I hope and pray that the beginning of the last paragraph of today’s article rings true. I love Joe Biden and think he is doing a fine job considering the mess he inherited. If I had the means to I would sponsor a Ukrainian family. 🌻
Biden's achievements with regards to Ukraine have been remarkable, and more reason to support his very successful efforts to not only equip Ukraine with the weapons they need to squash the invasion by the poorly-organized and ill-supplied Russian armed forces, but to bring together, as he did a few days ago, what I'd call Nato Plus, forty (40!) countries that are on board with supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Contrast all that he's done with the former guy's disregard for Ukraine, his desire to end our involvement with NATO, terminate the 70-year-old Atlantic Alliance, and support dangerous dictators while alienating our friends and allies. If the former guy had somehow been re-elected, he'd probably be sending arms to Russia and NATO would be an ineffective ghost of an organization.
Still, it's tricky doing what he's done when the deranged mob boss who heads up Russia is rattling his nuclear weapons and introducing next generation ICBMs, and Biden has had to take our escalation of military support for Ukraine frustratingly slowly. There's just no telling what a cornered rat like Putin might do to save face and stay in power. More power to Joe Biden for walking the line so carefully and wisely. He is changing Europe and the world in dramatic ways. I look forward to the day when the war is over and Biden and Zelenskyy meet face to face in peacetime.
I totally agree with everything you are saying. The mainstream media do not report on Biden's successes in Ukraine and also with our economy here. Instead they dwell on the hot-button topics that are sure to push ratings-gas prices and the economy(the price of groceries always gains ire from consumers).These people are a lot of the reason we got Trump...and kept him. They are also yammering on the mid-terms and the yuuuge loses Democrats are supposed to sustain. Like Professor Reich says "Rubbish". The only way the right wins is by cheating and the press contribute.
Absolutely! Well said. CNN is ultimately owned by AT&T, CBS,NBC,ABC,FOX all the major stations are owned by far right. Some are obvious in what they say and other stations are obvious by what they DON’t report. Sinclair Brothers own 294 local stations. A lot of people don’t realize why this perpetual doom & gloom of Democrats keeps working. Some have been hood winked into believing the “two parties are the same”. If a person can’t figure that out, they shouldn’t vote. There has never been a clearer picture of the differences. I’ve been harping on this since 2004.
It's SUCH a relief to have an experienced, thoughtful, composed, measured, GROWN UP at the helm. I cannot imagine how we could have survived if your paragraph #2 had come to be (came so close; coulda gone exactly as you described but with all the exhausting tweets, lies, and associated craziness on top).
Biden has walked the line too carefully and unwisely. He should have led NATO to counter the invasion with the minimum amount of NATO force in a stepwise fashion to repel and end the invasion when it started. I predict that Putin would not use nuclear weapons, thereby endangering the existence of his own country and himself, in order to gain the prize of Ukraine. He is a clever bully, but neither stupid nor crazy.
Putin is crazy!. Look what he has done here. Interfering with our elections/social media etc. Some suspect he has cancer because his face looks swollen and a doctor accompanies him everywhere. He is extremely ruthless and if his life is limited, I would not trust him whatsoever to do something idiotic. He’s had many people poisoned and killed and fires snd imprisons those who disagree with him or make him look bad.
Biden is NOT unwise, but quite wise to proceed to pull other countries together to funnel weapons to Ukraine.
GW1: No. Putin is not psychotic. He is “in touch with reality” and is able to function satisfactorily in daily life.
SR1: Look what he has done here. Interfering with our elections/social media etc.
GW1: Committing criminal acts is not necessarily an indicator of craziness. However, it is correlated with being a psychopath.
SR1: Some suspect he has cancer because his face looks swollen and a doctor accompanies him everywhere.
GW1: People with cancer don’t typically invade other countries. Besides, that he has cancer is still speculation.
SR1: He is extremely ruthless and if his life is limited, I would not trust him whatsoever to do something idiotic.
GW1: I think you did not say what you meant with that sentence. Yes, he is ruthless, but he is not idiotic.
SR1: He’s had many people poisoned and killed and fires snd imprisons those who disagree with him or make him look bad.
GW1: He shows all the signs of being a psychopath. I have interviewed hundreds of men like him.
SR1: Biden is NOT unwise, but quite wise to proceed to pull other countries together to funnel weapons to Ukraine.
GW1: Biden is partly wise and partly unwise. He is unwise by not having promoted a military strike to defend Ukraine.
SR1: What is “stepwise fashion” supposed to mean?
GW1: In this context it means that NATO should counter-attack at approximately the same intensity as the Russian attack, and then escalate only if necessary. For example, there are videos of a Russian ship firing cruise missiles at civilian apartment buildings in Ukraine. NATO should fire cruise missiles at the ship and sink it. NATO should not fire IBMs with nuclear warheads at Moscow at this point. When you strike in stepwise fashion you use the least amount of force necessary to repel an attack and escalate only as necessary. It’s like climbing the steps of a ladder. I predict that Putin would not use his nukes in an effort to dominate and control Ukraine. The prize would not be worth the cost to him. He is clever and mean, but not crazy or stupid.
Gary the point by point is completely asinine. You don’t know that Putin can function satisfactorily in daily life! Do live with Putin? I didn’t think so.
You think he has signs of being a psychopath, also called crazy. And Putin and Trump can be called crazy. They fit the very definition.
Ukraine is not part of Nato so US & allied countries are helping funnel weapons instead of direct fighting. Not to mention, this violates our constitution. That it has been violated before doesn’t mean it’s right to do so. Biden has warned that the US making direct attacks would start WWIII and it’s just what Putin would want. He would then have a legitimate reason to strike at the US. Putin has had many meetings with Xi Jinping. We don’ know if they have a deal between them. And that could be incredibly dangerous!
SR2: Gary the point by point is completely asinine.
GW2: I totally disagree with you on that point. I don’t care what you think of it. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.
SR2: You don’t know that Putin can function satisfactorily in daily life! Do live with Putin? I didn’t think so.
GW2: And you don’t know that he can’t. You don’t live with him! We have different hypotheses based on our limited knowledge. So what?
SR2: You think he has signs of being a psychopath, also called crazy.
GW2: No. Typically, “crazy” is used to refer to people suffering from psychosis. A psychopathic personality disorder is not a psychosis.
SR2: And Putin and Trump can be called crazy. They fit the very definition.
GW2: Only in an informal or colloquial sense. Are you a psychologist?
SR2: Ukraine is not part of Nato so US & allied countries are helping funnel weapons instead of direct fighting.
GW2: That does not matter. NATO is not prohibited from defending another country which is not part of the organization. Neither are the EU or the UN.
SR2: Not to mention, this violates our constitution.
GW2: No. By treaty the US is already authorized to act in concert with NATO. Also, Congress could declare war, if necessary.
SR2: That it has been violated before doesn’t mean it’s right to do so.
GW2: I agree.
SR2: Biden has warned that the US making direct attacks would start WWIII and it’s just what Putin would want.
GW2: I believe Biden and you are mistaken on this point. Putin wants you to think that he would start WWIII or use nukes if NATO intervened militarily. He has intimidated you, Biden, and others. He’s conned you guys. I’ve seen inmates and bullies do this many times.
SR2: He would then have a legitimate reason to strike at the US.
GW2: Not a legitimate moral reason. And it would be 30 nations, not just the US, engaged in a limited military action to end and push back the invasion. Think of the first Iraq War as a good example of what could be done.
SR2: Putin has had many meetings with Xi Jinping. We don’ know if they have a deal between them. And that could be incredibly dangerous!
GW2: Your key words here are “we don’t know.” What we DO KNOW is that Ukraine is suffering a great deal from the Putin invasion. NATO should not make Ukraine the “sacrificial lamb” to the god Putin, hoping he will be satisfied. It is the responsibility of the world community to prevent or stop one nation from invading another. Haven’t we learned anything from WWII?
Thank you for the analysis. I often feel down after watching the mainstream media, but your clarifications help me to find some balance. Red hot labor market! Yea, right! everyone is living large! It just makes sense that with so much wealth going to the top, and the wealthy corporations inflating their stock prices by buying them back, and not being taxed a penny, something has got to give. The workers get less and less, pay more and more, while they are taxed at a higher rate than the wealthy, and now face accusations that their 'riches' are causing inflation! Soon they may be beating a dead horse and wondering why it died!
The days we are living in remind me of Serfdom many centuries back, where we did the job we were told to do in hopes of having a bite of bread or some shelter at the end of the day. OR...it's just today's version of slavery. Oh sure, there is payment involved for work done, BUT...most often it's not a living wage.
I think that much of the effort and work in Ukraine has been in the hands of ordinary civilians. They have shown a willingness to sacrifice and help one another in the dire circumstances in which they find themselves. I do not have much money to help these people but, on the other hand, I try to find some funds to support the teams helping the Ukrainians in their time of need and duress. Kindly do what you can to support one of the many organizations extending all sorts of support to Ukrainians in and outside of the country. I choose Unicef for Families Ukraine and Doctors without Borders but there are many others that are helping. The Ukrainians have been a model of courage, self-sacrifice, and fortitude that we would do well to emulate.
Jan! You raise a point that I have often pondered myself. And here's the way I've gone with that. Years ago when I worked at Macy*s, a co-worker about my age and with a similar background, and I decided we would try to bring some sort of a union to our store. (We were very naive and the time was not ripe for such a move. And we did not realize that the two local union reps were playing for the other side, that is, they had been bought by Macy*s to leave hands off.) We were all hurting with lower wages, no decent raises, constant harassment by management--top to bottom__, threats and constant ridicule and fault-finding, wage theft, and few (if any) benefits--I had no benefits whatsoever and lived for the day I would enter Medicare.) This may to this point seem unrelated to your musings and mine but hold on. In this rather unfortunate environment, one would expect the co-workers to show kindness, respect, generosity, and decent humane values towards each other but the opposite occurred: my co-worker and I had never seen the level of viciousness, conniving, cheating, and general incivility that most of them displayed toward each other. On several occasions, I tried to defend my co-workers (not just my friend but others) against the vindictive, hateful majority all around me. In other words, most of my co-workers were not helping each other, trying to alleviate the actions coming down from the top, but doing their level best to be as hateful and self-serving as their masters. I tried to remain true to myself and considerate of others but I was one of the few. As it turned out, our efforts at unionization petered out, mainly because most of the workers did not want to attempt to thwart their masters, they were afraid. But what I learned was that civility was either severely imperiled or dead. It made for a difficult work situation, few real friends, and a tough place to work. We now live in a country where the former president (cult-leader) holds sway over a good many of our fellow citizens, where incivility, hatred, even violence are condoned. Right now, we are a poor match for Ukraine and I do not know if we can leave our own lack of charity and good-will towards all to become a decent nation of people focused on being kind and helpful to each other. I just don't know.
I seem to remember a experiment performed on rats from my Psych 101 course many decades ago. The experiment showed that, if you create bad conditions in a rat cage -- like lack of food and water and too-crowded space -- then the rats will turn on one another ala your Macy's example. Sad to point out that our 19th century capitalism, now revived in the 21st century, is turning us into the rats of Psych 101.
Your account of rats turning on each other is terrifying but (I believe) accurate. I wonder what it takes for people to turn to compassion and kindness, if they do at all. Right now, we are witnessing the arrivals of refuges from Ukraine and they seem to be receiving a kind of reception denied others who are working their way through a system designed to keep as many out as possible. We wonder how this squares with democracy and the Lazarus poem at the base of the statue of liberty; well, it doesn't but something barely concealed is at work here and we all know it full well. That too goes back to our former president who left us with a lack of decency, incivility, selfishness, respect or reverence for ignorance, hatred of others, and a general counter-legacy that is denied by many but still there nonetheless. I wonder at times whether the US citizenry will ever recognize the cult for what it is and reject its presence in our society. I do not know.
I think the prior president saw something that had been festering for a long time. He saw RACISM and FEAR. America's predominate white European population was declining and the Spanish speaking Latino population was growing, and the blacks were gaining in political power. They had just succeeded in having elected a black president elected. The prior president started planning the seeds of further discontent by questioning that Obama was even born in the United States. I am not surprised of what is happing. When I was growing up, I saw Dr. Kings lead the Civil Right struggle. I saw when he was assassinated. I saw how Anglo America did not want to share power with Afro-America and for that matter with anyone that was not Anglo. Yes, at that time the Southern Democrats were leading the resistance. What did those Racist Democrats do when President Lyndon B. Johnson had the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964? These RACIST are now in the REPULICAN party. President Johnson knew the South would go to the REPULICAN party after the Civil Rights Act was passed, yet he pushed it through Congress. Trump is now the leader of America's Racist and hate mongers.
I do not think one can simply label anyone Anglo-American as racist and unwilling to share power (one cannot label any group of people as any single thing, people are individuals for better and for worse, even Anglo-American people). But if it were true, what would labelling Anglo Americans as racist and unwilling to share power accomplish? Would anyone racist suddenly transform into non-racist? Would our society improve in any measurable way? What would happen to those who did not deserve such an automatic label? Or would such individuals become outcasts? Everything you say is true and I am not denying the fact that some Anglo-Americans are and will continue to be racist. However, clearly Lyndon B Johnson was not a racist, he had actually taught school in Mexican American communities and had first-hand experience with that community. I imagine his first-hand experience did a good deal to change his attitudes and I believe other Anglo-Americans have also developed an understanding they may not have had to begin with. I think the key does not lie in labelling a group and then assigning a set of beliefs and pre-conceived notions about the group but in recognizing that people are individuals and are capable of change and greater understanding if given the kind of opportunities that JOhnson had. If people of whatever race or ethnic background are willing to let go of their pre-judgments and notions and work together to achieve common goals, we might turn out better as a society. I have no idea that there is a guarantee but working together may be worth a try.
When we have a rising middle class again, we’ll have civility and respect. People who fear for their financial future tend towards being defensive and exclusivist: “they want to replace us.” Today’s mood contrasts with that of the 1960s, when the labor unions had triumphed and workers could expect a salary raise every year. It’s no accident that the famous Woodstock concert, that shining example of peace and freedom, should have happened in 1969, before the turn to 19th century capitalism as exemplified in the Powell Memo. I was a kid at Woodstock, and I’ll never forget the sense of unity that is sorely lacking today.
I saw similar films in my Psych 101 course. I think it was one of the BF Skinner experiments. We were all required to be experimental "subjects" for the experiments of the graduate Psych students as part of the course. None were like the rat experiment! So far the 21st century sucks!
Similar to your experience, as freshmen we were required to be strapped to a chair and turned upside down and at various angles to test our visual perception. I believe it was Prof. Seymour Wapner who “owned” the research.
I don't know if civility will ever return because it also runs within families. We have a few cult followers in mine and some conversations are avoided like the plague. I am 80 years old and growing up in the 50's was a decent time to live. But now??? So sad.
Jan, Like you, I am a child of the 50s, slightly younger but not by much. Then as now, there were a lot of issues but they were hidden underneath the pleasant surface of our lives and I don't think civility was one of them. We expected our leaders to set good examples and be worthy of our trust. We didn't get stellar leaders but Eisenhower was good enough and generally beyond reproach. My family was exclusively Democrat but, since my parents had gone through the war, they were loyal to Eisenhower. There may have been cults but we didn't know about them. And there were also serious problems with Civil Rights and the coming military-industrial complex which Eisenhower warned us about. We also had the threat of polio until Salk and Sabin saved a lot of lives with their vaccines. (I do not recall much conflict about the vaccines, only relief and gratitude that Salk and Sabin had saved us all.) I don't know how things are now or will be but I do know that civility probably died a while back and we seniors are left to remember it fondly. I try to understand why people would support a person like the former president as, to my knowledge, he's looking out for no. 1 full-time and just doesn't care about anyone or anything else. Sad, indeed.
Yes, the culture of the USA was pleasant if you were white and a middle-of-the-road person politically. My dad fought in Spain in 1938 and was “investigated” by the secret police during the McCarthy era. Luckily, he had started his own business and could not be fired — unlike many of his comrades who went back to work for an employer.
Stan, I did mention some of the hidden issues beneath the surface of all those pleasant appearances. Perhaps life then and now were/are essentially the same thing with the exception that a lot of people living in the 50s swept a lot of things under the rug. In the 50s the Gilded Age people enjoyed essentially The Best of Everything and turned a blind eye to the plight of millions of other people. (That is: life for the Gilded Agers was one delight after another; life for a good many was hardscrabble and made even harder by racism, fear, and an economy that did not serve the working class.) Perhaps life in the 50s was not as different as I thought....people put on a facade of pleasant everything but beneath the surface then was what is more obvious now: social conflict, racism, hatred, competition, and a lot of greed and corruption from top to bottom.
Many men and women (of European origin) who served in the military during WW2 were satisfied and happy to have Eisenhower as president. Just think, the “guy who won WW2” is now in charge — even more fully. To have an elderly white male war hero leading the country gave my parents’ generation to a feeling of safety as they participated in a seemingly ever-growing economy.
I would like to see Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act repealed too! We do not need any more violence plotted on social media, along with fake news.
It does seem so unfair for Musk to have such an advantage over Bezos, poor man. But seriously, the Web has taken the place of print in many situations, so it does seem time to repeal that ruling.
Absolutely!! FREE Speech my auntie. Someone always ends up paying for the "FREE" Speech of today, because Social Media is not accountable for what is posted and the one posting can remain invisible.
Free speech is abused in the same way that conservatives abuse all of our liberties. They don't understand that freedom comes with responsibilities and that it doesn't work for anyone without them.
(Repeal would require some serious thinking - and a measure of consensus to put something in its place before yanking it out, i.e. more than Congress can muster.)
If Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is the champion of your preferred policy there is - implicitly - a prompt for pause, yes?
= )
So-called "platforms" have responsibilities that extend beyond speech itself, e.g. to fiduciary responsibilities to their stakeholders/shareholders & to legal responsibilities like data protection; Congress & the judiciary can make progress in holding platforms accountable by way of the same. (A simple example: selling ads for electoral purposes has been done for print media & broadcast media for many years; the duties for sellers of such ads can equally apply to platforms - and, for companies that are "ahead of the curve", should be something they are already *choosing* to meet i.e. rather than being required to do so!)
i hate to say this, but every time i read a news story like smialek & casselman's "blame the victims" hit piece in today's NYTimes, i wonder why i am not instead writing about economics instead of science. (well, except my expertise is in the sciences, but i've noticed that one's expertise does not keep pretenders from writing about things they know nothing about.) i certainly have the integrity to write about economic issues, and the determination & drive to document every teensy detail of every story, every quote, and every graph ... and isn't that what real journalism is all about?
Regarding the war, how about much greater global efforts to resolve conflicts without war? It seems to me the United Nations needs strengthening. Leaders must find more creative ways to prevent wars and end them, if they start, as fast as possible. The risks of escalation and nuclear annihilation are real and currently growing. Now it's Russia, in the future it may be China, Iran or North Korea... We must build an international community of mutual respect, collaboration, and keeping trouble makers in check collectively. We have a long way to go and a short time to get there. The climate crisis makes this all the more urgent.
How come the USA is not on the list? We have the largest nuclear arsenal, and are investing about a trillion to improve it, i.e. make it more lethal. We are the most militarily aggressive in the world, and the most heavily armed by far, push button ready to do more than our fare share of nuclear annihilation.
One minor correction to your excellent point: Russia presently has the largest nuclear arsenal (measured by number of nuclear warheads) according to multiple sources on the Internet.
Nuclear weapons don't seem to deter violence and wars. There are currently enough everywhere to destroy us all, and wars are ongoing raising the risks of intentional or accidental nuclear annihilation. Time for nuclear disarmament. Another huge challenge...
Robert: your years of involvement and understanding have placed your writing in a very positive and professional manner of explanations, I enjoy reading your comments they express the very way it is, and generally explain a good way out. If only the media, leaders, and public would listen. There is always a way out of all crisis and many is the times the United States of America has led the way. What you see is fact, what you suggest is honest appraisal and good judgment. I hope and pray we have time to activate your proposals. Keep up the good news
That’s because at heart, I believe Prof. Reich to be an educator who realizes much of the difficulties we face in elected officials and policies have to do with lack of understanding on the part of the average voter. If more common folk truly understood the real issues effecting them, we would more likely be able to vote in and change policy for OUR betterment.
Professor, With the midterms nearly upon us, were the recognition Biden is due for his handling of the war in Ukraine not to receive warranted commendation until the history, as you say, is written, I imagine many would consider that lapse a lost opportunity, specifically in light of domestic vulnerabilities over which the Administration has limited control.
As a remedy, I propose that the public air waves be inundated with split screen imagery amplifying distinctions between the current Administration and its predecessor. Granting that we still don’t know the outcome of the invasion, surely there is sufficient factual predication to distinguish the impact of Biden’s commanding presence relative, for example, to mightily helping to fortify NATO as opposed to his predecessor, under whose auspices we were witnessing its near fatal demise.
The split screen viewing would be perfect! But the right wing controls the media and I don’t see that happening. There is a group in the UK called Led by Donkeys that project videos on Government buildings with people telling the truth and calling out the lies. They also drive around with billboards on trucks. I’ve seen that in the US too. We need some sort of creative way to communicate to larger groups of people.
@SeekingReason, Though I appreciate your alternative ideas, I am unaware of your reasons for claiming “the right wing controls the media.” My understanding is that, while media constitute a commercially profit-driven enterprise, theoretically, at least, it also should provide open, vibrant, and diverse coverage. The debate, generally, seems to rest with whether media meaningfully can engage in “public service” and nurture the “public trust” and still make the sort of money they currently do or whether the desire to make bigger profits will drive media owners to provide expedient rather than useful content.
It is the wealthy who own most media outlets, so they control what the media is allowed to report. They seldom give the whole truth, just bits and pieces to make it look like they are doing "public service." The key word in your comment is "should." There are a lot of things in this world that "should" be being done, like the wealthy using their wealth to help everyone to live a good, safe, healthy, happy life. After all, the money they have they "took from us." But they will never give it back. And where "once upon a time" the media did do a public service, that time is gone. Now all they do is pay "lip service" to the truth while controlling what we get to know about the world.
@rawgod, Admittedly, the last time I recall programming dedicated to telling stories that partisans in power didn’t want told dates back to Moyers (Bill) and Company, which aired on PBS from 2012 through 2014. Still, presuming I understand your thesis, I don’t accept the premise that the media entirely have usurped our capacity to think for ourselves by manipulating what we know of events and how we interpret them. Fortunately, in my view, we can learn to question not only what is said, but also how it is said. We also can recognize what is not being said—perhaps deliberately so—as we become skillful critics of what we see, hear, or read. I would submit, in a democracy, that both citizens and media must share the responsibility for scrutinizing who is communicating and for what purpose.
I never said we cannot think for ourselves, or we would not be here listening to RR. But you are right we have to think critically if we truly want to understand what is going on in the world. The question becomes, how many people think critically, and how many people just accept whatever they are told without questioning it? This is why FAUX News has such a hold on the MAGAts of America, because either they do not know how to think critically, or they are too lazy to bother, or they like what they are being told. Whatever the reason, over 40% of Americans do this. And these people are the ones with the loudest voices right now. Not enough freethinking people are shouting them down!
@rawgod, Though I’m deeply puzzled and dismayed by the 40+% you referenced, I don’t think the answer is “shouting them down.” Though some, I imagine, are beyond the pale, hopefully, the majority are reluctant adversaries who, if given the chance, would prefer to enjoy modernity and its blessings, on terms that are grounded in mutual respect, personal responsibility, and social accountability.
Meanwhile, I mostly direct my engagement, my energy, my caring, my work towards galvanizing the 60%, give or take, committed to making democracy real at home (and abroad) and rendering those who don’t choose to join us irrelevant.
As for Twitter, and other "word cesspools" I'd propose a much harsher solution - although impossible - of expunging all social media sites. As I recall, Zuck started a site at Harvard to rate girls. Then he got this weird idea that the world would be a better place if people could express themselves - and how did that work out? Sites like Facebook and Instagram serve to let other people know "how great my life is". I've never used social media as I prefer self-examination and self-improvement. I've never grasped the joy of letting the world know what the hell I'm thinking or doing, as who would care. In terms of social media, I guess I'm an iconoclast. Don't see any social benefit of engaging with it - and the last think I need in my life is an electronic "friend". The sheer number of hours people put into social media could be better spent making the world a better place.
Surely it's like any other tool, i.e. a question of how it's used determines the merits of its use (is there anything precluding basic education which prompts users to think before they post?)...
Blogging sites, good, bad, or indifferent, are all social media platforms. I use two sites, and two sites only, Substack, and Word Press, but I realize they are just another form of social media. There is as much crap to be found on them as there is on Facebook, Twitter, and anywhere else!
Robert, thank you for today's letter. I didn't even know of the Communications Decency Act, repealing it certainly makes sense, we are in a different time now. Presently, with the Congress we have now I can't see how that's possible. I can't imagine what can deter the Powell fueled runaway recession train. The Fed knows the truth about what's causing inflation. I believe there are other darker forces at work here. There are advantages to bad actors to have the economy falter. On Biden, he's a Champion. Yes, his patient, steady, focused hand pulling NATO together and finding a path to help defeat Putin without causing a greater conflict is the best thing happening today. The outcome is not close at hand, I fear, but at least there is sanity on the part of our president and other countries in dealing with this crisis. I have thought from time to time, what a worse nightmare this would be if Trump had pulled off his coup and were president. This psychopathically violent man would be like a pig in sh__ wallowing in the chaos of savagery and luxuriating in the attention he could get from it. Biden was a bigger gift to this country than many may ever understand. And yes, the Ukrainians blow my mind every single day. Amazing people....Americans could learn a lot from them...how to fight for Democracy and self rule.
When someone like MTG defames someone like Nancy Pelosi and then calls for her death, if the justice department doesn't act, MTG should be sued civilly for defamation.
Waiting to see what happens to the Trump civil suit against HRC et al. Counterclaim. Set him for deposition.
When someone is called a "pedo" by name, the cash register should ring.
MTG et al need to be incarcerated in a mental institution that requires daily group therapy and lots of psychedelics to change their "minds." As that is not in the cards, I recommend an up to date passport. These evildoers are winning, we are losing. We can't vote our way out of this.
With a net worth over $40 million, suing MTG should yield a tidy sum to a plaintiff if successful. I suspect that Trump will reply "I don't remember" when questioned, which seems to be the default answer when you do not want to tell the truth.
Well, Professor, I have taken to reading you before I read the Times or WaPo. It gives me some ballast. Speaking of wealth, the Times keeps getting fatter but there's not quite enough staff to cover certain aspects of our situation. In the Guardian, I read that the new Times editor is expected to steer more towards the "centre". Heaven help us. I value my mental health too much to follow Twitter, so I thank you for doing it for me. We swim in a sea of misinformation.
Guardrails on Twitter? Easy!! When one publishes an article on ANY journal, one needs to cite references. When someone conveys "information" via Twitter, they should be compelled to cite references, so the readers can check out those references. No references=no publishing on Tweeter. Now that we've straightened this out, should I call Elon to discuss this?
A friend of mine seems sane except has bought fully and rabidly into Covid conspiracy. During the past two years, he has cited and/or forwarded to me a continuing stream of "reference" articlrs by "professionals". Obviously, they appear convincing to many. Even Musk isn't capable of validating sources for every Tweet. But if I call Mr. Free Speech to tell him that....I've seen Tweeters blocked by him for less.
Indeed, cited references would make for a very academic Twitter! (There was, however, a 140 character limit originally; could be a challenge to short-form expression as such, yeah?)
I hope and pray that the beginning of the last paragraph of today’s article rings true. I love Joe Biden and think he is doing a fine job considering the mess he inherited. If I had the means to I would sponsor a Ukrainian family. 🌻
Biden's achievements with regards to Ukraine have been remarkable, and more reason to support his very successful efforts to not only equip Ukraine with the weapons they need to squash the invasion by the poorly-organized and ill-supplied Russian armed forces, but to bring together, as he did a few days ago, what I'd call Nato Plus, forty (40!) countries that are on board with supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Contrast all that he's done with the former guy's disregard for Ukraine, his desire to end our involvement with NATO, terminate the 70-year-old Atlantic Alliance, and support dangerous dictators while alienating our friends and allies. If the former guy had somehow been re-elected, he'd probably be sending arms to Russia and NATO would be an ineffective ghost of an organization.
Still, it's tricky doing what he's done when the deranged mob boss who heads up Russia is rattling his nuclear weapons and introducing next generation ICBMs, and Biden has had to take our escalation of military support for Ukraine frustratingly slowly. There's just no telling what a cornered rat like Putin might do to save face and stay in power. More power to Joe Biden for walking the line so carefully and wisely. He is changing Europe and the world in dramatic ways. I look forward to the day when the war is over and Biden and Zelenskyy meet face to face in peacetime.
Slava Ukraini, or Glory to Ukraine!
I totally agree with everything you are saying. The mainstream media do not report on Biden's successes in Ukraine and also with our economy here. Instead they dwell on the hot-button topics that are sure to push ratings-gas prices and the economy(the price of groceries always gains ire from consumers).These people are a lot of the reason we got Trump...and kept him. They are also yammering on the mid-terms and the yuuuge loses Democrats are supposed to sustain. Like Professor Reich says "Rubbish". The only way the right wins is by cheating and the press contribute.
Absolutely! Well said. CNN is ultimately owned by AT&T, CBS,NBC,ABC,FOX all the major stations are owned by far right. Some are obvious in what they say and other stations are obvious by what they DON’t report. Sinclair Brothers own 294 local stations. A lot of people don’t realize why this perpetual doom & gloom of Democrats keeps working. Some have been hood winked into believing the “two parties are the same”. If a person can’t figure that out, they shouldn’t vote. There has never been a clearer picture of the differences. I’ve been harping on this since 2004.
Those who control the mouthpiece, control a lot!
It's SUCH a relief to have an experienced, thoughtful, composed, measured, GROWN UP at the helm. I cannot imagine how we could have survived if your paragraph #2 had come to be (came so close; coulda gone exactly as you described but with all the exhausting tweets, lies, and associated craziness on top).
If Trump had won the 2020 election, then Ukraine would have fallen to Putin and Zelenskyy would be dead.
So true!
Well said, Porter! Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦🌻
Biden has walked the line too carefully and unwisely. He should have led NATO to counter the invasion with the minimum amount of NATO force in a stepwise fashion to repel and end the invasion when it started. I predict that Putin would not use nuclear weapons, thereby endangering the existence of his own country and himself, in order to gain the prize of Ukraine. He is a clever bully, but neither stupid nor crazy.
Putin is crazy!. Look what he has done here. Interfering with our elections/social media etc. Some suspect he has cancer because his face looks swollen and a doctor accompanies him everywhere. He is extremely ruthless and if his life is limited, I would not trust him whatsoever to do something idiotic. He’s had many people poisoned and killed and fires snd imprisons those who disagree with him or make him look bad.
Biden is NOT unwise, but quite wise to proceed to pull other countries together to funnel weapons to Ukraine.
What is “stepwise fashion” supposed to mean?
SR1: Putin is crazy!.
GW1: No. Putin is not psychotic. He is “in touch with reality” and is able to function satisfactorily in daily life.
SR1: Look what he has done here. Interfering with our elections/social media etc.
GW1: Committing criminal acts is not necessarily an indicator of craziness. However, it is correlated with being a psychopath.
SR1: Some suspect he has cancer because his face looks swollen and a doctor accompanies him everywhere.
GW1: People with cancer don’t typically invade other countries. Besides, that he has cancer is still speculation.
SR1: He is extremely ruthless and if his life is limited, I would not trust him whatsoever to do something idiotic.
GW1: I think you did not say what you meant with that sentence. Yes, he is ruthless, but he is not idiotic.
SR1: He’s had many people poisoned and killed and fires snd imprisons those who disagree with him or make him look bad.
GW1: He shows all the signs of being a psychopath. I have interviewed hundreds of men like him.
SR1: Biden is NOT unwise, but quite wise to proceed to pull other countries together to funnel weapons to Ukraine.
GW1: Biden is partly wise and partly unwise. He is unwise by not having promoted a military strike to defend Ukraine.
SR1: What is “stepwise fashion” supposed to mean?
GW1: In this context it means that NATO should counter-attack at approximately the same intensity as the Russian attack, and then escalate only if necessary. For example, there are videos of a Russian ship firing cruise missiles at civilian apartment buildings in Ukraine. NATO should fire cruise missiles at the ship and sink it. NATO should not fire IBMs with nuclear warheads at Moscow at this point. When you strike in stepwise fashion you use the least amount of force necessary to repel an attack and escalate only as necessary. It’s like climbing the steps of a ladder. I predict that Putin would not use his nukes in an effort to dominate and control Ukraine. The prize would not be worth the cost to him. He is clever and mean, but not crazy or stupid.
Gary the point by point is completely asinine. You don’t know that Putin can function satisfactorily in daily life! Do live with Putin? I didn’t think so.
You think he has signs of being a psychopath, also called crazy. And Putin and Trump can be called crazy. They fit the very definition.
Ukraine is not part of Nato so US & allied countries are helping funnel weapons instead of direct fighting. Not to mention, this violates our constitution. That it has been violated before doesn’t mean it’s right to do so. Biden has warned that the US making direct attacks would start WWIII and it’s just what Putin would want. He would then have a legitimate reason to strike at the US. Putin has had many meetings with Xi Jinping. We don’ know if they have a deal between them. And that could be incredibly dangerous!
SR2: Gary the point by point is completely asinine.
GW2: I totally disagree with you on that point. I don’t care what you think of it. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.
SR2: You don’t know that Putin can function satisfactorily in daily life! Do live with Putin? I didn’t think so.
GW2: And you don’t know that he can’t. You don’t live with him! We have different hypotheses based on our limited knowledge. So what?
SR2: You think he has signs of being a psychopath, also called crazy.
GW2: No. Typically, “crazy” is used to refer to people suffering from psychosis. A psychopathic personality disorder is not a psychosis.
SR2: And Putin and Trump can be called crazy. They fit the very definition.
GW2: Only in an informal or colloquial sense. Are you a psychologist?
SR2: Ukraine is not part of Nato so US & allied countries are helping funnel weapons instead of direct fighting.
GW2: That does not matter. NATO is not prohibited from defending another country which is not part of the organization. Neither are the EU or the UN.
SR2: Not to mention, this violates our constitution.
GW2: No. By treaty the US is already authorized to act in concert with NATO. Also, Congress could declare war, if necessary.
SR2: That it has been violated before doesn’t mean it’s right to do so.
GW2: I agree.
SR2: Biden has warned that the US making direct attacks would start WWIII and it’s just what Putin would want.
GW2: I believe Biden and you are mistaken on this point. Putin wants you to think that he would start WWIII or use nukes if NATO intervened militarily. He has intimidated you, Biden, and others. He’s conned you guys. I’ve seen inmates and bullies do this many times.
SR2: He would then have a legitimate reason to strike at the US.
GW2: Not a legitimate moral reason. And it would be 30 nations, not just the US, engaged in a limited military action to end and push back the invasion. Think of the first Iraq War as a good example of what could be done.
SR2: Putin has had many meetings with Xi Jinping. We don’ know if they have a deal between them. And that could be incredibly dangerous!
GW2: Your key words here are “we don’t know.” What we DO KNOW is that Ukraine is suffering a great deal from the Putin invasion. NATO should not make Ukraine the “sacrificial lamb” to the god Putin, hoping he will be satisfied. It is the responsibility of the world community to prevent or stop one nation from invading another. Haven’t we learned anything from WWII?
Thank you for the analysis. I often feel down after watching the mainstream media, but your clarifications help me to find some balance. Red hot labor market! Yea, right! everyone is living large! It just makes sense that with so much wealth going to the top, and the wealthy corporations inflating their stock prices by buying them back, and not being taxed a penny, something has got to give. The workers get less and less, pay more and more, while they are taxed at a higher rate than the wealthy, and now face accusations that their 'riches' are causing inflation! Soon they may be beating a dead horse and wondering why it died!
The days we are living in remind me of Serfdom many centuries back, where we did the job we were told to do in hopes of having a bite of bread or some shelter at the end of the day. OR...it's just today's version of slavery. Oh sure, there is payment involved for work done, BUT...most often it's not a living wage.
We are working toward an income distribution that rivals Medieval Europe. Time to sharpen the pitch forks! Or at least vote the scoundrels out.
Don Herbst ; If we can actually have our votes counted accurately, and have safe access to the polls or mail in ballots!
Starting to look like a couple of very big "IFs" isn't it.
Don Herbst ; Who knows what will happen? Some states run by wingers will be compromised, unless the Congress can come up with some laws.
I don’t think middle class could possibly get more burdened. It’s outrageous!
I think that much of the effort and work in Ukraine has been in the hands of ordinary civilians. They have shown a willingness to sacrifice and help one another in the dire circumstances in which they find themselves. I do not have much money to help these people but, on the other hand, I try to find some funds to support the teams helping the Ukrainians in their time of need and duress. Kindly do what you can to support one of the many organizations extending all sorts of support to Ukrainians in and outside of the country. I choose Unicef for Families Ukraine and Doctors without Borders but there are many others that are helping. The Ukrainians have been a model of courage, self-sacrifice, and fortitude that we would do well to emulate.
I often what Americans would do if such an event happened here, since we are such a divided nation.
Jan! You raise a point that I have often pondered myself. And here's the way I've gone with that. Years ago when I worked at Macy*s, a co-worker about my age and with a similar background, and I decided we would try to bring some sort of a union to our store. (We were very naive and the time was not ripe for such a move. And we did not realize that the two local union reps were playing for the other side, that is, they had been bought by Macy*s to leave hands off.) We were all hurting with lower wages, no decent raises, constant harassment by management--top to bottom__, threats and constant ridicule and fault-finding, wage theft, and few (if any) benefits--I had no benefits whatsoever and lived for the day I would enter Medicare.) This may to this point seem unrelated to your musings and mine but hold on. In this rather unfortunate environment, one would expect the co-workers to show kindness, respect, generosity, and decent humane values towards each other but the opposite occurred: my co-worker and I had never seen the level of viciousness, conniving, cheating, and general incivility that most of them displayed toward each other. On several occasions, I tried to defend my co-workers (not just my friend but others) against the vindictive, hateful majority all around me. In other words, most of my co-workers were not helping each other, trying to alleviate the actions coming down from the top, but doing their level best to be as hateful and self-serving as their masters. I tried to remain true to myself and considerate of others but I was one of the few. As it turned out, our efforts at unionization petered out, mainly because most of the workers did not want to attempt to thwart their masters, they were afraid. But what I learned was that civility was either severely imperiled or dead. It made for a difficult work situation, few real friends, and a tough place to work. We now live in a country where the former president (cult-leader) holds sway over a good many of our fellow citizens, where incivility, hatred, even violence are condoned. Right now, we are a poor match for Ukraine and I do not know if we can leave our own lack of charity and good-will towards all to become a decent nation of people focused on being kind and helpful to each other. I just don't know.
I seem to remember a experiment performed on rats from my Psych 101 course many decades ago. The experiment showed that, if you create bad conditions in a rat cage -- like lack of food and water and too-crowded space -- then the rats will turn on one another ala your Macy's example. Sad to point out that our 19th century capitalism, now revived in the 21st century, is turning us into the rats of Psych 101.
Your account of rats turning on each other is terrifying but (I believe) accurate. I wonder what it takes for people to turn to compassion and kindness, if they do at all. Right now, we are witnessing the arrivals of refuges from Ukraine and they seem to be receiving a kind of reception denied others who are working their way through a system designed to keep as many out as possible. We wonder how this squares with democracy and the Lazarus poem at the base of the statue of liberty; well, it doesn't but something barely concealed is at work here and we all know it full well. That too goes back to our former president who left us with a lack of decency, incivility, selfishness, respect or reverence for ignorance, hatred of others, and a general counter-legacy that is denied by many but still there nonetheless. I wonder at times whether the US citizenry will ever recognize the cult for what it is and reject its presence in our society. I do not know.
I think the prior president saw something that had been festering for a long time. He saw RACISM and FEAR. America's predominate white European population was declining and the Spanish speaking Latino population was growing, and the blacks were gaining in political power. They had just succeeded in having elected a black president elected. The prior president started planning the seeds of further discontent by questioning that Obama was even born in the United States. I am not surprised of what is happing. When I was growing up, I saw Dr. Kings lead the Civil Right struggle. I saw when he was assassinated. I saw how Anglo America did not want to share power with Afro-America and for that matter with anyone that was not Anglo. Yes, at that time the Southern Democrats were leading the resistance. What did those Racist Democrats do when President Lyndon B. Johnson had the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964? These RACIST are now in the REPULICAN party. President Johnson knew the South would go to the REPULICAN party after the Civil Rights Act was passed, yet he pushed it through Congress. Trump is now the leader of America's Racist and hate mongers.
I do not think one can simply label anyone Anglo-American as racist and unwilling to share power (one cannot label any group of people as any single thing, people are individuals for better and for worse, even Anglo-American people). But if it were true, what would labelling Anglo Americans as racist and unwilling to share power accomplish? Would anyone racist suddenly transform into non-racist? Would our society improve in any measurable way? What would happen to those who did not deserve such an automatic label? Or would such individuals become outcasts? Everything you say is true and I am not denying the fact that some Anglo-Americans are and will continue to be racist. However, clearly Lyndon B Johnson was not a racist, he had actually taught school in Mexican American communities and had first-hand experience with that community. I imagine his first-hand experience did a good deal to change his attitudes and I believe other Anglo-Americans have also developed an understanding they may not have had to begin with. I think the key does not lie in labelling a group and then assigning a set of beliefs and pre-conceived notions about the group but in recognizing that people are individuals and are capable of change and greater understanding if given the kind of opportunities that JOhnson had. If people of whatever race or ethnic background are willing to let go of their pre-judgments and notions and work together to achieve common goals, we might turn out better as a society. I have no idea that there is a guarantee but working together may be worth a try.
When we have a rising middle class again, we’ll have civility and respect. People who fear for their financial future tend towards being defensive and exclusivist: “they want to replace us.” Today’s mood contrasts with that of the 1960s, when the labor unions had triumphed and workers could expect a salary raise every year. It’s no accident that the famous Woodstock concert, that shining example of peace and freedom, should have happened in 1969, before the turn to 19th century capitalism as exemplified in the Powell Memo. I was a kid at Woodstock, and I’ll never forget the sense of unity that is sorely lacking today.
I saw similar films in my Psych 101 course. I think it was one of the BF Skinner experiments. We were all required to be experimental "subjects" for the experiments of the graduate Psych students as part of the course. None were like the rat experiment! So far the 21st century sucks!
Similar to your experience, as freshmen we were required to be strapped to a chair and turned upside down and at various angles to test our visual perception. I believe it was Prof. Seymour Wapner who “owned” the research.
I don't know if civility will ever return because it also runs within families. We have a few cult followers in mine and some conversations are avoided like the plague. I am 80 years old and growing up in the 50's was a decent time to live. But now??? So sad.
Jan, Like you, I am a child of the 50s, slightly younger but not by much. Then as now, there were a lot of issues but they were hidden underneath the pleasant surface of our lives and I don't think civility was one of them. We expected our leaders to set good examples and be worthy of our trust. We didn't get stellar leaders but Eisenhower was good enough and generally beyond reproach. My family was exclusively Democrat but, since my parents had gone through the war, they were loyal to Eisenhower. There may have been cults but we didn't know about them. And there were also serious problems with Civil Rights and the coming military-industrial complex which Eisenhower warned us about. We also had the threat of polio until Salk and Sabin saved a lot of lives with their vaccines. (I do not recall much conflict about the vaccines, only relief and gratitude that Salk and Sabin had saved us all.) I don't know how things are now or will be but I do know that civility probably died a while back and we seniors are left to remember it fondly. I try to understand why people would support a person like the former president as, to my knowledge, he's looking out for no. 1 full-time and just doesn't care about anyone or anything else. Sad, indeed.
Yes, the culture of the USA was pleasant if you were white and a middle-of-the-road person politically. My dad fought in Spain in 1938 and was “investigated” by the secret police during the McCarthy era. Luckily, he had started his own business and could not be fired — unlike many of his comrades who went back to work for an employer.
Stan, I did mention some of the hidden issues beneath the surface of all those pleasant appearances. Perhaps life then and now were/are essentially the same thing with the exception that a lot of people living in the 50s swept a lot of things under the rug. In the 50s the Gilded Age people enjoyed essentially The Best of Everything and turned a blind eye to the plight of millions of other people. (That is: life for the Gilded Agers was one delight after another; life for a good many was hardscrabble and made even harder by racism, fear, and an economy that did not serve the working class.) Perhaps life in the 50s was not as different as I thought....people put on a facade of pleasant everything but beneath the surface then was what is more obvious now: social conflict, racism, hatred, competition, and a lot of greed and corruption from top to bottom.
Many men and women (of European origin) who served in the military during WW2 were satisfied and happy to have Eisenhower as president. Just think, the “guy who won WW2” is now in charge — even more fully. To have an elderly white male war hero leading the country gave my parents’ generation to a feeling of safety as they participated in a seemingly ever-growing economy.
I also wonder. The division, distrust, and pain are deep.
I would like to see Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act repealed too! We do not need any more violence plotted on social media, along with fake news.
It does seem so unfair for Musk to have such an advantage over Bezos, poor man. But seriously, the Web has taken the place of print in many situations, so it does seem time to repeal that ruling.
Absolutely!! FREE Speech my auntie. Someone always ends up paying for the "FREE" Speech of today, because Social Media is not accountable for what is posted and the one posting can remain invisible.
Free speech is abused in the same way that conservatives abuse all of our liberties. They don't understand that freedom comes with responsibilities and that it doesn't work for anyone without them.
Jan, You have it correct: there must be gatekeepers called editors. See, "All The President's Men."
Excellent point Laurie!
Sorry to disagree - but the Electronic Frontier Foundation definitely does not advocate for such an approach:
https://www.eff.org/issues/cda230
(Repeal would require some serious thinking - and a measure of consensus to put something in its place before yanking it out, i.e. more than Congress can muster.)
So what would you suggest? Continue to allow uncensored disinformation which promotes hate, lies, and overthrow of democracy itself?
If Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is the champion of your preferred policy there is - implicitly - a prompt for pause, yes?
= )
So-called "platforms" have responsibilities that extend beyond speech itself, e.g. to fiduciary responsibilities to their stakeholders/shareholders & to legal responsibilities like data protection; Congress & the judiciary can make progress in holding platforms accountable by way of the same. (A simple example: selling ads for electoral purposes has been done for print media & broadcast media for many years; the duties for sellers of such ads can equally apply to platforms - and, for companies that are "ahead of the curve", should be something they are already *choosing* to meet i.e. rather than being required to do so!)
Individuals are still liable for defamation.
To prove prima facie defamation, a plaintiff must show four things:
1) a false statement purporting to be fact;
2) publication or communication of that statement to a third person;
3) fault amounting to at least negligence; and
4) damages, or some harm caused to the person or entity who is the subject of the statement.
Defamed? Get a lawyer.
i hate to say this, but every time i read a news story like smialek & casselman's "blame the victims" hit piece in today's NYTimes, i wonder why i am not instead writing about economics instead of science. (well, except my expertise is in the sciences, but i've noticed that one's expertise does not keep pretenders from writing about things they know nothing about.) i certainly have the integrity to write about economic issues, and the determination & drive to document every teensy detail of every story, every quote, and every graph ... and isn't that what real journalism is all about?
My ol' pappy used to say..."social science is to science as masturbation is to fornication."
Who, what , where, when and how do political articles get published? Not news.
Yesterday I wrote about a Peter Beinart hit piece that the Times published as an op-ed.
I am a subscriber. I object! No Republican propaganda. Use disclaimers.
"The opinions expressed herein do not comport with reality!"
When the Times publishes an article about Twitter and Musk, it should issue a disclaimer.
"According to many sources, Mr. Musk has Asperger syndrome." https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/05/09/elon-musk-hosts-snl/
"Mr. Musk's opinions may or may not comport with reality!"
https://puck.news/elon-musk-and-the-three-libel-suits/?gclid=CjwKCAjwve2TBhByEiwAaktM1EKn7LWGO_jQR1CdusRvu4GbfMcs0B0RNBbWZvYjERf6JOf11ui_nhoC9ioQAvD_BwE
Regarding the war, how about much greater global efforts to resolve conflicts without war? It seems to me the United Nations needs strengthening. Leaders must find more creative ways to prevent wars and end them, if they start, as fast as possible. The risks of escalation and nuclear annihilation are real and currently growing. Now it's Russia, in the future it may be China, Iran or North Korea... We must build an international community of mutual respect, collaboration, and keeping trouble makers in check collectively. We have a long way to go and a short time to get there. The climate crisis makes this all the more urgent.
How come the USA is not on the list? We have the largest nuclear arsenal, and are investing about a trillion to improve it, i.e. make it more lethal. We are the most militarily aggressive in the world, and the most heavily armed by far, push button ready to do more than our fare share of nuclear annihilation.
Good point. Thanks.
One minor correction to your excellent point: Russia presently has the largest nuclear arsenal (measured by number of nuclear warheads) according to multiple sources on the Internet.
Nuclear weapons don't seem to deter violence and wars. There are currently enough everywhere to destroy us all, and wars are ongoing raising the risks of intentional or accidental nuclear annihilation. Time for nuclear disarmament. Another huge challenge...
Robert: your years of involvement and understanding have placed your writing in a very positive and professional manner of explanations, I enjoy reading your comments they express the very way it is, and generally explain a good way out. If only the media, leaders, and public would listen. There is always a way out of all crisis and many is the times the United States of America has led the way. What you see is fact, what you suggest is honest appraisal and good judgment. I hope and pray we have time to activate your proposals. Keep up the good news
That’s because at heart, I believe Prof. Reich to be an educator who realizes much of the difficulties we face in elected officials and policies have to do with lack of understanding on the part of the average voter. If more common folk truly understood the real issues effecting them, we would more likely be able to vote in and change policy for OUR betterment.
Professor, With the midterms nearly upon us, were the recognition Biden is due for his handling of the war in Ukraine not to receive warranted commendation until the history, as you say, is written, I imagine many would consider that lapse a lost opportunity, specifically in light of domestic vulnerabilities over which the Administration has limited control.
As a remedy, I propose that the public air waves be inundated with split screen imagery amplifying distinctions between the current Administration and its predecessor. Granting that we still don’t know the outcome of the invasion, surely there is sufficient factual predication to distinguish the impact of Biden’s commanding presence relative, for example, to mightily helping to fortify NATO as opposed to his predecessor, under whose auspices we were witnessing its near fatal demise.
The split screen viewing would be perfect! But the right wing controls the media and I don’t see that happening. There is a group in the UK called Led by Donkeys that project videos on Government buildings with people telling the truth and calling out the lies. They also drive around with billboards on trucks. I’ve seen that in the US too. We need some sort of creative way to communicate to larger groups of people.
@SeekingReason, Though I appreciate your alternative ideas, I am unaware of your reasons for claiming “the right wing controls the media.” My understanding is that, while media constitute a commercially profit-driven enterprise, theoretically, at least, it also should provide open, vibrant, and diverse coverage. The debate, generally, seems to rest with whether media meaningfully can engage in “public service” and nurture the “public trust” and still make the sort of money they currently do or whether the desire to make bigger profits will drive media owners to provide expedient rather than useful content.
It is the wealthy who own most media outlets, so they control what the media is allowed to report. They seldom give the whole truth, just bits and pieces to make it look like they are doing "public service." The key word in your comment is "should." There are a lot of things in this world that "should" be being done, like the wealthy using their wealth to help everyone to live a good, safe, healthy, happy life. After all, the money they have they "took from us." But they will never give it back. And where "once upon a time" the media did do a public service, that time is gone. Now all they do is pay "lip service" to the truth while controlling what we get to know about the world.
@rawgod, Admittedly, the last time I recall programming dedicated to telling stories that partisans in power didn’t want told dates back to Moyers (Bill) and Company, which aired on PBS from 2012 through 2014. Still, presuming I understand your thesis, I don’t accept the premise that the media entirely have usurped our capacity to think for ourselves by manipulating what we know of events and how we interpret them. Fortunately, in my view, we can learn to question not only what is said, but also how it is said. We also can recognize what is not being said—perhaps deliberately so—as we become skillful critics of what we see, hear, or read. I would submit, in a democracy, that both citizens and media must share the responsibility for scrutinizing who is communicating and for what purpose.
I never said we cannot think for ourselves, or we would not be here listening to RR. But you are right we have to think critically if we truly want to understand what is going on in the world. The question becomes, how many people think critically, and how many people just accept whatever they are told without questioning it? This is why FAUX News has such a hold on the MAGAts of America, because either they do not know how to think critically, or they are too lazy to bother, or they like what they are being told. Whatever the reason, over 40% of Americans do this. And these people are the ones with the loudest voices right now. Not enough freethinking people are shouting them down!
@rawgod, Though I’m deeply puzzled and dismayed by the 40+% you referenced, I don’t think the answer is “shouting them down.” Though some, I imagine, are beyond the pale, hopefully, the majority are reluctant adversaries who, if given the chance, would prefer to enjoy modernity and its blessings, on terms that are grounded in mutual respect, personal responsibility, and social accountability.
Meanwhile, I mostly direct my engagement, my energy, my caring, my work towards galvanizing the 60%, give or take, committed to making democracy real at home (and abroad) and rendering those who don’t choose to join us irrelevant.
As for Twitter, and other "word cesspools" I'd propose a much harsher solution - although impossible - of expunging all social media sites. As I recall, Zuck started a site at Harvard to rate girls. Then he got this weird idea that the world would be a better place if people could express themselves - and how did that work out? Sites like Facebook and Instagram serve to let other people know "how great my life is". I've never used social media as I prefer self-examination and self-improvement. I've never grasped the joy of letting the world know what the hell I'm thinking or doing, as who would care. In terms of social media, I guess I'm an iconoclast. Don't see any social benefit of engaging with it - and the last think I need in my life is an electronic "friend". The sheer number of hours people put into social media could be better spent making the world a better place.
Surely it's like any other tool, i.e. a question of how it's used determines the merits of its use (is there anything precluding basic education which prompts users to think before they post?)...
Blogging sites, good, bad, or indifferent, are all social media platforms. I use two sites, and two sites only, Substack, and Word Press, but I realize they are just another form of social media. There is as much crap to be found on them as there is on Facebook, Twitter, and anywhere else!
Robert, thank you for today's letter. I didn't even know of the Communications Decency Act, repealing it certainly makes sense, we are in a different time now. Presently, with the Congress we have now I can't see how that's possible. I can't imagine what can deter the Powell fueled runaway recession train. The Fed knows the truth about what's causing inflation. I believe there are other darker forces at work here. There are advantages to bad actors to have the economy falter. On Biden, he's a Champion. Yes, his patient, steady, focused hand pulling NATO together and finding a path to help defeat Putin without causing a greater conflict is the best thing happening today. The outcome is not close at hand, I fear, but at least there is sanity on the part of our president and other countries in dealing with this crisis. I have thought from time to time, what a worse nightmare this would be if Trump had pulled off his coup and were president. This psychopathically violent man would be like a pig in sh__ wallowing in the chaos of savagery and luxuriating in the attention he could get from it. Biden was a bigger gift to this country than many may ever understand. And yes, the Ukrainians blow my mind every single day. Amazing people....Americans could learn a lot from them...how to fight for Democracy and self rule.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Frontier_Foundation#Content_moderation_reform
Huh? How is this link relevant to the above post?
It's not a new concern; the experts (EFF) do not recommend CDA 230 repeal (even if we are in a "different time").
Libel law. Not liable law. You're welcome.
When someone like MTG defames someone like Nancy Pelosi and then calls for her death, if the justice department doesn't act, MTG should be sued civilly for defamation.
Waiting to see what happens to the Trump civil suit against HRC et al. Counterclaim. Set him for deposition.
When someone is called a "pedo" by name, the cash register should ring.
MTG et al need to be incarcerated in a mental institution that requires daily group therapy and lots of psychedelics to change their "minds." As that is not in the cards, I recommend an up to date passport. These evildoers are winning, we are losing. We can't vote our way out of this.
With a net worth over $40 million, suing MTG should yield a tidy sum to a plaintiff if successful. I suspect that Trump will reply "I don't remember" when questioned, which seems to be the default answer when you do not want to tell the truth.
`Money judgments are object lessons to like minded morons.
In the absence of clear public information as to it's veracity. Like formal charges or a conviction.
https://www.thewrap.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-catholic-church-satan/
Well, Professor, I have taken to reading you before I read the Times or WaPo. It gives me some ballast. Speaking of wealth, the Times keeps getting fatter but there's not quite enough staff to cover certain aspects of our situation. In the Guardian, I read that the new Times editor is expected to steer more towards the "centre". Heaven help us. I value my mental health too much to follow Twitter, so I thank you for doing it for me. We swim in a sea of misinformation.
I think Professor Reich was barred from Twitter. Probably a blessing in disguise!
I agree that Ukraine, NATO and Biden deserve credit In a tough situation.
Guardrails on Twitter? Easy!! When one publishes an article on ANY journal, one needs to cite references. When someone conveys "information" via Twitter, they should be compelled to cite references, so the readers can check out those references. No references=no publishing on Tweeter. Now that we've straightened this out, should I call Elon to discuss this?
A friend of mine seems sane except has bought fully and rabidly into Covid conspiracy. During the past two years, he has cited and/or forwarded to me a continuing stream of "reference" articlrs by "professionals". Obviously, they appear convincing to many. Even Musk isn't capable of validating sources for every Tweet. But if I call Mr. Free Speech to tell him that....I've seen Tweeters blocked by him for less.
Indeed, cited references would make for a very academic Twitter! (There was, however, a 140 character limit originally; could be a challenge to short-form expression as such, yeah?)
= )
This is a solution especially with excess profit tax for corporations. Thank you
thank you for tackling issues like this. your sound reasoning, easy to understand content are truly appreciated.