Excuse my bluntness, but the most basic moral principle in a civilized society is to tax the rich. US society, which was never perfect, began to unravel 40 years ago when Reagan announced tax cuts on the wealthy. It accelerated with the busting of unions. As the 0.01 percent became wealthier, they became more powerful. They pushed NAFTA and became yet wealthier, as American jobs were shipped to Mexico. Their wealth began to influence SCOTUS, which gave "free speech" to corporations, and denied Gore victory in 2000. They persuaded Clinton to dissolve Glass-Steagall, while donating to the Clinton Foundation. Corporations began to form oligopolies. Pharmaceutical corporations, in particular, were able to lobby for fixed pricing, thereby destroying Adam Smith's market. Now we have the richest man in the world in charge of the largest and most important information corporation in the world.
This "trickle down" experiment is over.
Smith was right, there must be progressive taxation, or the wealthy have too much power, and all the rules of capitalism are violated.
I agree with all you wrote. I need more information on the “how to do it.”
The people with more money than they could possibly spend put all their energy into keeping every dime. They waste money by shooting themselves into space, and instead of leaving themselves there with the rest of the discarded space junk, return to the adulation of those who want to be them.
The Supreme Court has legalized bribing members of Congress by twisting themselves into pretzels in order to confer a “soul” on corporations and then pretend they are protecting democracy.
The point is that there is endless funding to protect the rich. What is there to protect the people? The rich and the selfish are taking away the only defense the people have-the vote- and the law has become a tool for the bullies, not a defense for the people.
Here's a suggestion. Rather than gathering pitchforks and torches to storm the castle (or the Capitol for that matter!), we little people need to STOP doing things. Do you need your estate grounds mowed, Mr. Moneybags? Sorry, I am not doing that anymore. Plumbing backed up in your second home, Sir? Sorry, I am not servicing you. Need some foie gras or champagne for your next dinner party? No can do. Does your megayacht need fuel or engine servicing or a marina berth? Sorry, we're closed this month.
There is no requirement for us to do work or provide services to any individual. If we collectively make things harder for the leeches among us to feed on us, they will wither and possibly get the message. And we don't need to do this to EVERY bully, just some, even some in rotation. Putin clearly deserves our denial-of-service campaign at present because he is afflicting so many and so grievously. We might also add Elon Musk to the list for the next 3 months or so. No one really needs a Tesla when there are now other EVs out there of good quality. And do we REALLY need Twitter.
Hit them in the pocketbook. Deny them oxygen and they will suffer a very real consequence. Anyone with me?
I doubt that either Putin or Trump has never heard of Thomas Hobbes or indeed Thomas Aquinas the father of natural law but it is fair to assume that many western politicians may well have been taught about these great philosophers but still show no lasting commitment to upholding basic human rights in their scramble to gather votes from any quarter.
The West can show however it is willing to prioritise principles over profit starting with rejecting Russian energy and disengaging from Chinese manufactured goods.If we expect to have lower living standards over the next decade then we should at least expect a 'dividend' in the form of improved defence of human rights across the world.
I am happy to have heard a UK radio debate this morning about sporting boycotts of Russia and potentially China, but we also need to be mindful about the material sources of our high living standards and take direct action as voters and consumers against governments and corporations that flout universal rights.
Just heard at this early hour of 5.30am that after a recent poll gearing up to the midterms that most Americans are siding with the alt-right (aka Republicans) on the “bigger issues” (whatever that means) and that they do not feel the same way about Joe Biden’s administration (who needs the good that would’ve come from a build back America program?). Hmmm…maybe our country men and women are turning masochistic in light of the fear being put into them day after day for the last six years. Maybe they crave bullying, autocratic rule…or maybe they’re just too blindly stupid to understand what is happening.
i agree with your vision, as do most people here. but the question at this point is not "what should we do?" but rather "how can WE accomplish these goals?"
Like you, I'm sick and tired of bullies running the world. Power over others has become more important than: fairness, justice, truth, honesty, equality and all the freedoms and rights that democracies cherish. Decency in human interaction is now a weakness. Lying is a lifestyle. Communication is planned lies - for power and money. The bullies of the world need to be called out, exposed and shamed. From Putin, to Trump to Murdoch to our current Australian PM Scott Morrison. As a retired teacher, I KNOW it starts in school times and that's where it HAS to start.
And such were the hopes, goals and idealistic dreams of the founding fathers . That these United States, our governments and populace recognized and survived these examples of the human paradigm throughout the world and convened to create 'The Great Society'. Where recognizing and guarding against them was built into the fabric and daily function of that society . But the sinuous, invasive, infecting nature of control, advantage and usery is that of a terminal disease requiring recognition, and aggressive treatment and cure . A concerted effort on the part of WE THE PEOPLE to react in no uncertain terms to cure and prevent that disease . Lobbyism NEEDS abolished. Free and unrestricted access by the corporate entity and advantaged to government NEEDS to end . The overt, accepted and systemic corruption of our elected officials NEEDS outlawed. And likewise, our all but totally bought and sold fourth estate having been degraded into a growing source of mis and dis information,
polluted and corrupted by the same terminal disease needs a thorough shaking out . "Without the occasional revolution, democracy dies." said Thomas Jefferson . Ours is long overdue . Vote progressive. Recognize these societal and governmental diseases. Volunteer to cure them in any way possible . Recognize the goals, hopes and idealistic dreams of the founding fathers and strive to achieve and regain their viability. DO THE RIGHT THING ! WAKE UP AMERICA ! !
Prof. Reich: I fully agree with what you said, but I must make an observation: All of the people that "must" be held to account are usually not held to account. Something always interferes with the accountability process. It seems as if human society is perpetually condemned to be victimized by the tyranny of the minority. Of course there have been exceptions, but on the average, I believe that I am right. Having said that, I agree that we must keep on keeping on.
Eloquent. But easy to identify the problems. Easy to say what needs to be done. Such words abound ad nauseum. But where is action? Where is the white knight using power for good? There may be more of "us" than "them," but where are the organizers leading the way? Where is anything more positive and productive than bullying and advice?
Professor, many of us live in precincts which were recently re-districted and even here in California, presumably a "blue" state, proven responsible effective Congressional Representatives are having to fight much harder to be re-elected. In my district we have Katy Porter, one of the most effective Representatives on the Oversight Committee, who is now in a purple district containing about 50/50 membership in each party. The only moral, civilized, responsible thing to do is to get out and work for our Representatives, maintain a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, and hopefully somewhere in this nation find two more honest, moral, responsible Senators.
“Some inequalities of income and wealth may be necessary to encourage hard work and inventiveness, from which everyone benefits.”
This is NOT true and is the assumption by which we continue to allow systems that promote inequality, systems that enforce competition. This statement suggests that people are motivated only through necessity. This thought pattern is out-dated and needs to be terminated.
Our financial system is encoded with the imperative of infinite growth which cannot sustain on a finite planet. We must restructure our financial system to enforce equality. If given the chance, people thrive when they have what they need. They have a deep need to contribute. Yeah, some will ‘coast’, but so what? Value in people is inherent, not the product of doing for the sake of economic growth which is the force that is destroying our ecosystems.
Bullying is the best way to frame the overarching issue, large and small. We feel compelled to break up such instances of clear bullying. Widening the definition and instances of bullying will help us to regain a moral footing when challenging such misdemeanors, felonies and misprisions. I noticed that Speaker Pelosi also mentioned bullying in her meeting in Ukraine.
Yes, central points: defending laws is not just the other choice from being lawless. Why has this rise in fascism occurred. Prof Reich says it is the result of a few people taking all the wealth and power. Let me offer another perspective: In the 1970s the LRB ran a series of articles about how the Tories now realize they can "take back" all the social progress that has been made without any groups protesting in an effective way. It would seem to me that voters have learned nothing in their lives if say Nixon and his cronies realized were they to politicize abortion as an evil and just doing this persuaded people. The absolute brutality of the Russian army shows us not even decent conventions of war have made any impact on vast numbers of human beings. One must take into account the millions who voted for Trump and (it seems) continue to support him.
Surely ethical standards can help in the case of normative behavior, i.e. a propensity to appeal to the false authority of "the majority" (really the tyranny thereof)? Being the only person in a given context who doesn't lie/cheat/steal/etc. can prove immensely challenging - and especially if blowing the whistle doesn't result in any measure of disincentive for those who choose to persist oh-so-flagrantly; some means of protecting those who choose to speak up should be a contingency in the event all else fails...
Excuse my bluntness, but the most basic moral principle in a civilized society is to tax the rich. US society, which was never perfect, began to unravel 40 years ago when Reagan announced tax cuts on the wealthy. It accelerated with the busting of unions. As the 0.01 percent became wealthier, they became more powerful. They pushed NAFTA and became yet wealthier, as American jobs were shipped to Mexico. Their wealth began to influence SCOTUS, which gave "free speech" to corporations, and denied Gore victory in 2000. They persuaded Clinton to dissolve Glass-Steagall, while donating to the Clinton Foundation. Corporations began to form oligopolies. Pharmaceutical corporations, in particular, were able to lobby for fixed pricing, thereby destroying Adam Smith's market. Now we have the richest man in the world in charge of the largest and most important information corporation in the world.
This "trickle down" experiment is over.
Smith was right, there must be progressive taxation, or the wealthy have too much power, and all the rules of capitalism are violated.
Tax the rich, heavily, and the rest will follow.
Back to basics, back to Smith.
I agree with all you wrote. I need more information on the “how to do it.”
The people with more money than they could possibly spend put all their energy into keeping every dime. They waste money by shooting themselves into space, and instead of leaving themselves there with the rest of the discarded space junk, return to the adulation of those who want to be them.
The Supreme Court has legalized bribing members of Congress by twisting themselves into pretzels in order to confer a “soul” on corporations and then pretend they are protecting democracy.
The point is that there is endless funding to protect the rich. What is there to protect the people? The rich and the selfish are taking away the only defense the people have-the vote- and the law has become a tool for the bullies, not a defense for the people.
Here's a suggestion. Rather than gathering pitchforks and torches to storm the castle (or the Capitol for that matter!), we little people need to STOP doing things. Do you need your estate grounds mowed, Mr. Moneybags? Sorry, I am not doing that anymore. Plumbing backed up in your second home, Sir? Sorry, I am not servicing you. Need some foie gras or champagne for your next dinner party? No can do. Does your megayacht need fuel or engine servicing or a marina berth? Sorry, we're closed this month.
There is no requirement for us to do work or provide services to any individual. If we collectively make things harder for the leeches among us to feed on us, they will wither and possibly get the message. And we don't need to do this to EVERY bully, just some, even some in rotation. Putin clearly deserves our denial-of-service campaign at present because he is afflicting so many and so grievously. We might also add Elon Musk to the list for the next 3 months or so. No one really needs a Tesla when there are now other EVs out there of good quality. And do we REALLY need Twitter.
Hit them in the pocketbook. Deny them oxygen and they will suffer a very real consequence. Anyone with me?
I doubt that either Putin or Trump has never heard of Thomas Hobbes or indeed Thomas Aquinas the father of natural law but it is fair to assume that many western politicians may well have been taught about these great philosophers but still show no lasting commitment to upholding basic human rights in their scramble to gather votes from any quarter.
The West can show however it is willing to prioritise principles over profit starting with rejecting Russian energy and disengaging from Chinese manufactured goods.If we expect to have lower living standards over the next decade then we should at least expect a 'dividend' in the form of improved defence of human rights across the world.
I am happy to have heard a UK radio debate this morning about sporting boycotts of Russia and potentially China, but we also need to be mindful about the material sources of our high living standards and take direct action as voters and consumers against governments and corporations that flout universal rights.
Just heard at this early hour of 5.30am that after a recent poll gearing up to the midterms that most Americans are siding with the alt-right (aka Republicans) on the “bigger issues” (whatever that means) and that they do not feel the same way about Joe Biden’s administration (who needs the good that would’ve come from a build back America program?). Hmmm…maybe our country men and women are turning masochistic in light of the fear being put into them day after day for the last six years. Maybe they crave bullying, autocratic rule…or maybe they’re just too blindly stupid to understand what is happening.
i agree with your vision, as do most people here. but the question at this point is not "what should we do?" but rather "how can WE accomplish these goals?"
Like you, I'm sick and tired of bullies running the world. Power over others has become more important than: fairness, justice, truth, honesty, equality and all the freedoms and rights that democracies cherish. Decency in human interaction is now a weakness. Lying is a lifestyle. Communication is planned lies - for power and money. The bullies of the world need to be called out, exposed and shamed. From Putin, to Trump to Murdoch to our current Australian PM Scott Morrison. As a retired teacher, I KNOW it starts in school times and that's where it HAS to start.
And such were the hopes, goals and idealistic dreams of the founding fathers . That these United States, our governments and populace recognized and survived these examples of the human paradigm throughout the world and convened to create 'The Great Society'. Where recognizing and guarding against them was built into the fabric and daily function of that society . But the sinuous, invasive, infecting nature of control, advantage and usery is that of a terminal disease requiring recognition, and aggressive treatment and cure . A concerted effort on the part of WE THE PEOPLE to react in no uncertain terms to cure and prevent that disease . Lobbyism NEEDS abolished. Free and unrestricted access by the corporate entity and advantaged to government NEEDS to end . The overt, accepted and systemic corruption of our elected officials NEEDS outlawed. And likewise, our all but totally bought and sold fourth estate having been degraded into a growing source of mis and dis information,
polluted and corrupted by the same terminal disease needs a thorough shaking out . "Without the occasional revolution, democracy dies." said Thomas Jefferson . Ours is long overdue . Vote progressive. Recognize these societal and governmental diseases. Volunteer to cure them in any way possible . Recognize the goals, hopes and idealistic dreams of the founding fathers and strive to achieve and regain their viability. DO THE RIGHT THING ! WAKE UP AMERICA ! !
Prof. Reich: I fully agree with what you said, but I must make an observation: All of the people that "must" be held to account are usually not held to account. Something always interferes with the accountability process. It seems as if human society is perpetually condemned to be victimized by the tyranny of the minority. Of course there have been exceptions, but on the average, I believe that I am right. Having said that, I agree that we must keep on keeping on.
Eloquent. But easy to identify the problems. Easy to say what needs to be done. Such words abound ad nauseum. But where is action? Where is the white knight using power for good? There may be more of "us" than "them," but where are the organizers leading the way? Where is anything more positive and productive than bullying and advice?
Great call to arms, sir. Rouse that rabble!!
Professor, many of us live in precincts which were recently re-districted and even here in California, presumably a "blue" state, proven responsible effective Congressional Representatives are having to fight much harder to be re-elected. In my district we have Katy Porter, one of the most effective Representatives on the Oversight Committee, who is now in a purple district containing about 50/50 membership in each party. The only moral, civilized, responsible thing to do is to get out and work for our Representatives, maintain a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, and hopefully somewhere in this nation find two more honest, moral, responsible Senators.
“Some inequalities of income and wealth may be necessary to encourage hard work and inventiveness, from which everyone benefits.”
This is NOT true and is the assumption by which we continue to allow systems that promote inequality, systems that enforce competition. This statement suggests that people are motivated only through necessity. This thought pattern is out-dated and needs to be terminated.
Our financial system is encoded with the imperative of infinite growth which cannot sustain on a finite planet. We must restructure our financial system to enforce equality. If given the chance, people thrive when they have what they need. They have a deep need to contribute. Yeah, some will ‘coast’, but so what? Value in people is inherent, not the product of doing for the sake of economic growth which is the force that is destroying our ecosystems.
Bullying is the best way to frame the overarching issue, large and small. We feel compelled to break up such instances of clear bullying. Widening the definition and instances of bullying will help us to regain a moral footing when challenging such misdemeanors, felonies and misprisions. I noticed that Speaker Pelosi also mentioned bullying in her meeting in Ukraine.
Yes, central points: defending laws is not just the other choice from being lawless. Why has this rise in fascism occurred. Prof Reich says it is the result of a few people taking all the wealth and power. Let me offer another perspective: In the 1970s the LRB ran a series of articles about how the Tories now realize they can "take back" all the social progress that has been made without any groups protesting in an effective way. It would seem to me that voters have learned nothing in their lives if say Nixon and his cronies realized were they to politicize abortion as an evil and just doing this persuaded people. The absolute brutality of the Russian army shows us not even decent conventions of war have made any impact on vast numbers of human beings. One must take into account the millions who voted for Trump and (it seems) continue to support him.
Surely ethical standards can help in the case of normative behavior, i.e. a propensity to appeal to the false authority of "the majority" (really the tyranny thereof)? Being the only person in a given context who doesn't lie/cheat/steal/etc. can prove immensely challenging - and especially if blowing the whistle doesn't result in any measure of disincentive for those who choose to persist oh-so-flagrantly; some means of protecting those who choose to speak up should be a contingency in the event all else fails...