Consider the larger pattern.
Putin invades Ukraine. Trump refuses to concede and promotes his Big Lie. Rightwing politicians in America and Europe fuel white Christian nationalism. Rightwing television pundits encourage racism and spur bigotry toward immigrants. Police kill innocent Black people with impunity. Powerful men sexually harass and abuse women. Politicians target LGBTQ youth. CEOs who are raking in record profits and pay give workers meager wages and fire them for unionizing. The richest men in the world own the most influential media platforms. Billionaires make large campaign donations (bribes) so lawmakers won’t raise their taxes.
All are abuses of power. All are occurring at a time when power is concentrated in fewer hands.
Throughout history, the central struggle of civilization has been against brutality. The state of nature is a continuous war in which only the fittest survive — where lives are “nasty, brutish, and short,” in the words of English philosopher Thomas Hobbes. Without norms, rules, and laws preventing the stronger from attacking or exploiting the weaker, none of us is safe. We all live in fear. Even the most powerful live in fear of being attacked or deposed.
Civilization is the opposite of this state of nature. A civil society doesn’t allow the strong to brutalize the weak. Our job — the responsibility of all who seek a decent society — is to move as far from a state of nature as possible.
Certain inequalities of power are expected, even in a civil society. Some people are bigger and stronger than others. Some are quicker of mind and body. Some have more forceful personalities. Some have fewer scruples. Some inequalities of income and wealth may be necessary to encourage hard work and inventiveness, from which everyone benefits.
But when inequalities become too wide, they invite abuses. Without laws and norms that protect the weaker, the stronger will abuse their positions of power. Such abuses invite further abuses, until society degenerates into a Hobbesian survival of the most powerful. People with great wealth or celebrity; people who occupy high positions in government, business, the media, or the church; people whose race, ethnicity, religion, or gender is dominant; people who command vast armies — such people may be tempted to use their power to demean, harm, or even annihilate weaker people. Unless they are stopped, an entire society — even the world — can descend into chaos.
Every time the stronger bully the weaker, the social fabric is tested. If bullying is not contained, the fabric unwinds.
Some posit a moral equivalence between those who seek social justice and those who want to protect individual liberty, between “left” and “right.” But there is no moral equivalence between bullies and the bullied, between tyranny and democracy, between brutality and decency — no “balance” between social justice and individual liberty. It is a false equivalence and a false choice. No individual can be free in a society devoid of justice. There can be no liberty where brutality reigns. The struggle for social justice is the most basic struggle of all because it defines how far a civilization has come from a Hobbesian survival of the most powerful.
Defending voting rights or LGBTQ rights or women’s rights is not the moral equivalent of attacking them. Coming to the assistance of refugee children is not morally equivalent to putting them in cages. Prosecuting police who kill innocent Black people is not one side of an equally respectable stance defending the freedom of police to kill innocent Black people. Fighting racism is not of equal moral value to fueling racism. Seeking stronger safety nets for those in need is not on an equal moral footing with seeking to unravel safety nets. Championing stronger unions is not just the other side of pushing for weaker unions. Demanding higher taxes on billionaires is not morally equivalent to demanding lower taxes on them.
We inhabit a society and a world growing more unequal, in which political and economic power is becoming ever more concentrated. To claim that “both sides” — both the more powerful and the weaker — have the same moral standing is to avert one’s eyes to this reality. Lobbyists for large corporations, publicists for the wealthy, lawmakers for the privileged, pundits for the powerful, celebrity peddlers of racism and xenophobia — none deserves equal space in the public square to those fighting against abuses of the powerful. The powerful already have the largest megaphones and the deepest pockets. To allow the richest to own the means by which we receive the truth is to enable oligarchy. To allow the worst demagogues free rein is to open wide the gates to tyranny.
Our duty is to stop brutality. Our responsibility is to hold the powerful accountable. Our moral obligation is to protect the vulnerable.
Putin must be stopped. Trump must be held accountable. Rightwing politicians who encourage white Christian nationalism must be condemned. Celebrity pundits who fuel racism and xenophobia must be denounced and defunded. Police who kill innocent Black people must be brought to justice. Powerful men who sexually harass or abuse women must be prosecuted. CEOs who treat their employees badly must be exposed and censored. Billionaires who bribe lawmakers to cut their taxes or exempt them from regulations must be penalized, and lawmakers who accept such bribes must be sanctioned.
Norms and laws must prevent such brutality. This is what civilization demands. This is why the fight is worth it.
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.
Trickle-down never worked. Nothing ever trickled down. It was a hoax from the start.
Yup, that's about the size of it.
We are living in a dystopian type of capitalism, for sure, and it’s heartbreaking. My humble family members of yore are rolling in their graves, from those who fought in the American Revolution to those who believed we stood for working person rights, and equality for everyone...everyone. We need tactical momentum to dig out every vote, before it’s too late, really too late and we are living The Handmaid’s Tale.
Omg Michael, you have said it ALL. Geez, I watched a guy named Donald Regan, a muckety-muck from Wall Street ascend to become Reagan's Secretary of the Treasury first, then White House Chief of Staff, and somewhere deep down I knew we were screwed. The rich, powerful elites gave us "Reaganomics." Trickle down bull____. For the life of me I can't imagine how we're getting out of it. I will never forget what Henry Kravis did to millions of working Americans and blazing a path for all the other corporate raiders that contributed to destroying our middle class. The nation is now littered with tent cities with nary a word from anyone. "Barbarians at the Gate" is America's norm. You can see from how fearful Biden is of the rich Democratic donor class, to make even simple changes, like cancelling student debt. Also his inability to use executive privilege to roll back some of Trump's most awful abuses tells you how controlled he is by the rich and the GOP. I have never forgotten what Biden said when he campaigned, "nothing will fundamentally change." And it won't. This is no longer a Democracy. Period.
It's a hedge fund.
Michael, You are not being blunt, you are simply stating the very obvious. Years and years ago, my Father (a tax accountant for a cpa by occupation) declared quite simply: "This (trickle-down economics) will never work. Nothing's ever going to trickle down as the wealthier love their money and are at pains to part with a penny of it. They have nothing to spare for those down the chain, no matter how much money they have. And they will just attack those with less and call them out as undeserving or unworthy or lazy or whatever. The way to improve the economy does not entail giving breaks to the already wealthy but taxing those wealthy in order to level the playing field. Tax the rich heavily and things will even out." My Father was not a graduate of any fancy business school anywhere; he was a simple tax accountant who saw what taxes meant for ordinary people. He was right then and anyone who says "tax the wealthy heavily" is right now. It's simple, really, but we have created a perversion of the tax system, a kind of regressive system that results in tax loopholes, breaks, write-offs for the wealthy and demands that ordinary working-class people pay their (unfair) share for the rest of us. All the breaks are given the wealthiest, the rest of us (lazy, do-nothings as we are assumed to be) are expected to pay all the bills and bear all the burdens for programs we desperately need but will see ended at the insistence of those with the funds. Money talks with the loudest voice and, what with Biden's hesitancy to do what he can in a timely fashion, money will continue to talk. Unless, of course, workers begin to demand a say in the matter--which might be happening.
We remember the numerous rich people who invested with Bernie Madoff, seeking ever more money — when they had plenty to begin with. Greed is, as the medieval philosophers attest, a mortal sin. If we allow greed to stand as our basic moral principle, we are doomed.
Nothing to excuse about the truth Mike !✊️
How do we disband the monopolistic companies of the super rich so that there are more merely "wealthy" corporations to tax?
As a youth, my family owned and operated a small heating oil company in the shadow of Lady Liberty. My grandather, an Irish immigrant started it in 1917 as a coal and ice company. Somewhat of a real American success story. It was a small, tightly knit community with other similar fuel oil companies. Not an absolute but, we kinda took care of the Irish folk. The Italian guy took care of the Italian families, the Polish guy, the Polish folk and the Jewish guy, the Jewish folk. We all had a mutual respect, friendliness and comradery with one another. Indeed, we lent tools and materials to one another without question. Also in the town was The Eastern Standard Oil Company's tank farm. A huge employer and hub for local conmerce. As a 13 year old, I clearly recall the brass plack on my grandfather's office wall; "65 years of cordial business relations with The Eastern Standard Oil Company". They would regularly use our trucks and drivers to move their products to ships, airplanes, manufacturers etc . They too delivered heating oil and serviced and installed heat systems. Sometime in the 60's, anti-trust & anti-monopoly legislation kicked in forcing them to divest out of the home heating oil/repair & installation business. This to "level the playing field" for smaller businesses and "share the wealth" with we smaller concerns. We still sold their products. Where are such laws now-a-days ? Corporate access, coercion and corruption of congress and our elected officials has all but ended such laws. This luring our government away from THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE . It has morphed our democracy into a corptocracy and the oligarchy under which we now live . Corporate citizenship NEEDS recinded. Lobbyism NEEDS abolished. Corporate access to and free reign over our elected officials NEEDS to be outlawed ! UNFETTERED CAPITALISM DOES NOT WORK ! !
I believe there are a few things we can do to fight the super-rich monopolies that have taken over so much of our commerce and business: 1. The workers at such corporations need to gain and exercise more power and that means....strong unions that help increase workers' participation in making policies, ensuring equitable and safe work environments and dealing with customers and management on a more level and shared field. 2. Customers need to return to local small business and family-run businesses in their neighborhoods. Instead of dealing with big box stores at the mall, we should focus on neighborhood businesses that offer better products and services, generally at reasonable prices. Malls should be re-purposed into housing and social service centers, libraries and schools, care homes, and hospitals. Large corporations also need to devote more resources to employee housing, public transportation, and health service centers for their workers. 3. Currently, corporations do a poor job securing the transactions and credit cards issued by their companies, especially when it comes to online and telephone sales. Traditional in-store shopping reduces the many frauds and scams that run on the name and brand of large impersonal corporations. Such corporations currently do nothing to protect their customers and employees from frauds run by in-store grifters or grifters just using the corporation products. 4. No corporation should run an unpaid internship program for workers in training; if a worker is good enough to qualify for an internship with a corporation, that individual should be paid for the relevant time and effort needed to learn the job, and all workers should be as capable of performing an intern's job as the intern at the end of training. Hiring should be merit-driven, with no special sweet deals for family at the expense of qualified workers unrelated to the ceo in any way. That is: no nepotism and all work should be respected and valued and all workers similarly respected and paid in full for their services and time. I see a trend towards unionization of work forces as a good way of restoring the health, safety, rights, and future for workers and reducing the negative impacts that large corporations bring with them. Early on in our history, we were a nation of shop-keepers and family-run businesses; certain areas of the country still run family concerns with some success. While it is probably impossible to eliminate all large and environmental-destroying malls and business campuses, I do believe that greater discretion should be brought to bear; we do not need the many ugly malls, business parks, and corporate offices that have been built; this is especially true with the growth of work-at-home practices. Work is changing and we need to change with it. We might also be looking at a future with UBI in the picture as AI takes over tasks once done by people.
I agree with all except the last part of#2. Expecting employers to provide housing, transportation and especially health care immunes and exempts them from higher taxes whereby the government can provide housing, trans and health care. Mulholland did this to the point of creating his own money until the project was completed. Corporations , if they did fulfill these expectations, would widen the gap of equality for all and corner the market for employees on health care as they are often now, making employees more dependent than ever.
I believe you are overlooking the fact that corporations, ceos of large companies, high income heads of things, pay very low taxes if they pay taxes at all. They are able to declare losses, garner tax write-offs, take all kinds of deals and deductions that translate into tax rates that are considerably lower than those of ordinary working people, the little people of the country. (For example, in 2016 & 2017 Donald J Trump paid $750 per year in taxes on an income of ++++++++++++ (who knows!) and during the debate with Hillary Clinton, he bragged and winked at the clever way he had managed to evade taxes; for the very same years, (We were supposed to think him clever and smart, which was his aim, I guess. I thought of him as a tax cheat and criminal but he has a way of confessing to his crimes openly and cheerfully--after the fact.) I paid $3500 on a 2016 income of $30,000 and $2100 on a 2017 income of $27,000. I did not make enough to take losses or qualify for tax write-offs or any of the schemes that gave Trump a tax burden of $750 per year. I did get refunds but only because I had a maximum withheld and exceeded my tax burden. But let's think about this. The vast income that Trump and his ilk receive would (in a just world) be used to pay taxes which would provide people of lower income the housing, the transportation, the health care they need; by not paying his fair share of taxes, Trump was not being clever or smart; he was depriving the govt of the revenue it needs to function as an advanced (and humane) society. Trump's gain comes at the cost to those of us who pay our (unfair) share of taxes. The system is a progressive one for Trump and he and his cronies thrive on the benefits and lower taxes and write-offs, it's a kind of socialism for the wealthy. For the rest of us (the 99% of us), the tax system is sadly regressive...the lower our incomes, the higher our tax rates and the tighter the squeeze on us. When the wealthy and their cronies in Congress game the system, our govt loses revenue and this translates into poorer infrastructure, less efficient and effective health care, greater homelessness. That's how the deal works, I may have put it a bit too bluntly for you but the facts remain: if the wealthy cheat on taxes, the govt will not be able to pay for what ordinary people need. I guess that's how I view the bottom line.
Well said. " Render to the Government what is the Government's". ON INCOME. The wealthy borrow for income=no tax, etc.
Yes, I make it a point to shop at local small businesses, but even the local Ace Hardware is a franchise. The day of the mom-and-pop retail business is almost extinct despite our efforts to keep them alive.
Absolutely. I believe it was Bernie who said there shouldn't be billionaires. I think, though, that progressives need to be more strategic in our thinking, by which I mean that we need a plan, a sequential approach, so that the reforms we do initially open the door to others. For example, I think that if all progressives focused on and pushed as hard as we could for campaign finance and lobbying reform, we could make the system more responsive and likely to do other things we desperately need and want, including taxing the rich. But getting progressives to focus our collective energies on any one thing, even temporarily, seems difficult or impossible
You actually read Adam Smith instead of going to Bartlett's! For more books on the same subject see Louis Brandies Other Peoples Money and Ferdinand Pecora's Wall Street Under Oath, and the works of David Cay Johnston,. the last of which suggested the streaming up might be a batter metaphor.
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.
What is there to protect the people? The people. The people vastly outnumber the handful of rich and powerful. That's why the rich and powerful do whatever they can to disempower the people. It has always been so. Eventually, though, either some of the rich and powerful come to understand that fundamental reform is in their interest (eg, they'd be better off with a small portion of a much larger pie -- larger because everyone is more motivated ad productive; they'd be better off with a stable and peaceful society -- stable and peaceful because most people judge it to be fair). Or they risk upheaval, uprising, violence, and revolution.
Violence and revolution worked out poorly for the wealthy during the time of the Bolsheviks.
No, the parasite class merely tipped them out of their chairs-and settled right in as Party Parasites, claiming they themselves were equal, workers and peasants, equal with those they drained of life.
Wealth is power and power is rarely denied for long. The 40 years following WW II in America is beginning to look like an anomaly of history that may not be repeated in a very long time.
For pretty much every violent revolution that ever was. Sometimes the wealthy come out on top but it's always ugly.
How to do it? We have to fight! Outvote the Fascists. As a start help register more Democrats. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
In my Fascist state of Florida, the Democratic Party is not spending anything according to yesterday's Miami Herald. DeSantis and the Republican state legislature have imposed a failed herd immunity, tried to eliminate first amendment rights to protest, made voting far more difficult, superseded local authority over health matters, and waged an unnecessary culture war. He is vindictive -- even against his donors like Disney- and has an enemies list and has his own election police.
In 2018, DeSantis won with less than 50% of the votes -- about 33,000 out of 8,000,000 votes. In 2020, the pandemic suppressed the Democratic turn out, So far there is no efficient organization working in Miami Dade County, population 2,751,796 with a growth rate of 0.08% in the past year. A lot of the new residents came from other states and were Republican. During the pandemic a lot of Democrats failed to vote. Tenants and young people trend heavily Democratic and statistically could turn the entire state blue.
In 2020 Biden won Miami Dade 53% as Republicans had a huge turnout, We lost 2 house seats to inferior candidates mostly due to voter reliance on false info about "socialism." In 2016 HRC got 63%.
That lost 10% could have painted the state blue.
We also have a hotly contested Senate race. Dump Marco Rubio. I support Val Demings.https://secure.actblue.com/donate/val-demings-ads?refcode=ads_search_acq_key_fl_campaign-launch-d2d_0621&amount=25&amounts=25%2C35%2C50%2C100%2C250%2C500&gclid=CjwKCAjwgr6TBhAGEiwA3aVuIdwy8MTCUly_G_0uYGu9nc--ygHjNyyZ1TmbQNhfsHaFFYlJmhXW-xoCP70QAvD_BwE
Please help. Follow the Field Team 6 link. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Thanks.
Totally agree. Fulminating won't do it. I maxed out to Demings the minute she declared her candidacy. (I wish her text-er's would notice that.) We need a list of to-do's. I'm working on Ditch Your Dirty Bank website, so no time.
Amen! The veneer of civilization is very, very thin. It is civilization that protects the vulnerable. Everyone will be vulnerable at some point in their lives and will need protection.
THIS is where we are failing. This is what enables the efforts of the minority in power to retain it. We have bought into individualism (selfishness), that prevents us from helping the least of us. That says I am not my brother's keeper. That enables us to feel we are somehow better or more worthy than someone of a different race, gender, sexual orientation, faith, political party, income, etc. This selfishness is being exploited to keep us divided, keep us from exercising our power-in-numbers. Something you can not exercise if you are not in a Democracy! It even has us revolting against our Government- an example that demonstrates our ability to fall for BS (misinformation) that has us fighting against a system of Government that empowers us and is our only tool against the minority in power!
GrAnnie ; I have the same question and here in today's forum there are some ideas. : Defend voting rights, get after Congress to make some rules to protect our rights to vote. Demand higher taxes on Billionaires ( push for the temporary windfall tax). Champion Unions ; look for products made by union workers. There was a time when we could 'look for the Union label'. Support unionized restaurants etc. Call out 'both sides ism' whenever you see it, note the lack of equivalency and, if possible, call it out. Or just take note in your mind to fend off the lie. Demand enforcement of anti bribery of our representatives and those in the Senate. Call out racist lies, sexist behavior and anything that marginalizes people of particular, established religious beliefs. Support our President, who, although imperfect, (like most humans) is decent and making the best decisions in a tough spot.
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?
In union there is strength. We need stronger unions, more ways of unionizing, more types of unions, more ways of withholding our labor and our dollars.
Corporate monopolies unite the CEO into strength too. We need to amend or abolish Citizens United and start anti trust proceedings against the major multi-companies. Facebook, Apple,Amazon,Google etc. have been allowed cancerous growth and surgery is in order .
I agree with you, but in the end, you still have to put food on the table. In my opinion, things will continue to get worse until we (society) puts a limit on how much wealth a person can (or should) accumulate. Sometimes, pitchforks and torches can be very persuasive....
Realize this is not an either-or proposition. I am all for taxing the rich AND cutting off their support one by one in the little ways which can be irritating. We can also use our social media to plant ideas such as an infestation of bedbugs at Mar-a-Loco. Let's get our creative juices flowing, people!
There are plenty of jobs available right now, choose unions whenever possible.
Pitchforks may have persuaded centuries ago. Today's weapons are not going to work, at least for the worker/citizen human. The military/ industrial might has weapons no humans can use. Private mercenaries are being used by Russia. Have been used by the US. We need to organize and speak truth to power. Fight back effectively. Strike, support business, and representatives who actually work in our best interests. Call the greedheads and DeSatans out. Demand that government workers earn their pay.
Doug McNeill ; Good ideas! This is war, after all!
Brilliant!
Are you willing to suffer for a little while? Turn off the electricity. All their wealth is tied up in in or supported by electricity. Ours is too, but we are better at survival than they are. (I AM NOT saying destroy it! Even better if we can keep it going but shut down specific sites, such as banks, credit companies, corporate offices, weapons manufacturers, Mar-A-Lago, etc. They will be the ones rioting, not us. And they have no idea how to riot without help!)
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.
They were taught to trust the media, that all transgressions would at some point be exposed, a la Watergate. THE MEDIA HAS CHANGED! Now the media tells us what the wealthy and powerful want us to know and believe. It is only through blogs like this one we can get to know the real truth. If we do not approach the media with handfuls of grains of salt, we will never see between the lines that they think they are in charge of what we think. And that is why Repugs are so afraid of "woke" people. We are awake enough to see through their lies. We need to wake their followers--read cult members--up. Never easy at the best of times, since they are brainwashed from a very early age!
Well if you’re talking about folks like Rupert Murdoch who is supremely culpable in maligning journalistic integrity across the board, then I’d say you’d be correct. What we have been witness to is blatant propaganda, subterfuge and misinformation since the Reagan years. And “woke” seems to mean different things to different people. I wish the stupid word would go back from where it came. You either believe what you see with your own eyes or you allow someone to tell you differently. And remember, tRump loved the uneducated for this very reason. A mind is indeed a terrible thing to waste.
Woke does not mean what the Repuglicans are telling us it means, but your comment shows us they are winning. I have no idea where this version of the word came from, but we can use it to our advantage if we can co-opt it for our own purposes. This is how we win the fight, using the enemy's weapons against them. Murdoch is not the only media giant who is controlling what we hear. Facebook, Twitter, probably even Tik-Tok (I don't even know what that is) are capable of controlling what people are being told. I don't know about Substack yet, I am pretty new here, but Word Press has as much disinformation and misinformation on it as any other site. No one is fighting FAUX NEWS adequately! Freedom of speech is as necessary as food, but it is uundeniably dangerous when anyone can call their opinions truth! And that includes me.
I am well aware Murdoch isn’t the only one. My comments tell you nothing of the sort.
I think he is just pointing out how those in power are co-opting terms like woke, de-fund the police, critical race theory, etc. and turning them into something other than what they are intended... misinformation at work. don't think he intended to insult your intelligence. We are all susceptible to misinformation, for example, what is taught (or rather not taught) in school about our history. We are now taught that African Americans are immigrants! This is true, by definition (person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country), hell we all are if you're not Native American, but it negates the nature of how they came, how they were taken advantage of, how that impacts their descendants now and who practiced slavery. How it brutalized it's captives, who perpetuated and benefited from it and how selfishness/greed facilitated it even with those who claimed to be 'christian'. Unfortunately, the selfishness/greed continue to influence those with wealth/power to exploit the rest of us for their own personal gain... they are still using their wealth to push the same tactics- violence/terrorism (scare tactics), voter disenfranchisement, misinformation (lies, propaganda, false equivalency, exploiting religion...) bribery (buying influence or favor) and divide &
conquer (based on race, gender, sexual orientation, faith, political party, income, etc.) to keep us (the majority) from coming together (revolting) against them.
Thank you, fyiurban. It just so happens I am part native North American (though not American) but I would never call my black cousins "immigrants" because, especially those descended from slaves, you/they had no choice in coming. White people seem to forget that without my ancerstors help they would never have survived their first winter here. We gladly gave that help. We were repaid with arrempted genocide.
Thank you for your comments.
If you cannot see that, i pity you.
No pity for me, please. Pity for our country, the environment, Ukraine and all who are suffering. Peace.
Peace to you too.
Just because I'm paranoid does not mean I'm not being followed.
Mary Hyland ; Consider the source, beware polls. Wealth owns the media and polls can be bought.
That may be true to a certain degree but I continue to speak with friends and family who believe everything regurgitated by fox news. And let’s face it, propaganda works.
Yes, conversations sound word for word like fox talking points. If we don't find a way to curb the propaganda and the corruption unleashed by Citizens United our democracy doesn't have much of a future.
The culture of authoritarianism is strong in the USA. What is the national sport? Football, in which the players suffer brain damage thanks to their need to dominate the other team. Football represents a devolution from baseball, the former national sport, in which it’s not necessary to physically destroy the other team but merely to get runners into home plate. It is difficult to mentally separate oneself from Mother Culture. That’s why so many voters cling to an authoritarian like Drumpf.
The moral and material backbone of our community is capitalism, which in basic terms tells us: make as much money as you can, any way you can. The most noble aspiration is to become an entrepreneur, and the climactic mark of success is the fortune bearing IPO. The steady state measure of capitalist enterprise success is profit.
It's a given that capitalism is the most effective and efficient means of producing the diverse goods and services needed by a modern nation. Alternatives have proved dismal failures. But what we consider negative traits in an individual, such as bullying, autocratic control, self serving tendencies, deception, and stinginess are common and uncontroversial in the battle for profits. All's fair in . . .
Many of us like to think of the USA as egalitarian and altruistic, but our very competitive capitalist backbone must at times operate with a degree of anti-social behavior. I think we have to place more emphasis on broad values and spend less energy on the ubiquitous partisan squabbling and attacks. My pledge of allegiance would look like this:
"I pledge allegiance to egalitarian and altruistic principles, fundamental to the best hopes for peace and harmony in United States of America, and the world."
(Yes, the first long words pre-k and k kids would learn are egalitarian and altruistic.)
@sherm. I'm a capitalist. I started and ran a company for 27 years and, I admit, I made some pretty good money. But I am as liberal/progressive as anyone you will meet. I use my money (such as it is) to do responsible, civilized acts, e.g. started a scholarship at my Alma Mater which will fund two underprivileged students every year in perpetuity, spent the maximum donation on my favorite candidate and donated smaller amounts to many deserving Democrats, walked the precinct this past Sunday working to let voters know about our Democratic candidate in the 47th District in California. Maybe what I am suggesting here is that we must enroll well-to-do and wealthy people in our moral mission! Embrace them! We can't paint them all with the same brush. But let's use the rule of law to constrain the perverse actions of corporations, oligarchs, uncaring CEOs and bad actors who work against our nation and our (thankfully majority) values.
I think we can all agree there are exceptions to every rule. I guess the question is... Can one be a successful capitalist and still be egalitarian and altruistic, or no? I believe one can, however, as Sherm points out, the trend seems to suggest one cannot or should not.
Do you have many capitalist successes as friends, Ben? There is something I would like to see ALL WEALTHY PEOPLE INVOLVED IN. That is funding Emergency Response Teams all around the globe, teams that can respond to DISASTERS in a matter of hours or short days, wherever they are needed, experts who can provide all kinds of things, but particularly organizing whoever wants to help to set up supply chains for medical assistance, food and water, shelter, the best ways to dig through destruction to find trapped living beings, etc etc etc.
I hate that the main source of funds to help in disaster relief comes from the poor and middle classes all over the world, while the people who can afford to provide these services sit back and do little.
For those who do their parts, I thank them. But too many wealthy people do not care about the tragedy of others. Emergency Response Teams would be expensive, yes, but think of all the good things they would do. The suffering of those affected could be minimized in short order, and the money the general public provides could be better directed to where it is needed most.
If you and your conscientious friends could start something like this, maybe the hard-hearts and no-hearts could be guilted into doing their parts. Donating even 10% of your/their wealth would not hurt you/them individually, but together your/their 10%s add up to an amazing fund which could do so much good for so many. Please think about it.
Mary Hyland: I could not have said it better myself.
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?"
I see three levels to this.
The first and most basic is: What are our values? What are we for and what are we against, and why?
The second is: What are the policies -- the changes in laws and rules -- that we believe will make a difference in achieving our values? (Here, for example, voting rights, paid leave, worker ownership, high taxes on the wealthy if necessary to pay for better education and universal health care, guaranteed basic income, and so on.)
The third is: How do we gain the power to make these policies a reality? (Here, political organizing, reforming campaign finance, abolishing or rendering irrelevant the Electoral College, and so on.)
We need to work on all three levels.
thank you for your thoughts, Robert. (i must tell you that i GREATLY admire you, your passion, your kindness and decency, and your thoughtfulness, and your response has well and truly "made my day"!)
See my comment to "What do we do?." https://www.fieldteam6.org/
That website is closed/moved, according to my internet.
How to do it? We have to fight! Outvote the Fascists. As a start help register more Democrats. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
In my Fascist state of Florida, the Democratic Party is not spending anything according to yesterday's Miami Herald. DeSantis and the Republican state legislature have imposed a failed herd immunity, tried to eliminate first amendment rights to protest, made voting far more difficult, superseded local authority over health matters, and waged an unnecessary culture war. He is vindictive -- even against his donors like Disney- and has an enemies list and has his own election police.
In 2018, DeSantis won with less than 50% of the votes -- about 33,000 out of 8,000,000 votes. In 2020, the pandemic suppressed the Democratic turn out, So far there is no efficient organization working in Miami Dade County, population 2,751,796 with a growth rate of 0.08% in the past year. A lot of the new residents came from other states and were Republican. During the pandemic a lot of Democrats failed to vote. Tenants and young people trend heavily Democratic and statistically could turn the entire state blue.
In 2020 Biden won Miami Dade 53% as Republicans had a huge turnout, We lost 2 house seats to inferior candidates mostly due to voter reliance on false info about "socialism." In 2016 HRC got 63%.
That lost 10% could have painted the state blue.
We also have a hotly contested Senate race. Dump Marco Rubio. I support Val Demings.https://secure.actblue.com/donate/val-demings-ads?refcode=ads_search_acq_key_fl_campaign-launch-d2d_0621&amount=25&amounts=25%2C35%2C50%2C100%2C250%2C500&gclid=CjwKCAjwgr6TBhAGEiwA3aVuIdwy8MTCUly_G_0uYGu9nc--ygHjNyyZ1TmbQNhfsHaFFYlJmhXW-xoCP70QAvD_BwE
Please help. Follow the Field Team 6 link. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Thanks.
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.
Not sure any of them care if they're called out, expose or shamed. For that to work you have to have morals, ethics, and personal integrity.
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?
The organizers and leaders are here on this page, reading these words. By that I mean you.
I served two terms in town meeting and couldn't do a thing to help even my town. But if I somehow suddenly do have power, then I hereby convict Trump of treason and order that he not be allowed to run again for public office. I enact a tax on the ultra wealthy and revoke corporate abikity to purchase politicians. And I change many other injustices. In reality, however, my best arguments don't change even my own friends' opinions against Libruls, Biden, or Covid vaccines. Ignorance, lack of logic, poor education, propaganda, and nature seem somehow to be today's leaders. The average IQ is 100. That doesn't mean I give up, but as I look at political polls, Supreme Court leaks, and many other signs, a lot of negative reality does appear at present to be fact, so I acknowledge it and dare wonder in pixels what better than rhetoric might change it before the GOP uses its power to overturn Roe, fix elections, and continue to let criminals go free. I think it's dangerous now not to do a lot more to acknowledge and act on the hazards, while at the same time, I hope I hallucinate.
But that's just one pilot's opinion. Never sugar-coat the hazards. I note, though, that, aside from corporate interference, airline safety since CRM (which teaches junior pilots to speak up in the face of captain's authority) seems to be doing better than U.S. politics.
See my comment above, https://www.fieldteam6.org/
I registered voters in FL last election. Biden won. The Democrats are in power. Still, Trump and his fellow crooks remain free. Corruption and corporate greed increase. Obviously, we have to keep trying to prevent the GOP from winning, but the Democrats are a huge disappointment. So again, my question...who is going to stop the bullies?
We need a full court press and Congress is the immediate issue.
Biden does not have enough Congressional support to get rid of the Fascists still in government. We can win this year but for defeatists who don't understand that the threat will be catastrophic unless the people rise to the occasion. In some cases Biden hasn't been able to appoint his people because of internal problems especially with head cases like Manchin.
The Justice Department is independent from the president and needs an adequate budget to prosecute its cases. Attached is a list of defendants charged in federal court in the District of Columbia related to crimes committed at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C, on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-cases
From my perspective there is enough to bring changes against some of the "low hanging fruit" like the phony electors in seven states, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Lin Wood, and others who have been involved in “a historic and profound abuse of the judicial process.” Although the insurrection occurred in DC, these violators can also be charged in states where they may have committed crimes. If the cases are brought outside DC, the DC AUSAs will not have to be involved.
David Sirota said it better than I ever could in his May 2, 2022 article in the Guardian., “Americans Believe Nothing Is Getting Better. Biden Feeds That Disillusionment”
…“I’m going to become the Joker” is some of the internet’s most poignant shorthand. … the origins of the Batman villain, the phrase describes becoming so thoroughly disillusioned that one loses faith in everything.
.. the Biden White House is actively convincing a generation to believe nothing will fundamentally change….Tossing the Republican party a lifeline, he has reverted to his familiar formula: he promises big changes that could help the working class – and then prevents those changes from happening.”
Are you Republican trolls or do you come from Russia? This is about the Supreme Court.
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.
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...
Also, creative lawyering, e.g. holding oil companies to account in the same way that was ultimately done with tobacco companies (as a proper effort at recognizing & managing risk will result in some of that bullying being refactored!)...
Thanks to Prof. Reich for beautifully stating what the fight for equal rights and equal justice under the law means. In a moral society freedom comes with responsibilities. Money is not equivalent to free speech, as posited in the Supreme Court’s disastrous ruling in the Citizens United decision. That decision encourages an unequal access to free speech. Elon Musk now controls Twitter. One of his first decisions was to ban the organization Public Citizen from the platform. Public Citizen’s crime was to responsibly criticize Musk. This is a perfect example of what bullies do. What to do? We must fight to overturn the Citizens United decision. We must fight for public financing of elections. We must help register people to vote. We must vote out the bullies!
I agree with all that you say, Prof. Reich! But what puzzles and concerns me the most is this value system of "winner takes all" is deeply ingrained in the American political psyche! The very people hurt the most are the most ardant supporters of the very system that suppresses them. And look elsewhere to blame for their failed lives. Like immigrants and liberals and minorities. Thus the rise of Trump!
@Constantinos. Except not you sir! Not me either! Millions of other Democrats and I believe many former Republican voters are ready to get the liars and narcissists out of office. Let's work to get out the Democratic vote this year!
The case has not been made, but needs to be made, why "helping the poor" is to the benefit of the country as a whole, including the very rich.
Why inbalance leads to political and economic instability that destroys the country. Why "winner takes all" ruins all.
This is not a "moral" question for me! But a practical objective assessment of our dire circumstances. Major changes to how we work and govern ourselves is needed.
Powerful essay. It is amazing how the most wealthy and powerful are able to gain the public's sympathy by casting themselves as victims. We need to label them as the bullies they are, and refuse to appease them, as Nancy Pelosi did with Vladimir Putin.
When a sovereign nation is invaded and destroyed, It's inhabitants cruelly tortured, raped and killed, it is sickening to read the editorial in the local newspaper and see anger directed at our President for sending munitions to allow that country's people to fight the attackers. The claim is made that there was an agreement with the former Soviet Union that is violated when talk of joining NATO was threatening to Putin. Rubbish! There is no equivalency there : no justification to what is being done to Ukraine. Equivalency is false in this idea. Clearly does not work.
Touché 🌻
I agree.
Regarding Putin, how do we stop him? With more and more weapons? That may not be all it takes. We may have to engage in lengthy, difficult multilateral diplomacy and negotiations. Hard as that may be, diplomacy does not add to human suffering, environmental destruction, animal suffering...and it may be the only path to a shaky ceasefire, then more lasting ceasefire, and maybe peace.
Carolin: It takes two sides to engage in effective diplomacy. Of course, we could sacrifice Ukraine on the altar of diplomacy. Then we could sacrifice Taiwan to appease (President-for-life) Xi. I have a better idea: Let Ukraine take over Russia, and Taiwan take over China.
Nowadays, it takes many more sides than two to effective diplomacy. It's hard, but the only way to ceasefire.
Diplomacy right now is doing nothing to save the lives of Ukrainians, and those supporting them in Ukraine. Putin does not negotiate anymore. As long as he rules Russia, he will not be satisfied till he controls the world. He must be removed from power, whatever that takes. (Please remember, everyday Russians are NOT the enemy! Putin and his lackeys ARE!)
The outcome you describe will likely involve our own destruction. A win-lose end to this war is unlikely. See, for instance, https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/04/29/how-will-the-war-in-ukraine-end/
Is our destruction any more unacceptable than theirs? Are you really willing to sacrifice lives because they aren't your friends and relatives? I have been a pacifist my whole life. I detest war and what it does to all life, not just human life. But even I can see that something "real" has to be done to STOP PUTIN. The war will not end until Putin's reign is ended!
By something "real" do you mean nuclear war?
Do you think that is what I mean?
All I am saying is that everyone is praising the Ukrainian people for putting up such a great defence, and they do deserve that praise! But no one is giving them the help they need in added soldiers to fight alongside them. The longer this war lasts, the fewer defenders there will be. It is called attrition. Ukraine will fall because it will run out of enough soldiers to keep defending it. Putin will win, no matter what supplies we give to Ukraine. Time is on his side.
Meanwhile the weapons maunfacturers of the so-called "Free World" are profiteering hugely at the expense of every soldier dying on Ukrainian soil. This is the real reason our governments are not sending troops to the Ukraine, war OVER THERE is profitable OVER HERE! Without cost to us
The least we can do, as supposedly conerned citizens, is to put our bodies where our upper class wallets are. The war is doing you and I and people like us absolutely no good! But the 1% of the 1% is loving it!
Yes. Is there a way to reduce the power of big fossil fuel producers, weapons manufacturers, big agriculture....? Local, decentralized energy and food production? Don't know how to keep governments from buying and using conventional and nuclear weapons, but it must be done. Wars don't work in the nuclear age and with accelerating climate change. We must find other ways to resolve conflicts.
99.9% of the time I would agree with you. Putin is the exception. He does not bargain in good faith, and right now he is not willing to bargain at all. His mind is set on world domination, with Ukraine as the girst step. It is incumbent upon the world to deny his that first victory. Putin only understands one thing, power! We need to show him he has none!
For all the reasons you mention, I am afraid that Putin will respond with nuclear weapons, if he thinks there is nothing left for him to lose. I hope that I am wrong.
This is why he must be removed from power before he throws that switch. It won't be easy, but it can be done. Bribe one of his generals if necessary, promise them an island in the Caribbean to live out their life on. To a Russian, a Carribean island would be paradise.
Being a son of a Holocaust survivor, I heard daily about how a society turned bad when there was no one to stand up against the evil that developed in Germany. From book burning to human violence and bigotry, the process went on without any interference from the people. What I've learned is that not standing up and silence, are just as wrong as the people who creating the evil.
Freedom is not free! Freedom comes with responsibilities the leading responsibility is to assure the freedom and rights of others, especially the weaker among us.
Simply stated, but with eloquence and power! Thank you for the inspiration, Professor Reich! I made fewer calls to Senators and to the Justice Department last week, but my voice will be heard more frequently this week, thanks to your push!
I don't think there is a valid argument against yours, just as there is no moral equivalent when it comes to the bullies you describe. So, where are the opposing voices - the moral voices? Why are they not loud and clear?! I'm continually frustrated by the quietness of the Democratic Party. I do admire and appreciate their doggedness in investigating all the abuses of power you mention; however, the bullies have the pulpit and the attention of the masses. We, who inhabit the moral high ground, need to be much louder and more aggressive in our defense of all that is holy! CNN is not the opposite of Fox; there is a vacuum allowing Fox News to spew their lies with impunity. How about a news outlet that counters all the lies - as soon as they are spewed! How about a news outlet that spews FACTS - and destroys the lies?
Sally, you wrote "We, who inhabit the moral high ground, need to be much louder and more aggressive in our defense of all that is holy!"
One of the challenges that afflicts the liberal (Democratic) messaging is the questioning of the morality of every choice. Is being "much louder and more aggressive" morally the best choice?
This doesn't mean that every choice is subject to an in-depth debate on values and morals. But every proposal that arises is met by liberal minds with questions, challenges and alternatives. This too often results in the least potentially offensive path being taken, even if it is also so watered down as to be doomed to failure.
Being "liberal" embraces being inclusive. It embraces a spectrum of understandings and choices as well as a spectrum of objections and alternatives. This can, and often does, lead to the best possible choice that will serve the greater good while doing little or no harm. But it also often leads to impasses that can result in doing little or nothing.
All of this results in a high degree of complexity in messaging. Such messaging can't be boiled down to succinct quotes, slogans and memes. Paragraphs, pages, speeches and books are needed to deliver complex messaging, and voters need to invest time and effort to take this all in and contemplate it in depth before making a choice. Communicating about and contemplating such messaging is primarily an intellectual effort.
Conservative minds revel in simplicity and that usually results in simplistic approaches to dealing with things. Simplicity of thought, feeling and action makes for simplicity of messaging, especially when powered by emotions that are fueled with fear. Such messaging can be very succinctly and easily delivered and quickly grasped with great passion, even if devoid of fact and understanding.
It is extremely challenging, even impossible, to convey to a general population complex messages about choices and policies based in high ideals and moral standards in the face of a barrage of emotional one-liners, slogans, chants and memes that are often factual misrepresentations or even outright lies.
I recently read an op-ed that stated the Democrats need to use their power more forcefully - maybe that's a better way to put what I want to see happen than to say we should be louder. Any way you state it, the Repugnants have the ears of the people, if not the minds, and I want to make our message just as loud and clear as theirs. We are now dealing with a rogue party of Fascists - when are the Democrats going to start saying this - out loud - instead of pretending that it is politics as usual?!
I agree with the essence of what you are advocating. The DNC and others on down to the candidates seem to be losing the communication battle. They are, in general, not focusing on saying what they have to say in a focused way that appeals to voters who would support them if only they were aware of and understood what the real issues are, what is really at stake. They are also not doing well at motivating voters to get out and vote – far too great a percentage of liberal voters choose to not vote because they are discouraged and each one thinks "its only one vote so it won't make any difference." The Democratic Party needs to help their voters understand that all those individual votes together constitute millions of voices that are needed to help steer our country in the direction of meaningful progress.
It’s not just about the Democrats losing the communication battle. It’s what Biden is actually doing. Climate crisis? What climate crisis? “We are going to release our oil reserves.” “We are going to cut gas taxes to keep consumption going.” In previous oil crises (1979, others), people were urged to car pool. to raise the thermostat in the summer, reduce the national speed limit to 55. Conservation was talked about and supported. But no, now we must drill more oil and continue to subsidize fossil fuels. Why? Will there ever be a better time to say no more blood for fossil fuel, let’s save the climate instead?
So true. Thank you. I came to this country in 1964 to study at UofC. Uninformed then about the ruthlessness of the empire, I naively believed, in the tail of VWII, that the US was the country of hope for the future of humanity. That it could, and would, lead humanity out of self-extinction. How wrong. We have chosen to be the Death Star, the Uber bully. Soft power: gone! The Americans I know are not that way. I now fear for my children and grand children. And for me in 2020 or 2024. Incredible! What to do?
@Lagardere. Vote my friend! Encourage like minded people to vote!
This is the most important read of our time, one to be saved, shared and re-read. We can never look away, become complacent or uninterested, for if we do, the worst of man will prevail and society will falter.
We've been BRAINWASHED. Historically, and unfortunately, fundamental change most often occurs when those who have been victimized find their voice and motivate the rest of us. The public have been forced to believe that there's only one form of government. One whose unspoken mantra is "make as much money as possible in whatever way(s) you can get away with."
(Our view is to promote the overall well-being of all who live here). The general public urgently needs an invitation so THEY can INITIATE the process of their becoming more politically aware. That is far, far more effective than their being told what's wrong. Idea: A TV special that invites the public, whether in attendance or call in, to give their view on the question: What should the role of government be? (IMHO, that's the conversation that needs to be started.) However the question is stated, it should not be asking "What's wrong with the government?" All we'll hear is one complaint after another.
@Jeffrey. Yes! We must all reject the the idea "you can't win"! The history of democratic politics and government is entirely concerned with limiting the abuse of power - that's what government by/for the people is all about. We see the way that moneyed interests and authoritarians have pushed the pendulum back the wrong way - but this awareness is our motive and our tool to re-mount the democratization engine here in the USA and worldwide.
Many thank yous!
For those who need more convincing about the state of our world today, I recommend a wonderful video resplendent with truth. It's 46 years old but a veritable masterpiece by Paddy Chayefsky. I'm speaking, of course, of NETWORK. The whole movie drips with important themes but I recommend 2 segments. First, the Oscar-winning work of Peter Finch as Howard Beale, railing against the status quo (circa 54:00). Second, the counter argument in the performance of Ned Beatty as Arthur Jensen ("You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Beale") (circa 1:34:00). For those without access to the video, IMDB.com provides the meat of each of these segments in the first two cited quotations from the movie's dialogue.
Highly recommended.
Very well stated! I have not seen these thoughts explained with such clarity before.
Test: How immoral are you? How scared are you of someone trying to take away what you have? (Are you living in a gated community with armed guards at the gates? Do you live in a house half a mile away from the main road, with high fences, and cameras everywhere to see if anyone is tresspassing on your property?) How scared are you of having your power taken away from you? (Do you sit at one end of a 50' table while the people under your command sit at the other? Do you refuse to accept defeat even when you have been soundly trounced?) Do you get upset when anyone disagrees with you? (Do women cringe when you make sexual advances toward them? Do you tell others to do things you are disgusted or unwilling to do for yourself?)
When you have too much, all you see around you are people trying to "steal" what you have. Poor people are not afraid to lose what they have, and they will share what they have with anyone who needs it.
What we need is a good second party. Democrats and Republicans get nearly equal donations (bribes) from corporations.
We have completely lost track of the point. Violent people produce violence. Peaceable people produce human progress.
Violent people are so busy fighting, killing, maiming, torturing, burying, hunting, controlling, terrorizing, policing, guarding, and jailing people they do NOT have time to “produce” anything. Warriors are not neurosurgeons. Fighters do not invent MRI machines. Mercenaries cannot teach children or keep a nursery full of infants alive. Soldiers cannot even, feed, clothe and house themselves.
Human beings – especially violent people – depend on peaceable, cooperative people to conduct the research, experiments, learning and study necessary to produce food, water, housing, clothing, blankets, heat, medicines, vaccines, machines, equipment, airplanes, automobiles, trains, the internet, computers, cell phones, electricity, etc. and so on and on.
Who does society value more – violent or a peaceable people? Correct – society values violent people far more than peaceable, productive people. Think not?
Society spends about $106,131.00 a year to feed, house, clothe, educate, protect, and provide medical and dental care for each person locked up in prison.
$19,052.64 is the average social security payment for a peaceable, productive member of society who worked 50 to 60 years. Social security recipients are not entitled to the same quality health or dental care as inmates.
Your article showed the root cause for the demise of society - the evil of great wealth and power. Great wealth begets arrogance, and arrogance begets brutality and stupidity. The stupidity that the oligarchs don't see is that they are destroying the society that has made they very rich. When society crashes, their money isn't going to be worth dirt. We must not let them take us down.
A late post because I just came across it today: https://youtu.be/5lQ-E-7b-Vw (Not that it means anything, but I once lived in Herndon when I first moved to the DC area! Ollie North was one of my neighbors.) It's clear that Putin won't negotiate as long as NATO supports Ukraine, and NATO won't stop supporting Ukraine until Russia withdraws its army. A Kentucky standoff!
Another interesting take, that mentions the US problematic relationship with the World Court in current events: https://youtu.be/R_shrB4oYs8
Who is going to stop the bullies? Our line of defense is the Democratic party, which has failed us again and again, being mostly under the control of corporate money, just like the other party. In Bush v Gore, the Brooks Brothers riots (orchestrated by Roger Stone) stopped the vote count in FL by assaulting and intimidating election workers. (Reminder Supreme Court crowned Bush.) So, plenty of warning that the same bullying and violent tactics would be used twenty years later in 2020, on a grander scale, and will be repeated in 2024. And not just at the presidential level, as we saw in the attacks on the Dem governor of Michigan And what have our Democratic “leaders” done in all that time to protect our elections? Talk! Talk! We desperately need leadership, but party “insiders” will have none of it.
Lanae. Well stated. This planet, this world, and our great country have evolved over the years. We will continue to evolve. It is not the smartest or strongest that can survive change but those that can adapt. Adaption in an ever changing world is tricky. The technology revolution has changed everything we have ever known or done in the past. It depends how we look at it. Holding a dandelion in our hand, some people see a weed, others make a wish. Just depends on how we look at things, our past history and who we let into our own bubble today. Sending you hugs from Arizona.
Stan of Stanistan: Sadly, I have to agree with you. The Romans had their Coliseum, we have our Superbowl. I go to my original premise: You can judge the merits of a society by what it values most. In our case, "Entertainment" is valued above all else. I believe a surgeon or a plumber is more valuable to society than a rock star or a sports player. Yet, who makes the big bucks?
I heartily agree with most of your statements, Dr. Reich, but I also take exception to your statement that in order to maintain decency, we should strive to move from nature as far as possible. I am a biologist and finishing a book (partly) on Nature and man. The biggest problem in the world today, and for some time now, has been the actual assault on nature by 'civilized man. Blind, unthinking, totally oblivious preoccupation with making a living, getting ahead and above all, making money, man and societies have been stealing and trashing nature unmercifully. So we must actually try to 'manufacture' societies and governments that live with nature and not steal all of the above and below ground plants, animals, soil, water, minerals etc.
If you mean, by your statement, that we move our internal, psychological ingrained 'nature'
and propensities so that we not only improve man's prospects but also Nature's, I heartily agree. In fact, doing this, and also stopping using up nature and resources, is the only way out of our existential problem.
I agree that bullies need to be stopped AND held responsible. We seem to working our way towards holding Trump and the Trumpests to account (albeit very slowly). What to do about Putin? I hope Zelensky and the boys can hold out such that Russia is defeated or just has to quit and go home. I think that, win our lose, Puttin must be held responsible. How? First, label him a war criminal. Second, label Russia a "State Sponsor of Terrorism". Third, point out that the world cannot support a country led by a war criminal and that the sanctions leveled against Russia and its oligarchs will stay in place as long as Putin is in charge. Fourth, there needs to be reparations. If Putin wins and installs a puppet government, he is going to have to be responsible for repairing the damage so that people have a place to live. Russia also needs to pay reparations if Ukraine wins. The cost of reparations can be reduced by converting all seized Russian assets into cash to be given to Ukraine.
Firefox would not accept my sharing this, so, I sent it via "paste in attachment," to less than a handful of disheartened individuals, mainly to encourage perspective. Thank you for everything you do to keep us focused on what matters in our lives. Gratefully, Pearl B. Spodick
I want to add to my own response concerning reining in the monopolies that currently run our lives, manage our finances, determine what legislation is passed, select and fund our elections, run our courts, cotton up to our president, well, the monopolies are pretty much in charge and are conveniently (for them) regarded as persons to the extent that we are not. In my discussion of internships, I was referring back to a film of a few years back, 'The Pursuit of Happyness," starring Will Smith and his 5-year-old son and dealing with what happens in the life of a real-life investment broker, Chris Brown. If you recall the film, you will remember that Brown has invested in a medical device company or, rather, he has signed on to sell the devices to private practice physicians. His wife and he store the devices in their tiny apartment in SF and he pounds the payment going from office to office, trying to unload the devices which are his property. This leads to a dicier life-style, the loss of his apartment through non-payment of rent, and his wife's decision to divorce Chris, return to NYC and a job in the city. Chris is devoted to his son and the couple agree that the boy will stay with him. All sorts of calamities result but Chris finds out about an unpaid internship with (I believe) Dean Witter and a chance to become an investment broker. Because he has great math and people skills, he is accepted into the program and, because there is no salary or compensation whatsoever, his life becomes even more harrowing, a nightmare, really; he tries to keep day-care and "home-life" on even keel while he and the boy live in various shelters for the homeless and at Grace Cathedral (Cecil Williams makes an appearance) and, finally, at the BART station. The internship provides nothing for the class of interns. The reward for one single intern is a job offer and Chris tries to move mountains to garner that slot as DW's newest associate. He does, he joins the firm, and, as folks say, "The Rest is History." Dean Witter is applauded for giving CHris his chance; Chris is applauded for "beating out" the other candidates/interns; the little boy will have a chance at a decent life, and everyone is happy, right? Well, no, not exactly. All the members of that intern class at Dean Witter were--even in their beginner state--performing work for the company, work for which they received no compensation whatsoever. They were all competing for a prize but work does not lead to prizes (not ordinarily) but to regular and fair compensation securing a decent life. What happened to the others in Chris's class, how did they fare? I am not disparaging Chris's effort, not by any means but I am trying to make a simple point: if you accept an internship with a large corporation--any corporation--you must be paid by that corporation. The company must pay taxes on the income you generate and to sustain you. You are providing a service and the corporation is using your time and skills to make money. You cannot be a slave, laboring away for your master (that is what unpaid or low-pay internships, or teaching assistantships (in Academe) or any kind of training work becomes). I would imagine that unions could play a role here in insuring that your work and contribution to any corporate or company of any size be properly paid for and that you receive the benefits guaranteed you by law. Our most valuable asset as a worker (or as anyone, really) is our time and that time must be properly compensated.
Right wing voters spew hatred toward (coastal) elites. Yet, they give a pass to the most egregious usurpers of power - big corporations and their execs. I don't get it.
Many bullies don't care, because they know they can keep getting away with it. BUT if narcissistic bullies (ie. Trump) are criticised and shamed they do hate it. The thing is too many good men remain silent in the face of evil. Like most Russians right now. We need to retrain minds starting with the young to admire good qualities in people, and abhor and scorn the bad. Today's morality is "do anything you can get away with".
You (and Hobbes) are giving nature a bad name. People who actually study natural systems find there is a lot more cooperation than competition in them. Civilizations can learn a lot from studying the way nature actually operates. It is humans that have developed individualism, power struggles, and bullying to a fine art. Read David Korten's books for more about constructing economic systems in which life rather than money is valued.
You're right about the majority of white men not being part of the bullying, but it seems one must be a white men to be an acceptable bully. I just don't get why we all permit such bad behavior and allow the bullies to get so much power. It isn't the bullies' brain power. Clearly inheritence and other factors are involved.
LEGAL citizens of the USA are not happy. Polarization is at a record high. Biden certainly covered a few priorities in his inaugural address. He called for national healing and unity. Had he governed that way, we would not be in the position we are in today. From the start following the lead of the "radical wing" he governed from a rigidly ideological and astonishingly out-of-touch perspective that left average Americans upset. Russia and China are watching the USA every move. How about we work together instead of fighting each other? There has always been poor people in the USA. There has always been rich people in the USA. The difference is today we have technology to keep us ALL informed and updated. That is why free speech is critical and should NOT be censored by one side or the other. We can choose which blogs to read, which TV stations to watch, which You Tube videos to enjoy. I relate with people that can understand both sides. A new demography is projected to emerge after 2030 of technologies, robotics, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, producing robots, engineered organisms, nanobots and artificial intelligence that can self replicate. Debates will grow on the implications of an impending reality of human-designed life. The world we once knew is gone. I am sad for folks who continue to look at the past to predict the future. We are now living in a brand new world. Our grandchildren and great grandchildren will save this planet. It is already happening if you can look past your nose.
I do not believe that the world we once knew is gone...or that we are living in a brand new world. The past is prologue, to a greater or lesser degree. Former Gilded Ages (the early decades of the 20th century, the antebellum South, the aristocratic pre-Revolutionary Colonial Aristocracy), even incompetent and corrupt past and recent national leaders, tend to inform our current revisit to Gilded Ages. Predicting the future based on the past (or not considering the past) is going to be a tricky business (I for one have no idea what will happen in the future but I tend to think that: It's either "The same crazy thing over and over again" (endless repetitive cycles) OR "One crazy thing after another" (linear crazy events in passage of time). I do not believe that people learn unless they see some value (generally monetary) in it--and think! I used to believe in learning for learning's sake. People wear whatever values and principles they come across casually. All this means that people depend on a leader who is principled, ethical, honest, and inquisitive in order to get along. We haven't had that in a while. Right now, our president is continuing the practice of promising people much but delivering surprisingly little. If he expects to lead and leave a legacy of any kind, he will have to keep his promises and take bold, decisive action (sign a huge pile of executive orders) to help those whose power and influence are microscopic. But, then again, maybe only the wealthy really count for anything in the society those wealthy have created and supported.
If my usually reliable memory serves me, the reporter David Cay Johnston wrote in one of his books the Code of Hammurabi , the first set of laws printed and available to the literate was written to "Protect the Weak from the Powerful". Perhaps we should revisit the Babylonian code today.
There is a logic to life. Now, we are suffering the results of end-stage capitalism – rich getting richer and poor getting poorer. That has caused revolutions. Alternatively, it could be an ‘evolution,’ where the pain of the aberration we are in gets us to rethink everything.
If we were at that change-point It could be from you deciding to be the hub of an ad hoc Wisdom Council. Governments won't lead us so this would be taking things in people’s hands – not by revolution but by attraction. You pick Oprah, Oprah and you pick Jane Goodall, the 3 of you get George Clooney to make it even move irresistible. You get the idea. If outstanding people like these deliberated on what to do, everyone would listen.
What to do first? Get Robert’s attention.
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I want to subscribe ~ am 80 and not computer savvy. No matter what I try, it fails to take any password of mine! SOS PLEASE Help ~ 512 363-6352
I struggle to agree with the idea that we need to move as far from nature as possible. There exist some very good examples in nature that we should learn from and better incorporate into our "civilized" society. One prime example is the positive correlation between ecosystem diversity and ecosystem stability; this positive correlation has been well documented in the scientific literature. To my thinking, this correlation predicts that--in the long run--more diverse employee teams, governments, and (human) communities will be more stable than less diverse employee teams, governments, and (human) communities. To put this another way, nature teaches us that (human) diversity/inclusion will serve us well. This is only one of many good examples. The relatively new paradigm of natural computing (aka natural computation) is another very good example here.
In a civilized society, which we supposedly are or at least aspire to be, "survival of the fittest" needs to be understood in a new way. On a "primitive" level, power, might and even ruthless brutality may help assure a short-term ability for an individual to survive, although this is by no means assured as it can also put that individual at great risk. In the long run, however, this is not a sustainable model for survival.
We the People need a sustainable model for our survival as a species. And the essence of such a model needs to be a realization that being "the fittest" means being most capable of cooperating harmoniously with each other. It means treating each other with respect as we would like to be treated with respect. It means recognizing that we don't really do anything of significance alone, that we always depend upon others and that we need to share with others who have in any way contributed to our successes. Consider, for example, how the pandemic has highlighted who the "essential workers" are in our society.
We are all in this life together. We are all intimately and inextricably interconnected and interdependent. We each have inalienable freedoms (rights) and with freedom also comes responsibility. As the late Senator Paul Wellstone said "we all do better when we all do better." This is the basis of understanding for a civilized approach to "survival of the fittest." This is our only hope for the survival of our children, our grandchildren, and the great grandchildren of our great, great grandchildren.
Although I’m a subscriber, I no longer receive these messages in my inbox and must find them online. Thank you for today’s message. It is indeed true.
Exquisitely stated without reference to ideology. Thankyou so much.
I recently saw a report on the government of Ukraine and how it is functioning (how well it is functioning) during a time of violent attacks on civilians and citizens of all ages and dire need of all sorts of assistance not readily or easily available. Ukraine has a well-deserved reputation as an agricultural powerhouse, capable of feeding its own population and much of the world; however, war has logically caused some difficulties in growing and distributing the wealth of its soils and fields. (And I have heard that this will have world-wide implications for other nations dependent on Ukrainian products.) When he ran for office, Volodymyr Zelenskyy did what politicians routinely do, what the former president 45 did, what Joe BIden did: he made promises. So the question was: what happened to all those promises? Did Zelenskyy deliver at all? (It was expected that this would be difficult, what with the war and the Russian destruction of so much of the country. The legislative body (Ukrainian Parliament) has continued to function and meet and propose legislation and Zelenskyy himself has some sort of power to issue executive orders, just as BIden does. One would expect that the Russian bully would have thrown everything out of kilter and that there would be a lot of infighting among politicians as they vied for power, that everything ground to a complete halt and that nothing got done. Not so, not at all. Reports are that 28% of Zelenskyy's promises have been kept and that 50% are in the process of being fulfilled, that is nearly 80% of what Zelenskyy promised has come to pass or will do so as soon as possible given the duress of the entire country, the capital Kyiv as well as everywhere else. This suggests to me that, despite the war, death and destruction all around, challenges to staying alive, the government of Ukraine has functioned more efficiently and better than our own government. (Ukrainian politicians and individuals have passed on petty concerns to focus on making life better for everyone.) And that, for all his supposed inexperience and lack of training as a politician (or maybe because of his amateur status), Zelenskyy is proving himself to be more attuned to the needs of his fellow citizens and far more capable of leaving politics by the side of the road (or what's left of the road) and acting in the best interests of all Ukrainians. The Ukrainians elected a leader for all seasons, for all contingencies, and they got what they voted for---in spades. There is a lesson in the report for all those who engage in depriving others (generally les powerful) of a place to be and the prospects of a better future. But, alas, I don't believe many will take it that way. We're far gone. The contrast with Ukraine even makes that more apparent.
Michael Hutchinson's commentary is right on; numerous other deconstructions of the mess we are currently mired in, could also be posited. Let's look forward. It is time! I urge Mr. Reich and all who find his view to be "right on" to get a hold of a book, "The Ministry for the Future", by Kim Stanley Robinson! This book is a serious call to action; a slap of ice water in the face, gut wrenching, mentally exciting and a finely spun yarn. Folks....we are running out of time
Truer words were never spuck...
And intellectuals and scholars who do not uphold their principles and ideals must be dismissed.
I can imagine smoke floating from your computer as you wrote this essay. Hot stuff, right on.
BRAVO! Thank you, Robert. I'm keeping this one in my read-often pile. Clarity gives energy, just as laughter does also. We need both, lots of both. Thank you.
Men must have equal rights when it comes to dishing out time and communication with their children in court. Women are overly compensated and men are judged first by economics while women are considered moms.
Money buys political power and the management of information! It buys propaganda and shapes thought and therefore action! I have long said that if we could convince a few billionaires to donate to liberalism we may survive! Can billionaires be convinced the become altruistic? I’m not sure! In the long run I believe they will benefit!
Dear Robert, your passion equals mine and this impassioned plea is eloquent! My sensibilities are like yours! Study of and deep internal debate on the question of morality have dominated my adult life! The “last gen” thought is chilling! I can do nothing but wholeheartedly agree! I think we are not in the majority! I always hoped we would be in the majority! Survival of the least fit is how I would characterize domination! Domination is the essential moral question! If one is a “fair” thinker one rejects domination! It’s a question of survival of species! Domination of one set of chromosomes is detrimental to a species!
Thank you for making this statement so eloquently and so persuasively.
Is the right to be free of bullying the First Right? ..
Yes. The "Golden Rule" (a.k.a. The Law of Reciprocity) is, in essence, telling us that we should treat others with respect as we would like others to treat us with respect.
Bullying is not respectful behavior, nor does it engender reciprocal respect, but rather the opposite.
We would all do well to read--and take seriously--David Sirota's article on the growing disillusionment of many in American society with the general downward trend of things and, more specifically, Joe Biden's role in accelerating that unfortunate trend. I have tried to give BIden some leeway as he inherited a basket-case economic and political situation plus the pandemic, deep divisions top-to-bottom about the direction of the country, plus a very worrisome situation in foreign affairs and relations that has blossomed into a full-scale war in which the US is a major sidelines player, Ukraine, the US stand-in. I kept saying that we had to give Biden a chance, even as he promised more and more and delivered less and less. It's easy to blame the GOP and Trumpers for all their broken promises, for an economy that favored the wealthy, for a society rapidly careening toward climate-chaos, for so many deaths during the pandemic, for the collusion and double-dealing with malevolent foreign powers, for fast-approaching chaos, but it is turning out that Biden has continued the tendency to promise those bearing the heaviest burdens the quickest and most effective relief and financial aid and, then, to follow his irresponsible predecessor and---do nothing at all. Executive orders that could change everything for hard-pressed seniors, for those dependent on the safety net, for kids in debt, for those seeking to right economic, social, environmental wrongs, could be signed in a jiff but, instead, nothing happens. (Oh, the blame is transferred from BIden to Manchin & Sinema, as though their power was as great as Biden's, as though they were twiddling their thumbs when they could be signing executive orders.) This is also true for those trying to defend their country in Ukraine: Zelenskyy has repeatedly requested that the promised help arrive more quickly, stressing that people are dying while America casually follows through. But, you know, Zelenskyy has to get in line and wait with the rest of us, no matter how just or serious or vital (valid) his cause. As I feared, Biden lacks the will and courage to act when he can, to sign all those orders to help us carry on and live our lives. (He is more inclined to get along with his adversaries than to move boldly, and we are paying the price.) He is proving himself to be a slightly more palatable version of the former president, someone more suited to a job he apparently is afraid to carry out.. As a Bernie Sanders supporter, I feared that this would happen, that Biden would fritter away his chance to make a real difference in the lives of ordinary people. It is no comfort at all to learn that Biden has proven me right as I also suffer from his failure to take up the FDR mantle he said he aspired to. bear Was that also just another lie, this time from someone whose real desire to appear reasonable and moderate prevails at a time when political courage to take on challenges is needed? I fear so.
Agreed. The reference to pitchforks and torches was allegorical. I guess you could call it hyperbole (as opposed to parabole?).
On a daily basis, more of the news media need to spread the message that tRump is a criminal, a bully and worst of all - totally supports the atrocities that Putin is committing -- every picture that accompanies #45 should be splashed with the description LOSER --
This summarizes the western view of male dominance over everyone. Despite the instance of a Christian Social belief, it is in fact a lie to be used for control. The belief that only War will bring peace rather than Justice bringing peace continues to support the oppression of people. In America there has been great changes with woman finally taking on positions of authority. Let's hope they will choose Justice.
Robert, you write the bullies must be stopped and, I think most people would agree with you but, we are looking for concrete ideas on how to bring this about. I'd love to see some that can be implemented while "we the people" are struggling to make ends meet.
Thank you for not giving up hope Dr. Reich. It is feeling insurmountable, but you inspire me to fight.
Thanks Professor Reich….the question is why do so many behave poorly?
I am not sure I am a fan of a Hobbsian understanding of the world, but I do know that standing up to bullies is essential for any society to thrive. Our nation decided from the beginning it would permit bullies to dictate what happens at least in more than one-half of the country. Slavery meant a group of white mostly male bullies could not only dictate what our government could do, but could also do to other human beings, under law, whatever they chose to do. The descendants of those bullies (culturally if not actually) still do the dictating. The rest of the population is kept struggling to earn a living, raise a family, and make a good life, often not paying attention to what the bullies are doing. We the people have abdicated our role of keeping bullies in check, something a democracy demands. We have permitted money to be power and have enabled our highest courts to declare it so. Once money is speech those without it can speak all they want, but won't be heard, that is unless someone with money speaks for them. What those who do the speaking for them say may not even be what those without speech want said, but it looks like someone is doing something. We do have within our hands as a nation the tools to stop the bullying, but we let a few stop the process for their own personal gain, making them the bullies. I'm thinking since most of the bullies are men, science should research why men need to bully at such a large scale and perhaps, find medications that could help them be in community without having to control everything in it. R.Sheets
Absolutely... We, 'the people'/the majority have abdicated our role. Democracy gives us the power, but division prevents us from collectively seizing it! And yes, those with the most wealth/power are predominately white male, but they are a tiny percentage of the white male population and population as a whole. Don't think it is primarily due to them being white and male, but more an effort to retain their wealth/power at the expense of everyone else... including other white males. In their effort to retain their dominance, they have rigged the system in their favor, which may make it a little easier for a few more white men to join their ranks, but not the majority of white men. No matter how much white men want to get there or how much things are in their favor, there will only me a tiny percentage at the top, and they will continue to use their wealth/power to retain and gain more wealth/power at the expense of the majority, including the majority of white men. Division is a tool they continue to successfully use against the majority.
We the People abdicated our role long before divisive forces started seriously tearing us apart. We the People long ago abdicated our role to "keep" our republic.
We have been more interested in self-advancement, personal comfort, self-indulgence and entertainment than we have been in being engaged citizens.
Our lack of engagement in OUR political process is what has allowed, even invited and paid for, the appearance of moneyed and powerful forces to step into the political vacuum we left open to them. The divisiveness that now disables us is just one result of our lack of engagement. Division is a tool that is being used against us, but we have played a significant role in creating this tool and those with wealth and power have realized that they can use this tool against us.
I believe the ultimate responsibility lies on leaders. Unfortunately we have too many self-serving leaders (including in the church) and too many who have come to believe they should imitate those self-serving leaders to be successful. In addition, those selfish examples seems to now define success
The *ultimate* responsibility is ours. We the People are responsible for electing people well-qualified for serving our best interests. We the People are responsible for monitoring what our elected officials are doing and for making sure that they are indeed doing OUR business rather than the business of the ultra-rich or the corporations. It is the responsibility of the "leaders" to follow OUR wishes and serve OUR needs. Ours is a government of the people, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE.
True, it is a government for and by the people, but it is obvious that most ppl are followers and some that know this are taking advantage of the, heck l, they even say it outloud that they want more "bubbas". They are clearly afraid of woke (knowledgeable) voters who cansee through the BS and have been happy to exploit them for there own gain. Even the Bible places greater responsibility on leaders
Bullying starts in the very young; educating parents on how to stop it is critical for civilization; stopping it in the rich and powerful is critical, NOW. It will be extreamly difficult; everyone MUST participate in this essential fight, or all will be lost for many generations.
For many years, I lived with the idea that Academe and The Life of the MInd were somehow a different and better world, that, if I could study, work, and write well enough, I would earn a teaching and research role in the hallowed halls of some university, preferably a university with a strong teaching and research department in my field. All around me was evidence that the structure of the university and of departments was not based on intellectual achievement and a fine record but on a kind of hierarchal structure in which professors juggled and jostled for that ultimate goal: the tenured (for life) full professorship. According to this system (the real system and not my naive and untested assumption), professors were prophets spouting the truth to their disciples (the graduate students hand-picked to replace them and traded between prophets like some sort of perfect plums). There was rarely a question raised about the intellectual promise and merits and teaching or publishing record of a given candidate (even less if that candidate were female or a person of color or--horrors!--both. No, everything was decided from the beginning of a grad student's studies: he (the grad student) was shepherded through the system, given the written credentials, and then traded for someone else's disciple. Anyone who sincerely believed that diligence, creativity, innovative teaching, compassion and honesty would make all the difference in the world of Academe mistook what Academe was really all about. It was not a safe niche or Ivory Tower apart from the real world; no, it was more pedestrian and dangerous than that as it was--alas--the real world. The idea of bullying, threatening, and demeaning earnest well-meaning, sincere (women and minority) students who might have new ideas and insights never occurred to me until I was in the final years of my own degree work when I abandoned the game and did what I wanted, when I gave up on a research project that was never going to work, when I ended up finishing a degree with no real future and a mentor who had his disciples all picked out--and I was not one of them. It had been inconceivable to me that anyone tenured and secure for life would use his status to demean his own colleagues; to threaten and coerce (and sometimes physically attack) students; to plagiarize and self-plagiarize so that he didn't have to come up with new stuff. But that was what I saw and, ultimately, became more vocal about. We live in a world where people with power--any kind of power and that includes intellectual and academic power--are free to bully, coerce, threaten, ridicule those who have less power and experience in such contests. No one--least of all established scholars--will step in to question what is going on so it just continues to go on. I have done my part in trying to restore some sort of scholarly (and personal) ethics to the academic community and I have briefly served in a scholarly community guided by principles, honesty, and ethics, but that community was not the University of California and, if I am correct, it will not be UC going forward. (There is absolutely no support among academic people for honest self-examination and, well, the truth. No time to discuss fairness and justice while attending to the squabbles and self-advancement intellectuals favor. Prestige and power are everything; intellectual and personal honesty, nothing.) Academe is not removed from society as a whole; it's part of the package, if anything more dangerous than other parts since it prides itself on being a source of truth, justice, and light in a dark world.
Well said, Robert! Excellent essay. Many will disagree, but I believe that the proper way to stop the bully Putin is for NATO to impose a "no fly zone" over Ukraine. This would mean a military intervention to prevent Russian shells, bombs, missiles, planes, helicopters, and drones from destroying Ukraine. Rules and laws are worthless without enforcement.
I think you meant CEOs should be "censured" rather than "censored" although that word is not entirely inappropriate ;-).
Aristocratic societies were all about giving power and privileges to a select group who were then mostly free to abuse that power: the benevolent despot sought by too many are few and far between. The current trend in America is towards oligarchy which isn't that much different from aristocracy; in fact, giving the large fortunes being accumulated and passed on to the offspring of today's oligarchs, we are heading towards becoming an aristocracy in all but name.
This needs to be said even though we know it. This needs to be said to remind us. Justice for all or no justice at all.
Bravo. My proposed punishment for the bullies: put them in black skins and make them spend the rest of their lives as black people in the United States of America.
robert, great description of why most people chose to live in a civil society, rather than the bully type of society like the orange man and his dictatorish bullying leadership and society of survival of the fittest, with less support of the poor, and the extreme of just say that they are all lying and lazy. twitter is an example of the rich starting to buy up and control things that used to be public. what if the rich started putting their lies there in addition to lies on 24 7 audio and video of fox news. again, I wish the dem pols would loudly and frequently tell the voters that the dem party would help them the most.
All those musts sound hollow. It’s preaching to the choir. You must find a way to reach the average citizen who has been blinded by Fox News, etc.
Trump must be stopped before the midterms. The window into moral behaviour is closing fast.
Do you believe our country can be saved through the ballot box?
I think that is true. However, voting is only one small part of what We the People need to do.
We the People need to become engaged in OUR political process. Ben Franklin was supposedly asked what sort of government our country would have and he is said to have replied: "A republic, if you can keep it."
There is a great deal that We the People collectively need to do to "keep" our republic, but we have not been doing our part. We haven't been doing our part for a long time. We abdicated our role as citizens of a representative democracy and left the way wide open for people and entities with money, ambition and power to step in an take over. All of the political problems we are dealing with were caused by our failure to do our part.
Where can a countervailing force be found. How can a critical mass of people be organized against the aristocracy of wealth and the ascendent reactionary politics on all sides. Who can begin to lead in new (or maybe old but better) directions. The problems will not go away by the magic of intellectualism. Organization for real, core change is needed.
Yes of course. This is the human struggle towards civilization. Democracy protects the poor from the rich, and fascism protects the rich from the poor. I believe that this struggle also extends to how we treat the natural world around us: it is basically a struggle to recognize and to respect the sanctity of life. Part of our job, if we want to participate as activists in this struggle, is to seek the truth so that we are not fighting for the wrong side.
Clearly stated.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I agree with you, Sherm. Be aware though, that any "ism" can be (and usually is) taken to extremes. The truth is in the middle.
In nature, the "fittest" refers to species that are best able to adapt and fit in to their environment. There is vast cooperation and synergy in nature. What we can say is that societies that pursue greed and control don't last very long. 600 years is about the limit before they destroy themselves. The Aborigines of Australia can trace their civilization back 40,000 years. History shows that If the bullying and "wealth maximization" of those with more than enough isn't stopped, our economic and political system won't last very long. Honesty, fairness, and compassion is our key to survival, not more bullying.
A powerful post. Thank you for another great comment. Just one nit to pick. Hobbes uses his war of all against all to argue for an all powerful state - the Leviathan. His words are not good ones to use. He is anti free speech, anti religious freedom, etc. Also it is not so clear that people in the state of nature are that bad. As the song from South Pacific goes - you have to be carefully taught to hate and to fear. Archeologists are also finding that the autocracies may not have been as universal among early societies as we have imagined.
Yikes. Lots to do!
Clear and powerful. Bravo.
I totally agree with Prof Reich's morning essay today, particularly with his discussion of the "state of nature" with respect to Hobbes. With that in mind consider, for a moment, the campaign ad Josh Mandel, an ol' Tweety's loyalist, is running wherein he says without blinking in a close-up shot of his kisser: "We aren't the racists; Black Lives Matter are the racists. We don't hate; the bible is a book of love."
That list looks plenty long, almost insurmountable, except for one factor, it’s being held together by a single string, when pulled by the people of this great nation, it will unravel quickly. The sting I am referring to is the constitution of the United States of America. In it you find nearly all the answers to all the discord in our country. The Supreme Court is tasked with helping decide the direction and legal ways to approach these anti American antics.
Increasing the size of the Supreme Court would get it workin again
The law is a dismal substitute for morality. In the beginning, the de facto law was Might Makes Right. Using the Magna Carta as an example, a lot of law mustn't be absolute, but requires the consent of the governed. But these laws mostly protect a class of citizens, not all of the citizens. Where they do protect all in theory, in practice they are not applied evenly. Using Blue Laws as an example, a lot of law comes in to reassert that some people are more valuable, more protected, more privileged than others. In short, law is a blunt instrument, badly handled much of the time, that can at best only prevent a subset of the most egregious wrongs, while supporting others. To make matters worse, laws are crafted by crafty people motivated primarily by personal rather than public interest, pressured by a corrupt system of funding, and compromised by both in-party and cross-party politics. Then, such laws as we do have are interpreted, challenged, and supported in the courts not by reason and the public good, but by the amount of legal chicanery one can afford to hire. This is no different than trial by combat. The win goes to the better fighter and the lucky break, has no bearing on and is not affected by what is right.
We need much more morality, and much less law providing the illusion that we have somehow safeguarded morality.
But history tells us that we are not going to get more morality rather than less, and more rather than fewer laws. It would appear that the inevitable result of this is that things get worse and worse until it is so bad that enough people are so fed up that they scrap much of the current system and start over. This generally takes the form of a revolutionary war. Are things bad enough in America today, or in other countries, for the certain high cost and uncertain results of a revolution? Can we invent a form of revolution that is similar in effect to a conventional one, but is entirely conducted with political action and not actual war?
Those of us in this forum presumably all felt that things were well past bad enough when we voted against Trump the first time, and definitely the second time, but there has not been a revolution. With a good but still too conciliatory President and no control over Congress, we stopped the unbridaled unraveling and even made some gains, but they are way too marginal and unrevolutionary. Did we win the hearts and minds, or at least the votes, of the multitudes so we can be confident of significantly more progress? No. We have as much reason as ever to worry about a successful backlash that plunges us deeper into our national depravity.
My thought is that we need a Sanders / AOC kind of revolutionary zeal combined with the kid of actions that Doug McNeil brilliantly proposed in his comment here -- individual ordinary citizens and businesses effectively engaging in a strike against power abusers -- a boycott on providing service to or doing any kind of business with the most egregious transgressors. How effectively have boycotts altered the path of Chick-fil-a or Hobby Lobby, or Trump properties, or the Pillow Guy? Not zero, but not very much. It has to be seen and felt as a Revolution rather than just another day of daily life.
Mr McNeil, I applaud you. Please go have lunch with Sanders and AOC!
As difficult as it is to read the cold hard truth, you have described our current situation perfectly Professor Reich.
Today’s column belongs on the front pages of every newspaper. In bold type. 🌻