It bothers me that policies that have had such an incredible impact on my and millions of others lives are decided so casually by white men with no real idea of the effects of their pandering to the wealthy. Shame on these assholes. Kind of like abortion, abortion was decided by people that came from money, that have never felt the panicky desperation from unplanned pregnancy. I will be fine, personally, I am making strides in my own life to be economically independent. But everyone else is screwed, and it is so frustrating to watch it happen.
The long-held philosophy of noblesse oblige, or the obligation of the wealthy to look out for the welfare of the whole, is dead in capitalist America. Pretty despicable when one considers that the wealthy have only gained their positions of privilege by siphoning it off of those they continue to dismiss as the "little people". Such is the inevitable result of money that can be accumulated and used as an instrument of influence and power. We need a new type of monetary system that does not allow such disparity.
It's not really a matter of the monetary system, it's more about what services are available, how much money people have in their pocket and how much taxes people pay. The people who have the money pay for the legislation that makes the rules and they stack up the cash. If you are willing to work you should have a roof over your head, food, and affordable medical care. They tweak the system so that people do not get that. They have 6,000 ft second homes in fort Lauderdale with 150 ft yachts outside of them and they whine like little Rush Limbaugh's the people are taking their money away from them.
Tim, you sound like a Libertarian with "if you are willing to work" Fred Koch, father of the Koch brothers was in the USSR in the 1930's building refineries and oil wells for Stalin. He liked what he saw so much that his son David's campaign included much of the USSR's social and financial policies, like a 100% gold standard which produced a shortage of money, an unending depression and a shortage of consumer goods, and food.
But mostly, addressing your comment, Article 12 of the 1936 Soviet Constitution which says, in effect, "If you don't work, you don't eat", so much for those that can't work or find a job, and they are legion.
How does that address the people day working 2-3 jobs just trying to make enough for basic needs. not sure why you think Tim is a libertarian. Look up the definition or read the Libertarian Party web site. It is the definition of a feudal society.
That's a good point... To qualify for the basics folks should have to work full time, not more, and only if they can. Some disabilities make it difficult to work a straight hours.
That was not the issue, as you stated it. The way you stated it sounded l like if you don't work you don't eat, and has nothing to do with working 2 or 3 jobs. And it is n't that some folk with disabilities find it difficult to work, most folk do, and they shouldn't have to work, not in this society not as rich as it is, or should be.
I had a 1st cousin, once removed, that bagged grociers and chased shopping card, Kevin was a prince of a man, sweet as can be, happy and with a memory like an elephant, he was fortunate to find an employer with Downs Syndrome. I had a niece who had Turners Syndrome, and had a Bachelors Degree in System Analysis, and found a job with Social Security as GS 13, and head of system analysis.
Downs is one chromosome too few, Turners is one too many, both have physical aspects of dwarfism,that make them hard to find a job, Downs have a low IQ, Turners are genius, Downs are happy and joyful while Turners are or can be hard and demanding. My niece was the latter Were it not for a kind employer and the government neither would have a job. Both are dead, both outlived expectations.
Lynn do you think I was born yesterday, I was a teenage Beatnik, hung around Diogenese lantern, certainly know what a Libertarian is. I checked them out at a local meeting in 1980, and a serf is bound to the land, regardless who the lord or lady of the manner is.
Tim suggested that if you don't work you don't eat, and that is Libertarian.
And stop feeling sorry for yourself and injecting your self into every situation.
Well I didn't exactly say if you don't work you don't eat. I qualified it by saying if you were willing to work or unable to work you still qualify for the basic necessities of life in my little world 😉 people with mental or physical disabilities are people who are unemployed and can't find work deserve the basics: housing, healthcare and food... And for their kids, a decent education. Those people should not be living in the bushes or in their car if they're fortunate enough to own a car... I don't know if that's libertarian, I doubt it. Our corrupt former president would probably call it communism or socialism that will destroy the country; I call it humane.
Thank you for the comment. You made precisely my point. It is the mechanics of the monetary system - the untrammeled amassing of tokens of imaginary debt into individual hands - that has allowed the folks you mention to occupy their positions of privilege. We need a system that, yes, guarantees every contributing citizen and their families a decent standard of living in accordance with our physical ability to provide such means, devoid of interpretations of whose role is more "valuable" to society (so much for the idle wealthy who simply play with other people's money). As you point out, such people make the rules that allow the excess. What we need is a grassroots movement to bring more equity and rationale to our distribution system.
Steve, or maybe what we need is a tax code that is more like what we had in the 1950s when people realized that huge profits are not a good idea and were taxed heavily. Everyone benefited from that. We need some other nations to go along with this for their own CEOs and corporations to curb the running to other places where they can stash their money and use it to still influence our political system and the systems of other nations too. We could do this, but alas, when so many members of congress and Supreme Court justices are bought and paid for regularly, it does not seem things will improve any time soon, that is unless there is an upheaval of people who have decided enough is enough.
The workers need to not let the wealthy take all their money - but I can't imagine everyone being self employed. Don't work for the Fat Cats. Define Socialism to be a good thing, again - or use a different word that suggests we can work together for the common good. I can't crack that nut - I can't figure out a way to fairness.
Yes, it is really tough to work through, but right now things are skewed toward the benefit of the Fat Cats. Good minds need to gather to find better ways WITHOUT falling prey to ideologies that sound good, but only make things worse…
I am not big on group think and cultish behavior… on the Right… OR the Left.
It's not about charity, Lonny., and your question is impertinent. As members of society we pay taxes to fund and support society. You know - things like health services, transport infrastructure, policing, security, pensions etc. etc. Part of the reason companies are able to make profits is that they operate in a stable society, so it is incumbent upon them to pay their fair share in support of it. Says me.
There are of course many ways to skin a cat. Sales tax, what we call VAT (value added tax), social insurance, inheritance tax, wealth tax, windfall taxes etc. etc. At the end of the day it's all about governments ensuring they have adequate finances to do what they want to do. US citizens may not have to pay State taxes, but they all pay Federal taxes, and that's where most of the money goes, and most of that on defence spending (that's a whole other argument!). And with all that there are certain principles that govern how taxation works, not least the issue of FAIRNESS, and that's when the arguments start. The main problem in the world as I see it is that for the last 50 years the disparity in wealth has been growing exponentially, and we are now at a point where the top 1% have absorbed 2/3 of all wealth since the start of the Pandemic. What's clearly needed is a system to redistribute that wealth to bring back hope and a decent standard of living to all, and in so doing to bring back political stability.
That was well said Angela! We need to be that change. Nothing we can do about the past, but we got more work to do for the future so it's not hurting our children. We need to be anti-poverty absolutionists and put kid's first, then work our way back from that. This society rewards the greediest and most self-serving. And it all goes back to a few white dudes with too much power and their fear of loosing it.
It is also that women, people of color, poor people and others don’t hold much political power in this country. So yes, it is also a white guy problem.
As long as we dont paint EVERY white guy as part of the problem … some like Bob are part of the solution… we should not let anyone try to make us NOT recognize that the power structure was almost exclusively composed of well-to-do white dudes. Just a fact.
Yeah, though, William, somebody here would like us to stop talking about the power structure being “ white dudes.” It is a nuanced issue.
I don’t feel all that good about people talking about the power differentials and making generalizations about “white people” either. I have never been “ white people, “ but I am a white person. SOMETIMES one CAN make a generalization about that…about what white people might be able to fully realize…fully understand the experience of and ramifications of .. but there is very little overall generalization that I think is true. And yet, an Asian friend and I talked about seeing the world through a “ white lens,” and that was eye-opening. The good part is, one can be aware of a white lens ( or any other lens), and one can take steps to see through a less restricted human lens, but it takes what we used to call “ consciousness raising” during the early Civil Rights and Women’s Lib days.
How we see the world and how we react to being tarred with a broad brush— or even splashed with a bit of tar that wasnt meant for us —should give us pause. Could be a time to reflect.
Not really, you know. Empires of the past have lasted over hundreds of years .. not just strong nations but EMPIRES…
The Us is currently one of the most stable and prosperous of countries with an exceptionally strong economy, but the Right is fooling with that and threatening our stability in the drive to attain more wealth and power in fewer hands.
People on these threads are typically not anti-capitalism altogether…just against the worst exploitation and laxk of regulation needed to keep it from becoming again an oligarchy that keeps the people in bondage to the wealthy few.
Solution…rules to keep it fair. D’uh. What we talk about all the time. The rule of law, BUT laws made by THE PEOPLE, of by and for us…not skewed toward a powerful few, and certainly not setting a dictator or « strong man” over us.
Apparently you believe in original sin. Are sins of the fathers inherited by their sons? Should I be required to feel shame over my gender and the color of my skin and wrong-doings by my antecedents? Am I absolved of that guilt if my ancestors fought to end slavery during the Civil War? If so, should women be required to feel shame for not teaching their sons to act as gentle men and for their daughters not standing up for themselves? You see there is a problem with assignation of shame and guilt painted with a broad brush on people who weren't there or even alive at the time injustices were perpetrated.
You can twist it into “ they are trying to make me feel ashamed of what my ancestors did,” OR you can recognize it as asking you to repudiate what your ancestors did and work to make our world a better place.
OF course it is an everybody problem. We need to spread the power around beyond just rich white dudes.
Martin, the problem with calling what we are facing "an everybody problem" is that it keeps letting the perpetrators of the rich draining the resources from everyone else seem like potential victims of what is happening. They are the greedy but also those who feel they are entitled because of what their ancestors did. Many have inherited money they have been able to use and abuse to get whatever they want and to do as much harm as they could as long as they came out on top. And, those involved in this inheritance are mostly white and male. They want to keep it that way. Men who don't fit the model don't get very far in business, so they mostly do and the process continues and mostly by rich white men. It is sad, but it is true!
You are correct, the sins of the father do not come down to the children,neither does their glory or exalted status. Thus all organizations like the DAR are a farce, invented by low lifes who need bragging rights.
But your examples are over reach and ridiculous.
Who is exactly behind the culture war that is destroying our democracy and turning into a dictatorship?
Not women,though there are camp followers a plenty.
Not Blacks or Hispanics and gays, though there are Quislings a plenty.
It is white men, not all, but were it not for white men, with complexes and pyschosexual hang ups and needs.
Trump never would have been. And the top tax bracket would be the same as in Ike's time.
Martin Mayland : "An everybody problem!?" Meaningless! That is like saying "All lives Matter" to those (Black and all People of color), who have been murdered dis-enfranchised, oppressed and underpaid ( or not paid at all) for centuries. Same thing when you object to pointing out the disparity and inequality for women of all races versus white men!
It's hard I get where you are coming from, especially if you are not from the States, but there is a strong link between white dudes and accumulating power at the expense of others. But we do need to be careful because white dudes need to be part of the solution. If one is weak skinned (no pun intended), they don't see what actually makes a unique human being apart of our shared existence and they focus on skin color. (Apologies if that was sloppily said)
Indeed. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, I dream of a world where people are judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. I'm for that although I have read where others have tried to walk the statement back. Certainly any dominant group will have done good things and probably very bad things, as well. This applies to all cultures, I believe. You are going to find sinners where you find saints. White men have done bad things- slavery for example. They have done good things- outlawing slavery for example. History is fraught with contradictory behavior. One hopes we are generally moving toward the greater good.
I dont think this conversation is all about what white men have done, good or bad ..
It is about them having ALL the power to do ANYTHING good or bad. And that needed to end…and needs to end even more, because it is still too prevalent.
This quote was, and still is, aspirational. We can't get there unless we collectively acknowledge and accept some hard truths (become woke). This quote from his 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail', is more appropriate. It can be applied to the scenario described in Mr. Reich's story. Democrats decided to straddle the fence for some 'negative version of peace', kicking the can down the road. Rather than do what was right for the majority, they exacerbated the issue, because they didn't want to deal with the potential backlash. We would still have slavery, Jim Crow and the like, if some people before you and I hadn't decided to accept the potential backlash that included death! And if we keep kicking this can down the road, things will continue to get worse to where it will eventually take the same level of sacrifice to correct the economic exploitation that the overwhelming majority of us face (75% - 99.9%). THE QUOTE- "I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured."
Yes! Yes! Minorities and subjugated groups must continue to agitate for their freedoms. Relying on those content with their lot in life to make benevolent changes will most likely never turn wishes and dreams into a plan of action. I believe we are seeing an example of this in the current Middle Eastern War (as well as our cultural struggles in America.) Kicking the can down the road can be like trying to keep a lid on a heated pot that will boil over and explode from time to time. But, certainly, it might be a mistake to alienate those, at least, somewhat enlightened who may favorable to the cause. Certainly, MLK was voicing his frustration. The struggle continues.
Some cultures are irremedial and unchangeable, especially cultures grounded in religion and ideology. I have in mind,at the moment of Islam, Hindu,and Fundamentalist Christianity in all its forms, they are triumphalist, misogynist, homophobic and would exterminate not only unbelievers, but insubordinate women who refuse to be marginalized, infidels and LGBT
The word "rich" should be added to the descriptors. No aspect of a person is more influential in the magnitude of that person's power than that person's wealth.
Hey, ‘a few white dudes’ is an accurate statement, not denigrating ALL white men. The problem has been, and it has for too long been, that ONLY white dudes, or nearly always white dudes, got to call the shots in too many places in the world. Clearly it was not ALL white dudes, just all the time white dudes.
So climb down off your defensive high horse and recognize what the problem was… racism and sexism that put being a white dude ahead of all else. Especially a rich white dude. You can’t get away from the truth of it by being defensive and deflecting.
If the behavior fits the skin color stereotype : there may be defensiveness ; but if you are part of the solution, there should not be worries. No need for thin skin! Nobody chooses their parents or color! Or national origin or ancestry.
Should I not, reasonably and calmly, express my opinions in this forum for discussion. Can I not do that without being characterized as being defensive and on a "high horse." Actually, my main point, unexpressed until now, is that people should be aware when they are being hypocrites.
I do still disagree with your take on how talking about the historical and undeserved power of white men is somehow unfair to white men in general. There is no other way to address the historical truth of it.
Corporations getting Money from us as Incentives and Laws in their favor, of many, Elon Musk latest NASA for Space X for going to space.
Many Years back Monopolies of Corporations Laws not allowed. Today is ok to have Monopoly claiming advancement, job creation and so on as justified.
A lot of people do not see what is going on in our Economy, some seeing it ok for Job Creations, applauding how smart and good for Executives not paying Personal Taxes, not seeing how game is played. Stock market as it goes up or down they do not understand as how it like betting Corporations own Interest playing in a Casino.
I say to People in Debates. Think how much Power Google, Amazon, and others have or will have. Dearest now Google Phones.
Tell me, Martin, which group in this country holds most of the wealth and power? Who then is responsible for our current economic situation? It ain’t me.
Well, Jody, it is the wealthy and powerful who hold those things. Aren't we trying to move beyond broad negative characterizations made by race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, class, religion, etc.? This is my daily struggle in trying to be a better person. It shouldn't matter that I am white and male anymore more that it should matter that you are what you are. I continue to encounter entangled prejudicial roots in my psyche. The work of being anti-racist, to put all these groups under one umbrella, is to be willing to do the difficult and sometimes painful work of pulling out those roots (like admitting I have been wrong, if only to myself, and changing my behavior) so the better angels of my being may flourish.
I agree that white men of good will should not be vilified because they are part of the demographic that has held inordinate power for generations. And sometimes those powerful guys did good things, and sometimes, not. But they always had the prerogatives…
What they need to recognize TODAY is that the rest of us, who are STILL struggling against that excess of white male privilege, would like the world to better recognize OUR skills and aspirations.
That is all. Not that white men are bad. All kinds of people are bad. We just want an end to it always being the well-off white guy in charge of our lives.
MAYBE the well-off white guy is the best choice to run something. OK then, but he should be chosen on a level playing field.
Saying that race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, class, or religion don’t matter any more doesn’t make it so. We still haven’t had a female president. I’m certainly not saying that all white men are “bad,” just that they hold most of the wealth and power in this country and around the world. That’s a fact. So we have to be honest and recognize privilege before we can start to change things. Wealthy people have privilege, white people have privilege, members of certain religions have privilege, men have privilege. If you’re a wealthy white Christian man in this country, you hit the privilege jackpot. That doesn’t make a person bad, just lucky. But if that rich white Christian guy uses his privilege to oppress or keep others down, yeah, he’s a bad guy.
Of course race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, class, religion or other designations do and will continue to matter unless we all, male and female, begin to wear burkas with voice adjusters. As for luck and being born into privilege, we have to consider that every good parent wants to provide the best opportunities for their families and children that they can. And throw in the pithy saying that birds of a feather flock together.
Thank you to everyone who liked and participated in commenting on my thread today. It has been valuable to me whether you agreed with me or not. I have more thinking to do.
Martin, yes, in the future, we can perhaps get there, but it is going to be painful. We can't get there until we fully acknowledge how we got where we are and work together to figure out how to make things right. The direction we take can't be just a male or white male planned direction. We must start the process, but there are too many rich and powerful white men who have decided they don't want to move at all; they are comfortable just where they are and too bad about the rest of the people. We have an overabundance of rich white men in Congress, state legislatures, on school boards, and 4 of the most stuck on our Supreme Court. Some others have joined the white male bloc and are looking for the kudos they expect from their "lord and master." All the folks in the meeting Prof. Reich described were white, only one wanted to do the right thing for the nation.
Martin, when one group is mostly in power and the truth is told about that group, it is not denigrating. It is mostly white men who have shaped our current tax code to make sure that huge corporations can practically rule and siphon off as much as they want from everyone else. Those are mostly white-owned and run. It is mostly white men who have declared abortion illegal in many states even though they will NEVER become pregnant (with the help of a few white women), and it is white men who have done a lot of harm, thinking they are better, smarter, more clever, more deserving, more of everything than anyone else. We need more white men to step up and say "enough!" we are going to stop taking away people's voting and other rights and stop fretting over needing to own guns. We are going to work for the rest of our lives to stop global warming and end poverty in the world. Of course, there are some white men doing that now, but not enough of them.
Correct, but why put white as part of the lable for a correction? Just say all persons who's income are above--- are subject to these new rules. (Including the "corporate persons"
I don't mean to quibble, Martin, but Systematic mentioned "a bunch of rich men who don't even understand the basics of female anatomy". She didn't mention whiteness: That's a jump YOU made. She mentioned "rich" which gives them the power to decide as they wish and the statement that these rich men don't understand the basics of female anatomy, that is also a correct statement, proven true by the idiotic and horrendous laws they passed against abortions and women in general.
I forgive them their gender but not their willful ignorance, after they were told, so many times to not touch Roes V Wade.
Being pre-judiced is different: If we don't know the record of a politician and we say I don't like him or her because that's what I heard, somewhere, then yes, that is being prejudiced. If I say I don't want a pussy grabber for President, I am relying on a proven and stated fact, by Trump himself that he is a pussy grabber. That is not being prejudiced. So no. I don't believe that you are prejudiced against radically conservative Republicans.
It isn’t racist; it’s fact. Rich white men have ruled this country since its inception. Pointing that out doesn’t demean the millions of white men who disagree with those rulings.
It is not funny, not at all Ryan, but I know what you mean. Phuckwits like Trump and his cult can dish it out, but not take it. A prime example is Elon Musk, who in a TV interview told Walmart, Amazon, etc to GFY, three times. Trump lies about everyone and every thing, but when he is called out, he explodes and threatens revenge.
It is the same for the Billionaires, the Plutocrats, the Oligarchs. They can dish it out, but they can't take it.
Except it is white landed upper class men who wrote the founding documents and created a constitution that was designed to serve them, without regard to unlanded men, women, natives and slaves.
Stating that it is racist to blame white men is a stretch white men is not a race
prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.
And just who do you think the vast majority of consciousless billionaires, Republicans and MAGAts are. Women, POC, LGBT, Hispanics?
No they are white men. Just like me
I am not outraged like you are, because the shoe doesn't fit, but it sure does fit on you.
I am not outraged so I don't accept that label. Prejudices taken from opinions on a group and applied to an individual are racist. You, sir, have judged me and my shoes. I am returning the judgement. You are racist.
I was referring to the use of "white men" in the comment I was commenting on. I don't believe Reich is a racist. I believe he is a good man trying to be better. I also acknowledge that he is a politician and that there is some baggage that comes with that. Sometimes, stereotypes can be useful. Wisdom comes with knowing when to discard them.
Reich didn't say 'white men', but he could have. The discussion took place in the Clinton era 1993-2001 in which the majority of corporate power was indeed held by White Men....thankfully the top has shifted, but not the attitudes towards taxing the rich and super rich.
Unfortunately, many of the wealthy are able to use their riches to influence politicians to act to their benefit it seems more often than not. What is the purpose of government? Is it to improve the lot of its citizens for the greater good or is it to manage the herd on behalf of the already wealthy?
Historically, I believe the second alternative is what has been widely accepted. It is instructive to recognize the tenacity with which many in the lower classes staunchly adhered to the principle that everyone was born into the social stratum to which they belonged; the workers were born to be workers, the masters to be masters, divine right of kings and all. Someone trying to rise above their "place in life" was not only shoved down from above but also vigorously pulled down by their "peers".
Yes. Enlightenment ideals were first begun to be applied as the American Dream was being created. It was bound to be a struggle against entrenched belief systems. The struggle continues...
THE ENEMY INSURRECTIONIST ARE AT THE GATE, DEFEAT TREASONOUS , TERRORIST, AND CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE AND JAIL CORRUPT AND TRAITOR RTRUMP AND CRONIES. VOTE DEMOCRATIC , AND RESTORE DEMOCRACY., DUMP CAREER CRIMINAL RTRUMP AND CRONIES, LOCK HIM UP AND HIS CRIMINAL CRONIES.
The term "economically independent is illusory." When Germany devalued its currency prior to WWII, people with wheelbarrows full of German deutschmarks were losing their wheelbarrows to thieves who left the worthless currency behind in favor of something tangible. We are at the mercy (?) of those who dictate economic policy and the valuation of commodities necessary to life. As we have seen far too often, our access to goods and services can be severely curtailed by those setting the prices according to their uncontrolled profit margins (the most recent unjustified runaway inflation is an example). THAT is what we are talking about, access to goods and services, not empty tokens of debt.
The characterization of a group by some marker like skin color, hair length, supposed gender etc as a way of expressing dislike/disapproval toward a group seems deep rooted in our human makeup. But there is also a reason why sterotypes exist: they often carry at least a grain of truth that is easily conveyed in conversation where distinctions are not. So yeah some white men who for historical reasons were in the room and not other colors, were assholes (except Reich).
Steve said: "The characterization of a group by some marker like skin color, hair length, supposed gender etc as a way of expressing dislike/disapproval toward a group seems deep rooted in our human makeup."
So very true, it is genetic, or shall I say epigenetic. Survival of the tribe, clan, nation, and that doesn't condone it. As hominids we have physically evolved, but apparently not mentally.
When someone who looks different shows up in a public place, like a store, take notice of the environment, people can't help themselves from staring.
It is axiomatic that the most racists of communities, counties and states, have either no persons of color, or if they do they are very few, and they are always Republican, whereas large cities, while not immune from hate, are by and large blue because diversity breeds tolerance.
The greater the racial/cultural homogeneity, the more intolerant, the greater the diversity the more tolerant.
Steve, I find it interesting that we all know the "race" of everyone in the room and would be shocked if we were to learn that one of them was Black or AAPI. There is a reason when people say "American," they most often seem to imagine a white person.
Every time a developer says they cannot build housing or affordable apartments without massive tax abatements, I wonder what exorbitant executive packages they are factoring into their calculations. When the burned out social service workers beg for pay that at least keeps up with inflation, the mission-based gas lighting response that it cannot be done because the priority is helping the children or community flies in the face of too many huge executive director salaries that they can all see in the 990s. Every time a school crumbles, a teacher gets in trouble for a side job, or an injured child can't get the care they need, all I can think is how much money the administrators and healthcare execs are pocketing while the hardest working people struggle through an increasingly difficult existence.
If we had a halfway decent press, this would be a main topic of every broadcast. Every issue, from the struggling air traffic controllers to the military members who don't get the healthcare they need, should cover the people at the top, what they earn, and how it can possibly be justified. As for the notion that pay should be tied to actual performance, most Americans I know stopped believing that lie when the bankers got enormous bonuses when the economy was strong and got enormous bonuses and bailouts when they broke the economy. The only performance that is truly tied to earnings these days is how well one can exploit loopholes, con people, purchase politicians, and extract value from the earth and all that live here.
I know firsthand. I was a struggling Medical Technologist with a Specialist in Hematology, Star Award, Service Excellence Award, Dale Carnegie graduate winning awards for speaking (& asked to teach). I received no increase in pay for these accomplishments.
I was asked to lecture the residents, students & Technologists, take over for the teacher while on bed rest (for maternity), drive my supervisor in my car with my gas to a conference (3 hr. rd. trip), decorate the lab for Easter on my time with my money ((I fell off the table after the assistant supervisor asked me to move the decorations; I injured myself & they acted like I was a criminal), had the Christmas party at my house for my department (2 weeks notice) and asked to give several retirement speeches. But NO extra pay or compensation.
On the contrary, after the economic bust in 2008, they were trying to find ways to get rid of employees. So instead of being rewarded, 3 months after receiving the Service Excellence award presented by my supervisor for showing excellence in all the categories, the hospital where I worked fabricated an excuse to relieve me of my position. (I figured out exactly what they did afterwards).
No investigation. No speaking with the supervisor or management. A pathologist who knew me for decades vouched for me. They didn’t care. They were on a mission.
After all, it was an “at will” institution. They didn’t need an excuse. But I had the most seniority, highest paid, with the most vacation time. They were desperate & I was a target. never received a fancy party with a speech.
What a crappy way to be treated, Marlo. Sadly, it happens to a lot of talented, dedicated, hardworking people. It’s an ugly, soulless way to run a business or organization.
As someone who spent decades on issues of affordable housing and homelessness , there is no way to house any significant number of people at the lowest income levels (ie <15% of Area Median Income) without a deep permanent subsidy.
Developers can sometimes squeeze a couple of “affordable” units into a larger project via increasing market rent on the other units as a means of subsidizing the few-- if they are forced by government. But even then, the develops want to rent those units to people with ~60%AMI (which can be folks with incomes over $50K for whom rents of ~$1250/month is affordable).
Rent without a subsidy simply can’t be affordable to people with incomes of <=30% AMI (let alone 15%) because 30% of their income won’t cover debt service, operating costs, repairs and maintenance. Making it affordable requires a deep, permanent project-based or tenant-based subsidy.
This is not due to excessive fees, profit-gouging or CEO salaries. Even good nonprofits can’t do much better unless they can raise incredible donations for a small project. And neither Party shows any willingness to appropriate the enormous amounts necessary to resolve the problem. It’s heartbreaking. 💔
Thanks for your insight. I may simply be too focused on the development challenges in my region, which has unbelievably low vacancy rates, sky high rents, developers who scream if we don't give them every single break they can possibly receive, only for us to then find out owners receive absolutely absurd payouts or quickly turn around and sell the building for enormous profits. The richest people and businesses I know cry poverty constantly, but somehow always make out like bandits.
As property values rise, homelessness will increase, and in a few years it will be an epidemic.
My wife was a building official and I know from her daily complaints what scum bags developers are. The live high on OPM, mostly retirement, mutual and pension funds
They (developers borrow from Peter to pay Paul, and the moment they stop developing they drown for lack of oxygen (money) just like a shark which has to keep moving or it suffocates.
In NYC one such bought a piece of property that was no bigger than a house with a small front yard, and they built a scraper that spread out horizontally as soon as it cleared the neighboring buildings.
Another built a skyscraper and a mall over a rail road yard, without disturbing the movement of trains. And they even dredge up and build their own islands, so they can built skyscrapers on them.
And if a building official tries to enforce the law and codes, they soon find themselves applying for workmen's comp. because the city council or county commissioners are bought by developers.
Hard for people to donate to causes since it is the few who have ALL the money. They aren't sharing it but want more. Politicians and parties beg for money. We do pay them so they should do their job without us giving money for two years before the election even happens for a cause. Ask Elon or movie stars and sports players...to give. Only the few rich have it to give. Warren Buffet with his business making 50% on shares cause they don't make repairs or safety for rails. Death and pollution for a small town.
Accidentally deleted my own comment! I’m well aware of the limits of the private sector to replace government funding. For example, I attended a church for a few years to witness and participate in their “good works.” And there were some good works. I co-led trips of high school youth to a reservation, to the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and to refill water tanks in the desert so those crossing illegally were not “punished” via dying of dehydration. These were exceptional projects and both the you and the congregation learned a lot.
I also led a refugee resettlement volunteer program where the church sponsored two men from the Balkan wars in the 90s. Members loved their ability to provide furniture, transportation, jobs, etc for two years. The church requested two more refugees to resettle but before they arrived the members had provided almost as much help as they could/would. Those two men ended up moving in with me and my husband. Ultimately, we took over all the responsibilities.
The moral of this story (for me) is that churches like to help their own (eg teens) and will take on a bigger project occasionally. But there is no way - unless they are one of the small percentage of passionate, fairly wealthy congregation - to provide ongoing comprehensive services.
The Republican vision of the “Thousand Points of Light” taking over government’s role in providing the social safety net is a dangerous, self-serving myth.
We had churches doing health care before. It didn't work since few had profession staff. They also overlapped in care. Nope people should get good care not count on below par professionals and clergy. Let god's be gods and medical care left to those trained in the care needed.
Thanks Denise! Greatly appreciated! Culture used to be this intangible thing to me..."the culture is shifting" some would say, but that can be so hard to pin down. But nowhere do I see it before my very eyes than in friends, family, and colleagues these days when they are faced with excuses of what the firm can't afford, what the insurance policy doesn't cover, when the raises "can't" be larger, or when the money is always there for Wall St. and bombs but not roads, rivers and lunch for kids. Every cold corporate email or politician that spouts this garbage makes honest, hardworking people just stare in disgust at this parade of lies that somehow grown individuals say with a straight face, making us even colder and more individualistic by the day. These hollow statements, so clearly based on lies about affordability and merit and what's "best" for the company or country, seem to have crushed the spirit of millions, destroying whatever sense we once had that hard work pays off and that decency and fairness are still principles that stand a fighting chance against greed and selfishness. I feel like simply walking down the street or conversing with neighbors and coworkers these days can reveal how poisoned the culture has become because of this, a whole population feeling helpless, like the only way to get by is to adopt the same "screw you, I got mine" attitude that demoralized them in the first place.
The current Republican chatter about cutting Medicare and Social Security is really nauseating. They’re spinning it like they are courageously doing us a favor.
bingo! it is about wealth/money. Money IS power! We keep getting side tracked, by their design! They are exploiting us and dividing us through our own selfishness. They use lies and ignorance to keep us fighting each other and to keep us from recognizing that they are the real culprits. They will continue to do everything to divide us, based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, political affiliation, socioeconomic status and any other way they can divide us. They know that if we ever recognize them (0.001%) as the real culprits, we will finally coming together to defeat them. (hunger games)
Absolutely, thanks for the refresher. I've been saying the same for years, but as the saying goes, when your job is to drain the swamp, you forget your job when you are surrounded by alligators and pythons.
Ian, that stress you describe isn’t just demoralizing, it’s dangerous. People facing months of stress over important matters, where they have little or no control are experiencing stress overload. Also known as allostatic load, it’s the fact that every body system is strained and aged by the stress hormones. This affects cardiovascular and gastrointestinal and cognitive functioning. At some point the body and mind just give up trying. This can usually be somewhat reversed, but that would require that the person has safe, stable housing, food, medical care: the very things those Republicans (who helped create the stresses) don’t think they “deserve” and don’t want government to fund. They see this whole class of people as “loss leaders.” No profit here so don’t waste funds investing in them.
Oh, Ian, I couldn't agree more! What you describe---spouting greedy corporate double-speak with a straight face---is what we see all. the. time. It makes me want to throw things. The complete lack of empathy and humanity is exactly what enrages people, and rightfully so.
For people who don’t know what goes on beneath the surface, the charge that labor and the middle class are just “ jealous” of people who have more money, and they want to redistribute money to lazy poor people, provides a convincing scapegoat. It is a way to get the people, once again, fighting among themselves for scraps instead of seeing clearly who is eating their lunch.
No way would I be a welfare worker or a teacher, they are two of most underpaid and abused jobs in America. The crap they put up with for a handful of shekles is deplorable.
I remember the Air Traffic controller strike under Reagan. I was a military air traffic controller, and in one day in 1967, I handled more aircraft than the did that day in JFK, and the runway was dirt laterite and less than 3,000 ft long, fixed wing traffic was C123's, C130's and C-7 (Caribou's). I also worked in towers in the states, for certification and requalification.
Air Traffic controllers work (in the best of circumstances) 4 on 2 off, and the two off are 24 hours, the 4 on are 12 hour shifts. No time for anything, especially when you have rotating shifts. You are always on edge, drink gallons of coffee on duty, and gallons of booze off.
Oh Ian! That last line is echoing in my head over and over and over. The lying, the rigging, the dark moola sucking up, the raping and pillaging and then letting ALL the waste - the "s__t" they created (but capitalism doesn't demand accountability for) - all flows and then thunders downstream into your own community, your home, your lungs, your kids teeth or brain. We are outraged, we should have a media that talks about it every night, we should have elected leaders who are not bought and paid for by the Fat Cat Con artist - Flim Flam crowd that want to make their bazillions and laugh all the way to the bank.
Agreed. And sadly, it is the media, including social media, that I believe is our largest enemy in the battle for a better world. Sure, education systems are woefully underfunded and we are badly in need of classes that teach people critical thinking, financial literacy, civics and media literacy. However, the power of carefully targeted messages through data analysis is just too great. The most learned and hyper-aware group of people is no match for algorithms that determine exactly how its members can be nudged toward a particular belief or action. That's why I believe some of the most promising work being done now is on misinformation inoculation.
We surely do have some excellent independent media sources, from Democracy Now! to In These Times and many more. But what I can't understand is why so many progressives do not break their habit of CNN/MSBC/NYT/WaPo consumption, sources that recently proved to be little more than corporate PR firms occasionally dropping little nuggets of actual reporting to maintain legitimacy. But their incentives and overall profit-model have not budged one bit. I have absolutely no faith whatsoever that any of our mainstream institutions will do any better in terms of their coverage of the next corporate-driven global meltdown, the endless free publicity they'll give Trump once he's the official nominee, or the dehumanizing bloodlust reporting they will do as we eventually push toward our next war, wherever and whatever that may be.
I sometimes feel like I'm going crazy talking to fellow progressives or Democrats who act as if any of the issues that caused these problems in the past have been addressed. I do take some solace in the thought that maybe what we are really witnessing is simply the long overdue and well-deserved fall of the US Empire. And that in the end, our job is to protect the good people while it happens, as our power wanes (as it should) and other, more responsible nations take on leaderships roles for the world.
GREEDERSHIP NOT LEADERSHIP - Clorox -an Oakland based company, laid off hundreds of long term employees over the course of the last year, including myself with 25 yrs at age 59. Following the layoffs, the company experience the worst cyber attack in the history of the company costing at least $500 million. As a result, THE CEO WAS AWARDED A 37% SALARY INCREASE - REAL FAMILIES WERE HURT. Mine will never recover. I was on target to retire in 3 yrs when I was cast away. I am now starting all over at age 60. I want to point out that in my role at the company, I delivered TEN TIMES MY COMPENSATION BACK EVERY YR for 25 yrs. I delivered over $36 million back to Clorox in 25 yrs. All handed to Linda Rendle and the other executives who were rewarded heavily for destroying lives - and you wonder why Clorox wipes are $9 a cannister..... Its to fund the GREEDERSHIP
I was never going to be able to retire anyway, but I lost my career in newspapers in 2015 and at age 57 am working my ass off trying to launch myself! It's not fun, it's not fair, and it's not what this country promised us.
Sorry to hear about your situation, But I have to say there is no such thing as fair.
Life is eat and/or be eaten. The Captains of industry got where they are by eating their smaller competitors, then raising the docks so high, that they couldn't ground their ships.
Michelle. "Fair" is a word I detest, except in association with County (County fair)
There is no such thing as fair. Nature isn't fair (think zebras crossing a river with crocodiles waiting) or the gazelle chased down by the lion, or the rodent caught by a cat, or the cat caught by an eagle.
In humankind, rules and laws are made by those who have money, hence power, and they are made to protect themselves and give them an advantage. In the family they are made by parents, for the same reason. In schools and companies, they are made by Principals, teachers and corporate owners and CEO's for the same reason.
Life is not fair. Realizing that we have to be smart and find a workaround. but be prepared for adverse results.
HAMAS certainly thinks that their actions were fair on Oct 7th, and Netanyahoo certainly thinks his response is fair.
Fair is a word most often heard from a child who stomps off after it doesn't get its way.
I agree with your sentiment, but what is fair, is like beauty it depends on the beholder, or who has the power. In other words it is subjective. What is fair to you is unfair to some else.
I am glad you used the word Rarely Malcom, carnivores are famous for eating still borns. And a carnivore will eat it's own, if it is dead.
I was stationed in Frobisher Bay, Canadian NW territories from 47 - 58 (now called Iqualit), there as a three man Mountie detachment, and they ruled as police, Judge and Jury.
About the time of the first snowfall, they went around and shot enough dogs, to feed the population of dogs for the winter.
I left the chow hall and saw the half eaten corpse of a husky, moving, inside of it where five pups, I a assumed that they were living off their mother.
Yes..have experience and education in your forties and a woman forget a good job. They want right out of college with little experience. Our society is showing the lack of experience and workers who stay with a company for a long time. Why stay without benefits? One job like last one. Mim wage and long hours. No safety or medical coverage.
Judith In 1989, I was retired military, with an MBA and did a geographic because of poor choices and alcoholism. I sobered up and 34 years later, still sober, but I couldn't find a job. I was overqualified. Because I had learned touch typing in 1957, and had kept current with a manual typewriter, I was able to land a job as a data entry clerk with the County health department. I was lucky and they were desperate.
The only seniors I see working these days are cashiers or greeters. And they get paid a pittance, I've even seen them working behind the counter at Mackie D's,along with high school kids and college graduates.
I learned to type on a manual typewriter. In college it took me longer to type a paper than write it. I went into science since I wouldn't have to type! There were few women in my classes but I did get a job at the university labs with a few free classes. That ended when it became a state university.
When I first moved to Florida retirement area in 2012 there were lots of seniors working here. Now they are being replaced by younger workers who drive a long time from the nearby communities and S. American immigrants. Immigrants coming from the Southern border flow by land and sea to Florida. Cost us $80 Billion a year for education, health care, crime, etc. since they pay no taxes nor does the corporate farmer where they work. They also send home money so that drains our use here. They tell us they add so much to our country but they haven't considered all the numbers or problems. We had these problems in the last century with huge illegal flows. That is why we have the laws we have now. Many administrations passed them for good reasons.
So many homeless children running the streets in NYC they put them on the orphan train across the state and adapted them out. No good for every child.
My grandparents on one side came to Ellis Island legally but got no benefits. They were to pass a health test before boarding the ship and have a sponsor here in America. They brought their own money. We are getting diseases such as Leprosy now in Florida from illegals. Not good for anyone.
We do have E Verify but few corporate farmers use it. Governor denied Venezuelans, Chinese, etc. housing since their illegal flow is staggering.
We have lots of older real estate people. There are so many along with the younger ones coming in to make money. Just about three homes for sale by each realtor each trying to sell a customer's home. You are forced to look at homes which you didn't ask to see. I want to see a two bedroom with...etc. It took me months to find what I wanted and could afford. Not furnished, near water, etc. I had my own stuff.
It's happened in my lifetime as well, and was just a matter of timing that I was not screwed. I am a retired Anesthesiologist. We started as a group of 12 at a prestigious SF Bay area hospital. I went into it because it was a lot of fun and suited my personality, and was shocked that so many of my colleagues were in it for the money. It took me 3 years and a prestigious surgeon's support to get a steady job in the then-males-only specialty. By the time I retired, the group had sold their souls to a corporate group who gave the original members payouts in the millions. Subsequently they paid their new hires peanuts and couldn't get decent Anesthesiologists to join. Now they pay travelers, plus their expenses, a bundle (which goes to the corporate group managing the travelers!) and can't get good people. Yes!! It's happening to professionals!
Anesthesiologists made over $700,000/yr at my hospital 20 years ago. The nurse anesthetists did all the work. The anesthesiologist was just there when the patient was awake
I made half that working 70 hours a week, nights, weekends, holidays. We had CRNAs when I trained and I loved working with them. Managed care in CA reduced our pay but I didn't care, it was still a great income. Wrecked my health, though. Suicide, addiction, and cancers are higher.
I had a good education but we were very underpaid. We worked hard & fast. When I left in 2010 I had gotten a raise, $29/hr. after working 35 years. They cut our pay and pensions so the CEO’s could retire with 7-9 $million bonuses.
Not where I worked. A nurse Anesthesiologist failed to check a patients blood level during a long, brain surgery. Finally I reminded him. Patient could have died on the table. What an ego he had.
No he was slowly bleeding over a long period of time. Adds up. Hematocrit level done in the lab. In trauma all the indicators would drop including blood pressure. They do more tests than one on patients during surgery using lab and monitoring machines.
I hope that nurse anesthestist was held accountable. That is malpractice. That is their job!
The problem is there are a lot of cover ups. No one wants to be a snitch so the patient suffers.
There have been movies made about nurse and doctor serial killers that went from hospital to hospital. The administration was afraid of being sued so they released them to another hospital instead of dealing with them.
Geez! They used to tell people, just get an education and you will be set. Sure. It’s the precariat for everyone. Get your advanced degree and maybe you can get a job which will pay off your student loan, if you are lucky. (I am not talking about art history degrees or medieval literature, either.)
A one time college graduates got management jobs even if it was in history, etc. Few went to college back then. Today a Phd has trouble since there are so many in their field. Boomers got good educations with loans, scholarships, etc. Today Zers are trying to pay off loans and get a good job period. Few promotions just a person at the top who gets millions. Many multi billionaires.
I would take $10M since a million isn't enough with interests rates being 0.1%. No one needs a billion to live comfortably. We had the Fortune 500 back in the last century. Now we have more who are billionaires. Their children set for life. Tax em Congress.
I can empathize, David. Many of us have similar tales of woe. After taking on more and more responsibilities for several years as the company jettisoned workers and added new technology, I was doing work that wasn't even distantly related to my job title. I had to master systems and software with literally minutes of training. Then one day, the boss took me in her office and said I had a choice: take a 50% wage and hours cut (but still come into the office 5 days a week), lose all benefits, but still do the same job; OR get a minimal severance package. I left, but at 61, couldn't land any other work, and hung on by my fingernails until I turned 62 and could collect Social Security. Meanwhile, the company CEO didn't know a damn thing about how the business worked, but continued to collect a generous salary. I'm betting that's the case at the majority of companies these days.
I had a job where I was supposed to be two places at once. The supervisor wanted my job for another employee. Happened at another job too where the sister wanted her sister hired in my job. She trained her off time. The sister had a nervous break down since it took years of training to just jump into that type of job so fast. They tried to put me on suspension so they wouldn't have to pay me unemployment. I got an employment lawyer. I kept records of their bull. I never had a bad review in my past jobs. That is what is terrible about working with people period but learn to protect yourself.
Good advice, Judith. What an ugly experience for you! Good thing you could afford an attorney!
What's really telling is that we've all seen or been victimized by similar experiences.
In my company, the terminations before and after me were both people over 55. Of course, that was just, "coincidence." None of us had a bad review, either, but we couldn't pay for lawyers.
Denise, I am so sorry for the many people who have been screwed by the companies they gave their lives to, making so much possible. It seems now that the big corporate action is to "lay off" or "fire" without cause people who are just about to reach retirement age or are at the top of the salary scale. I have seen it happen several times to people I know, including a family member. then, a major computer corporation is moving to India because I guess, American workers are not good enough or are being paid too much. There should be huge tax penalties for such actions, but we just let it happen even though so many of our people are seriously harmed by it. White folks and their surrogates around the world are totally on board with these actions even though some white men are also victims. In short, the rich white men and their surrogates who are in charge care about no one and nothing but money and how much they can accumulate for themselves and anyone they can use. That is a serious addiction that needs to be addressed. Our eyes are on the wrong addictions: drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc. (not that those aren't extremely problematic and need to be addressed). The addiction to money and power is devastating and leads members of Congress to filibuster everything that would help anyone, stop military promotions unless they get what they want and what they want should be irrelevant to them as men, pump up fake impeachment proceedings, and so much more. None of those actions will help anyone but will probably bring in huge financial gains for those involved. We should be able to stop this, but there are too many getting too much from the goody pot for it to stop any time soon.
Your last sentence is the money quote, Ruth. Until the donors and owners are eliminated, there's slim hope of changing anything.
Re your comments about addiction, I'd extrapolate the point about money and power to include the obsession with military power and expenditures. Imagine what we could afford to do if the obscene military budget was halved! If the people in charge at the Pentagon (yeah, mostly older white guys) were forced to give up their " full-spectrum domination" mantra, there would be hundreds of billions of dollars to help the poor and the working class, which are increasingly the same thing.
Denise, I hadn't considered the Pentagon, but you are right about their addiction to power and money and they have a bunch of contractors who are equally addicted. We have a presidential candidate who is threatening to use the military against the American people if he gets elected and I suspect there are other Republicans who would do it if they were elected and would support Trump in his efforts. They suck the resources from people and infrastructure we really need to make life better for a whole lot of our neighbors. As long as the Pentagon does not have to have a full audit and Congress and our president keep pushing up the amount of money we the people give them each year, nothing is going to change. Why should it? It is like paradise for them, and they don't even have to put their lives on the line except in extreme situations. A really cushy deal!
Agreed, Ruth. And both parties are guilty of perpetuating the Pentagon feeding trough.
I saw a suggestion the other day that I liked: bring back the draft, only restrict it to the military brass' kids, contractors' kids, and Congresscritters' kids. A fantasy, of course, but it would be justice.
Denise, yes, that would take care of the "need" of so many to rush into conflicts or to create them. It's always easier to send other people's children into battle than one's own. Maybe we should suggest that for Israel too.
Denise: If he US didn't have military power, what do you think it would look like now. It would not be the America that enables you to live and type your opinions on sites like this.
Granted contractors are leech, and they lobby the government for crap like the F-35 and the government keeps sinking more and more money in failed equipment. And it isn't just bought politicians.
Every congressional district has at least one military installation, one sub contractor and/or one defense contractor, and those provide jobs.
People will do anything for a job, expose themselves and their families to cancer causing effluent, crawl into holes in the ground and get black lung disease climb 400 ft high cell phone towers for $15 an hour with no benefits.
I don't recall suggesting that we eliminate the military.
But we certainly should eliminate the vast majority of our 800 bases and restrict our operations to strictly defensive ones only. No interfering in, say, civil wars in Africa.
That I agree with. As regards interfering in internal affairs of other countries. The reason our Government does it, is to protect the resources and profits of corporations, like Exxon, Chiquita Banana and extraction industries.
Want to know who really runs this country. It isn't elected officials it is financial institutions, corporations and billionaires... the Plutocracy.
My sister an Executive Secretary for management in a huge corporation was asked to do budgets for the department. Of course the boss got credit and a great pension.
You are not an exception David, but the rule. If they don't cut costs by laying people off or firing them. The get themselves in purposeful trouble, so they can declare bankruptcy and grab employees pension funds. Back in 2001 I sold my home, one of the first takers, backed out, because she had a pension fund with ENRON, and it went bankrupt.
There is a myth, that the unfortunate believe in, it is the Horatio Alger myth, and the myth that if you work hard, you will succeed.
There is no industry, other than County employment, or the one city in the county, where I live, no big box stores, no franchises, no Mackie D', Booger King, Windy's, they are all Mom and Pop, including Ace Hardware who is probably the sole franchise, but necessary as blood to the community.
We are serviced by employees who have no tenure, and whose jobs are as tenuous as the ability of the owner to stay in business. A small business owner one day, and the next homeless and living in your car.
The “[w]e shouldn’t be social engineering through the tax code” argument is both common and bullshit. Just look at all of the tax expenditures (read: tax breaks) we give to corporations and wealthy individuals. My two favorites: preferential tax treatment of capital gains and step up in basis upon death. They’re social engineering at its finest, the first helps create American oligarchs and the second helps them pass their wealth on to their families untaxed.
you need to brush up on your definitions. Communism is NOT the same as Socialism and completely not the same as Democratic Socialism. Check your terms. Do not draw conclusions from anecdotal evidence. Be clear about your assumptions. The middle class shrinking and the poor becoming a serf class ruled by oligarchs is NOT communism and certainly not socialism. It is capitalism running out of control. Big capitalism, not small. No anti-trust laws anymore. No fairness doctrine or truth in advertising. Corporations have been labeled "citizens" by the Citizens United decision..unleashing the oligarchs to buy all the politicians they want.
Thanks Bob. It's too bad you couldn't jump on the table and yell in their ears (:-) It's funny, you should present this. As I signed the petition to support Senator Whitehouse, AOC, and Barbara Lee, I was thinking that legislation would just lead the CEO's to take the increasing compensation in other ways. That's what they did in the Clinton years. All their compensation is not in salary - they get free autos, free personal staff, free housing, free airplanes, free yachts, and enormous shares of stock. That's part of the reason they pay so little in taxes. What is needed in addition to surtax are major changes to the tax code so these perks become part of the taxable income.
In Germany they used to have a "wealth tax" on big homes, etc. Don't know if it is there now. I did hear workers are having problems in Germany now. The oligarchs like all over the world. No one has been charged money to pay us tax payers back for Jan. 6th damages to the Capital and security needs. How is that possible?
Agreed Marge, slaps on the wrist are ineffectual for the obscenely wealthy, A $5000 fine would destroy me, for trump is was just pocket change. Weinstein, thankfully is in prison now, but for that caliber of wealth minimal fines need to start at least one million (equivalent to $100 for you or me.
Fay, I would love to see all of those perks taxed at what it costs the corporation to provide them. The corporation should not be able to get tax breaks for offering such perks and the person should have to pay tax on them as part of their salary. A lot of that crap would stop if there were no breaks for it.
"Look Bob. We shouldn’t be social engineering through the tax code. And there’s no reason to declare class warfare." I would like to think that Bentsen was just a dullard-that he did not know that the rules to the economy are social engineering. But there is more to it than that! The idea is to set rules that engineer fairness. American Capitalism is built upon many myths-one of them is that a man's productivity goes up with huge increases in salary. Beyond a certain basic threshold, it does not. The other myth is poverty-insecurity is the greatest incentive for people to work. With a sense of security, they would not work. This is the ugliest lie ever told. It's the lie that people are lazy and need to be incentivized to work. That people do not naturally want to work-to contribute. Insecurity serves exploitation by those that have security, but a reasonable degree of security, resources set a man free to be as productive as creative as he can be. We mustn't have that because we need him insecure to so that he is hungry to work for low wages. Keeping so many in society down-insecure-cripples that society far beyond what we can imagine.
Insecurity makes for illness both mental and physical and greatly reduces the productivity of a nation.
Thank you for everything you do and fight for. And continuing to fight for and to educate all of us through your YouTube videos, and articles you write on here and for YouTube (that's where I see most of what you do. I guess on X too, I'm just not on there much anymore.) I always thought you should have run for the presidency. You would have been what America needed after the Clinton years. Your advocacy for economic freedom for the American people, not corporations through the years has been tremendous and greatly appreciated.! Thank you, Professor R. Reich!
Re CEO pay, I had the following conversation with one of America's leading tax attorneys some 30 years ago: Me: "Can't Congress write a tax law that you clever guys can't drive a truck through in a matter of hours?" Tax lawyer: "The government's lawyers earn $120,000 per year; I earn $3 million a year. Who do you think wins?" I replied "That is so utterly cynical, I suspect it must be true."
We shouldn't want the government to get into the act of setting salaries and wages paid by companies and corporations (except for minimums to limit exploitation.) Fair, progressive taxing (meaning the more you make, the greater percentage you pay) is the answer. It is the rest of us who provide the opportunities for success. Bob's proposal sounds fair to me. Biden should get behind it. Perhaps, he might win over a good number of the disgruntled voters leaning toward Trump.
I have little admiration for Clinton who set his policies by seeing how focus groups responded and, once seeing how the wind was blowing, got out in front to appear to be leading.
"We shouldn't want the government to get into the act of setting salaries and wages paid by companies and corporations (except for minimums to limit exploitation.)" I think that is the least of our worries-there is not a chance of that happening in America. But CEO's will thank you for pointing that out. America is more concerned about someone on welfare getting an extra dollar than the CEO's that crashed the economy causing the Financial Crises and received huge bonuses not jail terms. America spends more money going after the poor than the rich!
Certainly was true of the IRS after its funding was cut to pieces over a decade. They went after people who paid very little tax anyway, and left the fat cats alone because the IRS couldn’t afford to hire people competent to deal with the complicated tax avoidance schemes. Also, I think, low income taxpayers who cheat were seen as lazy scammers, unlike the deserving “job-creating” wealthy tax cheats.
Yes! You got it! America is generous to the rich and extraordinarily cheap and punitive to the poor. The damage that this does goes unseen and the goodness that could come from being more generous to the needy would be profound. One cannot overstate the waste of talent... the misplacement of resources on the extreme opposite of what is needed-extraordinary counter-productive-Unseen-immeasurable success denied. Hundreds of thousands in prison because they were never free to develop their potential-in the first place.
If the deity likes you, you won’t be poor. On the other hand He must like poor people because He made so many of them. Must have made them to serve the wealthy, I guess.
No one is worth these huge salaries. Every CEO star has a limited life. Shareholders are pension and hedge funds but not real people who don't own stock.
Joan, when you bored down in Who Owns Who,as I did it is or was a book found in reference sections of university libraries, you get to billionaires, but point made, each member of a board of directors, usually sits on another board or two, and make a great income from that role.
But drill down as to who owns who and you get to Billionaires.
I definitely could have worded that better. Dr. Reich wasn't in that awful group of 'advisors' who drove us into a ditch. He was in my view the smartest member of Clinton's cabinet.
It bothers me that policies that have had such an incredible impact on my and millions of others lives are decided so casually by white men with no real idea of the effects of their pandering to the wealthy. Shame on these assholes. Kind of like abortion, abortion was decided by people that came from money, that have never felt the panicky desperation from unplanned pregnancy. I will be fine, personally, I am making strides in my own life to be economically independent. But everyone else is screwed, and it is so frustrating to watch it happen.
The long-held philosophy of noblesse oblige, or the obligation of the wealthy to look out for the welfare of the whole, is dead in capitalist America. Pretty despicable when one considers that the wealthy have only gained their positions of privilege by siphoning it off of those they continue to dismiss as the "little people". Such is the inevitable result of money that can be accumulated and used as an instrument of influence and power. We need a new type of monetary system that does not allow such disparity.
It's not really a matter of the monetary system, it's more about what services are available, how much money people have in their pocket and how much taxes people pay. The people who have the money pay for the legislation that makes the rules and they stack up the cash. If you are willing to work you should have a roof over your head, food, and affordable medical care. They tweak the system so that people do not get that. They have 6,000 ft second homes in fort Lauderdale with 150 ft yachts outside of them and they whine like little Rush Limbaugh's the people are taking their money away from them.
"He who has the gold rules." (the golden rule)
Dah!
Tim, you sound like a Libertarian with "if you are willing to work" Fred Koch, father of the Koch brothers was in the USSR in the 1930's building refineries and oil wells for Stalin. He liked what he saw so much that his son David's campaign included much of the USSR's social and financial policies, like a 100% gold standard which produced a shortage of money, an unending depression and a shortage of consumer goods, and food.
But mostly, addressing your comment, Article 12 of the 1936 Soviet Constitution which says, in effect, "If you don't work, you don't eat", so much for those that can't work or find a job, and they are legion.
How does that address the people day working 2-3 jobs just trying to make enough for basic needs. not sure why you think Tim is a libertarian. Look up the definition or read the Libertarian Party web site. It is the definition of a feudal society.
That's a good point... To qualify for the basics folks should have to work full time, not more, and only if they can. Some disabilities make it difficult to work a straight hours.
That was not the issue, as you stated it. The way you stated it sounded l like if you don't work you don't eat, and has nothing to do with working 2 or 3 jobs. And it is n't that some folk with disabilities find it difficult to work, most folk do, and they shouldn't have to work, not in this society not as rich as it is, or should be.
I had a 1st cousin, once removed, that bagged grociers and chased shopping card, Kevin was a prince of a man, sweet as can be, happy and with a memory like an elephant, he was fortunate to find an employer with Downs Syndrome. I had a niece who had Turners Syndrome, and had a Bachelors Degree in System Analysis, and found a job with Social Security as GS 13, and head of system analysis.
Downs is one chromosome too few, Turners is one too many, both have physical aspects of dwarfism,that make them hard to find a job, Downs have a low IQ, Turners are genius, Downs are happy and joyful while Turners are or can be hard and demanding. My niece was the latter Were it not for a kind employer and the government neither would have a job. Both are dead, both outlived expectations.
Lynn do you think I was born yesterday, I was a teenage Beatnik, hung around Diogenese lantern, certainly know what a Libertarian is. I checked them out at a local meeting in 1980, and a serf is bound to the land, regardless who the lord or lady of the manner is.
Tim suggested that if you don't work you don't eat, and that is Libertarian.
And stop feeling sorry for yourself and injecting your self into every situation.
Well I didn't exactly say if you don't work you don't eat. I qualified it by saying if you were willing to work or unable to work you still qualify for the basic necessities of life in my little world 😉 people with mental or physical disabilities are people who are unemployed and can't find work deserve the basics: housing, healthcare and food... And for their kids, a decent education. Those people should not be living in the bushes or in their car if they're fortunate enough to own a car... I don't know if that's libertarian, I doubt it. Our corrupt former president would probably call it communism or socialism that will destroy the country; I call it humane.
Libertarian is utopian and illogical.
Thank you for the comment. You made precisely my point. It is the mechanics of the monetary system - the untrammeled amassing of tokens of imaginary debt into individual hands - that has allowed the folks you mention to occupy their positions of privilege. We need a system that, yes, guarantees every contributing citizen and their families a decent standard of living in accordance with our physical ability to provide such means, devoid of interpretations of whose role is more "valuable" to society (so much for the idle wealthy who simply play with other people's money). As you point out, such people make the rules that allow the excess. What we need is a grassroots movement to bring more equity and rationale to our distribution system.
Whatever that response was suppose to be it was childish, something you would find on Tik Tok, not at all mature or serious, Wilson.
Steve, or maybe what we need is a tax code that is more like what we had in the 1950s when people realized that huge profits are not a good idea and were taxed heavily. Everyone benefited from that. We need some other nations to go along with this for their own CEOs and corporations to curb the running to other places where they can stash their money and use it to still influence our political system and the systems of other nations too. We could do this, but alas, when so many members of congress and Supreme Court justices are bought and paid for regularly, it does not seem things will improve any time soon, that is unless there is an upheaval of people who have decided enough is enough.
Ah, yes, but how to structure one, there’s the rub.
Flip the law. Limit the first million of shares and tax income above that.
It's tough to flip it when it's owned by the wealthy.
I have a saying
Big corporations are the anvil.
Citizens United is the hammer.
We are the ingots.
Park bench economist here.
The workers need to not let the wealthy take all their money - but I can't imagine everyone being self employed. Don't work for the Fat Cats. Define Socialism to be a good thing, again - or use a different word that suggests we can work together for the common good. I can't crack that nut - I can't figure out a way to fairness.
Yes, it is really tough to work through, but right now things are skewed toward the benefit of the Fat Cats. Good minds need to gather to find better ways WITHOUT falling prey to ideologies that sound good, but only make things worse…
I am not big on group think and cultish behavior… on the Right… OR the Left.
How about taking the money out of politics!! Is that not the root of the problem?
Can we vote them out? Who owns the Electoral College voters anyway?
It is the root of the vast majority of our problems. However, there are too many taking money out of politics to take money out of politics.
Exactly right. The more money the super-rich make from society, the less they feel they owe it.
It's not about charity, Lonny., and your question is impertinent. As members of society we pay taxes to fund and support society. You know - things like health services, transport infrastructure, policing, security, pensions etc. etc. Part of the reason companies are able to make profits is that they operate in a stable society, so it is incumbent upon them to pay their fair share in support of it. Says me.
There are of course many ways to skin a cat. Sales tax, what we call VAT (value added tax), social insurance, inheritance tax, wealth tax, windfall taxes etc. etc. At the end of the day it's all about governments ensuring they have adequate finances to do what they want to do. US citizens may not have to pay State taxes, but they all pay Federal taxes, and that's where most of the money goes, and most of that on defence spending (that's a whole other argument!). And with all that there are certain principles that govern how taxation works, not least the issue of FAIRNESS, and that's when the arguments start. The main problem in the world as I see it is that for the last 50 years the disparity in wealth has been growing exponentially, and we are now at a point where the top 1% have absorbed 2/3 of all wealth since the start of the Pandemic. What's clearly needed is a system to redistribute that wealth to bring back hope and a decent standard of living to all, and in so doing to bring back political stability.
That was well said Angela! We need to be that change. Nothing we can do about the past, but we got more work to do for the future so it's not hurting our children. We need to be anti-poverty absolutionists and put kid's first, then work our way back from that. This society rewards the greediest and most self-serving. And it all goes back to a few white dudes with too much power and their fear of loosing it.
It's like sports. The Super Bowl creates a winner, and 31 losers. People are okay with that.
Denigrating white men as a group is as racist or prejudicial as characterizing any other racial or ethnic group or gender negatively.
Hey, Bob is a white guy! So are a lot of other good-hearted, kind people. The problem is not whiteness or maleness, it is greed and lack of empathy.
It is also that women, people of color, poor people and others don’t hold much political power in this country. So yes, it is also a white guy problem.
As long as we dont paint EVERY white guy as part of the problem … some like Bob are part of the solution… we should not let anyone try to make us NOT recognize that the power structure was almost exclusively composed of well-to-do white dudes. Just a fact.
Nobody is Pat. I don't take exception, because the shoe doesn't fit.
There is saying in the south "Stuck pigs squeal" I ain't squealing.
Yeah, though, William, somebody here would like us to stop talking about the power structure being “ white dudes.” It is a nuanced issue.
I don’t feel all that good about people talking about the power differentials and making generalizations about “white people” either. I have never been “ white people, “ but I am a white person. SOMETIMES one CAN make a generalization about that…about what white people might be able to fully realize…fully understand the experience of and ramifications of .. but there is very little overall generalization that I think is true. And yet, an Asian friend and I talked about seeing the world through a “ white lens,” and that was eye-opening. The good part is, one can be aware of a white lens ( or any other lens), and one can take steps to see through a less restricted human lens, but it takes what we used to call “ consciousness raising” during the early Civil Rights and Women’s Lib days.
How we see the world and how we react to being tarred with a broad brush— or even splashed with a bit of tar that wasnt meant for us —should give us pause. Could be a time to reflect.
Not really, you know. Empires of the past have lasted over hundreds of years .. not just strong nations but EMPIRES…
The Us is currently one of the most stable and prosperous of countries with an exceptionally strong economy, but the Right is fooling with that and threatening our stability in the drive to attain more wealth and power in fewer hands.
People on these threads are typically not anti-capitalism altogether…just against the worst exploitation and laxk of regulation needed to keep it from becoming again an oligarchy that keeps the people in bondage to the wealthy few.
Solution…rules to keep it fair. D’uh. What we talk about all the time. The rule of law, BUT laws made by THE PEOPLE, of by and for us…not skewed toward a powerful few, and certainly not setting a dictator or « strong man” over us.
Apparently you believe in original sin. Are sins of the fathers inherited by their sons? Should I be required to feel shame over my gender and the color of my skin and wrong-doings by my antecedents? Am I absolved of that guilt if my ancestors fought to end slavery during the Civil War? If so, should women be required to feel shame for not teaching their sons to act as gentle men and for their daughters not standing up for themselves? You see there is a problem with assignation of shame and guilt painted with a broad brush on people who weren't there or even alive at the time injustices were perpetrated.
I would say, so yes, it is an everybody problem.
You can twist it into “ they are trying to make me feel ashamed of what my ancestors did,” OR you can recognize it as asking you to repudiate what your ancestors did and work to make our world a better place.
OF course it is an everybody problem. We need to spread the power around beyond just rich white dudes.
Thank you Pat, for spelling your point out plainly for Martin's benefit.
Now that I agree with.
I agree. More love, less hatred. More equality, less oppression. More freedom, less subjugation. More understanding, less hypocrisy.
Martin, the problem with calling what we are facing "an everybody problem" is that it keeps letting the perpetrators of the rich draining the resources from everyone else seem like potential victims of what is happening. They are the greedy but also those who feel they are entitled because of what their ancestors did. Many have inherited money they have been able to use and abuse to get whatever they want and to do as much harm as they could as long as they came out on top. And, those involved in this inheritance are mostly white and male. They want to keep it that way. Men who don't fit the model don't get very far in business, so they mostly do and the process continues and mostly by rich white men. It is sad, but it is true!
You know nothing about me or my personal struggles. Do you want me to feel shame on behalf of white men?
You are correct, the sins of the father do not come down to the children,neither does their glory or exalted status. Thus all organizations like the DAR are a farce, invented by low lifes who need bragging rights.
But your examples are over reach and ridiculous.
Who is exactly behind the culture war that is destroying our democracy and turning into a dictatorship?
Not women,though there are camp followers a plenty.
Not Blacks or Hispanics and gays, though there are Quislings a plenty.
It is white men, not all, but were it not for white men, with complexes and pyschosexual hang ups and needs.
Trump never would have been. And the top tax bracket would be the same as in Ike's time.
Martin Mayland : "An everybody problem!?" Meaningless! That is like saying "All lives Matter" to those (Black and all People of color), who have been murdered dis-enfranchised, oppressed and underpaid ( or not paid at all) for centuries. Same thing when you object to pointing out the disparity and inequality for women of all races versus white men!
Exactly Jody.
It's hard I get where you are coming from, especially if you are not from the States, but there is a strong link between white dudes and accumulating power at the expense of others. But we do need to be careful because white dudes need to be part of the solution. If one is weak skinned (no pun intended), they don't see what actually makes a unique human being apart of our shared existence and they focus on skin color. (Apologies if that was sloppily said)
Indeed. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, I dream of a world where people are judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. I'm for that although I have read where others have tried to walk the statement back. Certainly any dominant group will have done good things and probably very bad things, as well. This applies to all cultures, I believe. You are going to find sinners where you find saints. White men have done bad things- slavery for example. They have done good things- outlawing slavery for example. History is fraught with contradictory behavior. One hopes we are generally moving toward the greater good.
I dont think this conversation is all about what white men have done, good or bad ..
It is about them having ALL the power to do ANYTHING good or bad. And that needed to end…and needs to end even more, because it is still too prevalent.
Absolutely. Amen.
This quote was, and still is, aspirational. We can't get there unless we collectively acknowledge and accept some hard truths (become woke). This quote from his 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail', is more appropriate. It can be applied to the scenario described in Mr. Reich's story. Democrats decided to straddle the fence for some 'negative version of peace', kicking the can down the road. Rather than do what was right for the majority, they exacerbated the issue, because they didn't want to deal with the potential backlash. We would still have slavery, Jim Crow and the like, if some people before you and I hadn't decided to accept the potential backlash that included death! And if we keep kicking this can down the road, things will continue to get worse to where it will eventually take the same level of sacrifice to correct the economic exploitation that the overwhelming majority of us face (75% - 99.9%). THE QUOTE- "I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured."
Yes! Yes! Minorities and subjugated groups must continue to agitate for their freedoms. Relying on those content with their lot in life to make benevolent changes will most likely never turn wishes and dreams into a plan of action. I believe we are seeing an example of this in the current Middle Eastern War (as well as our cultural struggles in America.) Kicking the can down the road can be like trying to keep a lid on a heated pot that will boil over and explode from time to time. But, certainly, it might be a mistake to alienate those, at least, somewhat enlightened who may favorable to the cause. Certainly, MLK was voicing his frustration. The struggle continues.
Some cultures are irremedial and unchangeable, especially cultures grounded in religion and ideology. I have in mind,at the moment of Islam, Hindu,and Fundamentalist Christianity in all its forms, they are triumphalist, misogynist, homophobic and would exterminate not only unbelievers, but insubordinate women who refuse to be marginalized, infidels and LGBT
The word "rich" should be added to the descriptors. No aspect of a person is more influential in the magnitude of that person's power than that person's wealth.
Hey, ‘a few white dudes’ is an accurate statement, not denigrating ALL white men. The problem has been, and it has for too long been, that ONLY white dudes, or nearly always white dudes, got to call the shots in too many places in the world. Clearly it was not ALL white dudes, just all the time white dudes.
So climb down off your defensive high horse and recognize what the problem was… racism and sexism that put being a white dude ahead of all else. Especially a rich white dude. You can’t get away from the truth of it by being defensive and deflecting.
If the behavior fits the skin color stereotype : there may be defensiveness ; but if you are part of the solution, there should not be worries. No need for thin skin! Nobody chooses their parents or color! Or national origin or ancestry.
Should I not, reasonably and calmly, express my opinions in this forum for discussion. Can I not do that without being characterized as being defensive and on a "high horse." Actually, my main point, unexpressed until now, is that people should be aware when they are being hypocrites.
Sure.
I thought your tone was parental. My bad.
I do still disagree with your take on how talking about the historical and undeserved power of white men is somehow unfair to white men in general. There is no other way to address the historical truth of it.
Corporations getting Money from us as Incentives and Laws in their favor, of many, Elon Musk latest NASA for Space X for going to space.
Many Years back Monopolies of Corporations Laws not allowed. Today is ok to have Monopoly claiming advancement, job creation and so on as justified.
A lot of people do not see what is going on in our Economy, some seeing it ok for Job Creations, applauding how smart and good for Executives not paying Personal Taxes, not seeing how game is played. Stock market as it goes up or down they do not understand as how it like betting Corporations own Interest playing in a Casino.
I say to People in Debates. Think how much Power Google, Amazon, and others have or will have. Dearest now Google Phones.
Well put
Tell me, Martin, which group in this country holds most of the wealth and power? Who then is responsible for our current economic situation? It ain’t me.
Well, Jody, it is the wealthy and powerful who hold those things. Aren't we trying to move beyond broad negative characterizations made by race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, class, religion, etc.? This is my daily struggle in trying to be a better person. It shouldn't matter that I am white and male anymore more that it should matter that you are what you are. I continue to encounter entangled prejudicial roots in my psyche. The work of being anti-racist, to put all these groups under one umbrella, is to be willing to do the difficult and sometimes painful work of pulling out those roots (like admitting I have been wrong, if only to myself, and changing my behavior) so the better angels of my being may flourish.
You are arguing a different point.
I agree that white men of good will should not be vilified because they are part of the demographic that has held inordinate power for generations. And sometimes those powerful guys did good things, and sometimes, not. But they always had the prerogatives…
What they need to recognize TODAY is that the rest of us, who are STILL struggling against that excess of white male privilege, would like the world to better recognize OUR skills and aspirations.
That is all. Not that white men are bad. All kinds of people are bad. We just want an end to it always being the well-off white guy in charge of our lives.
MAYBE the well-off white guy is the best choice to run something. OK then, but he should be chosen on a level playing field.
Absolutely. Amen.
Count me in Pat. I don't take umbrage with the accusation about white men, because that shoe doesn't fit.
Glad to hear it.
Saying that race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, class, or religion don’t matter any more doesn’t make it so. We still haven’t had a female president. I’m certainly not saying that all white men are “bad,” just that they hold most of the wealth and power in this country and around the world. That’s a fact. So we have to be honest and recognize privilege before we can start to change things. Wealthy people have privilege, white people have privilege, members of certain religions have privilege, men have privilege. If you’re a wealthy white Christian man in this country, you hit the privilege jackpot. That doesn’t make a person bad, just lucky. But if that rich white Christian guy uses his privilege to oppress or keep others down, yeah, he’s a bad guy.
Of course race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, class, religion or other designations do and will continue to matter unless we all, male and female, begin to wear burkas with voice adjusters. As for luck and being born into privilege, we have to consider that every good parent wants to provide the best opportunities for their families and children that they can. And throw in the pithy saying that birds of a feather flock together.
Thank you to everyone who liked and participated in commenting on my thread today. It has been valuable to me whether you agreed with me or not. I have more thinking to do.
Absolutely !!!
Martin, yes, in the future, we can perhaps get there, but it is going to be painful. We can't get there until we fully acknowledge how we got where we are and work together to figure out how to make things right. The direction we take can't be just a male or white male planned direction. We must start the process, but there are too many rich and powerful white men who have decided they don't want to move at all; they are comfortable just where they are and too bad about the rest of the people. We have an overabundance of rich white men in Congress, state legislatures, on school boards, and 4 of the most stuck on our Supreme Court. Some others have joined the white male bloc and are looking for the kudos they expect from their "lord and master." All the folks in the meeting Prof. Reich described were white, only one wanted to do the right thing for the nation.
Martin you just made the biggest mistake, one that I have criticized others for.
Personalizing the impersonal, with your objection and outrage, you are the stuck pig that squealed, the shoe that fit.
I have looked in the mirror. I suggest you do the same.
Jody, you're right. And, I don't remember hearing about women's or Latinx or poor people supremacy and won't.
Hoo boy. Talk about an immovable object that is inpenetrable to outside stimuli or influence.
Martin, when one group is mostly in power and the truth is told about that group, it is not denigrating. It is mostly white men who have shaped our current tax code to make sure that huge corporations can practically rule and siphon off as much as they want from everyone else. Those are mostly white-owned and run. It is mostly white men who have declared abortion illegal in many states even though they will NEVER become pregnant (with the help of a few white women), and it is white men who have done a lot of harm, thinking they are better, smarter, more clever, more deserving, more of everything than anyone else. We need more white men to step up and say "enough!" we are going to stop taking away people's voting and other rights and stop fretting over needing to own guns. We are going to work for the rest of our lives to stop global warming and end poverty in the world. Of course, there are some white men doing that now, but not enough of them.
I agree 100%, but he said "...a few white dudes...", not 'all white dudes', and not 'white dudes' in general.
Correct, but why put white as part of the lable for a correction? Just say all persons who's income are above--- are subject to these new rules. (Including the "corporate persons"
I don't mean to quibble, Martin, but Systematic mentioned "a bunch of rich men who don't even understand the basics of female anatomy". She didn't mention whiteness: That's a jump YOU made. She mentioned "rich" which gives them the power to decide as they wish and the statement that these rich men don't understand the basics of female anatomy, that is also a correct statement, proven true by the idiotic and horrendous laws they passed against abortions and women in general.
I forgive them their gender but not their willful ignorance, after they were told, so many times to not touch Roes V Wade.
Thank you for not quibbling. I am joking.
What was done to Roe v Wade was a betrayal of the highest order. Is it okay that I am prejudiced against radically conservative Republicans?
Being pre-judiced is different: If we don't know the record of a politician and we say I don't like him or her because that's what I heard, somewhere, then yes, that is being prejudiced. If I say I don't want a pussy grabber for President, I am relying on a proven and stated fact, by Trump himself that he is a pussy grabber. That is not being prejudiced. So no. I don't believe that you are prejudiced against radically conservative Republicans.
It is perfectly OK to not like bad behavior.
It isn’t racist; it’s fact. Rich white men have ruled this country since its inception. Pointing that out doesn’t demean the millions of white men who disagree with those rulings.
Funny how white men as a group routinely dish it out, but object when it happens to them.
It is not funny, not at all Ryan, but I know what you mean. Phuckwits like Trump and his cult can dish it out, but not take it. A prime example is Elon Musk, who in a TV interview told Walmart, Amazon, etc to GFY, three times. Trump lies about everyone and every thing, but when he is called out, he explodes and threatens revenge.
It is the same for the Billionaires, the Plutocrats, the Oligarchs. They can dish it out, but they can't take it.
Yeah, but it's kinda fun.
Except it is white landed upper class men who wrote the founding documents and created a constitution that was designed to serve them, without regard to unlanded men, women, natives and slaves.
Stating that it is racist to blame white men is a stretch white men is not a race
prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.
And just who do you think the vast majority of consciousless billionaires, Republicans and MAGAts are. Women, POC, LGBT, Hispanics?
No they are white men. Just like me
I am not outraged like you are, because the shoe doesn't fit, but it sure does fit on you.
I am not outraged so I don't accept that label. Prejudices taken from opinions on a group and applied to an individual are racist. You, sir, have judged me and my shoes. I am returning the judgement. You are racist.
I missed the part where Reich said “white men”. Good catch. He certainly IS a racist prejudicial bastard though. Thank you gentle reader.
I was referring to the use of "white men" in the comment I was commenting on. I don't believe Reich is a racist. I believe he is a good man trying to be better. I also acknowledge that he is a politician and that there is some baggage that comes with that. Sometimes, stereotypes can be useful. Wisdom comes with knowing when to discard them.
Reich didn't say 'white men', but he could have. The discussion took place in the Clinton era 1993-2001 in which the majority of corporate power was indeed held by White Men....thankfully the top has shifted, but not the attitudes towards taxing the rich and super rich.
Unfortunately, many of the wealthy are able to use their riches to influence politicians to act to their benefit it seems more often than not. What is the purpose of government? Is it to improve the lot of its citizens for the greater good or is it to manage the herd on behalf of the already wealthy?
Historically, I believe the second alternative is what has been widely accepted. It is instructive to recognize the tenacity with which many in the lower classes staunchly adhered to the principle that everyone was born into the social stratum to which they belonged; the workers were born to be workers, the masters to be masters, divine right of kings and all. Someone trying to rise above their "place in life" was not only shoved down from above but also vigorously pulled down by their "peers".
Yes. Enlightenment ideals were first begun to be applied as the American Dream was being created. It was bound to be a struggle against entrenched belief systems. The struggle continues...
"Pulled down by their peers" like crabs in a boiling pot.
Mike :Racist is an overused epithet, it has lost its sting. A white man can't be racist against white men.
I guarantee you that some of the anti-abortion people with money will find a way to get their daughter an abortion if that's what they want...
THE ENEMY INSURRECTIONIST ARE AT THE GATE, DEFEAT TREASONOUS , TERRORIST, AND CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE AND JAIL CORRUPT AND TRAITOR RTRUMP AND CRONIES. VOTE DEMOCRATIC , AND RESTORE DEMOCRACY., DUMP CAREER CRIMINAL RTRUMP AND CRONIES, LOCK HIM UP AND HIS CRIMINAL CRONIES.
The term "economically independent is illusory." When Germany devalued its currency prior to WWII, people with wheelbarrows full of German deutschmarks were losing their wheelbarrows to thieves who left the worthless currency behind in favor of something tangible. We are at the mercy (?) of those who dictate economic policy and the valuation of commodities necessary to life. As we have seen far too often, our access to goods and services can be severely curtailed by those setting the prices according to their uncontrolled profit margins (the most recent unjustified runaway inflation is an example). THAT is what we are talking about, access to goods and services, not empty tokens of debt.
Thank you Dr. Reich for telling the truth. Its been almost 30 years since that meeting and nothing has changed. The problem is actually getting worse.
No doubt in my mind, Dem or Repub, these #$#@ were only thinking about their campaign accounts or their job prospects after politics.
Just scum.
The characterization of a group by some marker like skin color, hair length, supposed gender etc as a way of expressing dislike/disapproval toward a group seems deep rooted in our human makeup. But there is also a reason why sterotypes exist: they often carry at least a grain of truth that is easily conveyed in conversation where distinctions are not. So yeah some white men who for historical reasons were in the room and not other colors, were assholes (except Reich).
Steve said: "The characterization of a group by some marker like skin color, hair length, supposed gender etc as a way of expressing dislike/disapproval toward a group seems deep rooted in our human makeup."
So very true, it is genetic, or shall I say epigenetic. Survival of the tribe, clan, nation, and that doesn't condone it. As hominids we have physically evolved, but apparently not mentally.
When someone who looks different shows up in a public place, like a store, take notice of the environment, people can't help themselves from staring.
It is axiomatic that the most racists of communities, counties and states, have either no persons of color, or if they do they are very few, and they are always Republican, whereas large cities, while not immune from hate, are by and large blue because diversity breeds tolerance.
The greater the racial/cultural homogeneity, the more intolerant, the greater the diversity the more tolerant.
Steve, I find it interesting that we all know the "race" of everyone in the room and would be shocked if we were to learn that one of them was Black or AAPI. There is a reason when people say "American," they most often seem to imagine a white person.
Great comment, but nit picking here. I have a low tolerance for statements that say "I find it interesting" or "Funny"
Every time a developer says they cannot build housing or affordable apartments without massive tax abatements, I wonder what exorbitant executive packages they are factoring into their calculations. When the burned out social service workers beg for pay that at least keeps up with inflation, the mission-based gas lighting response that it cannot be done because the priority is helping the children or community flies in the face of too many huge executive director salaries that they can all see in the 990s. Every time a school crumbles, a teacher gets in trouble for a side job, or an injured child can't get the care they need, all I can think is how much money the administrators and healthcare execs are pocketing while the hardest working people struggle through an increasingly difficult existence.
If we had a halfway decent press, this would be a main topic of every broadcast. Every issue, from the struggling air traffic controllers to the military members who don't get the healthcare they need, should cover the people at the top, what they earn, and how it can possibly be justified. As for the notion that pay should be tied to actual performance, most Americans I know stopped believing that lie when the bankers got enormous bonuses when the economy was strong and got enormous bonuses and bailouts when they broke the economy. The only performance that is truly tied to earnings these days is how well one can exploit loopholes, con people, purchase politicians, and extract value from the earth and all that live here.
Great response Ian, you've pointed out most of the problems with our out of balance economy.
I know firsthand. I was a struggling Medical Technologist with a Specialist in Hematology, Star Award, Service Excellence Award, Dale Carnegie graduate winning awards for speaking (& asked to teach). I received no increase in pay for these accomplishments.
I was asked to lecture the residents, students & Technologists, take over for the teacher while on bed rest (for maternity), drive my supervisor in my car with my gas to a conference (3 hr. rd. trip), decorate the lab for Easter on my time with my money ((I fell off the table after the assistant supervisor asked me to move the decorations; I injured myself & they acted like I was a criminal), had the Christmas party at my house for my department (2 weeks notice) and asked to give several retirement speeches. But NO extra pay or compensation.
On the contrary, after the economic bust in 2008, they were trying to find ways to get rid of employees. So instead of being rewarded, 3 months after receiving the Service Excellence award presented by my supervisor for showing excellence in all the categories, the hospital where I worked fabricated an excuse to relieve me of my position. (I figured out exactly what they did afterwards).
No investigation. No speaking with the supervisor or management. A pathologist who knew me for decades vouched for me. They didn’t care. They were on a mission.
After all, it was an “at will” institution. They didn’t need an excuse. But I had the most seniority, highest paid, with the most vacation time. They were desperate & I was a target. never received a fancy party with a speech.
What a crappy way to be treated, Marlo. Sadly, it happens to a lot of talented, dedicated, hardworking people. It’s an ugly, soulless way to run a business or organization.
Wish I did NOT recognize the truth in all this.
As someone who spent decades on issues of affordable housing and homelessness , there is no way to house any significant number of people at the lowest income levels (ie <15% of Area Median Income) without a deep permanent subsidy.
Developers can sometimes squeeze a couple of “affordable” units into a larger project via increasing market rent on the other units as a means of subsidizing the few-- if they are forced by government. But even then, the develops want to rent those units to people with ~60%AMI (which can be folks with incomes over $50K for whom rents of ~$1250/month is affordable).
Rent without a subsidy simply can’t be affordable to people with incomes of <=30% AMI (let alone 15%) because 30% of their income won’t cover debt service, operating costs, repairs and maintenance. Making it affordable requires a deep, permanent project-based or tenant-based subsidy.
This is not due to excessive fees, profit-gouging or CEO salaries. Even good nonprofits can’t do much better unless they can raise incredible donations for a small project. And neither Party shows any willingness to appropriate the enormous amounts necessary to resolve the problem. It’s heartbreaking. 💔
Thanks for your insight. I may simply be too focused on the development challenges in my region, which has unbelievably low vacancy rates, sky high rents, developers who scream if we don't give them every single break they can possibly receive, only for us to then find out owners receive absolutely absurd payouts or quickly turn around and sell the building for enormous profits. The richest people and businesses I know cry poverty constantly, but somehow always make out like bandits.
I don’t “ like “ your post but there’s no angry or crying emoji.
not exclusive to your neck of the woods
As property values rise, homelessness will increase, and in a few years it will be an epidemic.
My wife was a building official and I know from her daily complaints what scum bags developers are. The live high on OPM, mostly retirement, mutual and pension funds
They (developers borrow from Peter to pay Paul, and the moment they stop developing they drown for lack of oxygen (money) just like a shark which has to keep moving or it suffocates.
In NYC one such bought a piece of property that was no bigger than a house with a small front yard, and they built a scraper that spread out horizontally as soon as it cleared the neighboring buildings.
Another built a skyscraper and a mall over a rail road yard, without disturbing the movement of trains. And they even dredge up and build their own islands, so they can built skyscrapers on them.
And if a building official tries to enforce the law and codes, they soon find themselves applying for workmen's comp. because the city council or county commissioners are bought by developers.
Wow, those stories are so bad they make my hair stand up!
I spent most of my career in federal govt and local govt on affordable housing issues. You are right on.
Thanks for your dedication, Lynn!
Hard for people to donate to causes since it is the few who have ALL the money. They aren't sharing it but want more. Politicians and parties beg for money. We do pay them so they should do their job without us giving money for two years before the election even happens for a cause. Ask Elon or movie stars and sports players...to give. Only the few rich have it to give. Warren Buffet with his business making 50% on shares cause they don't make repairs or safety for rails. Death and pollution for a small town.
Accidentally deleted my own comment! I’m well aware of the limits of the private sector to replace government funding. For example, I attended a church for a few years to witness and participate in their “good works.” And there were some good works. I co-led trips of high school youth to a reservation, to the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and to refill water tanks in the desert so those crossing illegally were not “punished” via dying of dehydration. These were exceptional projects and both the you and the congregation learned a lot.
I also led a refugee resettlement volunteer program where the church sponsored two men from the Balkan wars in the 90s. Members loved their ability to provide furniture, transportation, jobs, etc for two years. The church requested two more refugees to resettle but before they arrived the members had provided almost as much help as they could/would. Those two men ended up moving in with me and my husband. Ultimately, we took over all the responsibilities.
The moral of this story (for me) is that churches like to help their own (eg teens) and will take on a bigger project occasionally. But there is no way - unless they are one of the small percentage of passionate, fairly wealthy congregation - to provide ongoing comprehensive services.
The Republican vision of the “Thousand Points of Light” taking over government’s role in providing the social safety net is a dangerous, self-serving myth.
We had churches doing health care before. It didn't work since few had profession staff. They also overlapped in care. Nope people should get good care not count on below par professionals and clergy. Let god's be gods and medical care left to those trained in the care needed.
Brilliant, Ian! One of the best comments I've ever read on this topic!
Thanks Denise! Greatly appreciated! Culture used to be this intangible thing to me..."the culture is shifting" some would say, but that can be so hard to pin down. But nowhere do I see it before my very eyes than in friends, family, and colleagues these days when they are faced with excuses of what the firm can't afford, what the insurance policy doesn't cover, when the raises "can't" be larger, or when the money is always there for Wall St. and bombs but not roads, rivers and lunch for kids. Every cold corporate email or politician that spouts this garbage makes honest, hardworking people just stare in disgust at this parade of lies that somehow grown individuals say with a straight face, making us even colder and more individualistic by the day. These hollow statements, so clearly based on lies about affordability and merit and what's "best" for the company or country, seem to have crushed the spirit of millions, destroying whatever sense we once had that hard work pays off and that decency and fairness are still principles that stand a fighting chance against greed and selfishness. I feel like simply walking down the street or conversing with neighbors and coworkers these days can reveal how poisoned the culture has become because of this, a whole population feeling helpless, like the only way to get by is to adopt the same "screw you, I got mine" attitude that demoralized them in the first place.
The current Republican chatter about cutting Medicare and Social Security is really nauseating. They’re spinning it like they are courageously doing us a favor.
Ian, The culture battle, world wide is a class battle. We just keep getting side tracked by media, policies making things worse.
bingo! it is about wealth/money. Money IS power! We keep getting side tracked, by their design! They are exploiting us and dividing us through our own selfishness. They use lies and ignorance to keep us fighting each other and to keep us from recognizing that they are the real culprits. They will continue to do everything to divide us, based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, political affiliation, socioeconomic status and any other way they can divide us. They know that if we ever recognize them (0.001%) as the real culprits, we will finally coming together to defeat them. (hunger games)
Agree with your point of view.
Absolutely, thanks for the refresher. I've been saying the same for years, but as the saying goes, when your job is to drain the swamp, you forget your job when you are surrounded by alligators and pythons.
Ian, that stress you describe isn’t just demoralizing, it’s dangerous. People facing months of stress over important matters, where they have little or no control are experiencing stress overload. Also known as allostatic load, it’s the fact that every body system is strained and aged by the stress hormones. This affects cardiovascular and gastrointestinal and cognitive functioning. At some point the body and mind just give up trying. This can usually be somewhat reversed, but that would require that the person has safe, stable housing, food, medical care: the very things those Republicans (who helped create the stresses) don’t think they “deserve” and don’t want government to fund. They see this whole class of people as “loss leaders.” No profit here so don’t waste funds investing in them.
No wonder they enjoy throwing stones at the guvmnt even if they end up breaking their own windows.
Oh, Ian, I couldn't agree more! What you describe---spouting greedy corporate double-speak with a straight face---is what we see all. the. time. It makes me want to throw things. The complete lack of empathy and humanity is exactly what enrages people, and rightfully so.
For people who don’t know what goes on beneath the surface, the charge that labor and the middle class are just “ jealous” of people who have more money, and they want to redistribute money to lazy poor people, provides a convincing scapegoat. It is a way to get the people, once again, fighting among themselves for scraps instead of seeing clearly who is eating their lunch.
No way would I be a welfare worker or a teacher, they are two of most underpaid and abused jobs in America. The crap they put up with for a handful of shekles is deplorable.
I remember the Air Traffic controller strike under Reagan. I was a military air traffic controller, and in one day in 1967, I handled more aircraft than the did that day in JFK, and the runway was dirt laterite and less than 3,000 ft long, fixed wing traffic was C123's, C130's and C-7 (Caribou's). I also worked in towers in the states, for certification and requalification.
Air Traffic controllers work (in the best of circumstances) 4 on 2 off, and the two off are 24 hours, the 4 on are 12 hour shifts. No time for anything, especially when you have rotating shifts. You are always on edge, drink gallons of coffee on duty, and gallons of booze off.
It takes a toll on the body and mind.
Not alone teachers...
Oh Ian! That last line is echoing in my head over and over and over. The lying, the rigging, the dark moola sucking up, the raping and pillaging and then letting ALL the waste - the "s__t" they created (but capitalism doesn't demand accountability for) - all flows and then thunders downstream into your own community, your home, your lungs, your kids teeth or brain. We are outraged, we should have a media that talks about it every night, we should have elected leaders who are not bought and paid for by the Fat Cat Con artist - Flim Flam crowd that want to make their bazillions and laugh all the way to the bank.
Agreed. And sadly, it is the media, including social media, that I believe is our largest enemy in the battle for a better world. Sure, education systems are woefully underfunded and we are badly in need of classes that teach people critical thinking, financial literacy, civics and media literacy. However, the power of carefully targeted messages through data analysis is just too great. The most learned and hyper-aware group of people is no match for algorithms that determine exactly how its members can be nudged toward a particular belief or action. That's why I believe some of the most promising work being done now is on misinformation inoculation.
We surely do have some excellent independent media sources, from Democracy Now! to In These Times and many more. But what I can't understand is why so many progressives do not break their habit of CNN/MSBC/NYT/WaPo consumption, sources that recently proved to be little more than corporate PR firms occasionally dropping little nuggets of actual reporting to maintain legitimacy. But their incentives and overall profit-model have not budged one bit. I have absolutely no faith whatsoever that any of our mainstream institutions will do any better in terms of their coverage of the next corporate-driven global meltdown, the endless free publicity they'll give Trump once he's the official nominee, or the dehumanizing bloodlust reporting they will do as we eventually push toward our next war, wherever and whatever that may be.
I sometimes feel like I'm going crazy talking to fellow progressives or Democrats who act as if any of the issues that caused these problems in the past have been addressed. I do take some solace in the thought that maybe what we are really witnessing is simply the long overdue and well-deserved fall of the US Empire. And that in the end, our job is to protect the good people while it happens, as our power wanes (as it should) and other, more responsible nations take on leaderships roles for the world.
GREEDERSHIP NOT LEADERSHIP - Clorox -an Oakland based company, laid off hundreds of long term employees over the course of the last year, including myself with 25 yrs at age 59. Following the layoffs, the company experience the worst cyber attack in the history of the company costing at least $500 million. As a result, THE CEO WAS AWARDED A 37% SALARY INCREASE - REAL FAMILIES WERE HURT. Mine will never recover. I was on target to retire in 3 yrs when I was cast away. I am now starting all over at age 60. I want to point out that in my role at the company, I delivered TEN TIMES MY COMPENSATION BACK EVERY YR for 25 yrs. I delivered over $36 million back to Clorox in 25 yrs. All handed to Linda Rendle and the other executives who were rewarded heavily for destroying lives - and you wonder why Clorox wipes are $9 a cannister..... Its to fund the GREEDERSHIP
You have every right to be bitter.
I was never going to be able to retire anyway, but I lost my career in newspapers in 2015 and at age 57 am working my ass off trying to launch myself! It's not fun, it's not fair, and it's not what this country promised us.
Sorry to hear about your situation, But I have to say there is no such thing as fair.
Life is eat and/or be eaten. The Captains of industry got where they are by eating their smaller competitors, then raising the docks so high, that they couldn't ground their ships.
I think it's a bit weird that our standard answer to any injustice is "life isn't fair." Why the AF do we never even ATTEMPT to make it fair?
Michelle. "Fair" is a word I detest, except in association with County (County fair)
There is no such thing as fair. Nature isn't fair (think zebras crossing a river with crocodiles waiting) or the gazelle chased down by the lion, or the rodent caught by a cat, or the cat caught by an eagle.
In humankind, rules and laws are made by those who have money, hence power, and they are made to protect themselves and give them an advantage. In the family they are made by parents, for the same reason. In schools and companies, they are made by Principals, teachers and corporate owners and CEO's for the same reason.
Life is not fair. Realizing that we have to be smart and find a workaround. but be prepared for adverse results.
HAMAS certainly thinks that their actions were fair on Oct 7th, and Netanyahoo certainly thinks his response is fair.
Fair is a word most often heard from a child who stomps off after it doesn't get its way.
There is absolutely no reason human beings could not choose to make almost everything more fair.
Fuck every single person who could do something to make society more fair and chooses not to.
I agree with your sentiment, but what is fair, is like beauty it depends on the beholder, or who has the power. In other words it is subjective. What is fair to you is unfair to some else.
Hell, even the dumb animals rarely eat their own!
I am glad you used the word Rarely Malcom, carnivores are famous for eating still borns. And a carnivore will eat it's own, if it is dead.
I was stationed in Frobisher Bay, Canadian NW territories from 47 - 58 (now called Iqualit), there as a three man Mountie detachment, and they ruled as police, Judge and Jury.
About the time of the first snowfall, they went around and shot enough dogs, to feed the population of dogs for the winter.
I left the chow hall and saw the half eaten corpse of a husky, moving, inside of it where five pups, I a assumed that they were living off their mother.
Thank you. But is is not a business practice.
Then what made Rockefeller, General foods. Carnegie and rail road barons wealthy and powerful, were it not for eating smaller and weaker companies?
Yes..have experience and education in your forties and a woman forget a good job. They want right out of college with little experience. Our society is showing the lack of experience and workers who stay with a company for a long time. Why stay without benefits? One job like last one. Mim wage and long hours. No safety or medical coverage.
Judith In 1989, I was retired military, with an MBA and did a geographic because of poor choices and alcoholism. I sobered up and 34 years later, still sober, but I couldn't find a job. I was overqualified. Because I had learned touch typing in 1957, and had kept current with a manual typewriter, I was able to land a job as a data entry clerk with the County health department. I was lucky and they were desperate.
The only seniors I see working these days are cashiers or greeters. And they get paid a pittance, I've even seen them working behind the counter at Mackie D's,along with high school kids and college graduates.
I learned to type on a manual typewriter. In college it took me longer to type a paper than write it. I went into science since I wouldn't have to type! There were few women in my classes but I did get a job at the university labs with a few free classes. That ended when it became a state university.
When I first moved to Florida retirement area in 2012 there were lots of seniors working here. Now they are being replaced by younger workers who drive a long time from the nearby communities and S. American immigrants. Immigrants coming from the Southern border flow by land and sea to Florida. Cost us $80 Billion a year for education, health care, crime, etc. since they pay no taxes nor does the corporate farmer where they work. They also send home money so that drains our use here. They tell us they add so much to our country but they haven't considered all the numbers or problems. We had these problems in the last century with huge illegal flows. That is why we have the laws we have now. Many administrations passed them for good reasons.
So many homeless children running the streets in NYC they put them on the orphan train across the state and adapted them out. No good for every child.
My grandparents on one side came to Ellis Island legally but got no benefits. They were to pass a health test before boarding the ship and have a sponsor here in America. They brought their own money. We are getting diseases such as Leprosy now in Florida from illegals. Not good for anyone.
We do have E Verify but few corporate farmers use it. Governor denied Venezuelans, Chinese, etc. housing since their illegal flow is staggering.
We have lots of older real estate people. There are so many along with the younger ones coming in to make money. Just about three homes for sale by each realtor each trying to sell a customer's home. You are forced to look at homes which you didn't ask to see. I want to see a two bedroom with...etc. It took me months to find what I wanted and could afford. Not furnished, near water, etc. I had my own stuff.
I am so sorry.
It's happened in my lifetime as well, and was just a matter of timing that I was not screwed. I am a retired Anesthesiologist. We started as a group of 12 at a prestigious SF Bay area hospital. I went into it because it was a lot of fun and suited my personality, and was shocked that so many of my colleagues were in it for the money. It took me 3 years and a prestigious surgeon's support to get a steady job in the then-males-only specialty. By the time I retired, the group had sold their souls to a corporate group who gave the original members payouts in the millions. Subsequently they paid their new hires peanuts and couldn't get decent Anesthesiologists to join. Now they pay travelers, plus their expenses, a bundle (which goes to the corporate group managing the travelers!) and can't get good people. Yes!! It's happening to professionals!
Anesthesiologists made over $700,000/yr at my hospital 20 years ago. The nurse anesthetists did all the work. The anesthesiologist was just there when the patient was awake
I made half that working 70 hours a week, nights, weekends, holidays. We had CRNAs when I trained and I loved working with them. Managed care in CA reduced our pay but I didn't care, it was still a great income. Wrecked my health, though. Suicide, addiction, and cancers are higher.
I had a good education but we were very underpaid. We worked hard & fast. When I left in 2010 I had gotten a raise, $29/hr. after working 35 years. They cut our pay and pensions so the CEO’s could retire with 7-9 $million bonuses.
Shameful
Not where I worked. A nurse Anesthesiologist failed to check a patients blood level during a long, brain surgery. Finally I reminded him. Patient could have died on the table. What an ego he had.
Blood level? You mean blood pressure?
No he was slowly bleeding over a long period of time. Adds up. Hematocrit level done in the lab. In trauma all the indicators would drop including blood pressure. They do more tests than one on patients during surgery using lab and monitoring machines.
I hope that nurse anesthestist was held accountable. That is malpractice. That is their job!
The problem is there are a lot of cover ups. No one wants to be a snitch so the patient suffers.
There have been movies made about nurse and doctor serial killers that went from hospital to hospital. The administration was afraid of being sued so they released them to another hospital instead of dealing with them.
Geez! They used to tell people, just get an education and you will be set. Sure. It’s the precariat for everyone. Get your advanced degree and maybe you can get a job which will pay off your student loan, if you are lucky. (I am not talking about art history degrees or medieval literature, either.)
A one time college graduates got management jobs even if it was in history, etc. Few went to college back then. Today a Phd has trouble since there are so many in their field. Boomers got good educations with loans, scholarships, etc. Today Zers are trying to pay off loans and get a good job period. Few promotions just a person at the top who gets millions. Many multi billionaires.
You would think $999,999,999 would be enough for anyone.
I would take $10M since a million isn't enough with interests rates being 0.1%. No one needs a billion to live comfortably. We had the Fortune 500 back in the last century. Now we have more who are billionaires. Their children set for life. Tax em Congress.
I worked in Anesthesiology research for a time at a teaching hospital. I liked the Anesthesiology doctors so much.
I can empathize, David. Many of us have similar tales of woe. After taking on more and more responsibilities for several years as the company jettisoned workers and added new technology, I was doing work that wasn't even distantly related to my job title. I had to master systems and software with literally minutes of training. Then one day, the boss took me in her office and said I had a choice: take a 50% wage and hours cut (but still come into the office 5 days a week), lose all benefits, but still do the same job; OR get a minimal severance package. I left, but at 61, couldn't land any other work, and hung on by my fingernails until I turned 62 and could collect Social Security. Meanwhile, the company CEO didn't know a damn thing about how the business worked, but continued to collect a generous salary. I'm betting that's the case at the majority of companies these days.
I had a job where I was supposed to be two places at once. The supervisor wanted my job for another employee. Happened at another job too where the sister wanted her sister hired in my job. She trained her off time. The sister had a nervous break down since it took years of training to just jump into that type of job so fast. They tried to put me on suspension so they wouldn't have to pay me unemployment. I got an employment lawyer. I kept records of their bull. I never had a bad review in my past jobs. That is what is terrible about working with people period but learn to protect yourself.
Good advice, Judith. What an ugly experience for you! Good thing you could afford an attorney!
What's really telling is that we've all seen or been victimized by similar experiences.
In my company, the terminations before and after me were both people over 55. Of course, that was just, "coincidence." None of us had a bad review, either, but we couldn't pay for lawyers.
Denise, I am so sorry for the many people who have been screwed by the companies they gave their lives to, making so much possible. It seems now that the big corporate action is to "lay off" or "fire" without cause people who are just about to reach retirement age or are at the top of the salary scale. I have seen it happen several times to people I know, including a family member. then, a major computer corporation is moving to India because I guess, American workers are not good enough or are being paid too much. There should be huge tax penalties for such actions, but we just let it happen even though so many of our people are seriously harmed by it. White folks and their surrogates around the world are totally on board with these actions even though some white men are also victims. In short, the rich white men and their surrogates who are in charge care about no one and nothing but money and how much they can accumulate for themselves and anyone they can use. That is a serious addiction that needs to be addressed. Our eyes are on the wrong addictions: drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc. (not that those aren't extremely problematic and need to be addressed). The addiction to money and power is devastating and leads members of Congress to filibuster everything that would help anyone, stop military promotions unless they get what they want and what they want should be irrelevant to them as men, pump up fake impeachment proceedings, and so much more. None of those actions will help anyone but will probably bring in huge financial gains for those involved. We should be able to stop this, but there are too many getting too much from the goody pot for it to stop any time soon.
Your last sentence is the money quote, Ruth. Until the donors and owners are eliminated, there's slim hope of changing anything.
Re your comments about addiction, I'd extrapolate the point about money and power to include the obsession with military power and expenditures. Imagine what we could afford to do if the obscene military budget was halved! If the people in charge at the Pentagon (yeah, mostly older white guys) were forced to give up their " full-spectrum domination" mantra, there would be hundreds of billions of dollars to help the poor and the working class, which are increasingly the same thing.
Denise, I hadn't considered the Pentagon, but you are right about their addiction to power and money and they have a bunch of contractors who are equally addicted. We have a presidential candidate who is threatening to use the military against the American people if he gets elected and I suspect there are other Republicans who would do it if they were elected and would support Trump in his efforts. They suck the resources from people and infrastructure we really need to make life better for a whole lot of our neighbors. As long as the Pentagon does not have to have a full audit and Congress and our president keep pushing up the amount of money we the people give them each year, nothing is going to change. Why should it? It is like paradise for them, and they don't even have to put their lives on the line except in extreme situations. A really cushy deal!
Agreed, Ruth. And both parties are guilty of perpetuating the Pentagon feeding trough.
I saw a suggestion the other day that I liked: bring back the draft, only restrict it to the military brass' kids, contractors' kids, and Congresscritters' kids. A fantasy, of course, but it would be justice.
Denise, yes, that would take care of the "need" of so many to rush into conflicts or to create them. It's always easier to send other people's children into battle than one's own. Maybe we should suggest that for Israel too.
Denise: If he US didn't have military power, what do you think it would look like now. It would not be the America that enables you to live and type your opinions on sites like this.
Granted contractors are leech, and they lobby the government for crap like the F-35 and the government keeps sinking more and more money in failed equipment. And it isn't just bought politicians.
Every congressional district has at least one military installation, one sub contractor and/or one defense contractor, and those provide jobs.
People will do anything for a job, expose themselves and their families to cancer causing effluent, crawl into holes in the ground and get black lung disease climb 400 ft high cell phone towers for $15 an hour with no benefits.
I don't recall suggesting that we eliminate the military.
But we certainly should eliminate the vast majority of our 800 bases and restrict our operations to strictly defensive ones only. No interfering in, say, civil wars in Africa.
That I agree with. As regards interfering in internal affairs of other countries. The reason our Government does it, is to protect the resources and profits of corporations, like Exxon, Chiquita Banana and extraction industries.
Want to know who really runs this country. It isn't elected officials it is financial institutions, corporations and billionaires... the Plutocracy.
My sister an Executive Secretary for management in a huge corporation was asked to do budgets for the department. Of course the boss got credit and a great pension.
Oh, yeah, THAT kind of thing happens ALL the time. And in 30 years in big corporations, I never saw an E.A. or other admin get credit.
Bet you're right.
That’s an appalling story - and is outrageously common. So sorry - really.
You are not an exception David, but the rule. If they don't cut costs by laying people off or firing them. The get themselves in purposeful trouble, so they can declare bankruptcy and grab employees pension funds. Back in 2001 I sold my home, one of the first takers, backed out, because she had a pension fund with ENRON, and it went bankrupt.
There is a myth, that the unfortunate believe in, it is the Horatio Alger myth, and the myth that if you work hard, you will succeed.
There is no industry, other than County employment, or the one city in the county, where I live, no big box stores, no franchises, no Mackie D', Booger King, Windy's, they are all Mom and Pop, including Ace Hardware who is probably the sole franchise, but necessary as blood to the community.
We are serviced by employees who have no tenure, and whose jobs are as tenuous as the ability of the owner to stay in business. A small business owner one day, and the next homeless and living in your car.
The “[w]e shouldn’t be social engineering through the tax code” argument is both common and bullshit. Just look at all of the tax expenditures (read: tax breaks) we give to corporations and wealthy individuals. My two favorites: preferential tax treatment of capital gains and step up in basis upon death. They’re social engineering at its finest, the first helps create American oligarchs and the second helps them pass their wealth on to their families untaxed.
Learn more at https://www.winwindemocracy.org/p/2022-04-growing-oligarchs.
My mom used to call it "Socialism for the Rich, Capitalism for the Poor."
I have spoken with People whom live here moving from Communist Countries say they're seeing how their Country little by little became Socialist.
They say currently is happening to us, Gap of Middle Class shrinking, Rich becoming Richer, Poor becoming Poorer.
Citizens voting/glorifying Politicians --(who say listening and to change what is not good and say change will happen).
Changes do not happen, of course all BS on Promises. As we have discussed, we know why our corrupted Governance.
you need to brush up on your definitions. Communism is NOT the same as Socialism and completely not the same as Democratic Socialism. Check your terms. Do not draw conclusions from anecdotal evidence. Be clear about your assumptions. The middle class shrinking and the poor becoming a serf class ruled by oligarchs is NOT communism and certainly not socialism. It is capitalism running out of control. Big capitalism, not small. No anti-trust laws anymore. No fairness doctrine or truth in advertising. Corporations have been labeled "citizens" by the Citizens United decision..unleashing the oligarchs to buy all the politicians they want.
Best book I read on the rich is a book called "Survival of the Richest".
Thanks Bob. It's too bad you couldn't jump on the table and yell in their ears (:-) It's funny, you should present this. As I signed the petition to support Senator Whitehouse, AOC, and Barbara Lee, I was thinking that legislation would just lead the CEO's to take the increasing compensation in other ways. That's what they did in the Clinton years. All their compensation is not in salary - they get free autos, free personal staff, free housing, free airplanes, free yachts, and enormous shares of stock. That's part of the reason they pay so little in taxes. What is needed in addition to surtax are major changes to the tax code so these perks become part of the taxable income.
In Germany they used to have a "wealth tax" on big homes, etc. Don't know if it is there now. I did hear workers are having problems in Germany now. The oligarchs like all over the world. No one has been charged money to pay us tax payers back for Jan. 6th damages to the Capital and security needs. How is that possible?
Yes, those clever untaxed benefits that Weinstein received from Trump.... and have resulted in fines and jail time (though not enough of either IMHO).
Agreed Marge, slaps on the wrist are ineffectual for the obscenely wealthy, A $5000 fine would destroy me, for trump is was just pocket change. Weinstein, thankfully is in prison now, but for that caliber of wealth minimal fines need to start at least one million (equivalent to $100 for you or me.
My thoughts as well.
Fay, I would love to see all of those perks taxed at what it costs the corporation to provide them. The corporation should not be able to get tax breaks for offering such perks and the person should have to pay tax on them as part of their salary. A lot of that crap would stop if there were no breaks for it.
"Look Bob. We shouldn’t be social engineering through the tax code. And there’s no reason to declare class warfare." I would like to think that Bentsen was just a dullard-that he did not know that the rules to the economy are social engineering. But there is more to it than that! The idea is to set rules that engineer fairness. American Capitalism is built upon many myths-one of them is that a man's productivity goes up with huge increases in salary. Beyond a certain basic threshold, it does not. The other myth is poverty-insecurity is the greatest incentive for people to work. With a sense of security, they would not work. This is the ugliest lie ever told. It's the lie that people are lazy and need to be incentivized to work. That people do not naturally want to work-to contribute. Insecurity serves exploitation by those that have security, but a reasonable degree of security, resources set a man free to be as productive as creative as he can be. We mustn't have that because we need him insecure to so that he is hungry to work for low wages. Keeping so many in society down-insecure-cripples that society far beyond what we can imagine.
Insecurity makes for illness both mental and physical and greatly reduces the productivity of a nation.
Thank you for everything you do and fight for. And continuing to fight for and to educate all of us through your YouTube videos, and articles you write on here and for YouTube (that's where I see most of what you do. I guess on X too, I'm just not on there much anymore.) I always thought you should have run for the presidency. You would have been what America needed after the Clinton years. Your advocacy for economic freedom for the American people, not corporations through the years has been tremendous and greatly appreciated.! Thank you, Professor R. Reich!
Re CEO pay, I had the following conversation with one of America's leading tax attorneys some 30 years ago: Me: "Can't Congress write a tax law that you clever guys can't drive a truck through in a matter of hours?" Tax lawyer: "The government's lawyers earn $120,000 per year; I earn $3 million a year. Who do you think wins?" I replied "That is so utterly cynical, I suspect it must be true."
That little meeting episode should be titled "The Selling of Americans 1, 2, 3”! (apologies to a certain movie)
So nice to hear the story from someone who was there!
It was not "class warfare", only paying your fair share.
We shouldn't want the government to get into the act of setting salaries and wages paid by companies and corporations (except for minimums to limit exploitation.) Fair, progressive taxing (meaning the more you make, the greater percentage you pay) is the answer. It is the rest of us who provide the opportunities for success. Bob's proposal sounds fair to me. Biden should get behind it. Perhaps, he might win over a good number of the disgruntled voters leaning toward Trump.
I have little admiration for Clinton who set his policies by seeing how focus groups responded and, once seeing how the wind was blowing, got out in front to appear to be leading.
"We shouldn't want the government to get into the act of setting salaries and wages paid by companies and corporations (except for minimums to limit exploitation.)" I think that is the least of our worries-there is not a chance of that happening in America. But CEO's will thank you for pointing that out. America is more concerned about someone on welfare getting an extra dollar than the CEO's that crashed the economy causing the Financial Crises and received huge bonuses not jail terms. America spends more money going after the poor than the rich!
Certainly was true of the IRS after its funding was cut to pieces over a decade. They went after people who paid very little tax anyway, and left the fat cats alone because the IRS couldn’t afford to hire people competent to deal with the complicated tax avoidance schemes. Also, I think, low income taxpayers who cheat were seen as lazy scammers, unlike the deserving “job-creating” wealthy tax cheats.
Yes! You got it! America is generous to the rich and extraordinarily cheap and punitive to the poor. The damage that this does goes unseen and the goodness that could come from being more generous to the needy would be profound. One cannot overstate the waste of talent... the misplacement of resources on the extreme opposite of what is needed-extraordinary counter-productive-Unseen-immeasurable success denied. Hundreds of thousands in prison because they were never free to develop their potential-in the first place.
If the deity likes you, you won’t be poor. On the other hand He must like poor people because He made so many of them. Must have made them to serve the wealthy, I guess.
The rich protecting the rich even in a democratic administration!
You were a voice of wisdom in the wilderness. It must have been gruelling to work with those people.
No one is worth these huge salaries. Every CEO star has a limited life. Shareholders are pension and hedge funds but not real people who don't own stock.
Joan, when you bored down in Who Owns Who,as I did it is or was a book found in reference sections of university libraries, you get to billionaires, but point made, each member of a board of directors, usually sits on another board or two, and make a great income from that role.
But drill down as to who owns who and you get to Billionaires.
Never cared for any of that greedy mob, with the exception of you, Professor.
Professor Reich is not a part of “the greedy mob” by any means
I definitely could have worded that better. Dr. Reich wasn't in that awful group of 'advisors' who drove us into a ditch. He was in my view the smartest member of Clinton's cabinet.