Democrats have a huge opportunity between now and the midterm elections to frame the national conversation as it should be framed -- around corporations with record profits raising their prices to consumers and fueling inflation, stock buybacks that have also reached a record level, CEO pay that's now reached almost 350-to-1 relative to median worker pay, billionaire gains of $1.7 trillion during the pandemic while almost everyone else struggled, corporate union-busting, and hugely profitable corporations and billionaires paying little or no taxes. If Democrats don't highlight these abuses of our economic system and show how the Republican Party has become a shill for big business and the super-rich, the public will hear only Republican culture war messaging -- pedophilia, abortion, gay and transgender people, as well as illegal immigration and what's taught in schools -- all of it deflecting attention from the real economic abuses endured by ordinary people.
Unfortunately, there are many shills in the Democratic Party as well in my opinion. They just have different talking points. Josh Gottheimer is one that comes to my mind for me. During discussions on BBB legislation, he reminded me of a smooth-talking corporate lobbyist as he pushed for separating the vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the remainder of the BBB agenda. After Manchin and Sinema torpedoed the remainder of the BBB, I stopped donating to the DNC. Since then, I will only support candidates and groups that support a progressive agenda such as Bernie Sanders, Justice Democrats, the ACLU and just lately your Inequality Media efforts. I even downloaded TikTok (I dropped Facebook many years ago, and Instagram about a year ago) so I could see what you're posting there! By the way, you were amazing in your testimony before Congress, and forwarded today's newsletter to all my Republican family members so they have an opportunity to see it. If anyone on this forum knows of any other PACs directly supporting Progressive representatives and candidates, I would appreciate your feedback.
I don’t know if you’d call it a PAC but Indivisible supports progressive candidates. Also Move On and Daily Kos. Color of Change and Black Voters Matter are also good.
Dr. Reich, you may be assuming the democratic congress has a real grasp on what you are saying. Yes, leaders like Sheldon Whitehouse does, but there are many that could benefit from your Friday classes. Just a thought you might explore.
Ted, I'm not talking about Graham or the republicans. Dr. Reich delivered an articulate defense of his belief that the problem is a lack of competition in corporate America. Democratic congressmen need to deliver that message to the American people. There are democrats in leadership positions that could use some training in how to deliver that message.
I wholeheartedly agree with the importance of the "message." The Reps. have been quite effective with it. Example: R.R.'s sarcastic, "Hi, I'm from the government and I'm here to help." Then there's the caricature of Uncle Sam slowly emerging from the darkness alongside the hospital bed in the battle over medical care in '90s. Rational discussions don't quite carry that punch, unless you're a JFK or FDR. At the appropriate time, we need to stop being "nice." The unspoken Rep. mantra is "Make as money as you can in whatever way(s you can get away with." Dems. need one. My best version so far is to promote the overall well-being of all who live here.
Mr. Reich, I am already doing my part. Being able to explain things enables other people to explain them as well. It spreads like a virus.
One other thing I've learned that is quite effective, is working with information in different scenarios, so I can fit it into someone's story. For example, how does what you said to Congress, fit into a business owner's story. How does it fit into a retiree's story. How does it fit into a student's story. Etc. and so on.
Anyways, that's why its so important to me to understand the concepts.
The Democratic party has a LONG history of being ineffective in communicating with the American people as to what they stand for compared to the Republican Party. My question is WHY? Once that question is answered, the party must secure STRONG DECISIVE leadership who will make the necessary changes. Many members of the democratic party are disappointed with history of weak leadership. A political party that attempts to please all factions within the party will eventually become ineffective.
Thank you for appearing before the Senate Budget Committee, Mr. Secretary. Republicans and corporate Dems may give you pushback, but they know deep down that what you say is true. If only your message could "trickle down" to the general public then we might make some economic progress that would benefit all instead of the few.
Thank you for your service to this nation, Professor Reich.
It could not have been easy listening to the utter fecklessness coming out mouth of a political hack like Graham, but the truth has to be told, and heard by the American people.
Moreover, POTUS must do a much better job of selling his administration's accomplishments, spelling out what still must be done and raking the authoritarian, dangerously delusional GOP over the coals to American, before the midterms.
Totally agree. (Listening to Lindsey Graham spout nonsense to me, without being able to correct all of that nonsense, was frustrating, to say the least.
It was irritating to hear Lindsey Graham discount everything you said by dismissing you, with no counter, or answer to justify his statement that he disagreed with you about 'everything' you said. Like he is some kind of 'master' of the universe.
I thought Lindsey Graham was playing it cool - the arrogant abrupt dismissal is a step up in civility from normal DC mud wrassling manners. While I was at EPA and my father was at Treasury, we would come home daily feeling outraged over the mental and emotional warzone in which we worked. Senator Graham was so laid back and cool, like Marcus Aurelius. . .not. .
That's right. And that's why there's so much animus and gridlock. The war zone emotional atmosphere makes you get up and gird your loins for battle every day. That's why the younger fools like MTG et al come to Washington to do battle, instead of to govern. They are elected by fools who do not understand that their work is to care for the nation's best interests in the remedial, present, and future. We were almost all doughty staff and miserable managers.
The difference between Reich and Graham, is that we understood what Reich was saying. Graham could not make himself understood, because he does not understand the subject.
raffey ; Graham does not want to understand the subject. He feels that the corporations are entitled to do whatever they can 'get away with'. Whatever the 'Market will bear' as it has been said before, ad nauseam.
Claire ; I am well aware that this is but one instance where Lindsey Graham and others of his ilk are doing to defend against anything that will interfere with the power and/ or profits of their powerful donors.
Thank you Laurie. I understand what you meant. Lindsey Graham is not the same person he was, well, before the death of his good friend John McCain, he's awful today.
IMHO the committee should have questioned one of its own members -- Grassley. He is sponsor of a NOPEC Bill. Once was a bipartisan issue. A lot of the corporate profits are caused by and go to foreign sources. The Saudis control OPEC, the "market maker" for the price of oil internationally by fixing output. The Saudis own the largest oil refineries in the US and control a number of US oil producers. “NOPEC” -- would empower the U.S. Department of Justice to file an antitrust lawsuit against OPEC for trying to control oil production or to affect crude prices. It would do this by amending the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, the law used more than a century ago to break up the oil empire of John Rockefeller. Even if the Justice Department were never to act on its power to sue, the mere existence of this option might be enough to force the cartel to change its behavior.
Oh, no, no Raffey. Graham completely understands the subject. Graham is part of the GOP that is, what Noam Chomsky years ago identified, "the most dangerous political entity in the world." They are outwardly, unapologetically anti-democratic. They have long ago adopted an autocratic, fascist belief system. Listen to almost ANY of them, mostly listen and watch the worst of them, De Santis, Abbott, Youngkin, Kemp. Go look at his background, he wasn't always this way but today is totally in the camp of the right wing, white supremacist, christian nationalist camp. Good grief, look at GOP policies across the board. LISTEN to Graham. He knows!
He (Graham) only uses diversionary tactics to get people off the subject at hand! He’s become a master @ this. His mind stays on ways to obstruct any discussion & how he plans to change the narrative after he leaves the Committee!
"... he doesn't understand the subject".... nor does he want to; he's much more interested in his party's "line" even if it makes him look like a complete jack ass.
Well done, sir. Well done indeed. Its not enough to say thank you when an explanation would be more valuable.
Many years ago, my company secured the contract to design and build a new exhibition for the Los Angeles Museum of Science and Industry. In public exhibition work, using 4th grade comprehension metrics, enables visitors to absorb and retain new information so rapidly, it’s almost automatic. This is especially important with heavy subjects like physics, science, medicine, computer language, engineering, aerospace, etc.
Luckily, the Museum provided us with consultants in these specialized fields. At our first meeting, the consultants used language so far above my head I could not make sense of anything they said. While I asked, repeatedly, for them to help me interpret this information at a 4th grade level, they used even more obscure language. I was humiliated until an old memory popped into my head.
When I was a kid, my uncle, who happened to be a rocket scientist at JPL, had been my tutor. One day, my uncle got so angry with me, he dismissed me – our lesson was over. That evening, my uncle called me into his study, and told me, I was never to allow anyone do that to me again. Huh? Boy, was I confused. My uncle, a humble man, went on the explain that he had the doctorate degrees, he was the rocket scientist, and he knew this information inside out – not me. His job was to teach me, not bully or impress me with his knowledge. If someone cannot explain their field of expertise to you, he said, they were not experts – and I was to dismiss them.
But you dismissed me, I whined (to be honest, I was crying). Yes, he said, and that was wrong – and I was not allowed to let anyone dismiss me again.
Thanks to Uncle Norman, I told these experts, I needed better consultants, thanked them for trying and dismissed them. Yup, my 26 year old self, picked up my notebook, stood up and walked away. I had just gotten to the door, when one of the consultants asked me what was wrong. I told them the story of my uncle. Suffice to say, these men apologized, stopped their intellectual bullying and we got the work done.
Dr. Reich, I was impressed by your testimony – because I could understand it.
Thank you. Anyone who is incapable of explaining something in ways that an intelligent 12-year-old can understand doesn't really know what they're talking about.
I must respectfully disagree. I am here not because you are a good economist, but because you are a uniquely good communicator. It would take me a long time and have significant difficulties to communicate my work to a intelligent 12 year old not because I don't know what I am talking about but because I have trouble unpacking my thoughts in general.
I have dyslexia, disgraphia, and dyscalculia, so I especially have a lot of trouble with text. Beyond that I am also Neuro-divergent with ADHD and Autism. Needless to say I was not academic rock star. With all of that downside however I also am blessed enough to have a very rare condition called Kinesthetic Synesthesia which gives me an affinity for complex systems, while I respect what you do, don't presume that we all have your gifts. I don't go around saying "only people that have been told by a neurologist that they are on the spectrum with savant indications in the complex systems know what they are talking about." Let's not be elitist and ableist as the diversity of evolution should be our strength when we work together, rather than find reasons to dismiss eachother with supremacist mindsets.
How often are the opinions of the neuro-divergent discounted because we cannot dumb it down enough with standards like that? If you wish to challenge my capacity for economics I would gladly evaluate my work, which is probably not 12 year old friendly, but a PhD would do fine with. As I wrote elsewhere my work is in organizing labor to create a productivity based representative currency monetary system built on green energy to create a sustainable UBI and address the climate crisis. Is that the kind of work you think should be marginalized just because I could be a better communicator of complex systems?
I start talking about my special interests I go automatically into full on brain dump, but so do lots of autistic people but we still likely know what we are talking about if it is a special interest. We literally dedicate our lives to our interests, I started learning economics in 6th grade from my PhD godfather and continued my interest after his passing. I have always had trouble with the vocabulary because my memory works in concepts not words.
This is because the constructs I manipulate with the kinesthetic synesthesia don't have labels (for me) but the conceptual properties unpack from the constructs when focused upon in my mind. When I am talking about a complex system I am essentially taking you on a verbal walk through it but I don't know where the most intuitive starting point for you is naturally it can take me months of discussion with someone of PhD level knowledge to literally teach my own work to people with less understanding.
So take it easy on us. I know I am not the only Autistic person that has this trouble and I know how hard we try
Excellent story, and so true! Some so called "experts" use big words and obscure acronyms to make themselves appear to be smarter and superior to others.
Dr. Reich it seems your preparation and expertise made Lindsey Graham uncomfortable to the point of trying to cut you off. Way to go! Thanks for your dedication to country and speaking 'truth to power'.
Lindsey Graham uncomfortable? Lindsey Graham is more powerful today than at any time in his Congressional history, he is an entitled SOB who can, literally, never show up in his state, SC and never lose an election. He is a shameless, nasty-ass, self-aggrandizing hypocrite. Anyone watch his cringe worthy verbal assault on KBJ? His blatantly unconstitutional questions aimed at her (?) that no one called him because he's Lindsey Graham. (shame on Dick Durbin) Lindsay Graham is now an autocrat who would, and will, if you let him, take away your rights, freedoms, your democracy, the democracy that this country was built on. As long as I'm calling out hypocrites, SNL last weekend brilliantly asked if Justice Thomas had Covid. They have already in the past teased about the closeted Lindsey Graham who in a heartbeat would strip all of us of our rights, especially LGBTQ citizens. Please stop giving Lindsey Graham a pass.
Robert Reich ; I am so glad that you were there to endorse the windfall profits tax on those large profitable corporations that are raising their prices. It's so wrong to blame consumers and Biden for 'inflation'.
Laurie, I don't want to put you on the spot and only if you don't mind, to whom do you donate? I am always looking for those groups where my donations will give the biggest benefit.
Inequality Media is one. Move On is another. Then there are progressive candidates like Nina Turner and Katie Porter and Rho Kanna. There are good Democrats like Mark Kelly.
Which president was it that used to draw simple charts to explain stuff like this? SO effective! What IS it going to take to get the Democrats to understand they MUST get their marketing under control. Very frustrating and very scary; time is running out!
We all benefit whenever Robert Reich has the opportunity to lay out the reality of our economic condition with the Senate Budget Committee. Yesterday’s participation is a perfect example of this. I couldn’t agree more that we need a “windfall profit tax” and we need it now. These monopolistic corporations have profited off the financial suffering of all of us for entirely too long. If passed, the tax could greatly reduce the amount we spend at the stores, pump and every other industry that has enjoyed record profits while negatively impacting consumers.
I loved how quickly Robert Reich shut down Graham when he tried to divert the conversation to immigration boarders. Graham and the likes of him have devoted their political careers on protecting the profits of their corporate donors for decades. The mere fact that republicans are trying to blame the “American Rescue Act” as the cause of inflation reveals how little they cared about the well-being of the people during the pandemic. They could have raised taxes on the wealthy to provide for our nation during the crisis to help avert inflation, but of course they refused, instead helping to create this crisis in their attempt to use American suffering as a political attack on the Biden. The midterms are close at hand, I really hope that we see as large of a turn out as we did in 2020, it’s imperative that we don’t lose one seat and that we gain several more.
Democrats have a huge opportunity here to frame the national conversation as it should be framed -- around corporate power to raise prices, CEO pay that's now reached almost 350-to-1 relative to median worker pay, billionaire gains of $1.7 trillion during the pandemic, hugely profitable corporations and billionaires that are paying little or no taxes, and so on. If Democrats don't do this, we're going to be inundated with Republican culture war messaging seeking to deflect attention from these economic abuses.
We already ARE inundated with Republican messaging that is untrue! But how DOES anyone get through to this administration re its lack of marketing??? I see experts in the field make statements all the time about how poor it is. Do none of the Dem campaign higherups see/hear the complaints? The suggestions? Is there NO ONE who can make this a huge issue and force something to be done?
Wouldn't it be great to have a news network that received support from progressive corporations (if there are any such things)? The network would feature facts and support justice for all. What a fantasy! I'm a dreamer at times.
Well, I once had high hopes for PBS, and some of their stuff is to the point, but their dependence on corporate donors (the late David Koch included) compromises their objectivity.
You GO! You nailed every point. Many thanks. By God I wish there were a Katie Porter to corner these muthafuggas relentlessly and force them to reveal their evil wishes for the planet and the people. Absent that, I wonder what it takes to win.
It's striking to hear statistics that confirm what we've experienced beginning in the 80s. One third of our working population was unionized vs. the current six percent?!
The callous increases in corporate charges to consumers and the resulting profits to those corporations - those oligopolistically organized :) - seems grossly unpatriotic.
I was always proud to work; it's wonderful to find work one loves and commit to it. I feel sorry for the very wealthy who don't seem to understand or respect that exhilaration.
Am sure they get exhilarated just seeing the prices of their stockholdings and pay checks now rising rising rising and rising to the stratosphere.
I remember seeing an early W-M in the arkansas county where my husband grew up. I said we should buy the stock and he shrugged it off. And lived long enough to regret that shrug. If only I'd had my own account then, I wonder if I would have bought WM. The corporation that makes its wealth by putting small businesses out of business. Sounds like a 21st century winning move. Sadly.
Thank you for your knowledge, your ability to express that knowledge in a clear and succinct language and for speaking to Americans who need to hear the information you know so well.
Democrats have a huge opportunity between now and the midterm elections to frame the national conversation as it should be framed -- around corporations with record profits raising their prices to consumers and fueling inflation, stock buybacks that have also reached a record level, CEO pay that's now reached almost 350-to-1 relative to median worker pay, billionaire gains of $1.7 trillion during the pandemic while almost everyone else struggled, corporate union-busting, and hugely profitable corporations and billionaires paying little or no taxes. If Democrats don't highlight these abuses of our economic system and show how the Republican Party has become a shill for big business and the super-rich, the public will hear only Republican culture war messaging -- pedophilia, abortion, gay and transgender people, as well as illegal immigration and what's taught in schools -- all of it deflecting attention from the real economic abuses endured by ordinary people.
Unfortunately, there are many shills in the Democratic Party as well in my opinion. They just have different talking points. Josh Gottheimer is one that comes to my mind for me. During discussions on BBB legislation, he reminded me of a smooth-talking corporate lobbyist as he pushed for separating the vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the remainder of the BBB agenda. After Manchin and Sinema torpedoed the remainder of the BBB, I stopped donating to the DNC. Since then, I will only support candidates and groups that support a progressive agenda such as Bernie Sanders, Justice Democrats, the ACLU and just lately your Inequality Media efforts. I even downloaded TikTok (I dropped Facebook many years ago, and Instagram about a year ago) so I could see what you're posting there! By the way, you were amazing in your testimony before Congress, and forwarded today's newsletter to all my Republican family members so they have an opportunity to see it. If anyone on this forum knows of any other PACs directly supporting Progressive representatives and candidates, I would appreciate your feedback.
I don’t know if you’d call it a PAC but Indivisible supports progressive candidates. Also Move On and Daily Kos. Color of Change and Black Voters Matter are also good.
Thanks, I will check them out.
Dr. Reich, you may be assuming the democratic congress has a real grasp on what you are saying. Yes, leaders like Sheldon Whitehouse does, but there are many that could benefit from your Friday classes. Just a thought you might explore.
Personally I think that Lindsey Graham knew perfectly well what Robert was talking about. He just chose to ignore it.
Ted, I'm not talking about Graham or the republicans. Dr. Reich delivered an articulate defense of his belief that the problem is a lack of competition in corporate America. Democratic congressmen need to deliver that message to the American people. There are democrats in leadership positions that could use some training in how to deliver that message.
I wholeheartedly agree with the importance of the "message." The Reps. have been quite effective with it. Example: R.R.'s sarcastic, "Hi, I'm from the government and I'm here to help." Then there's the caricature of Uncle Sam slowly emerging from the darkness alongside the hospital bed in the battle over medical care in '90s. Rational discussions don't quite carry that punch, unless you're a JFK or FDR. At the appropriate time, we need to stop being "nice." The unspoken Rep. mantra is "Make as money as you can in whatever way(s you can get away with." Dems. need one. My best version so far is to promote the overall well-being of all who live here.
I like Sanders' "Not me, us."
Mr. Reich, I am already doing my part. Being able to explain things enables other people to explain them as well. It spreads like a virus.
One other thing I've learned that is quite effective, is working with information in different scenarios, so I can fit it into someone's story. For example, how does what you said to Congress, fit into a business owner's story. How does it fit into a retiree's story. How does it fit into a student's story. Etc. and so on.
Anyways, that's why its so important to me to understand the concepts.
What does it take to plant the message in the DNC's minds?
The Democratic party has a LONG history of being ineffective in communicating with the American people as to what they stand for compared to the Republican Party. My question is WHY? Once that question is answered, the party must secure STRONG DECISIVE leadership who will make the necessary changes. Many members of the democratic party are disappointed with history of weak leadership. A political party that attempts to please all factions within the party will eventually become ineffective.
Thank you for appearing before the Senate Budget Committee, Mr. Secretary. Republicans and corporate Dems may give you pushback, but they know deep down that what you say is true. If only your message could "trickle down" to the general public then we might make some economic progress that would benefit all instead of the few.
Yes--HUGE opportunity, and it's slipping right through our fingers.
Thank you for your service to this nation, Professor Reich.
It could not have been easy listening to the utter fecklessness coming out mouth of a political hack like Graham, but the truth has to be told, and heard by the American people.
Moreover, POTUS must do a much better job of selling his administration's accomplishments, spelling out what still must be done and raking the authoritarian, dangerously delusional GOP over the coals to American, before the midterms.
Totally agree. (Listening to Lindsey Graham spout nonsense to me, without being able to correct all of that nonsense, was frustrating, to say the least.
You need a Katie Porter to corner his silly self.
It was irritating to hear Lindsey Graham discount everything you said by dismissing you, with no counter, or answer to justify his statement that he disagreed with you about 'everything' you said. Like he is some kind of 'master' of the universe.
It's almost like he is still performing for the "audience of one".
Most likely true! He is still performing for tRump. Or maybe some Putin allied oligarch.
I thought Lindsey Graham was playing it cool - the arrogant abrupt dismissal is a step up in civility from normal DC mud wrassling manners. While I was at EPA and my father was at Treasury, we would come home daily feeling outraged over the mental and emotional warzone in which we worked. Senator Graham was so laid back and cool, like Marcus Aurelius. . .not. .
Martha Ture ; That does not sound like a desirable job environment! Insufferable people!
That's right. And that's why there's so much animus and gridlock. The war zone emotional atmosphere makes you get up and gird your loins for battle every day. That's why the younger fools like MTG et al come to Washington to do battle, instead of to govern. They are elected by fools who do not understand that their work is to care for the nation's best interests in the remedial, present, and future. We were almost all doughty staff and miserable managers.
How frustrating for you, and sad!
I thought you handled it exceptionally well, kudos!
The difference between Reich and Graham, is that we understood what Reich was saying. Graham could not make himself understood, because he does not understand the subject.
raffey ; Graham does not want to understand the subject. He feels that the corporations are entitled to do whatever they can 'get away with'. Whatever the 'Market will bear' as it has been said before, ad nauseam.
Ture Laurie, but it's worse than that, way worse.
Claire ; I am well aware that this is but one instance where Lindsey Graham and others of his ilk are doing to defend against anything that will interfere with the power and/ or profits of their powerful donors.
Thank you Laurie. I understand what you meant. Lindsey Graham is not the same person he was, well, before the death of his good friend John McCain, he's awful today.
He is human, but seems to have sold his soul to the 'devils'. He worships wealth, it seems.
So true, Claire - my mother said the exact same thing this morning!
This Laurie!!
Graham testifies....doesn't ask questions.
IMHO the committee should have questioned one of its own members -- Grassley. He is sponsor of a NOPEC Bill. Once was a bipartisan issue. A lot of the corporate profits are caused by and go to foreign sources. The Saudis control OPEC, the "market maker" for the price of oil internationally by fixing output. The Saudis own the largest oil refineries in the US and control a number of US oil producers. “NOPEC” -- would empower the U.S. Department of Justice to file an antitrust lawsuit against OPEC for trying to control oil production or to affect crude prices. It would do this by amending the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, the law used more than a century ago to break up the oil empire of John Rockefeller. Even if the Justice Department were never to act on its power to sue, the mere existence of this option might be enough to force the cartel to change its behavior.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Oil_Producing_and_Exporting_Cartels_Act
Oh, no, no Raffey. Graham completely understands the subject. Graham is part of the GOP that is, what Noam Chomsky years ago identified, "the most dangerous political entity in the world." They are outwardly, unapologetically anti-democratic. They have long ago adopted an autocratic, fascist belief system. Listen to almost ANY of them, mostly listen and watch the worst of them, De Santis, Abbott, Youngkin, Kemp. Go look at his background, he wasn't always this way but today is totally in the camp of the right wing, white supremacist, christian nationalist camp. Good grief, look at GOP policies across the board. LISTEN to Graham. He knows!
He (Graham) only uses diversionary tactics to get people off the subject at hand! He’s become a master @ this. His mind stays on ways to obstruct any discussion & how he plans to change the narrative after he leaves the Committee!
In other words, the "jim jordan" of the Senate?
"... he doesn't understand the subject".... nor does he want to; he's much more interested in his party's "line" even if it makes him look like a complete jack ass.
Yes....ugh.
Well done, sir. Well done indeed. Its not enough to say thank you when an explanation would be more valuable.
Many years ago, my company secured the contract to design and build a new exhibition for the Los Angeles Museum of Science and Industry. In public exhibition work, using 4th grade comprehension metrics, enables visitors to absorb and retain new information so rapidly, it’s almost automatic. This is especially important with heavy subjects like physics, science, medicine, computer language, engineering, aerospace, etc.
Luckily, the Museum provided us with consultants in these specialized fields. At our first meeting, the consultants used language so far above my head I could not make sense of anything they said. While I asked, repeatedly, for them to help me interpret this information at a 4th grade level, they used even more obscure language. I was humiliated until an old memory popped into my head.
When I was a kid, my uncle, who happened to be a rocket scientist at JPL, had been my tutor. One day, my uncle got so angry with me, he dismissed me – our lesson was over. That evening, my uncle called me into his study, and told me, I was never to allow anyone do that to me again. Huh? Boy, was I confused. My uncle, a humble man, went on the explain that he had the doctorate degrees, he was the rocket scientist, and he knew this information inside out – not me. His job was to teach me, not bully or impress me with his knowledge. If someone cannot explain their field of expertise to you, he said, they were not experts – and I was to dismiss them.
But you dismissed me, I whined (to be honest, I was crying). Yes, he said, and that was wrong – and I was not allowed to let anyone dismiss me again.
Thanks to Uncle Norman, I told these experts, I needed better consultants, thanked them for trying and dismissed them. Yup, my 26 year old self, picked up my notebook, stood up and walked away. I had just gotten to the door, when one of the consultants asked me what was wrong. I told them the story of my uncle. Suffice to say, these men apologized, stopped their intellectual bullying and we got the work done.
Dr. Reich, I was impressed by your testimony – because I could understand it.
Thank you. Anyone who is incapable of explaining something in ways that an intelligent 12-year-old can understand doesn't really know what they're talking about.
I must respectfully disagree. I am here not because you are a good economist, but because you are a uniquely good communicator. It would take me a long time and have significant difficulties to communicate my work to a intelligent 12 year old not because I don't know what I am talking about but because I have trouble unpacking my thoughts in general.
I have dyslexia, disgraphia, and dyscalculia, so I especially have a lot of trouble with text. Beyond that I am also Neuro-divergent with ADHD and Autism. Needless to say I was not academic rock star. With all of that downside however I also am blessed enough to have a very rare condition called Kinesthetic Synesthesia which gives me an affinity for complex systems, while I respect what you do, don't presume that we all have your gifts. I don't go around saying "only people that have been told by a neurologist that they are on the spectrum with savant indications in the complex systems know what they are talking about." Let's not be elitist and ableist as the diversity of evolution should be our strength when we work together, rather than find reasons to dismiss eachother with supremacist mindsets.
How often are the opinions of the neuro-divergent discounted because we cannot dumb it down enough with standards like that? If you wish to challenge my capacity for economics I would gladly evaluate my work, which is probably not 12 year old friendly, but a PhD would do fine with. As I wrote elsewhere my work is in organizing labor to create a productivity based representative currency monetary system built on green energy to create a sustainable UBI and address the climate crisis. Is that the kind of work you think should be marginalized just because I could be a better communicator of complex systems?
I start talking about my special interests I go automatically into full on brain dump, but so do lots of autistic people but we still likely know what we are talking about if it is a special interest. We literally dedicate our lives to our interests, I started learning economics in 6th grade from my PhD godfather and continued my interest after his passing. I have always had trouble with the vocabulary because my memory works in concepts not words.
This is because the constructs I manipulate with the kinesthetic synesthesia don't have labels (for me) but the conceptual properties unpack from the constructs when focused upon in my mind. When I am talking about a complex system I am essentially taking you on a verbal walk through it but I don't know where the most intuitive starting point for you is naturally it can take me months of discussion with someone of PhD level knowledge to literally teach my own work to people with less understanding.
So take it easy on us. I know I am not the only Autistic person that has this trouble and I know how hard we try
Excellent story, and so true! Some so called "experts" use big words and obscure acronyms to make themselves appear to be smarter and superior to others.
Yup, and we need to stop accepting that kind of baloney.
Dems / Progressives need Clear Communicators like Robert to express…Simply. Accomplishments, goals and inspiration.
Wonderful story. I will copy/paste that somewhere to refer to. Thank you.
Best comment ever! Reminds me of this life-lesson my dad taught me early one morning strolling on the beach. Thank you for sharing.
Dr. Reich it seems your preparation and expertise made Lindsey Graham uncomfortable to the point of trying to cut you off. Way to go! Thanks for your dedication to country and speaking 'truth to power'.
That Lindsey Graham tried to cut me off reassured me I was saying things that he didn't want (and didn't want the public) to hear.
Silly me, I caught Graham's attempt, but you were so smooth I thought you missed it.
Lindsey Graham uncomfortable? Lindsey Graham is more powerful today than at any time in his Congressional history, he is an entitled SOB who can, literally, never show up in his state, SC and never lose an election. He is a shameless, nasty-ass, self-aggrandizing hypocrite. Anyone watch his cringe worthy verbal assault on KBJ? His blatantly unconstitutional questions aimed at her (?) that no one called him because he's Lindsey Graham. (shame on Dick Durbin) Lindsay Graham is now an autocrat who would, and will, if you let him, take away your rights, freedoms, your democracy, the democracy that this country was built on. As long as I'm calling out hypocrites, SNL last weekend brilliantly asked if Justice Thomas had Covid. They have already in the past teased about the closeted Lindsey Graham who in a heartbeat would strip all of us of our rights, especially LGBTQ citizens. Please stop giving Lindsey Graham a pass.
I don't understand why Durbin didn't have him removed from the room.
Lindsey Graham ought to feel uncomfortable.
Robert Reich ; I am so glad that you were there to endorse the windfall profits tax on those large profitable corporations that are raising their prices. It's so wrong to blame consumers and Biden for 'inflation'.
Democrats should all get behind a windfall profits tax right now.
I have donated and will donate again and again!
Laurie, I don't want to put you on the spot and only if you don't mind, to whom do you donate? I am always looking for those groups where my donations will give the biggest benefit.
Inequality Media is one. Move On is another. Then there are progressive candidates like Nina Turner and Katie Porter and Rho Kanna. There are good Democrats like Mark Kelly.
Please don't forget about Senator Warnock and Stacy Abrams!
There are many I could list who are worth supporting. I did not mention Elizabeth Warren and Val Demings and A.O.C. A few more I'm sure.
Agree, but unfortunately, it helps Republicans win elections, which is what it's all about.
Which president was it that used to draw simple charts to explain stuff like this? SO effective! What IS it going to take to get the Democrats to understand they MUST get their marketing under control. Very frustrating and very scary; time is running out!
I knew that, and see it continuing. Misinformation everywhere, not just Fox news.
Sadly, that's true!
Excellent presentation - clear and oh, so right
Thanks, Constantine.
We all benefit whenever Robert Reich has the opportunity to lay out the reality of our economic condition with the Senate Budget Committee. Yesterday’s participation is a perfect example of this. I couldn’t agree more that we need a “windfall profit tax” and we need it now. These monopolistic corporations have profited off the financial suffering of all of us for entirely too long. If passed, the tax could greatly reduce the amount we spend at the stores, pump and every other industry that has enjoyed record profits while negatively impacting consumers.
I loved how quickly Robert Reich shut down Graham when he tried to divert the conversation to immigration boarders. Graham and the likes of him have devoted their political careers on protecting the profits of their corporate donors for decades. The mere fact that republicans are trying to blame the “American Rescue Act” as the cause of inflation reveals how little they cared about the well-being of the people during the pandemic. They could have raised taxes on the wealthy to provide for our nation during the crisis to help avert inflation, but of course they refused, instead helping to create this crisis in their attempt to use American suffering as a political attack on the Biden. The midterms are close at hand, I really hope that we see as large of a turn out as we did in 2020, it’s imperative that we don’t lose one seat and that we gain several more.
Democrats have a huge opportunity here to frame the national conversation as it should be framed -- around corporate power to raise prices, CEO pay that's now reached almost 350-to-1 relative to median worker pay, billionaire gains of $1.7 trillion during the pandemic, hugely profitable corporations and billionaires that are paying little or no taxes, and so on. If Democrats don't do this, we're going to be inundated with Republican culture war messaging seeking to deflect attention from these economic abuses.
We already ARE inundated with Republican messaging that is untrue! But how DOES anyone get through to this administration re its lack of marketing??? I see experts in the field make statements all the time about how poor it is. Do none of the Dem campaign higherups see/hear the complaints? The suggestions? Is there NO ONE who can make this a huge issue and force something to be done?
I couldn't agree more. I just hope they realize this and act quickly.
Thank You for being there for us!
Excellent presentation …direct, informative and convincing…this should be included in the news cycle…
Not a chance.
I was thinking the same thing, none of it will ever be shown on MSM, even networks such as CNN or MSNBC. Very sad!
Sadly, true. Beyond maddening.
Wouldn't it be great to have a news network that received support from progressive corporations (if there are any such things)? The network would feature facts and support justice for all. What a fantasy! I'm a dreamer at times.
Well, I once had high hopes for PBS, and some of their stuff is to the point, but their dependence on corporate donors (the late David Koch included) compromises their objectivity.
Yes, I believe that is true. PBS was compromised in important ways.
That Lindsey Graham trying to change the topic at hand and you so smoothly moving it back. Kudos to you. 🙂
Yes, it is and would be a good position for political candidate to take.
You GO! You nailed every point. Many thanks. By God I wish there were a Katie Porter to corner these muthafuggas relentlessly and force them to reveal their evil wishes for the planet and the people. Absent that, I wonder what it takes to win.
I second the cloning of Katie Porter.
Omg, I love her!
She's a total ROCK STAR!
It's striking to hear statistics that confirm what we've experienced beginning in the 80s. One third of our working population was unionized vs. the current six percent?!
The callous increases in corporate charges to consumers and the resulting profits to those corporations - those oligopolistically organized :) - seems grossly unpatriotic.
I was always proud to work; it's wonderful to find work one loves and commit to it. I feel sorry for the very wealthy who don't seem to understand or respect that exhilaration.
Your second paragraph -- my thoughts exactly. They are traitors.
Am sure they get exhilarated just seeing the prices of their stockholdings and pay checks now rising rising rising and rising to the stratosphere.
I remember seeing an early W-M in the arkansas county where my husband grew up. I said we should buy the stock and he shrugged it off. And lived long enough to regret that shrug. If only I'd had my own account then, I wonder if I would have bought WM. The corporation that makes its wealth by putting small businesses out of business. Sounds like a 21st century winning move. Sadly.
Thank you for your knowledge, your ability to express that knowledge in a clear and succinct language and for speaking to Americans who need to hear the information you know so well.
You express my same thoughts and feelings.
The phrase is "speaking truth to power." Thank you so much.
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