Mr. Reich, do you think one of the reasons the Democrats aren't more vocal about the overt corruption and antics of the Republicans and the billionaires is because they too are taking a lot of money from corporations and special interests? It seems to me that Bernie Sanders is the only one standing up to the Democratic National Party about not accepting PAC money. I truly believe that all of our politicians (except maybe a two or three) are in some CEO's pocket. Can average joe's really compete with the billionaire's money? It all seems so broken to me.
That a candidate running for the highest office in the land, let’s say Former President Ronald Reagan or Former President Barack Obama, said these words about an American Soldier who was captured and tortured by the enemy.
“I like people who weren’t captured…”
You can bet the Republican Party, at least the Republican Party back then, would still be peeing on Reagan’s Grave and still talking bad about Obama worse than normal. Neither candidate would have stood a chance in hell of becoming the President of the United States and would have been despised by every American, if not every citizen of all the worlds’ democracies. Yet candidate Trump only got a slap on the wrist.
An important difference for our time: If a Democratic candidate had said this, let’s say Biden, the Republican Party would have taken it and ran with it forever or at least up until the present day and maybe beyond. This would be their rallying cry for the entire Biden Presidency! They would bring it up EVERY SINGLE CHANCE they got to speak on virtually any topic, related or not.
So why doesn’t the Democratic Party do the same?!
Why..? Because losing elections is what Democrats often do well. The main reason why Biden won was ONLY because many Americans, that normally don’t vote, got out and voted because they saw the threat of our country becoming a Fascists’ State.
We better get our act together quickly and start adapting the techniques used by the leaders of the Republican Party, which at its core is fear driven…for as long as I can remember anyway. And yes, I, and most Americans, FEAR the U.S. will become a fascists’ country if Trump, or someone that kisses up to him, becomes President.
And please, stop referring to the left as ‘liberals.’ Yes there are some, on both extremes of every party, who would love to have as much as possible without any hard work or long hours. HOWEVER, the overwhelming majority of people who are not in their late teens/early twenties, and people living in the real world, of Democrats, Independents and Republicans, understand you have to get out there and work hard to get what you need and want. (Yes, I understand the super wealthy control most of the board and get MUCH more in return than the effort they put in – difference topic altogether) “We” are the Progressive Party, not the Liberal Party! Say this instead all the time and put the word ‘Liberal’ to bed once and for all. Why continue to shoot yourself in the foot.
This is not rocket science so why do we treat it as such. Most Americans (the hard-working middle and working classes) can’t, or won’t, take the time to do deep analysis. The Leaders in the Republican Party, and of course their Think Tanks, get this and know how to use it to their advantage. (their so virtuous) Sadly, the Democratic Party does not get this. DUH..
We are still bludgeoned, so dizzy and numb from the previous administration's abandonment of decency that we can't get the steam up to feel moral outrage.
Democrats bring a spoon to a knife fight. They have always been terrible at really effective messaging, the kind that takes what Republicans are really doing to the common man and “rubs it in their face”. The problem is the gullible listened to Rush Limbaugh for 30 years and now they watch nothing but Fox News. They’re not listening to Professor Reich and his clear explanations. They listen and watch the Fake News Oligarch Plutocracy Media Regime. Musk wants to buy Twitter so he can shape the narrative on his terms. He is a perfect example that intelligence is not wisdom, and, in fact, his high intelligence only runs along certain lines. The key trait that Musk, Bezos, Koch, Ellison, and Republicans lack is….integrity. Money and power is their goal. Can you imagine blaming Democrats as “the party of division and hate”? When was the last time Democrats tried to steal an election by stealing electoral votes? When was the last time Democrats supported, as Michael Cohen testified, a “racist, con man, and cheat”, who is also a well documented liar, a money grubbing grifter, and a moral pervert? When was the last time Democrats passed a law, like Texas, that turned citizens into enforcers, with monetary rewards, or made it illegal to pass out water…..WATER!…..to people waiting long hours, in the hot humid sun, to vote? In Kentucky, someone put up a billboard showing Mitch McConnell and his wife, with the caption: “We’re rich…how ya’ll doing?” The Democrats better start bringing a knife to a knife fight.
The Billionaires are supporting the American Friends of Putin, (FOP), who brutalizes his young conscripts into being torturers and murderers, even supplying them with mobile crematoriums to incinerate the bodies of the tortured and violated victims, and of course, the children. As for Victor Orban's concern for Christianity, I quote Dylan in an excerpt from 'Masters Of War ; "Even Jesus would never forgive what you do".
Thank you, Robert. Your morning messages are important for our sanity. We need another Roosevelt. I have been raising money to help the poor and middle class for the past thirty years. It is getting harder as more money is dribbled out by family foundations and corporations give so little back to communities. Bank commitments to communities are pathetically small.
There is much we must do but I see Congress as our priority. Term limits would remove some entrenched power, more progressive taxes would give money for child care and education, and the demographics of the nation will give more votes to our repressed populations.
Yes, Elon, we ARE the party of hate! We hate narcissistic, self-serving billionaires such as yourself, who believe you have no obligation to give back to the country and institutions upon which your wealth was built!
Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren do say this, repeatedly. I saw a video on Facebook of Sen. Warren making essentially the same points you have made about the causes of our current inflation and announcing that she has introduced legislation to address it. The problem is that Sens. Warren and Sanders are disparaged as "far left" cranks, including by self-anointed "responsible centrist" Democrats.
Biden has sort of said what you proposed, but not convincingly. He needs to say it loud and clear and repetitively. Biden is not and never will be a great orator, but he can do better than he has done.
Trump is a useful tool of our superrich oligarchs. He doesn't mind, as long as they flatter his ego and help him fake in more and more money.
At first blush, this seems to have little to do with today's discussion, except that it sheds a little light on Musk's motive in declaring himself Republican - when it was already a foregone conclusion for most of us: https://youtu.be/hOeI3HaK-EQ
I’ve been saying for two years to yank republicans from office. Being reactive to this degree is playing their game. Weakness. The real unknown is if Democrats have what it takes to fight for their freedom. I believe that’s rhetorical since democrats have already went belly up. If you won’t fight for your freedom, what will you fight for? John Kennedy said it best “ Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country “ Time to grow a set and defend your Republic and freedom.
Mr. Reich, do you think one of the reasons the Democrats aren't more vocal about the overt corruption and antics of the Republicans and the billionaires is because they too are taking a lot of money from corporations and special interests? It seems to me that Bernie Sanders is the only one standing up to the Democratic National Party about not accepting PAC money. I truly believe that all of our politicians (except maybe a two or three) are in some CEO's pocket. Can average joe's really compete with the billionaire's money? It all seems so broken to me.
Imagine, if you dare..
That a candidate running for the highest office in the land, let’s say Former President Ronald Reagan or Former President Barack Obama, said these words about an American Soldier who was captured and tortured by the enemy.
“I like people who weren’t captured…”
You can bet the Republican Party, at least the Republican Party back then, would still be peeing on Reagan’s Grave and still talking bad about Obama worse than normal. Neither candidate would have stood a chance in hell of becoming the President of the United States and would have been despised by every American, if not every citizen of all the worlds’ democracies. Yet candidate Trump only got a slap on the wrist.
An important difference for our time: If a Democratic candidate had said this, let’s say Biden, the Republican Party would have taken it and ran with it forever or at least up until the present day and maybe beyond. This would be their rallying cry for the entire Biden Presidency! They would bring it up EVERY SINGLE CHANCE they got to speak on virtually any topic, related or not.
So why doesn’t the Democratic Party do the same?!
Why..? Because losing elections is what Democrats often do well. The main reason why Biden won was ONLY because many Americans, that normally don’t vote, got out and voted because they saw the threat of our country becoming a Fascists’ State.
We better get our act together quickly and start adapting the techniques used by the leaders of the Republican Party, which at its core is fear driven…for as long as I can remember anyway. And yes, I, and most Americans, FEAR the U.S. will become a fascists’ country if Trump, or someone that kisses up to him, becomes President.
And please, stop referring to the left as ‘liberals.’ Yes there are some, on both extremes of every party, who would love to have as much as possible without any hard work or long hours. HOWEVER, the overwhelming majority of people who are not in their late teens/early twenties, and people living in the real world, of Democrats, Independents and Republicans, understand you have to get out there and work hard to get what you need and want. (Yes, I understand the super wealthy control most of the board and get MUCH more in return than the effort they put in – difference topic altogether) “We” are the Progressive Party, not the Liberal Party! Say this instead all the time and put the word ‘Liberal’ to bed once and for all. Why continue to shoot yourself in the foot.
This is not rocket science so why do we treat it as such. Most Americans (the hard-working middle and working classes) can’t, or won’t, take the time to do deep analysis. The Leaders in the Republican Party, and of course their Think Tanks, get this and know how to use it to their advantage. (their so virtuous) Sadly, the Democratic Party does not get this. DUH..
We are still bludgeoned, so dizzy and numb from the previous administration's abandonment of decency that we can't get the steam up to feel moral outrage.
Give John Fetterman a bull horn.
Democrats bring a spoon to a knife fight. They have always been terrible at really effective messaging, the kind that takes what Republicans are really doing to the common man and “rubs it in their face”. The problem is the gullible listened to Rush Limbaugh for 30 years and now they watch nothing but Fox News. They’re not listening to Professor Reich and his clear explanations. They listen and watch the Fake News Oligarch Plutocracy Media Regime. Musk wants to buy Twitter so he can shape the narrative on his terms. He is a perfect example that intelligence is not wisdom, and, in fact, his high intelligence only runs along certain lines. The key trait that Musk, Bezos, Koch, Ellison, and Republicans lack is….integrity. Money and power is their goal. Can you imagine blaming Democrats as “the party of division and hate”? When was the last time Democrats tried to steal an election by stealing electoral votes? When was the last time Democrats supported, as Michael Cohen testified, a “racist, con man, and cheat”, who is also a well documented liar, a money grubbing grifter, and a moral pervert? When was the last time Democrats passed a law, like Texas, that turned citizens into enforcers, with monetary rewards, or made it illegal to pass out water…..WATER!…..to people waiting long hours, in the hot humid sun, to vote? In Kentucky, someone put up a billboard showing Mitch McConnell and his wife, with the caption: “We’re rich…how ya’ll doing?” The Democrats better start bringing a knife to a knife fight.
The Billionaires are supporting the American Friends of Putin, (FOP), who brutalizes his young conscripts into being torturers and murderers, even supplying them with mobile crematoriums to incinerate the bodies of the tortured and violated victims, and of course, the children. As for Victor Orban's concern for Christianity, I quote Dylan in an excerpt from 'Masters Of War ; "Even Jesus would never forgive what you do".
Thank you, Robert. Your morning messages are important for our sanity. We need another Roosevelt. I have been raising money to help the poor and middle class for the past thirty years. It is getting harder as more money is dribbled out by family foundations and corporations give so little back to communities. Bank commitments to communities are pathetically small.
There is much we must do but I see Congress as our priority. Term limits would remove some entrenched power, more progressive taxes would give money for child care and education, and the demographics of the nation will give more votes to our repressed populations.
great clip from the Simpsons - love the "Everything Going to Hell" graph cause it sure feels that way!!
That clip from The Simpsons is terrific! Bravo!
Yes, Elon, we ARE the party of hate! We hate narcissistic, self-serving billionaires such as yourself, who believe you have no obligation to give back to the country and institutions upon which your wealth was built!
Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren do say this, repeatedly. I saw a video on Facebook of Sen. Warren making essentially the same points you have made about the causes of our current inflation and announcing that she has introduced legislation to address it. The problem is that Sens. Warren and Sanders are disparaged as "far left" cranks, including by self-anointed "responsible centrist" Democrats.
Biden has sort of said what you proposed, but not convincingly. He needs to say it loud and clear and repetitively. Biden is not and never will be a great orator, but he can do better than he has done.
Trump is a useful tool of our superrich oligarchs. He doesn't mind, as long as they flatter his ego and help him fake in more and more money.
"Bipartisanship" is a noble ideal, but it becomes a destructive fantasy when one party is 110% committed to making it impossible.
Important and reasoned. And lots of good comments. Messaging is indeed so important now....
Do you describe it as a swamp or a wetland? Biden can get the vast majority behind him if he gets really bold and invokes an FDR.
You're probably right about more people reached in 8 seconds on an animated tv show than the sum total of your work of the past.
Sad but true fits the bill.
I watched and was surprised that the episode was dealing with a traumatic truth about the economic expectations for the average U.S. citizen.
Congrats to the writers for taking that chance.
We seem to understand Russian oligarchs very well, but we fail to even see our very own.
At first blush, this seems to have little to do with today's discussion, except that it sheds a little light on Musk's motive in declaring himself Republican - when it was already a foregone conclusion for most of us: https://youtu.be/hOeI3HaK-EQ
I’ve been saying for two years to yank republicans from office. Being reactive to this degree is playing their game. Weakness. The real unknown is if Democrats have what it takes to fight for their freedom. I believe that’s rhetorical since democrats have already went belly up. If you won’t fight for your freedom, what will you fight for? John Kennedy said it best “ Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country “ Time to grow a set and defend your Republic and freedom.