessed with winning that the grow orange hair and cheat to win. Winning only makes one person feel good. Hate of oneself begets hate for others. The most disturbed become the most hateful and probably the most powerful.
Jul 12, 2022·edited Jul 12, 2022Liked by Robert Reich
Disgusting that the pursuit of wealth leads to such criminal activity and threats to the common good. When those telling the truth need to increase security and go in hiding we know we are on the doorstep of fascism. Thank you, Robert Reich, for sharing this information. We will never see it in mainstream media.
Without support from big money and big industry, Hitler would not have succeeded. Without their support Trump cannot succeed either so cut off this lifeline
We need more courageous candidates who are willing to take on the overturn of Citizen’s United ruling, or corporate lobbyists who fund politicians and write legislation that gives their industries advantages. What about politicians who got to work for these same lobbyists after their careers end? Why is this not outlawed? Why are politicians or former political appointees a allowed to work as foreign agents after their careers end? I am so sick of receiving donation calls, texts and emails from politicians? Why are these coroporations that receive tax breaks and avoid taxes through loopholes or who receive federal subsidies allowed to then donate large sums of money to political candidates or who now have PACS and SuperPACS to influence election outcomes? They are now paying money to SCOTUS nominees that have lied in confirmation hearings and then overturn a woman’s right to choose and will use every opportunity to take away other rights that were ruled on and viewed as a precedent.
When we try to avoid doing business or boycott these businesses, we are called the cancel culture. As a 67 year old woman, I recall Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta calling for the grape boycott to show solidarity for farm workers who worked and still do in deplorable conditions for low pay. My mother and our family tried to do our part to show solidarity.
I call on everyone who reads your columns to boycott any of these corporations who support politicians and policies that support the Big Lie, and are complicit in the rise of fascist and extreme political efforts and policies.
Sorry for rambling, as I rarely comment.
I believe that unless we, as a nation, get back to “The pursuit of the greater good” instead the pursuit of money, wealth, influence and access to corporations in our political system, then we really have lost our morale compass.
They're all emboldened by Merrick "milquetoast" Garland, who is likely hiding under his bed this very minute peeing himself while clutching a photo of Neville Chamberlain.
Fun Fact: The AG doesn't have to be a lawyer, and indeed doesn't even to have gone to law school.
Tell Garland thanks for nothing, and put Malcolm Nance in there. The poo would start hitting the fan in a nanosecond.
Same group headed by Koch and Mercer that I’ve seen for the past five years. But, where are
the Russian oligarchs led by Len Blavatsky’s Russian-funded Republican Super PAC? That’s the Putin connection even more troubling, according to Malcolm Nance—along with Senate recipients named in Section III of “The Plot to Destroy Democracy.”
Nance’s new book is due out the 12th. Its forthright title suggests a coming violent attack on Americans by Trump’s insurrectionists. Perhaps the aim of what Our 15th Chief Justice Warren Earl Burger called the “fraud” perpetrated by “organizations” regarding the Second Amendment: 1991 PBS interview with Charlaine Hunter Galt, 200 years after that amendment’s ratification in 1791. Check it out on You Tube.
The short-sightedness of Trump's corporate and wealthy backers is the amazing part. If you use any means whatsoever to retain more of your business's cash flow, the conditions under which you do business are going to be undermined, and that cash flow is going to be diminished. What happened to businesses liking stability?
"To state the question in historical terms, how different is [this capitalist thuggery in support of Trump and lower taxes] from the wealthy European industrialists who quietly backed the fascists in the 1920s and 1930s? These billionaire and corporate funders are as complicit as are the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers in threatening American democracy."
You've answered your own rhetorical question. It' s really no different. Which is why the fascists a century ago called themselves National Socialists. When the wealthy and the corporations are, through lowering of their taxes, thereby empowered, capitalism goes off the rails. The very same forces that built and sustained a thriving economy now turn to evil.
Progressive taxation is key to a thriving economy and a congenial society. It prevents the wealthy from becoming sufficiently powerful to disrupt the market. Reagan and Friedman stood this logic on its head and, 40 years later, we are on the road to fascism.
A central Democrat plank of future elections should be an aggressive promotion of the idea of taxing the rich and the corporations, in order to promote education and healthcare for all.
You are doing a great service for our country by clearly stating the severely wrong things that are going on.
To answer your question, it’s no different at all compared to what Uber did, it’s just more obvious and closer to home. After all the report doesn’t mention that happening to US Uber drivers. it’s also more dangerous in terms of what it means for the future of this country. Many people have tried to hold these companies responsible and failed simply because the companies provide essential services and have bottomless pockets. The answer is to regulate corporate donations to political campaigns and the companies themselves much tighter. Unfortunately not enough in power are willing to do that because that means giving up money they are receiving.
Amen! There is a clear connection between the very rich and very large corporations and the proud boys and the brown shirts! And so it goes…oligarchy. It’s all about power and therefore influence and money. Lord help us these United States! An age old struggle for justice and fairness. Those who have the money make the rules. A man’s need for power is directly proportional to his mental illness! When are people going to stop looking for a savior and start relying on their own recognizance? My answer to that question is central to democracy. Self worth and not narcissism. Competition generally gives most of us a feeling of not being good enough. And some become so obsessed with winning that the grow orange hair and cheat to win. Winning only makes one person feel good. Hate of oneself begets hate for others. The most disturbed become the most hateful and probably the most powerful.
Disgusting that the pursuit of wealth leads to such criminal activity and threats to the common good. When those telling the truth need to increase security and go in hiding we know we are on the doorstep of fascism. Thank you, Robert Reich, for sharing this information. We will never see it in mainstream media.
Empires fall from within. First very slowly for an extended period of time and then all at once!
Without support from big money and big industry, Hitler would not have succeeded. Without their support Trump cannot succeed either so cut off this lifeline
We need more courageous candidates who are willing to take on the overturn of Citizen’s United ruling, or corporate lobbyists who fund politicians and write legislation that gives their industries advantages. What about politicians who got to work for these same lobbyists after their careers end? Why is this not outlawed? Why are politicians or former political appointees a allowed to work as foreign agents after their careers end? I am so sick of receiving donation calls, texts and emails from politicians? Why are these coroporations that receive tax breaks and avoid taxes through loopholes or who receive federal subsidies allowed to then donate large sums of money to political candidates or who now have PACS and SuperPACS to influence election outcomes? They are now paying money to SCOTUS nominees that have lied in confirmation hearings and then overturn a woman’s right to choose and will use every opportunity to take away other rights that were ruled on and viewed as a precedent.
When we try to avoid doing business or boycott these businesses, we are called the cancel culture. As a 67 year old woman, I recall Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta calling for the grape boycott to show solidarity for farm workers who worked and still do in deplorable conditions for low pay. My mother and our family tried to do our part to show solidarity.
I call on everyone who reads your columns to boycott any of these corporations who support politicians and policies that support the Big Lie, and are complicit in the rise of fascist and extreme political efforts and policies.
Sorry for rambling, as I rarely comment.
I believe that unless we, as a nation, get back to “The pursuit of the greater good” instead the pursuit of money, wealth, influence and access to corporations in our political system, then we really have lost our morale compass.
Thank you for educating us. We don’t have your historical knowledge and need it.
Truly HORRIFYING! The similarities between the current political wave & the rise of Hitler's fascism can't be ignored!
Now I feel guilty holding on my AT&T landline.
They're all emboldened by Merrick "milquetoast" Garland, who is likely hiding under his bed this very minute peeing himself while clutching a photo of Neville Chamberlain.
Fun Fact: The AG doesn't have to be a lawyer, and indeed doesn't even to have gone to law school.
Tell Garland thanks for nothing, and put Malcolm Nance in there. The poo would start hitting the fan in a nanosecond.
Same group headed by Koch and Mercer that I’ve seen for the past five years. But, where are
the Russian oligarchs led by Len Blavatsky’s Russian-funded Republican Super PAC? That’s the Putin connection even more troubling, according to Malcolm Nance—along with Senate recipients named in Section III of “The Plot to Destroy Democracy.”
Nance’s new book is due out the 12th. Its forthright title suggests a coming violent attack on Americans by Trump’s insurrectionists. Perhaps the aim of what Our 15th Chief Justice Warren Earl Burger called the “fraud” perpetrated by “organizations” regarding the Second Amendment: 1991 PBS interview with Charlaine Hunter Galt, 200 years after that amendment’s ratification in 1791. Check it out on You Tube.
The short-sightedness of Trump's corporate and wealthy backers is the amazing part. If you use any means whatsoever to retain more of your business's cash flow, the conditions under which you do business are going to be undermined, and that cash flow is going to be diminished. What happened to businesses liking stability?
Thank you for putting this so succinctly. This is unabashed fascism. If this is what America really wants, thank god, I'm old.
Make a video. Get you publicist to have you on more tv