I think the critical discussion point concerns what it means to be an American. I mean, what is our nature? Is it in our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, or our tax code? Or our Supreme Court rulings? I was brought up like you, Mr. Reich, believing in the common good and willing to sacrifice for it, by paying taxes or serving in the military. Vietnam changed my thinking, but I still happily paid up. Ronald Reagan did not merely make us think about the size of government; he in fact made us think that it was stealing from us. Unless, of course, it was spending our money with his pals in the California defense industry. I believe it was Ronald Reagan who truly divided us, after the Nixon schism ended in disgrace and we healed from the Vietnam disaster. Reagan demonized the needy, the workingman, and people of color. And he spit on the idea of the common good, extolling instead the virtues of self-reliance and personal aggrandizement. He helped promote the Trumpian idea that paying taxes was for fools. His assaults on our public lands continue to this day. 1980 was the turning point in American political culture. We are living with the vestiges of that rush to selfishness today.
Another TV star on a white horse that started the downward trend of “trickle Down economics” Every-time I hear that term used, it make me sick and angry!
I used to live in his hometown. The people there worship him. I moved away because of the ideologies that took over the community and made it the Trumpian bastion it is today.
Thank you Daniel .....Fats Domino and Manhattan Transfer are lifelong favorites. Reflections of good times in America are nevertheless haunting to me when we ignore the basics of climate destruction, race supremacy, VN, Iraq and the sickness of Proud Boy lies among us.
The commercial was for MasterCard, and the punchline to every ad was that __ was "priceless", for example-your family, time together, enjoying nature. "There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Mastercard." The ad campaign began in 1997.
Your point is well taken. Although I give LBJ a bit of credit for a war on poverty, a Great Society, and efforts for voting rights. Nixon at least started the EPA. Reagan had no redeeming virtues.
If not for LBJ's ego he might have gone down a truly great Prez. He was so worried about losing Vietnam he never considered that we did not own it. When I got to Vietnam as a young private the war was already lost and yet another 17000 young Americans had to die and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese were doomed. Our fearless leaders just never learn. Iraq and Afghanistan wrecked misery and death on the middles east while we watched on TV. Our day is coming and it won't be pretty. The ancient Romans were shocked and dismayed when the Goths and Vandals sacked Rome. We are Rome.
Yes we are! Reagan was the reason I became a Democrat as soon as I turned 18. He took everything away from my widowed Mom and she had to go to work in a liquor store to make ends meet. He definitely was the start of division in this country,
Yes BUT. Newt Gingrich led an elected cohort of Republicans to the new low, where every rule involving respect of differences could, indeed should, be shit on.
That's when I recognized that the Republican Party was becoming a fascist organization. Norquist threatened to primary any Republican who didn't toe the line.
The "common good" has been a universal theme this country has used as psychological glue with which to hold our Democracy together through thick and thin. We've experienced cracks here and there but in the end, we've endeavored to persevere. Lately, clouds have gathered on the horizon, these towering foes are more than just weather events hanging over a country, they carry the potential for radical political and social change. No matter what came our way in the past, we as a people stood shoulder to shoulder and faced whatever obstacles tried to alter the way we lived in this free society. These ominous celestial formations are being seeded by forces within our own house. There are agents actively attempting to undo everything this country has stood for over the past 247 years. The understanding that this perversion is taking place is compounded by the cooperation the movement is receiving from within our own "We the People." It's time we "Woke-up! Without an antidote administered like a shot in the preverbal arm, our way of life is in danger of being replaced by some perverted form of a sick man's wet dream. We have come too far and stood for too long. The rest of the world is watching with bated breath wondering if the dream will continue. The negative forces that feed upon social disaster to maintain control have ribbons of drool hanging from the corners of their gaping mouths over the possibility of a "fool's errand" coming to an end. We stand on the shoulder of a highway that runs in two distinctly different directions. Our future depends upon which way we attempt to hitch a ride. Horace knew.
Beautifully stated, and I appreciate the proper spelling of “bated”. 😂 We’ve been ju-jitsued by our own tolerance of intolerable assaults on our decency and respect for dissent. Boundaries have been crossed that have not been seen since Fort Sumter, and they have been financed by a greedy and megalomaniacal clique of radical Confederate revanchists. Bushies embracing the unitary executive started us on this road, and they were left unchecked. It won’t be undone until good people have decided we’ve had enough.
All I can add is what my mother told me about the dark days of the Great Depression, how having lost her college scholarship and returning to the South, she feared that there would be a revolution caused by the deep poverty. Somehow she convinced my father to vote for Roosevelt, and when he took the reins from Herbert Hoover, things began to turn around. I hope we can follow in her path, convincing people who's really on their side. FDR was correct, the only power we have to fear is fear itself.
I watched tow Youtube videos of Peter Turchin being interviewed about his new book, "End Times." He uses the same stats that Reich uses and the histories of collapsed civilizations to come to the conclusion that our country is on the verge of collapse. He cited examples in history of when this trajectory was turned around, one of them being FDRs New Deal. He explains why this "wealth pump" that caused the inequality, and the phenomenon of too many elite positions as the driving forces came to be, starting in the late 1970s. I need to read his book and have also ordered Reich's book "Common Good," because I am too impatient to wait for the moral message. The elite are going to have to loosen the reigns or they're going down with the rest of us.
Btw, your comment is going into my "time capsule." Well said.
Interesting you should make mention of a song. For several months now, here's an immanently relevant, apocalyptic song that occasionally crosses my mind. I'm almost certain you'll remember it: https://youtu.be/MdWGp3HQVjU
We all lived in continual angst back then - at least, everyone I knew did. (Something I find curious that >nobody< ever mentions.) Then there was a message passed on from a bit older generation. The opening about a house burning down could be emblematic of Korea or earlier. I'm almost certain you'll remember it: https://youtu.be/3sWTnsemkIs
It might explain in a small way why many decided to "break out the booze and have a ball" - as it were. We now suffer the hangover.
DZK--That song "On the eve of destruction" burned its way into the heart of a generation. How could I ever forget it, its relevance goes way past time, and it still applies today, that being the reason why it fills your head.
There were so many great social commentary songs in the 1960s & 70s that managed to put compelling lyrics to beautiful, creative music. We have very little of that now, at least ones that become widely popular.
Iconic songs DZK and important really in social commentary and life meaning-making. I hadn’t ever heard the Peggy Lee song but it is beautiful and so meaningful to so many (judging by the YouTube comments. Thanks for sharing it.
I found the Peggy Lee singularly haunting - haunting because it was so relevant to the world that I saw unfolding before me as a fledgling adult, how overrated and overvalued it all seemed to me. I was shocked to find out later in life - about my mid 40's - that Peggy Lee was no spring chicken when she released that song - about my age at the time I was finding out. Until that time, Peggy Lee was just another name of a popular female vocalist I heard on the radio. I didn't even know it was she who sang the song. I always thought she was another of the young vocalists of the day, like Carol King or Laura Nero, or even Janis Joplin.
Excellent breakdown ! Dumpster and his cronies have built a shadow government to take over if he wins in 2024 ! He has Project 2025 that includes 69 organizations working together to bring down democracy ! They are the ones banning books, joining school boards and promoting their abortion bans ! They will continue in their attempts to destroy the country in order to make it a Christofascist even if dumpster is elected because they like the power !!!
Robert--The idea I was trying to convey was we have a choice between what is right and what is wrong, who to follow and who to leave by the side of the road.
Always reminds me of Sargeant Reynolds, a casual acquaintance who was heir to (among other fortunes) the Reynolds Tobacco empire. Sadly, he died of pneumonia while being treated for lung cancer brought on by smoking. His death brought some publicity to the lie of the Marlboro Man, and there's a community college in Virginia honoring his memory.
Yes, I recall people calling Reagan a 2 bit "B" rated actor. When he became President he showed everybody what a great actor he actually was.
Same for Trump as an entertainer. He showed the world he could be a mesmerizing entertainer, at least for a way too large portion of the American people.
Not to be arch, but he called himself "The Great Communicator." Just sayin'. It was part of his PR campaign, along with pictures of him in outdoor cooking kit, holding up a big slice of cow over a barbecue, in the huge back yard of a big ranch-style house of the day,in a nice suburban neighborhood. He personified "the American nightmare!"
Generation X, that tended to be more conservative, corporatist, & accepting of "trickle down" Reaganomics, "greed is good" & increasing economic inequality. Fortunately, subsequent generations have been more progressive, but will they assume power in time to right our ship? And I wonder what kind of people the Trump generation will bring. Imagine having him as your role model!
In my extended family, there's everything, and a lot of it seems related to very personal experience with privilege. Either the young people celebrate it or it turns them off.
My candidate for the turning point is when Nixon was elected in 1968. His involvement in Joe McCarthy's vile attacks on good people, writers and activists who cared about 'the general welfare' and the promises of fairness and equality, was forgotten, minimized, ignored. He characterized protests and protesters as attacks on American principles rather than as exercises of the constitutional rights of free speech and remonstrance.
The good thing was that eventually there was bipartisan pushback & a reckoning for his crimes, which unfortunately was undermined by his pardon, & then neither of the stolen elections for Reagan/Bush & Bush/Cheney with resulting corrupt, incompetent, criminal administrations were properly adjudicated, which made it possible for the equally illegitimate Trump/Putin presidency to come about. Of course, now the Republican Party has established several patterns for how to win the presidency fraudulently & rule corruptly & imperiously on behalf of corporations & billionaires, starting with Nixon & devolving to the fascists now in charge of the party.
I was a junior in high school when my families hero,JFK was assassinated . I watched in horror and grief the assassin of MLK, and RFK,Malcolm X.
All of these humans had visions of bringing us together.
I have always known in my soul that the dirty ,evil ,contemptuous , greedy power mongers couldn’t allow America to have a vision of common good. Who killed these heroes? We all know.
And now we are letting their species run us into the ground.
You point out how we have to come together in a common goal. Well first we have to be able to believe in the LAW and that its’ purpose is to protect all of us equally. This includes the LAWS that protect us as we drive( signaling, stopping at red lights, going the speed limit) . This includes the LAWS that give us the right to Collective bargaining, the laws that protect our home owners’ associations so that we all can live in neighborhoods that share diversity and rules that keep us safe. LAWS that protect us all from being SHOT for just being .
I could go on and on naming the things that could help us see one another in the kind of light you write about.
But, until we work from the bottom up... not accepting rude and uncivil behavior in any situation, holding ugly contemptible characters accountable... this includes self.
When we don’t need to make another race or culture or country wrong in order to come together in war to be right....
To make being an “adult” a prized characteristic. One that doesn’t just assume one is because they got older.
Character.... not just a word , but a word that means building a self from the inside out to become the best we can be and then better than that.
To share and reward kindness. To say NO to criminals and mobsters in a singular voice because we are better than that.
We must stop patting ourselves on the back because we have vulgar amounts of money.... at whose expense?
When the $ sign means more to us than feeding our homeless, or not allowing corporation to own EVERYTHING, including our homes, than having true medical services...
“PRO- CHOICE “... it is right in front of us asking that as Americans we come together for the good of all. Are we truly up to that?
The heroes are many... too many to list here.
We,those of us who do follow the RULES that strengthen our society for all must also be honored . Stop watching the ugliest amongst us every minute . Shame them. Stand tall! We outnumber the viscous,
I think Ronny Reagan was not historically alone, but a part of the business-conservative wing of the Republican party that had attacked the New Deal as "socialist" or "communist". They were active during the Eisenhower administration, including but not limited to Senator McCarty and his cohort. The 1950s sees the rise of "movement conservatism" with William F. Buckley Jr. and L. Brent Bozell Jr; and Barry Goldwater in the 1964 election. Rats at work in the political basement.
Reagan was president of a union and turned in his colleagues as "Reds." Worst governor of California history. He was only elected because of the "surprise" Iranian takeover of the US embassy. The Iranians waited to release the hostages to support his election. October surprise."
Was implicated in Iran/Contra but allowed to skate.
He also closed mental health care institutions with the empty promise of better smaller community facilities which never materialized. We have very few facilities and now many who need mental health care are in prison or are homeless. The same with low income housing. Privatizing and monetizing services that were deemed for the public good like schools, healthcare, the News, and prisons took away my hope that we are a people that takes its responsibilities to each other seriously. Seeing the increase in political appointments resulting in decreased functioning of departments has lessened my hope. The rise of dark money with increased control of lawmakers and judges has lessened my hope. Reading the Federalists plan to decrease democracy and increase the chances of an authoritarian take over has lessened my hope. Seeing death by gun as the #1 cause of death in children, and not only do we not stop it, the #of states that allow open carry, concealed carry, and stand your ground laws has increased lessening my hope. Knowing that many herbicides, pesticides, forever drugs, and chemicals are cancer causing, neurotoxic, hormone disruptive, and pollinator destroying yet are allowed lessens my hope. Seeing the destruction caused by plastics allowed to continue with no real solutions lessens my hope. Seeing this planet literally burning, flooding, ice caps melting, ocean temperatures rising with vital currents near collapse lessens my hope. Foolishly not valuing the symbiotic relationship we have with our microbiome. We need them to help digest food, protect against infection ,and even maintain our reproductive health. They make vitamins, neurotransmitters, enzymes and much more. We tend to focus on destroying bad microbes. But taking care of good ones may be even more important. You might be surprised to learn that your microbes actually outnumber your own cells by 10 to 1 and weigh 1-6 pounds. Our lack of appreciation for what contributes to our very existence lessens my hope. Then I read Dr. Reich’s words which I agree with and realize that I must always hold onto hope, and never give up the dream that enough in our species will recognize that the only way to survive is to accept the responsibility that we have for each other.
Totally agree. I’m about RR’s age too. Born in 1948. I wish I was more politically aware in 1980. We baby boomers were busy making a living and having our families I guess. I even voted for Reagan! No way if I knew then what I know now.
The media loves Reagan even if he was a smiling rat. All these Republicans are monsters hiding behind a smile and a slap on the back. Our politics is so depressing no wonder most people are tuned off by it. If Trump were to win election in 2024 I would begin to worry about my own safety in the USA.
Vietnam changed my way of thinking as well. I thought that maybe we should have brought the war home so the bastards that sent us there could get a taste of it. I wanted to turn the world upside down, but, alas, I went back to college on the G.I. Bill and learned a lot of nonsense. Now I want to move to the desert and just live 50 miles from anyone.
Prof. Reich, this is the crux of all that is ailing the US. We, as a nation, need to get our compass heading adjusted - for the good of our children and families, our people, our communities, our country and our planet. I look forward to reading your book and your wisdom and guidance on how we all can help get us back on track.
Thank you for bringing that up. The thought crossed my mind as I read Dr Reich's explanation of what his use of the term "common good" does >not< mean, that anyone who would interpret that term as some flavor of Marxist trope probably considers those opening words of The Constitution, "We the people of the United States," proof positive the document is some kind of damn communist manifesto. Just sayin'. Yet recent events seem to indicate - to me, anyway - I >may< be right!
The human race survived because we are communal animals who hunted together, gathered food together, watched one another's backs and one another's children, built shelters together, made clothing together, did everything together.
Alone, we were powerless and knew it. Our skin is too thin and soft to protect us from predators or the sun or the cold. Our nails are too weak to bring down a chipmunk. Our teeth are too blunt to chew most uncooked food.
Because we now live with the conveniences others have provided for us, we think we can live on our own--like that poor family whose partially mummified decomposed bodies were found in the Colorado Rockies after they thought they could live "off the grid."
It may be unfortunate that the US was founded during the Enlightenment: the Age of the Individual. The US now embodies the Age of the Individual on steroids, meth, and hallucinogens. We must learn to balance the rights of the individual with the rights of the community, or neither will survive. We have forgot the lessons our ancestors learned that allowed them to survive, and if we do not relearn them, we will not survive.
Thanks for bringing that up, about the Enlightenment. The snag is that the Enlightenment was scientific and rational. In this post-truth era, the zeitgeist seems to be about unfounded, irrational beliefs and acquisition. Those clowns who would have us believe they speak for "the founding fathers" have less to do with the Enlightenment than they do with the religion they would have crammed down our collective throats.
That is why some Native American tribes (and several religious sects today) punish members who violate customs and mores by "shunning" - ie casting the offender out of the tribe to live alone. Without the support of his community a shunned individual is in a very bad place.
Please tell us more! I know she had many plans worked out in great detail to address most of our major problems. No one had better prepared for nor had their programs & policies they wanted to implement set forth more precisely for their presidency than Elizabeth Warren.
Isn't the Reality of Our situation that _most_ of Us are in this together, while a distinct minority are in it for themselves? And that unfortunately, that minority actually holds the LARGE majority of the Power? Which they use to keep Us down while They rob Us blind? If it was just a matter of the numbers, Us versus Them, We would win, hands down. But they've got "Our" government so rigged in Their favor that they are now the ONLY people allowed to do anything substantial.... which is, of course, all to THEIR benefit.
Right on point. During FDRs time we were able, not to break that power, but at least diminish it a bit because the depression made them terrified of losing everything.
If only we had prioritized helping out ordinary people in need over bailing out financial institutions during the Great Recession, maybe they wouldn't feel so secure that government would always rush to their rescue when their greed took the rest of the nation down, & be afraid enough not to get us into such dire straits again .
By the Great Recession, it was too late for We The People. It's why Big Business got "too big to fail" and "Corporations are people, my friend" while We got home foreclosures Big Time. And Flint, MI got poisoned tap water. "Our" legislators don't give even a minor bowel movement for Us. Not as long as We keep paying our taxes, and We let them get away with whatever they damn well please.
That’s why Captain, we should vote for President Biden and democrats. One President in one term can’t undo all of the (mostly) republican rigging,
but President Biden is doing what he can. The fastest, most effective way to continue the “unrigging” is to have a Dem president & Dem majority in both the House and the Senate, because if there’s a republican majority in either the House or the Senate, they will block legislation and other measures that would help even the playing field.
(By the way, I’m sick of the words “rigging” and “unrigging” and the phrase, “even the playing field,” but they do speak succinctly to the reality of the situation)
House Republicans aren’t even pretending to do anything to make our lives better. They spend their days spreading hate and distrust, a purely political effort to manipulate the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Right now, House Republicans are talking about impeaching President Biden, but they aren’t sure what reason to use because, as they freely admit, they don’t have any evidence of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, it wasn’t that long ago that republicans would have been a laughingstock if they admitted they intended to impeach a president even though they couldn’t find wrongdoing. Want to
bet they’ll come up with something? What a waste!
The biggest waste of time and money so far was the Durham investigation into Russia’s attempts to
manipulate the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. He was supposed to prove accusations
of Russia’s involvement in the election were a hoax.
But after several years and millions of dollars spent,
Durham’s report was a flop, even though they tried
desperately to spin it into a supposed “success.”
On the other hand, the Mueller investigation (which covered the same issues as the Durham investig.) “amassed a mountain of evidence making clear the shocking sweep of Russia’s campaign to put Trump in the White House. Mueller also showed how eager Trump, his family and his aides were to receive Vladimir Putin’s help.” But Mueller stopped short of
validating Trump’s participation as “criminal”
because he was prevented by Justice Department policies from saying Trump committed crimes, even though he offered copious evidence that Trump did commit crimes, especially in his efforts to obstruct the Mueller investigation. (WaPo, P. Waldman, 5/16/23) A.G. Barr mopped up that mess and turned it around in the blink of an eye, doing a grave disservice to our country.
The U.S. is a prosperous nation with an “open”
society--at least it is so far. What Russia did, and
now the Republican party is doing, is to use our
open society against us by bombarding us with disinformation, propaganda and serving us huge helpings of distrust in our own systems. They’ve
foolishly adopted Russian tactics to use against
their own neighbors & friends. Much of what republicans do is “for show,” pandering to chronically unbalanced and/or naive Americans who exist in a news “silo” of lies and manipulations, by frightening them.
The most effective way to counter their tactics is to vote for President Biden and democrats and by doing so, giving them the power they need to turn this cynical, slow-moving disintegration of American society around. It’s way past time to address it head-on, because if we don’t do it soon we’re going
to find ourselves living in an even worse dystopia.
The phrase, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” comes to mind.
I partially agree with your assessment of the situation. However, I believe that the issue is much broader than Republicans trying to win the Presidency. They want complete control. That includes dissolving the Constitution to create a hierarchy that is purely autocratic, where the White Man rules Supreme over all people including all women; where anyone who does not look like them and espouse their vision of world domination are considered expunged from society. That is truly evil. So, the problems that we see on the surface are just noise manufactured to keep us off-base. I will stop here for now. I find this topic so debilitating. It zaps my energy so quickly. Very exhausting. Thank you for reading my thoughts about this matter.
The hardest thing for me is trying to find a solution that is so effective that it wakes up the masses and spurs them into action to do something about it. How do we get people to read what we are writing with an understanding that this is a call to action for those of us who are most affected by this evil? We need positive action that can help everyone.
Constance, Having read the exchange between you and Susan with great interest, I write to note my belief that it is impossible to foretell precisely when our collective engagement, energy, caring, and work will reach critical mass, suddenly creating change. Nor can we predict when a single seemingly insignificant effort will produce powerful results. Hence, we persist and stay the course because we believe our cause is right and just and moral.
I agree. It is apparent that we cannot predict which stimulus will push us forward to break this rather confusing situation we find ourselves in today. However, I do believe that if enough of us are paying attention to the movement of the waves as they continue to crash up against the shore, surely we will recognize when the time is right to take the proper action to make the necessary transition. It is just so hard when you look out and just see the raging waves that don’t seem to have a clear direction to follow. Thank you again for responding to my thoughts on the matter.
Constance, Thank you for writing. As for those “raging waves,” I say, quoting American novelist and essayist Scott Russell Sanders, that “every gesture, every act, every choice we make sends ripples of [conceivably formidable] influence into the future.” In my view, it’s no exaggeration to say that the ripples that gain prominence in public dialogue significantly can shape public policy.
Have you noticed that the Dems NEVER have enough strength to push through legislation that favors We The People? AND make it stick? The closest thing I can remember was Obamacare -- which, ironically enough, was modeled almost entirely on Romneycare -- (which is most likely why it passed). But then it very quickly got watered down. And Medicare isn't nearly as much of a Good Thing as We think it is. ( https://www.tremr.com/CaptainPatch/medicare-is-probably-not-as-great-as-you-think-it-is )
Democrats coming to the rescue of We The People is a political _illusion_. The Dems MUST exude an image of being opposed to the GOP because EVERYBODY KNOWS that the GOP is out to screw Us every which way including Sunday. But in the last 40 years, what have the Dems accomplished? "Next to nothing" is the correct answer.... and that's precisely the way the professional politicians want it to stay. And because the Dems NEVER have enough Power to push through the kinds of reforms We NEED, Nothing substantial is done. (Like single-payer Healthcare, a stronger Safety Net, Gun Control, more workers' rights, FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE before it's too late. Etc., etc., etc.) Which as politicians the Dems CAN carry on like Champions of The People, because they _know_ they will NEVER win, and the soundbites are what gets them reelected.
The root problem of "Our" American Democracy is that We The People really do NOT control much of _anything_. We're not even allowed to choose the kind of candidates that We _actually_ want. Because "Everybody knows" that only Dems and Republicans stand any real chance of getting elected. Exceptions like Bernie Sanders account for less than 5% of Congress. And because "Everybody knows", they "don't want to waste my vote on someone that really can't win." And so they hold their nose and vote for "the lesser of two evils". And because that system is in place, the two major Parties CAN -- and DO -- limit their endorsements to those wannabe candidates that are willing to swear an oath of fealty to the endorsing Party, first and foremost. And through the Parties, serve the Parties' lord and master the Wealthy "campaign contributors". And because the system is this way, WE have been living under a governmental status quo for nearly 50 years.
If anything, over those last 50 years, things have gotten WORSE for We The People. Because BOTH Parties are **playing** at government to keep Us, the unwashed masses under the impression that what We want actually matters to "Our" legislators. And just how well represented do you feel about your favorite politicians when it is pointed out to you that OVER HALF of the members of Congress are millionaires? Who do you think they are _really_ most concerned about? (Especially when you consider that most of the legislators that were NOT millionaires when they joined Congress, many of them WILL be millionaires when they leave Congress -- working a job that paid a whopping $174,000/year. How do you become a millionaire while working that kind of job?)
The Reality is, _We_ can't get Change We Can Believe In trying to work within the existing framework. And if We can't get such Change the "legit" way, what ways are left to Us?
I have to disagree with you Captain. When you say Dems don’t have “enough power to push through legislation,” I assume you’re referring to negotiations with republicans to reach a compromise, which is how most legislation gets passed. It’s all about the votes. But have you noticed that in recent years republicans almost always vote as a block to obstruct legislation sponsored by Dems? It didn’t used to be that way, but ever since the Obama admin, republicans have refused to negotiate a compromise more often than not. Below are just a few examples of legislation blocked by republicans:
Republicans recently blocked legislation that would have codified the right of women to use contraceptives, they also blocked a voting rights bill twice. “They do not — and cannot — offer reasoned explanations for why the law’s protections are any less important now than they were in 2006, when it was reauthorized with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. Instead, they offer a combination of misinformation and a regurgitation of the criticisms made against the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Their claims are wrong, and many rely on blatantly false statements.” (The Guardian, 1/13/22, by Andrew Garber) Why do republicans not want to give women the right to use contraceptives?
Republicans significantly watered down legislation that would have authorized federal agencies to monitor and report jointly on domestic terrorism within the United States, including incidents related to white supremacy, allegedly because it could lead to amendments to restrict guns. The only reason to be against restrictions on selling and/or possessing guns is if you want the carnage to continue.
Why on earth would republicans want the carnage to continue? If you assume republicans in Congress are rational, I can think of only one reason…to continue pitting us against each other until American society completely unravels and destabilizes the gov’t. An unstable country with an unstable gov’t invites aggression, especially foreign aggression.
Republicans blocked a bill that aimed to combat “dark money” in United States elections by making it mandatory for political organisations to disclose big donors. Why would republicans block a bill making it mandatory to disclose big donors to their
campaigns?
Republicans blocked debate of an overhaul of how elections are run in the U.S. The bill was pushed by congressional Democrats who argued it was needed to counter a spate of new state GOP laws that suppress the vote.
Republicans blocked a move by Democrats to force a vote on a bill that would require campaigns and candidates to report to the FBI any foreign offers of opposition research. Why would republicans block voting on a bill requiring campaigns to report offers of assistance from foreign nations? It’s illegal to accept financial assistance from another country, so why would republicans not want to report opposition research from foreign nations
Republicans have repeatedly blocked border security legislation. They behave like they’re in a state of near hysteria over the border, yet every time Pres. Biden asks Congress for money to beef up border security, republicans block it. Pres. Biden even budgeted money for border security in the 2024 Dem budget proposal, but again, Speaker McCarthy substantially reduced it. So you tell me—why do republicans keep lying, saying repeatedly that we have open borders and then block funding for border security?
Below is what happened when Obama was President and they’re still playing the same game with President Biden. Pres. Biden budgeted money for border security in the 2024 democratic budget proposal. Spkr McCarthy substantially reduced it. It’s the same song & dance republicans played when
Obama was president and it makes no sense.
…unless they’re deliberately putting on a show for voters and think voters are too dumb to see what they’re doing.
How republicans have blocked border security:
In 2013 Democrats passed a bi-partisan immigration reform bill in the Senate.
House Republicans REFUSED to allow the bill to even be debated. Obama asked Republicans to propose THEIR OWN immigration, but Republicans REFUSED.
Then Republicans demanded that Obama do something about illegal immigration, so Obama used his executive authority to enact some immigration reforms.
Republicans were outraged and called Obama a tyrant for doing exactly what they asked him to do.
----------------------
Examples of what democrats have been able to accomplish for the American people are:
1. 2022 Executive Order to Advance Effective, Accountable Policing and Strengthen Public Safety by by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to: ban chokeholds; restrict no-knock warrants; mandate the use of body-worn cameras; implement stronger use-of-force policies, including with the duty to intervene and duty to render medical aid; provide de-escalation training; submit officer misconduct records and restrict the sale or transfer of military equipment to local law enforcement agencies, among other things.
2. President Biden published an op-ed announcing new actions the Biden-Harris Admin. is taking to implement the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) and maximize the benefits of reducing gun violence and saving lives.
3. President Biden signed the most comprehensive executive actions any President has ever taken to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for families. It will also provide child care copayments for working families at no more than 7% of a family’s income and encourage states to waive copayments for families at or below 150% of the federal poverty level; It will Improve financial stability for child care providers.
4. New proposed rules would close loopholes that the previous admin. took advantage of allowing companies to offer misleading insurance products that can discriminate based on pre-existing conditions and trick consumers into buying products that provide little or no coverage when they need it most.
Biden/Harris admin.is releasing important guidance on rules against surprise medical billing.
5. Funding will be provided for each state, territory, sovereign native reservations and the District of Columbia for high-speed internet infrastructure deployment through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program—a $42.45 billion grant program created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
6. President Biden’s Cap on the Cost of Insulin will save money for Americans in All 50 States.
7. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act: will rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle the climate crisis.
8. The Inflation Reduction Act makes funding available for programs and incentives to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy.
Regarding your assertion that Dems NEVER have enough strength to push through legislation that favors We The People? AND make it stick? See above. Also, Medicare isn’t perfect, but it’s better than nothing.
You may think democrats are just pretending to oppose republicans, but that’s not true. One of the most obvious examples of Dem sincerity in helping ordinary Americans was during the nation’s recovery from Covid. Biden signed into law a $1.9tn economic stimulus plan to combat the pandemic and begin repairing the nation’s frayed social safety net. The bill, passed by Democrats on a party-line vote, sent $1,400 stimulus checks to tens of millions of Americans and temporarily extended unemployment benefits.
When Trump was president, republicans gave money to big business so they could ride out the bad economy due to Covid, even though businesses & industries typically have lines of credit with banks for exactly that purpose. Families had a much greater need for cash but republicans couldn’t be bothered to look out for their welfare. It was more important to them to help their biggest corporate donors.
Important legislation passed during Biden’s administration:
The American Rescue Plan—The White House sent Americans in the low-to-medium income range a $1,400 payment to help fund basic necessities like rent and groceries. Biden also extended a $300 a week federal unemployment benefit for some 9.7 million people out of work at the time, temporarily expanded the child tax credit program, allotted $7.25 billion for small business loans and $128 billion in grants for state educational agencies.
The CHIPS ACT —Building semiconductors at home instead of relying on China to produce them.
The Inflation Reduction Act—includes several climate initiatives to reduce greenhouse emissions and promote lean energy technologies.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law— already discussed above.
Wow! Thank you Susan for offering those reminders of what Dems have been doing and trying to do. Until we elect enough Democrats to pass needed legislation that isn’t hampered by the need for some Republican votes, their legislation will be watered down. And yes, until we get dark money out of elections, there will be corrupt actors.
@CaptainPatch: Enough false equivalence. Only voting for those who are Democrats or who caucus with them right now will shut down the MAGA movement. Then we will have more opportunity to govern for the common good and pass needed measures like universal healthcare, make corporations responsible to all of their constituencies, not just shareholders, and so much more.
Which is exactly my point: Dems can't/won't get things done, ever. What starts out as being a Good Thing for We The People proposed by Dems will inevitably be, AT BEST a near-useless watered down version compromise. Most of the time, Dem proposals simply get blocked entirely. Conversely, you can see just how much damage the GOP gets done, even when they do NOT have a supermajority in the Senate. How come the GOP _can_ block the Dems so effectively, but the Dems can NOT block the GOP just as effectively?
Try this non-Euclidean approach to American Politics: Suppose that the Dems and the GOP are in collusion. There objective is to string The People along, keeping them hopeful that there IS a chance of Change We Can Believe In happening.... someday. (But not Today it seems.) Collectively, they KNOW if The People despair enough, American Revolution II _will_ occur and all of them will be out of a job. (Or dead. At the end of a rope for many/most of them would be a distinct possibility in such an event.) So it is paramount that that hope be kept alive. So they both have their roles to play. The Dems are cast as the protagonists and the GOP as antagonists. All the rhetoric, all the soundbites, all the campaign promises support those two scripts. Then comes the actual running of the government. The Dems CAN fulfill their roles in this collusion while spouting all the hopeful stuff that We The People desperately want to believe: because they KNOW they are going to lose -- because it's in their scripts.
^THAT is why We have "corporate Democrats". That is why We have "Democrats-in-name-only" like Lieberman, Manchin, and Sinema. That's why the clear majority of Dems refuse to swear off "campaign contributions" from corporations and the Wealthy. That's why, when an honest-to-goodness for The People candidate like Bernie Sanders even comes close to winning to the Dem nomination for President, he gets sabotaged by the Democratic Party leadership.
But because We The People are eternally hopeful, We refuse to recognize the evidence for what it implies. Because such a realization is simply too.... unthinkable.
Democrats are typically weak in messaging, and it’s partly because the party has a bigger, more diverse tent. Also Democrats consume a variety of real journalism, although some of that is corporate. Republicans have built a huge propaganda machine. And, with weaker messaging, much work is needed to reach out to working class people.
Right now, if we re-elect Trump, forget about it, we’ll be done as a democracy for a long time. The climate crisis is adding to people’s struggles, so they’re more vulnerable to illiberal populists. We must defeat MAGA first and empower Democrats so they can implement solutions including the universal healthcare bills that are proposed in both chambers.
Isn't the foundation of messaging _intelligence_? In a population of literally millions of Democrats, have they NO ONE able to craft STRONG messages that connect with the target audience? No sharp psychiatrists and psychologists? No perceptive Behavioral Scientists? No Communications whiz kids? In a population that large, it is literally Statistically impossible to NOT have a substantial number of Brainiacs that have those skill sets on their resumes. Which makes it suspicious that the Dems consistently are "weak in messaging". It certainly makes for a convenient excuse for why Dems never seem to be making any headway. The repeating pattern is "Good ideas! These should fly. LOTS of enthusiasm. GOP resistance (to be expected). and concluded with, "fell short of our goal." How many times in Our lifetimes have We see ^that pattern? Simple answer: too many.
Jul 28, 2023·edited Jul 28, 2023Liked by Robert Reich
Professor, I was struck by your statement that the shift started in the late 1970s because your words harkened to a 1980s commentator’s astute observations relative to, of all things, magazine titles. He noted how in the 50s we had a standout magazine titled LIFE. In the 60s the standout was titled PEOPLE. In the 70s its title was US. And in the 80s SELF. I don’t have a ready commentary to offer, but I do think this relatively rapid and dramatic shift demands one.
Thank you so much! I read your book maybe a year ago and it was a n actual wakening moment of clarity and light on where we are as socially evolved humans. A moment when it was again OK.. actually essential.. to recognise the force of the word 'good ' as a basis for how our lives are lived and how our complex society needs to be structured to embody this.. the present and prevailing economic system and values are at present vehicles for abuse of other humans, and other life on earth and we are reaching the unarguable boundaries for ourselves on this direction - climate collapse and social unravelling. We truly need understanding on the means to change this, as you propose, an understanding, an awakening again through this remembering of commonality and 'public good ' and how we can again come together to reclaim it. I'd like to share that members of my (UK, Unitarian) church are now stepping up and engaging publicly in discussion, support and actually being on the streets to mend our ways on climate justice and creation care.
Martin Niemoeller at his finest. He was a WW1 submarine captain who became a Evalgelische (Lutheran) pastor in Germany. He petitioned Hitler to leave the church alone and not establish a church that preached Nazi doctrine. In response, Hitler put Niemoeller into a concentration camp where he subsisted for seven years. After the war, Niemoeller returned to preaching a truly humanistic gospel.
I agree with the Three Questions; but, both GOP and Democrats fit your conclusion. But it is the second question that you should have targeted. The first is to know thyself. All mammals obey the law of self-preservation. Politicians of both stripes just honed it to a sharper edge. (Second question.)
To me, that second question asking essentially, “Who am I?” is the only question worth asking.
The foundation of commonness is consciousness and being aware of consciousness, and where does this consciousness actually come from?
Are we merely a bunch of individual thoughts and beliefs encased within what’s essentially a bag of water and minerals, supposedly the source of consciousness, each believing we are more important than we are? Is there more?
Is there a common factor that unites us all, yet we don’t understand and can’t agree upon because there are no easy answers that can be touched, torn apart, reduced, watched and examined? And if there is, does this common factor unite us mentally, materially and, yes, spiritually, beyond the “bag”?
This is a very powerful question that brought us all the religions that point to worshiping something outside of ourselves--something bigger than us. But what if that was just the first baby step and wasn’t meant to stall us but to power us on to even bigger truths? We need to ask, “Who am I, really?” --not to make a religion out of, but to grow as a species and hopefully unite under a more expansive, inclusive and embracing reasoning.
The thought occasionally occurs to me that maybe I’m just a digestive tube. Then I banish that notion by hook or crook — usually by reading decent books such as Paul Tillich’s “The Courage to Be.”
I love this column and I am going to buy your book, Professor.
You are the antithesis of the phrase “common good” and have proven throughout your life, your teaching, your artwork and the Substack community that you put your ‘money where your mouth is’ so to speak. You have enlightened me so much in the year-plus that I have been here and I thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for this country. You are some of the best of the Common Good.
Thank you so very much for sharing your wisdom, experience, and humanity so generously online. I have forwarded your classes to many around me, and will continue to do so these next 10 weeks, for The Common Good” !
Back in 1989, before a lot of other books on the common good were published, John Cobb and Herman Daly published For the Common Good. Cobb made the case for process philosophy to replace mechanistic and materialist thinking as our default metaphysics and Daly laid out a plan for a steady state economics, made sensible through process philosophy, to end the destructiveness of growth economies. It was this book, as well as the brilliant work of Arran Gare, which inspired me to become a process philosopher. Over thirty years later we are no nearer to implementing these brilliant ideas because we have not changed the fundamental metaphysical assumptions that dominate our culture. I like your work and will read your book, but change must start with our deepest understandings of reality.
At one time you may have been able to have a steady state economics but I'm not sure it's possible anymore. It would require wise leaders who put the common good above their own desires, something not in ready supply. It would also require an educated public to recognize those leaders and not be misled by lies and misinformation, again, something not in ready supply. We'd have to restructure our system while very powerful segments, such as republicans controlled by great wealth, fought you every step of the way.
I don’t know about process philosophy, will look into it. But I do believe that all living beings are part of innumerable dynamic open-ended systems (processes) that, when participants (agents) act according to a simple shared set of rules or values, can bring about emergence -- something greater than the sum of its parts. That’s the benefit of the common good, in my opinion!
But don't we have to evaluate the type, quality, aims of the "processes"? Living beings, say humans, can "act according to a simple shared set of rules or values...." etc. but without regard to what those values ARE, the commonality may be there, but what about the good?
I agree, the set of rules is important. For human groups self-organizing for survival, a set of ethical values tends to emerge. I read somewhere (Kidder) that basic ethical rules that emerge in societies around the world and over the ages tend to look quite similar. You know, “don’t kill each other”, “be honest”, and stuff like that. In the US, a set of rules based on the rule of law (as opposed to religion) emerged in the form of our Constitution. The Constitution itself is a fairly short and simple document. A massive trove of local, state and federal laws emerge from it — customizing themselves dynamically depending on arising needs. They just have to pass the test of being “constitutional”.
That’s one system. “We the people” who participate in this system also participate in countless other interwoven systems. Our nervous system, for example. The language or languages we speak. Ecosystems. The way we participate determines their path.
Quick review on Wikipedia: yep, seems to mesh with my perspective (derived from Buddhist concepts and the basic characteristics of complex adaptive systems).
Back in 2017, we were living near Houston when hurricane Harvey devastated the area for what seemed like an eternity. Several communities were under water, and supplies were scarce. Some of our neighbors got together, collected whatever people can spare, and started rescuing trapped neighbors and running supplies to people. Before then, I had never seen people organize so quickly and so willing to help others. We didn't care about politics or religion. We were all in the crisis together. I still think about that time, and it makes me feel like human again. We do have the ability and the heart to care for others. I just hope that it doesn't take a freakish natural disaster to bring that out of people.
It is so strange to me that the world needs a "catastrophe" to find its better selves to respond to give the most basic needs to other humans. Hillary Clinton was vilified unjustly in many cases, but she overwhelmingly has it right when she said "It takes a village."
You'd think by now, with all the natural disasters they've been having lately -- hurricanes, floods, freezes, heat waves, droughts & wildfires -- Texans would have a clue about climate chaos.
We've always had these natural disasters, BUT, not with the increased frequency and intensity of the past few years. Some folks do acknowledge climate change but certainly not enough.
Our good "Governor Hot wheels" (as he is sometimes referred to) is an O&G man. Yet, it is our wind and solar sustaining our grid this summer, which doesn't get much media coverage. Texas produces more wind and solar than current transmission lines are capable of carrying.
“How we vote determines if democracy survives!” This is true, but why? Trump? The Repugs? No way!
It’s our corrupted system! Citizens United and related SCOTUS rulings have unraveled our Constitution. Our government is already gone, or maybe hanging by a thread in some corrupted version of pay to play big money politics. And many democrats don’t really want change. That’s where we come in.
We can restore our Constitution back to us, We the People, with HJR54. But our Constitution will not amend itself.
We need your help. What can one person do? Sign on please: movetoamend.org
And spread the word.
Don’t accept this corruption and stress. It can and will get a lot worse because the Oligarchy has robots and technology. And our planet is dying. It’s now or never to save democracy and our planet with HJR54!
We must elect Reps who stand with us, We the People, if we wish to amend the constitution. Only vote for candidates who sign the pledge to do so: movetoamend.org/pledge! Demand that all candidates for public office sign the pledge, or else they get no donations! It’s our long game and we must build momentum now to win it. Spread the word!
I'm thinking about a parallel promotion of self-centredness and greed in the UK. Margaret Thatcher (Ronald Reagan's good pal) sold off social housing in the UK (originally built by local Councils to rent to people who couldn't afford their own houses) to the tenants, emabling them to make a fat profit, drive up the costs of houses, and enhance inequality. The pandemic has now greatly increased the competition for rental housing the UK because of the shortage and all supermarkets now have donation points for food banks, which distribute groceries to the poorest families. I predict that housing could become a deciding issue in the UK general election in 2024. The Conservatives also began increasingly replacing grants for university students with loans so that the "Americanised" system the UK now has puts a heavy debt on young people without corresponding job prospects, especially if they don't go to the stronger and mainly older two dozen universities (the "Russell Group", comparable to AAU institutions in the USA). The late UK Chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote "Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times", published posthumously, which may be worth mentioning. I hope to read it some time, as well as Reich's book.
Thank you, Robert Reich, for this topic and forum. It always seemed like there was nothing like a crisis or challenge to bring people together ; whether environmental , like a natural disaster, or a war. I hope we, as a human race, can find our common good. Realize that we must co-operate to solve our problems and repair the Common Good. We must rediscover it first. Then act to save ourselves, our children and our environment. May we discover the Common Good soon and work to enhance it. I look forward to reading your book on the subject, and the next installments here!
I think the critical discussion point concerns what it means to be an American. I mean, what is our nature? Is it in our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, or our tax code? Or our Supreme Court rulings? I was brought up like you, Mr. Reich, believing in the common good and willing to sacrifice for it, by paying taxes or serving in the military. Vietnam changed my thinking, but I still happily paid up. Ronald Reagan did not merely make us think about the size of government; he in fact made us think that it was stealing from us. Unless, of course, it was spending our money with his pals in the California defense industry. I believe it was Ronald Reagan who truly divided us, after the Nixon schism ended in disgrace and we healed from the Vietnam disaster. Reagan demonized the needy, the workingman, and people of color. And he spit on the idea of the common good, extolling instead the virtues of self-reliance and personal aggrandizement. He helped promote the Trumpian idea that paying taxes was for fools. His assaults on our public lands continue to this day. 1980 was the turning point in American political culture. We are living with the vestiges of that rush to selfishness today.
Another TV star on a white horse that started the downward trend of “trickle Down economics” Every-time I hear that term used, it make me sick and angry!
I've long thought about visiting Reagan's gravesite to practice his theory.
Thanks for my first chuckle of the day.
Thanks, I needed a good laugh.
I used to live in his hometown. The people there worship him. I moved away because of the ideologies that took over the community and made it the Trumpian bastion it is today.
We are true Americans who don’t need or want the Republicans trickle down crumbs! We are capable of earning our own living!
I would rather be born with money. If I have to work then let me get paid enough to live on and put some away for my old age......oh, yeah, I am old.
Trickle, trickle, trickle! 😁
Yeah, my prostate flow is about as voluminous as the downward stream of wealth emitted by the one percent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R-aYA6vFrs
Nice! That drummer is laying down a >really< nice, tight shuffle. I nearly sprained my knee trying to jump up and dance! LOL!
Thank you Daniel .....Fats Domino and Manhattan Transfer are lifelong favorites. Reflections of good times in America are nevertheless haunting to me when we ignore the basics of climate destruction, race supremacy, VN, Iraq and the sickness of Proud Boy lies among us.
Good one 😆
Love Manhattan Transfer. Good one Daniel
That I know. Thank goodness for catheters.
Don't piss up my back and tell me it is rainwater.
Oh, I'd never piss on Ronald McReagan's grave without making damn sure he knew it was piss!
Remember that old commercial for something. Your Comment was “priceless”.
The commercial was for MasterCard, and the punchline to every ad was that __ was "priceless", for example-your family, time together, enjoying nature. "There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Mastercard." The ad campaign began in 1997.
You can't buy love but you can rent it for a while.
You mean to trickle on him! He was an FBI snitch, and a lover of the rich being himself a second banana actor.
LOL
😂
Best idea I've heard in a long time!
Your point is well taken. Although I give LBJ a bit of credit for a war on poverty, a Great Society, and efforts for voting rights. Nixon at least started the EPA. Reagan had no redeeming virtues.
If not for LBJ's ego he might have gone down a truly great Prez. He was so worried about losing Vietnam he never considered that we did not own it. When I got to Vietnam as a young private the war was already lost and yet another 17000 young Americans had to die and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese were doomed. Our fearless leaders just never learn. Iraq and Afghanistan wrecked misery and death on the middles east while we watched on TV. Our day is coming and it won't be pretty. The ancient Romans were shocked and dismayed when the Goths and Vandals sacked Rome. We are Rome.
Reagan was an FBI snitch. He snitched on his fellow actors helping brand them as Reds. He was an evil man hiding behind a false nice guy image.
You know what else trickles down, don't you?
(Hint: It's produced in your kidneys and stored in your bladder. Why no one pointed this out while Ronny was running, I'll never know... 🙄😒 )
Because it's a blatant insult that he thought we are too dumb to understand.
Yes we are! Reagan was the reason I became a Democrat as soon as I turned 18. He took everything away from my widowed Mom and she had to go to work in a liquor store to make ends meet. He definitely was the start of division in this country,
Yes BUT. Newt Gingrich led an elected cohort of Republicans to the new low, where every rule involving respect of differences could, indeed should, be shit on.
Let's not forget Grover Norquist's no tax pledge, which created a Republican mindset that ANY tax was bad.
That certainly helped reduce the effectiveness of a government trying to serve its citizens.
The 1% didn't mind: they got their subsidies and tax ' breaks' anyway! Plus their wealth is not taxed as it grows and grows and grows some more
That's when I recognized that the Republican Party was becoming a fascist organization. Norquist threatened to primary any Republican who didn't toe the line.
Exactly! I've banged-on about Gingrich here, before.
Yes, and....
The "common good" has been a universal theme this country has used as psychological glue with which to hold our Democracy together through thick and thin. We've experienced cracks here and there but in the end, we've endeavored to persevere. Lately, clouds have gathered on the horizon, these towering foes are more than just weather events hanging over a country, they carry the potential for radical political and social change. No matter what came our way in the past, we as a people stood shoulder to shoulder and faced whatever obstacles tried to alter the way we lived in this free society. These ominous celestial formations are being seeded by forces within our own house. There are agents actively attempting to undo everything this country has stood for over the past 247 years. The understanding that this perversion is taking place is compounded by the cooperation the movement is receiving from within our own "We the People." It's time we "Woke-up! Without an antidote administered like a shot in the preverbal arm, our way of life is in danger of being replaced by some perverted form of a sick man's wet dream. We have come too far and stood for too long. The rest of the world is watching with bated breath wondering if the dream will continue. The negative forces that feed upon social disaster to maintain control have ribbons of drool hanging from the corners of their gaping mouths over the possibility of a "fool's errand" coming to an end. We stand on the shoulder of a highway that runs in two distinctly different directions. Our future depends upon which way we attempt to hitch a ride. Horace knew.
Beautifully stated, and I appreciate the proper spelling of “bated”. 😂 We’ve been ju-jitsued by our own tolerance of intolerable assaults on our decency and respect for dissent. Boundaries have been crossed that have not been seen since Fort Sumter, and they have been financed by a greedy and megalomaniacal clique of radical Confederate revanchists. Bushies embracing the unitary executive started us on this road, and they were left unchecked. It won’t be undone until good people have decided we’ve had enough.
Kerry--What you said makes more sense then my meager attempt.
Nonsense. You nailed it.
Kerry--We'll call it a tie, what price glory.
All I can add is what my mother told me about the dark days of the Great Depression, how having lost her college scholarship and returning to the South, she feared that there would be a revolution caused by the deep poverty. Somehow she convinced my father to vote for Roosevelt, and when he took the reins from Herbert Hoover, things began to turn around. I hope we can follow in her path, convincing people who's really on their side. FDR was correct, the only power we have to fear is fear itself.
YOUVARE VEINGVTO HUMBLE. YOU WERE PRECISELY CORRECT!
I watched tow Youtube videos of Peter Turchin being interviewed about his new book, "End Times." He uses the same stats that Reich uses and the histories of collapsed civilizations to come to the conclusion that our country is on the verge of collapse. He cited examples in history of when this trajectory was turned around, one of them being FDRs New Deal. He explains why this "wealth pump" that caused the inequality, and the phenomenon of too many elite positions as the driving forces came to be, starting in the late 1970s. I need to read his book and have also ordered Reich's book "Common Good," because I am too impatient to wait for the moral message. The elite are going to have to loosen the reigns or they're going down with the rest of us.
Btw, your comment is going into my "time capsule." Well said.
Gloria--There was a guy, a real "Paine," who wrote a work entitled "Common sense" I wonder how history will view Robert's contribution.
I have Paine's book and have read it a couple of times, twenty years apart.
Gloria--As a younger man I lover the song, your remarks just made my day. Thank you.
Interesting you should make mention of a song. For several months now, here's an immanently relevant, apocalyptic song that occasionally crosses my mind. I'm almost certain you'll remember it: https://youtu.be/MdWGp3HQVjU
We all lived in continual angst back then - at least, everyone I knew did. (Something I find curious that >nobody< ever mentions.) Then there was a message passed on from a bit older generation. The opening about a house burning down could be emblematic of Korea or earlier. I'm almost certain you'll remember it: https://youtu.be/3sWTnsemkIs
It might explain in a small way why many decided to "break out the booze and have a ball" - as it were. We now suffer the hangover.
DZK--That song "On the eve of destruction" burned its way into the heart of a generation. How could I ever forget it, its relevance goes way past time, and it still applies today, that being the reason why it fills your head.
For me, the same goes for the Peggy Lee, that haunted me after I graduated from high school into college. I was a nightclub musician at the time.
There were so many great social commentary songs in the 1960s & 70s that managed to put compelling lyrics to beautiful, creative music. We have very little of that now, at least ones that become widely popular.
Iconic songs DZK and important really in social commentary and life meaning-making. I hadn’t ever heard the Peggy Lee song but it is beautiful and so meaningful to so many (judging by the YouTube comments. Thanks for sharing it.
I found the Peggy Lee singularly haunting - haunting because it was so relevant to the world that I saw unfolding before me as a fledgling adult, how overrated and overvalued it all seemed to me. I was shocked to find out later in life - about my mid 40's - that Peggy Lee was no spring chicken when she released that song - about my age at the time I was finding out. Until that time, Peggy Lee was just another name of a popular female vocalist I heard on the radio. I didn't even know it was she who sang the song. I always thought she was another of the young vocalists of the day, like Carol King or Laura Nero, or even Janis Joplin.
You're welcome!
Excellent breakdown ! Dumpster and his cronies have built a shadow government to take over if he wins in 2024 ! He has Project 2025 that includes 69 organizations working together to bring down democracy ! They are the ones banning books, joining school boards and promoting their abortion bans ! They will continue in their attempts to destroy the country in order to make it a Christofascist even if dumpster is elected because they like the power !!!
Kim--I don't think you sleep well at night. That was depressing but very possible. Scary.
Kim--That thought just made my ileocecal valve cramp up. We share a medical history, yours far out weighs mine but we're on the same playing field.
Very weĺ put. Thank you!
Veronica-- Why write if you really don't believe there is anyone reading it. Thanks.
I did not say no one was reading it. I just feel the ones who really need to read , don't. But, if one does AND listens, I feel like a winner.
Robert--The idea I was trying to convey was we have a choice between what is right and what is wrong, who to follow and who to leave by the side of the road.
Robert --It was just a random metaphor.
Perhaps, but you often manage to stumble upon some good ones!
Jaime--At my age, one is still a good thing.
They myth of the independent, strong, lone cowboy lives on.
Yes indeed. Promulgated by all those subsidy-sucking ranchers and drillers, the bootstrap lifters who got into Wharton on Daddy's money.
Always reminds me of Sargeant Reynolds, a casual acquaintance who was heir to (among other fortunes) the Reynolds Tobacco empire. Sadly, he died of pneumonia while being treated for lung cancer brought on by smoking. His death brought some publicity to the lie of the Marlboro Man, and there's a community college in Virginia honoring his memory.
Every time I hear about "The Great Orator"; it makes me want to puke.
He was quite the talking puppet.
Best role he ever played!
Yes, I recall people calling Reagan a 2 bit "B" rated actor. When he became President he showed everybody what a great actor he actually was.
Same for Trump as an entertainer. He showed the world he could be a mesmerizing entertainer, at least for a way too large portion of the American people.
The Great Obfuscator?
Not to be arch, but he called himself "The Great Communicator." Just sayin'. It was part of his PR campaign, along with pictures of him in outdoor cooking kit, holding up a big slice of cow over a barbecue, in the huge back yard of a big ranch-style house of the day,in a nice suburban neighborhood. He personified "the American nightmare!"
My step son still worships him, having come of age during the Reagan administration and gained traction in finance himself.
My condolences!
Generation X, that tended to be more conservative, corporatist, & accepting of "trickle down" Reaganomics, "greed is good" & increasing economic inequality. Fortunately, subsequent generations have been more progressive, but will they assume power in time to right our ship? And I wonder what kind of people the Trump generation will bring. Imagine having him as your role model!
In my extended family, there's everything, and a lot of it seems related to very personal experience with privilege. Either the young people celebrate it or it turns them off.
My candidate for the turning point is when Nixon was elected in 1968. His involvement in Joe McCarthy's vile attacks on good people, writers and activists who cared about 'the general welfare' and the promises of fairness and equality, was forgotten, minimized, ignored. He characterized protests and protesters as attacks on American principles rather than as exercises of the constitutional rights of free speech and remonstrance.
The good thing was that eventually there was bipartisan pushback & a reckoning for his crimes, which unfortunately was undermined by his pardon, & then neither of the stolen elections for Reagan/Bush & Bush/Cheney with resulting corrupt, incompetent, criminal administrations were properly adjudicated, which made it possible for the equally illegitimate Trump/Putin presidency to come about. Of course, now the Republican Party has established several patterns for how to win the presidency fraudulently & rule corruptly & imperiously on behalf of corporations & billionaires, starting with Nixon & devolving to the fascists now in charge of the party.
Dear Kerry and Dr.Reich,
I was a junior in high school when my families hero,JFK was assassinated . I watched in horror and grief the assassin of MLK, and RFK,Malcolm X.
All of these humans had visions of bringing us together.
I have always known in my soul that the dirty ,evil ,contemptuous , greedy power mongers couldn’t allow America to have a vision of common good. Who killed these heroes? We all know.
And now we are letting their species run us into the ground.
You point out how we have to come together in a common goal. Well first we have to be able to believe in the LAW and that its’ purpose is to protect all of us equally. This includes the LAWS that protect us as we drive( signaling, stopping at red lights, going the speed limit) . This includes the LAWS that give us the right to Collective bargaining, the laws that protect our home owners’ associations so that we all can live in neighborhoods that share diversity and rules that keep us safe. LAWS that protect us all from being SHOT for just being .
I could go on and on naming the things that could help us see one another in the kind of light you write about.
But, until we work from the bottom up... not accepting rude and uncivil behavior in any situation, holding ugly contemptible characters accountable... this includes self.
When we don’t need to make another race or culture or country wrong in order to come together in war to be right....
To make being an “adult” a prized characteristic. One that doesn’t just assume one is because they got older.
Character.... not just a word , but a word that means building a self from the inside out to become the best we can be and then better than that.
To share and reward kindness. To say NO to criminals and mobsters in a singular voice because we are better than that.
We must stop patting ourselves on the back because we have vulgar amounts of money.... at whose expense?
When the $ sign means more to us than feeding our homeless, or not allowing corporation to own EVERYTHING, including our homes, than having true medical services...
“PRO- CHOICE “... it is right in front of us asking that as Americans we come together for the good of all. Are we truly up to that?
The heroes are many... too many to list here.
We,those of us who do follow the RULES that strengthen our society for all must also be honored . Stop watching the ugliest amongst us every minute . Shame them. Stand tall! We outnumber the viscous,
Excellent post, Jean! I agree wholeheartedly.
I think Ronny Reagan was not historically alone, but a part of the business-conservative wing of the Republican party that had attacked the New Deal as "socialist" or "communist". They were active during the Eisenhower administration, including but not limited to Senator McCarty and his cohort. The 1950s sees the rise of "movement conservatism" with William F. Buckley Jr. and L. Brent Bozell Jr; and Barry Goldwater in the 1964 election. Rats at work in the political basement.
Reagan was president of a union and turned in his colleagues as "Reds." Worst governor of California history. He was only elected because of the "surprise" Iranian takeover of the US embassy. The Iranians waited to release the hostages to support his election. October surprise."
Was implicated in Iran/Contra but allowed to skate.
I lived in California as a teenager during the time Reagan was governor. He was terrible. We knew the disaster he would be as President.
He also closed mental health care institutions with the empty promise of better smaller community facilities which never materialized. We have very few facilities and now many who need mental health care are in prison or are homeless. The same with low income housing. Privatizing and monetizing services that were deemed for the public good like schools, healthcare, the News, and prisons took away my hope that we are a people that takes its responsibilities to each other seriously. Seeing the increase in political appointments resulting in decreased functioning of departments has lessened my hope. The rise of dark money with increased control of lawmakers and judges has lessened my hope. Reading the Federalists plan to decrease democracy and increase the chances of an authoritarian take over has lessened my hope. Seeing death by gun as the #1 cause of death in children, and not only do we not stop it, the #of states that allow open carry, concealed carry, and stand your ground laws has increased lessening my hope. Knowing that many herbicides, pesticides, forever drugs, and chemicals are cancer causing, neurotoxic, hormone disruptive, and pollinator destroying yet are allowed lessens my hope. Seeing the destruction caused by plastics allowed to continue with no real solutions lessens my hope. Seeing this planet literally burning, flooding, ice caps melting, ocean temperatures rising with vital currents near collapse lessens my hope. Foolishly not valuing the symbiotic relationship we have with our microbiome. We need them to help digest food, protect against infection ,and even maintain our reproductive health. They make vitamins, neurotransmitters, enzymes and much more. We tend to focus on destroying bad microbes. But taking care of good ones may be even more important. You might be surprised to learn that your microbes actually outnumber your own cells by 10 to 1 and weigh 1-6 pounds. Our lack of appreciation for what contributes to our very existence lessens my hope. Then I read Dr. Reich’s words which I agree with and realize that I must always hold onto hope, and never give up the dream that enough in our species will recognize that the only way to survive is to accept the responsibility that we have for each other.
Beautifully written though sad post! I feel the same.
Very well said, Kerry. Could not agree more. Saint Ronnie should be consigned to hard labor in a very hot place.
Totally agree. I’m about RR’s age too. Born in 1948. I wish I was more politically aware in 1980. We baby boomers were busy making a living and having our families I guess. I even voted for Reagan! No way if I knew then what I know now.
Agreed - on all points.
The media loves Reagan even if he was a smiling rat. All these Republicans are monsters hiding behind a smile and a slap on the back. Our politics is so depressing no wonder most people are tuned off by it. If Trump were to win election in 2024 I would begin to worry about my own safety in the USA.
Vietnam changed my way of thinking as well. I thought that maybe we should have brought the war home so the bastards that sent us there could get a taste of it. I wanted to turn the world upside down, but, alas, I went back to college on the G.I. Bill and learned a lot of nonsense. Now I want to move to the desert and just live 50 miles from anyone.
Prof. Reich, this is the crux of all that is ailing the US. We, as a nation, need to get our compass heading adjusted - for the good of our children and families, our people, our communities, our country and our planet. I look forward to reading your book and your wisdom and guidance on how we all can help get us back on track.
Thank you for bringing that up. The thought crossed my mind as I read Dr Reich's explanation of what his use of the term "common good" does >not< mean, that anyone who would interpret that term as some flavor of Marxist trope probably considers those opening words of The Constitution, "We the people of the United States," proof positive the document is some kind of damn communist manifesto. Just sayin'. Yet recent events seem to indicate - to me, anyway - I >may< be right!
Have it in green and wore it to our San Diego Pride this month!
The human race survived because we are communal animals who hunted together, gathered food together, watched one another's backs and one another's children, built shelters together, made clothing together, did everything together.
Alone, we were powerless and knew it. Our skin is too thin and soft to protect us from predators or the sun or the cold. Our nails are too weak to bring down a chipmunk. Our teeth are too blunt to chew most uncooked food.
Because we now live with the conveniences others have provided for us, we think we can live on our own--like that poor family whose partially mummified decomposed bodies were found in the Colorado Rockies after they thought they could live "off the grid."
It may be unfortunate that the US was founded during the Enlightenment: the Age of the Individual. The US now embodies the Age of the Individual on steroids, meth, and hallucinogens. We must learn to balance the rights of the individual with the rights of the community, or neither will survive. We have forgot the lessons our ancestors learned that allowed them to survive, and if we do not relearn them, we will not survive.
Thanks for bringing that up, about the Enlightenment. The snag is that the Enlightenment was scientific and rational. In this post-truth era, the zeitgeist seems to be about unfounded, irrational beliefs and acquisition. Those clowns who would have us believe they speak for "the founding fathers" have less to do with the Enlightenment than they do with the religion they would have crammed down our collective throats.
Like everything else, the Enlightenment had its good and bad effects on society when taken to excess.
True enough, but at this juncture most people just don't get it. By and large, they've well and truly lost the plot.
Sadly so.
Speaking of having lost the plot! :
- BIDEN, COMPLAINTS, & JOBS:
https://youtu.be/b8Yir6uekC4
Yeah, but . . . he's not hurting the people he's supposed to hurt!
Next up enlightenment 2.0, which includes recognition of needs and limits of humans in order to put boundaries on “freedom “ so more can be free.
That is why some Native American tribes (and several religious sects today) punish members who violate customs and mores by "shunning" - ie casting the offender out of the tribe to live alone. Without the support of his community a shunned individual is in a very bad place.
Actually wolves & lions do the same, I believe. Maybe also chimpanzees.
Exactly.
Hasn’t Elizabeth Warren reminded us of all that is done so we can be Self sufficient?”
???
Please tell us more! I know she had many plans worked out in great detail to address most of our major problems. No one had better prepared for nor had their programs & policies they wanted to implement set forth more precisely for their presidency than Elizabeth Warren.
Isn't the Reality of Our situation that _most_ of Us are in this together, while a distinct minority are in it for themselves? And that unfortunately, that minority actually holds the LARGE majority of the Power? Which they use to keep Us down while They rob Us blind? If it was just a matter of the numbers, Us versus Them, We would win, hands down. But they've got "Our" government so rigged in Their favor that they are now the ONLY people allowed to do anything substantial.... which is, of course, all to THEIR benefit.
Right on point. During FDRs time we were able, not to break that power, but at least diminish it a bit because the depression made them terrified of losing everything.
If only we had prioritized helping out ordinary people in need over bailing out financial institutions during the Great Recession, maybe they wouldn't feel so secure that government would always rush to their rescue when their greed took the rest of the nation down, & be afraid enough not to get us into such dire straits again .
By the Great Recession, it was too late for We The People. It's why Big Business got "too big to fail" and "Corporations are people, my friend" while We got home foreclosures Big Time. And Flint, MI got poisoned tap water. "Our" legislators don't give even a minor bowel movement for Us. Not as long as We keep paying our taxes, and We let them get away with whatever they damn well please.
That’s why Captain, we should vote for President Biden and democrats. One President in one term can’t undo all of the (mostly) republican rigging,
but President Biden is doing what he can. The fastest, most effective way to continue the “unrigging” is to have a Dem president & Dem majority in both the House and the Senate, because if there’s a republican majority in either the House or the Senate, they will block legislation and other measures that would help even the playing field.
(By the way, I’m sick of the words “rigging” and “unrigging” and the phrase, “even the playing field,” but they do speak succinctly to the reality of the situation)
House Republicans aren’t even pretending to do anything to make our lives better. They spend their days spreading hate and distrust, a purely political effort to manipulate the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Right now, House Republicans are talking about impeaching President Biden, but they aren’t sure what reason to use because, as they freely admit, they don’t have any evidence of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, it wasn’t that long ago that republicans would have been a laughingstock if they admitted they intended to impeach a president even though they couldn’t find wrongdoing. Want to
bet they’ll come up with something? What a waste!
The biggest waste of time and money so far was the Durham investigation into Russia’s attempts to
manipulate the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. He was supposed to prove accusations
of Russia’s involvement in the election were a hoax.
But after several years and millions of dollars spent,
Durham’s report was a flop, even though they tried
desperately to spin it into a supposed “success.”
On the other hand, the Mueller investigation (which covered the same issues as the Durham investig.) “amassed a mountain of evidence making clear the shocking sweep of Russia’s campaign to put Trump in the White House. Mueller also showed how eager Trump, his family and his aides were to receive Vladimir Putin’s help.” But Mueller stopped short of
validating Trump’s participation as “criminal”
because he was prevented by Justice Department policies from saying Trump committed crimes, even though he offered copious evidence that Trump did commit crimes, especially in his efforts to obstruct the Mueller investigation. (WaPo, P. Waldman, 5/16/23) A.G. Barr mopped up that mess and turned it around in the blink of an eye, doing a grave disservice to our country.
The U.S. is a prosperous nation with an “open”
society--at least it is so far. What Russia did, and
now the Republican party is doing, is to use our
open society against us by bombarding us with disinformation, propaganda and serving us huge helpings of distrust in our own systems. They’ve
foolishly adopted Russian tactics to use against
their own neighbors & friends. Much of what republicans do is “for show,” pandering to chronically unbalanced and/or naive Americans who exist in a news “silo” of lies and manipulations, by frightening them.
The most effective way to counter their tactics is to vote for President Biden and democrats and by doing so, giving them the power they need to turn this cynical, slow-moving disintegration of American society around. It’s way past time to address it head-on, because if we don’t do it soon we’re going
to find ourselves living in an even worse dystopia.
The phrase, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” comes to mind.
I partially agree with your assessment of the situation. However, I believe that the issue is much broader than Republicans trying to win the Presidency. They want complete control. That includes dissolving the Constitution to create a hierarchy that is purely autocratic, where the White Man rules Supreme over all people including all women; where anyone who does not look like them and espouse their vision of world domination are considered expunged from society. That is truly evil. So, the problems that we see on the surface are just noise manufactured to keep us off-base. I will stop here for now. I find this topic so debilitating. It zaps my energy so quickly. Very exhausting. Thank you for reading my thoughts about this matter.
Well, you’re right, but it’s hard to convey how evil it is and the magnitude of it in a few paragraphs.
The hardest thing for me is trying to find a solution that is so effective that it wakes up the masses and spurs them into action to do something about it. How do we get people to read what we are writing with an understanding that this is a call to action for those of us who are most affected by this evil? We need positive action that can help everyone.
Constance, Having read the exchange between you and Susan with great interest, I write to note my belief that it is impossible to foretell precisely when our collective engagement, energy, caring, and work will reach critical mass, suddenly creating change. Nor can we predict when a single seemingly insignificant effort will produce powerful results. Hence, we persist and stay the course because we believe our cause is right and just and moral.
I agree. It is apparent that we cannot predict which stimulus will push us forward to break this rather confusing situation we find ourselves in today. However, I do believe that if enough of us are paying attention to the movement of the waves as they continue to crash up against the shore, surely we will recognize when the time is right to take the proper action to make the necessary transition. It is just so hard when you look out and just see the raging waves that don’t seem to have a clear direction to follow. Thank you again for responding to my thoughts on the matter.
Constance, Thank you for writing. As for those “raging waves,” I say, quoting American novelist and essayist Scott Russell Sanders, that “every gesture, every act, every choice we make sends ripples of [conceivably formidable] influence into the future.” In my view, it’s no exaggeration to say that the ripples that gain prominence in public dialogue significantly can shape public policy.
We need to do more reach out to people who are on the fence. Expand the net work beyond kindred souls on these pages.
Have you noticed that the Dems NEVER have enough strength to push through legislation that favors We The People? AND make it stick? The closest thing I can remember was Obamacare -- which, ironically enough, was modeled almost entirely on Romneycare -- (which is most likely why it passed). But then it very quickly got watered down. And Medicare isn't nearly as much of a Good Thing as We think it is. ( https://www.tremr.com/CaptainPatch/medicare-is-probably-not-as-great-as-you-think-it-is )
Democrats coming to the rescue of We The People is a political _illusion_. The Dems MUST exude an image of being opposed to the GOP because EVERYBODY KNOWS that the GOP is out to screw Us every which way including Sunday. But in the last 40 years, what have the Dems accomplished? "Next to nothing" is the correct answer.... and that's precisely the way the professional politicians want it to stay. And because the Dems NEVER have enough Power to push through the kinds of reforms We NEED, Nothing substantial is done. (Like single-payer Healthcare, a stronger Safety Net, Gun Control, more workers' rights, FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE before it's too late. Etc., etc., etc.) Which as politicians the Dems CAN carry on like Champions of The People, because they _know_ they will NEVER win, and the soundbites are what gets them reelected.
The root problem of "Our" American Democracy is that We The People really do NOT control much of _anything_. We're not even allowed to choose the kind of candidates that We _actually_ want. Because "Everybody knows" that only Dems and Republicans stand any real chance of getting elected. Exceptions like Bernie Sanders account for less than 5% of Congress. And because "Everybody knows", they "don't want to waste my vote on someone that really can't win." And so they hold their nose and vote for "the lesser of two evils". And because that system is in place, the two major Parties CAN -- and DO -- limit their endorsements to those wannabe candidates that are willing to swear an oath of fealty to the endorsing Party, first and foremost. And through the Parties, serve the Parties' lord and master the Wealthy "campaign contributors". And because the system is this way, WE have been living under a governmental status quo for nearly 50 years.
If anything, over those last 50 years, things have gotten WORSE for We The People. Because BOTH Parties are **playing** at government to keep Us, the unwashed masses under the impression that what We want actually matters to "Our" legislators. And just how well represented do you feel about your favorite politicians when it is pointed out to you that OVER HALF of the members of Congress are millionaires? Who do you think they are _really_ most concerned about? (Especially when you consider that most of the legislators that were NOT millionaires when they joined Congress, many of them WILL be millionaires when they leave Congress -- working a job that paid a whopping $174,000/year. How do you become a millionaire while working that kind of job?)
The Reality is, _We_ can't get Change We Can Believe In trying to work within the existing framework. And if We can't get such Change the "legit" way, what ways are left to Us?
I have to disagree with you Captain. When you say Dems don’t have “enough power to push through legislation,” I assume you’re referring to negotiations with republicans to reach a compromise, which is how most legislation gets passed. It’s all about the votes. But have you noticed that in recent years republicans almost always vote as a block to obstruct legislation sponsored by Dems? It didn’t used to be that way, but ever since the Obama admin, republicans have refused to negotiate a compromise more often than not. Below are just a few examples of legislation blocked by republicans:
Republicans recently blocked legislation that would have codified the right of women to use contraceptives, they also blocked a voting rights bill twice. “They do not — and cannot — offer reasoned explanations for why the law’s protections are any less important now than they were in 2006, when it was reauthorized with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. Instead, they offer a combination of misinformation and a regurgitation of the criticisms made against the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Their claims are wrong, and many rely on blatantly false statements.” (The Guardian, 1/13/22, by Andrew Garber) Why do republicans not want to give women the right to use contraceptives?
Republicans significantly watered down legislation that would have authorized federal agencies to monitor and report jointly on domestic terrorism within the United States, including incidents related to white supremacy, allegedly because it could lead to amendments to restrict guns. The only reason to be against restrictions on selling and/or possessing guns is if you want the carnage to continue.
Why on earth would republicans want the carnage to continue? If you assume republicans in Congress are rational, I can think of only one reason…to continue pitting us against each other until American society completely unravels and destabilizes the gov’t. An unstable country with an unstable gov’t invites aggression, especially foreign aggression.
Republicans blocked a bill that aimed to combat “dark money” in United States elections by making it mandatory for political organisations to disclose big donors. Why would republicans block a bill making it mandatory to disclose big donors to their
campaigns?
Republicans blocked debate of an overhaul of how elections are run in the U.S. The bill was pushed by congressional Democrats who argued it was needed to counter a spate of new state GOP laws that suppress the vote.
Republicans blocked a move by Democrats to force a vote on a bill that would require campaigns and candidates to report to the FBI any foreign offers of opposition research. Why would republicans block voting on a bill requiring campaigns to report offers of assistance from foreign nations? It’s illegal to accept financial assistance from another country, so why would republicans not want to report opposition research from foreign nations
Republicans have repeatedly blocked border security legislation. They behave like they’re in a state of near hysteria over the border, yet every time Pres. Biden asks Congress for money to beef up border security, republicans block it. Pres. Biden even budgeted money for border security in the 2024 Dem budget proposal, but again, Speaker McCarthy substantially reduced it. So you tell me—why do republicans keep lying, saying repeatedly that we have open borders and then block funding for border security?
Below is what happened when Obama was President and they’re still playing the same game with President Biden. Pres. Biden budgeted money for border security in the 2024 democratic budget proposal. Spkr McCarthy substantially reduced it. It’s the same song & dance republicans played when
Obama was president and it makes no sense.
…unless they’re deliberately putting on a show for voters and think voters are too dumb to see what they’re doing.
How republicans have blocked border security:
In 2013 Democrats passed a bi-partisan immigration reform bill in the Senate.
House Republicans REFUSED to allow the bill to even be debated. Obama asked Republicans to propose THEIR OWN immigration, but Republicans REFUSED.
Then Republicans demanded that Obama do something about illegal immigration, so Obama used his executive authority to enact some immigration reforms.
Republicans were outraged and called Obama a tyrant for doing exactly what they asked him to do.
----------------------
Examples of what democrats have been able to accomplish for the American people are:
1. 2022 Executive Order to Advance Effective, Accountable Policing and Strengthen Public Safety by by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to: ban chokeholds; restrict no-knock warrants; mandate the use of body-worn cameras; implement stronger use-of-force policies, including with the duty to intervene and duty to render medical aid; provide de-escalation training; submit officer misconduct records and restrict the sale or transfer of military equipment to local law enforcement agencies, among other things.
2. President Biden published an op-ed announcing new actions the Biden-Harris Admin. is taking to implement the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) and maximize the benefits of reducing gun violence and saving lives.
3. President Biden signed the most comprehensive executive actions any President has ever taken to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for families. It will also provide child care copayments for working families at no more than 7% of a family’s income and encourage states to waive copayments for families at or below 150% of the federal poverty level; It will Improve financial stability for child care providers.
4. New proposed rules would close loopholes that the previous admin. took advantage of allowing companies to offer misleading insurance products that can discriminate based on pre-existing conditions and trick consumers into buying products that provide little or no coverage when they need it most.
Biden/Harris admin.is releasing important guidance on rules against surprise medical billing.
5. Funding will be provided for each state, territory, sovereign native reservations and the District of Columbia for high-speed internet infrastructure deployment through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program—a $42.45 billion grant program created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
6. President Biden’s Cap on the Cost of Insulin will save money for Americans in All 50 States.
7. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act: will rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle the climate crisis.
8. The Inflation Reduction Act makes funding available for programs and incentives to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy.
Regarding your assertion that Dems NEVER have enough strength to push through legislation that favors We The People? AND make it stick? See above. Also, Medicare isn’t perfect, but it’s better than nothing.
You may think democrats are just pretending to oppose republicans, but that’s not true. One of the most obvious examples of Dem sincerity in helping ordinary Americans was during the nation’s recovery from Covid. Biden signed into law a $1.9tn economic stimulus plan to combat the pandemic and begin repairing the nation’s frayed social safety net. The bill, passed by Democrats on a party-line vote, sent $1,400 stimulus checks to tens of millions of Americans and temporarily extended unemployment benefits.
When Trump was president, republicans gave money to big business so they could ride out the bad economy due to Covid, even though businesses & industries typically have lines of credit with banks for exactly that purpose. Families had a much greater need for cash but republicans couldn’t be bothered to look out for their welfare. It was more important to them to help their biggest corporate donors.
Important legislation passed during Biden’s administration:
The American Rescue Plan—The White House sent Americans in the low-to-medium income range a $1,400 payment to help fund basic necessities like rent and groceries. Biden also extended a $300 a week federal unemployment benefit for some 9.7 million people out of work at the time, temporarily expanded the child tax credit program, allotted $7.25 billion for small business loans and $128 billion in grants for state educational agencies.
The CHIPS ACT —Building semiconductors at home instead of relying on China to produce them.
The Inflation Reduction Act—includes several climate initiatives to reduce greenhouse emissions and promote lean energy technologies.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law— already discussed above.
So Captain, both parties are not “playing us.”
Only Republicans are playing us.
Wow! Thank you Susan for offering those reminders of what Dems have been doing and trying to do. Until we elect enough Democrats to pass needed legislation that isn’t hampered by the need for some Republican votes, their legislation will be watered down. And yes, until we get dark money out of elections, there will be corrupt actors.
@CaptainPatch: Enough false equivalence. Only voting for those who are Democrats or who caucus with them right now will shut down the MAGA movement. Then we will have more opportunity to govern for the common good and pass needed measures like universal healthcare, make corporations responsible to all of their constituencies, not just shareholders, and so much more.
Thanks Gary!
Which is exactly my point: Dems can't/won't get things done, ever. What starts out as being a Good Thing for We The People proposed by Dems will inevitably be, AT BEST a near-useless watered down version compromise. Most of the time, Dem proposals simply get blocked entirely. Conversely, you can see just how much damage the GOP gets done, even when they do NOT have a supermajority in the Senate. How come the GOP _can_ block the Dems so effectively, but the Dems can NOT block the GOP just as effectively?
Try this non-Euclidean approach to American Politics: Suppose that the Dems and the GOP are in collusion. There objective is to string The People along, keeping them hopeful that there IS a chance of Change We Can Believe In happening.... someday. (But not Today it seems.) Collectively, they KNOW if The People despair enough, American Revolution II _will_ occur and all of them will be out of a job. (Or dead. At the end of a rope for many/most of them would be a distinct possibility in such an event.) So it is paramount that that hope be kept alive. So they both have their roles to play. The Dems are cast as the protagonists and the GOP as antagonists. All the rhetoric, all the soundbites, all the campaign promises support those two scripts. Then comes the actual running of the government. The Dems CAN fulfill their roles in this collusion while spouting all the hopeful stuff that We The People desperately want to believe: because they KNOW they are going to lose -- because it's in their scripts.
^THAT is why We have "corporate Democrats". That is why We have "Democrats-in-name-only" like Lieberman, Manchin, and Sinema. That's why the clear majority of Dems refuse to swear off "campaign contributions" from corporations and the Wealthy. That's why, when an honest-to-goodness for The People candidate like Bernie Sanders even comes close to winning to the Dem nomination for President, he gets sabotaged by the Democratic Party leadership.
But because We The People are eternally hopeful, We refuse to recognize the evidence for what it implies. Because such a realization is simply too.... unthinkable.
Democrats are typically weak in messaging, and it’s partly because the party has a bigger, more diverse tent. Also Democrats consume a variety of real journalism, although some of that is corporate. Republicans have built a huge propaganda machine. And, with weaker messaging, much work is needed to reach out to working class people.
Right now, if we re-elect Trump, forget about it, we’ll be done as a democracy for a long time. The climate crisis is adding to people’s struggles, so they’re more vulnerable to illiberal populists. We must defeat MAGA first and empower Democrats so they can implement solutions including the universal healthcare bills that are proposed in both chambers.
Isn't the foundation of messaging _intelligence_? In a population of literally millions of Democrats, have they NO ONE able to craft STRONG messages that connect with the target audience? No sharp psychiatrists and psychologists? No perceptive Behavioral Scientists? No Communications whiz kids? In a population that large, it is literally Statistically impossible to NOT have a substantial number of Brainiacs that have those skill sets on their resumes. Which makes it suspicious that the Dems consistently are "weak in messaging". It certainly makes for a convenient excuse for why Dems never seem to be making any headway. The repeating pattern is "Good ideas! These should fly. LOTS of enthusiasm. GOP resistance (to be expected). and concluded with, "fell short of our goal." How many times in Our lifetimes have We see ^that pattern? Simple answer: too many.
You express so well my own frustration with this dysfunctional political system.
Well stated.
And to the detriment of the rest of us
Professor, I was struck by your statement that the shift started in the late 1970s because your words harkened to a 1980s commentator’s astute observations relative to, of all things, magazine titles. He noted how in the 50s we had a standout magazine titled LIFE. In the 60s the standout was titled PEOPLE. In the 70s its title was US. And in the 80s SELF. I don’t have a ready commentary to offer, but I do think this relatively rapid and dramatic shift demands one.
Thanks for pointing to the magazine titles, “LIFE”, which represented the collective whole, to the singular “SELF”.
Interesting, astute observation!
I love your writing and your classes. Thank you so much for your hard work and insight, and for sharing it with is.
I am thankful you are here.
Thank you so much! I read your book maybe a year ago and it was a n actual wakening moment of clarity and light on where we are as socially evolved humans. A moment when it was again OK.. actually essential.. to recognise the force of the word 'good ' as a basis for how our lives are lived and how our complex society needs to be structured to embody this.. the present and prevailing economic system and values are at present vehicles for abuse of other humans, and other life on earth and we are reaching the unarguable boundaries for ourselves on this direction - climate collapse and social unravelling. We truly need understanding on the means to change this, as you propose, an understanding, an awakening again through this remembering of commonality and 'public good ' and how we can again come together to reclaim it. I'd like to share that members of my (UK, Unitarian) church are now stepping up and engaging publicly in discussion, support and actually being on the streets to mend our ways on climate justice and creation care.
Three questions from the Talmud:
If I am not for me, who will be?
If I am only for me, who am I?
If not now, when?
Sadly, the current GOP stops with the first question.
I’ll take it further...
First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.
Martin Niemoeller at his finest. He was a WW1 submarine captain who became a Evalgelische (Lutheran) pastor in Germany. He petitioned Hitler to leave the church alone and not establish a church that preached Nazi doctrine. In response, Hitler put Niemoeller into a concentration camp where he subsisted for seven years. After the war, Niemoeller returned to preaching a truly humanistic gospel.
I agree with the Three Questions; but, both GOP and Democrats fit your conclusion. But it is the second question that you should have targeted. The first is to know thyself. All mammals obey the law of self-preservation. Politicians of both stripes just honed it to a sharper edge. (Second question.)
To me, that second question asking essentially, “Who am I?” is the only question worth asking.
The foundation of commonness is consciousness and being aware of consciousness, and where does this consciousness actually come from?
Are we merely a bunch of individual thoughts and beliefs encased within what’s essentially a bag of water and minerals, supposedly the source of consciousness, each believing we are more important than we are? Is there more?
Is there a common factor that unites us all, yet we don’t understand and can’t agree upon because there are no easy answers that can be touched, torn apart, reduced, watched and examined? And if there is, does this common factor unite us mentally, materially and, yes, spiritually, beyond the “bag”?
This is a very powerful question that brought us all the religions that point to worshiping something outside of ourselves--something bigger than us. But what if that was just the first baby step and wasn’t meant to stall us but to power us on to even bigger truths? We need to ask, “Who am I, really?” --not to make a religion out of, but to grow as a species and hopefully unite under a more expansive, inclusive and embracing reasoning.
The thought occasionally occurs to me that maybe I’m just a digestive tube. Then I banish that notion by hook or crook — usually by reading decent books such as Paul Tillich’s “The Courage to Be.”
I love this column and I am going to buy your book, Professor.
You are the antithesis of the phrase “common good” and have proven throughout your life, your teaching, your artwork and the Substack community that you put your ‘money where your mouth is’ so to speak. You have enlightened me so much in the year-plus that I have been here and I thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for this country. You are some of the best of the Common Good.
Your friend in MD, Anne 🌻🙏💙
I think you mean epitome and not antithesis
Much better!
Antithesis. Look it up. Means the opposite of what you meant.
Yet, we got their meaning from context (something more like “epitome”, yes?).
Thanks Kathy. 🌻
Glad you pointed that out!
No one likes a smartie-pants who says “Look it up.”
Thank you so very much for sharing your wisdom, experience, and humanity so generously online. I have forwarded your classes to many around me, and will continue to do so these next 10 weeks, for The Common Good” !
The world is your classroom!
Back in 1989, before a lot of other books on the common good were published, John Cobb and Herman Daly published For the Common Good. Cobb made the case for process philosophy to replace mechanistic and materialist thinking as our default metaphysics and Daly laid out a plan for a steady state economics, made sensible through process philosophy, to end the destructiveness of growth economies. It was this book, as well as the brilliant work of Arran Gare, which inspired me to become a process philosopher. Over thirty years later we are no nearer to implementing these brilliant ideas because we have not changed the fundamental metaphysical assumptions that dominate our culture. I like your work and will read your book, but change must start with our deepest understandings of reality.
At one time you may have been able to have a steady state economics but I'm not sure it's possible anymore. It would require wise leaders who put the common good above their own desires, something not in ready supply. It would also require an educated public to recognize those leaders and not be misled by lies and misinformation, again, something not in ready supply. We'd have to restructure our system while very powerful segments, such as republicans controlled by great wealth, fought you every step of the way.
I don’t know about process philosophy, will look into it. But I do believe that all living beings are part of innumerable dynamic open-ended systems (processes) that, when participants (agents) act according to a simple shared set of rules or values, can bring about emergence -- something greater than the sum of its parts. That’s the benefit of the common good, in my opinion!
But don't we have to evaluate the type, quality, aims of the "processes"? Living beings, say humans, can "act according to a simple shared set of rules or values...." etc. but without regard to what those values ARE, the commonality may be there, but what about the good?
I agree, the set of rules is important. For human groups self-organizing for survival, a set of ethical values tends to emerge. I read somewhere (Kidder) that basic ethical rules that emerge in societies around the world and over the ages tend to look quite similar. You know, “don’t kill each other”, “be honest”, and stuff like that. In the US, a set of rules based on the rule of law (as opposed to religion) emerged in the form of our Constitution. The Constitution itself is a fairly short and simple document. A massive trove of local, state and federal laws emerge from it — customizing themselves dynamically depending on arising needs. They just have to pass the test of being “constitutional”.
That’s one system. “We the people” who participate in this system also participate in countless other interwoven systems. Our nervous system, for example. The language or languages we speak. Ecosystems. The way we participate determines their path.
Quick review on Wikipedia: yep, seems to mesh with my perspective (derived from Buddhist concepts and the basic characteristics of complex adaptive systems).
And good education.
Do you suppose that it’s possible to operate a viable, non-destructive, sustainable economic system that’s not based on the profit motive?
Theoretically, as long as you can keep the sociopaths from rising to the top, something we've utterly failed to do in our current system.
Back in 2017, we were living near Houston when hurricane Harvey devastated the area for what seemed like an eternity. Several communities were under water, and supplies were scarce. Some of our neighbors got together, collected whatever people can spare, and started rescuing trapped neighbors and running supplies to people. Before then, I had never seen people organize so quickly and so willing to help others. We didn't care about politics or religion. We were all in the crisis together. I still think about that time, and it makes me feel like human again. We do have the ability and the heart to care for others. I just hope that it doesn't take a freakish natural disaster to bring that out of people.
It is so strange to me that the world needs a "catastrophe" to find its better selves to respond to give the most basic needs to other humans. Hillary Clinton was vilified unjustly in many cases, but she overwhelmingly has it right when she said "It takes a village."
JJ Young : we have the human super destruction machine in tRump and his 'Mob'. I don't know how 'natural' it is. But it IS a potential disaster!
Is that the year Cancun Ted Cruz went to Cancun?
No, that was more recent when an ice storm incapacitated much of Texas. I think it was 2021
It was February 2021 when Cruz went to Cancun.
The rest of us were freezing.
You'd think by now, with all the natural disasters they've been having lately -- hurricanes, floods, freezes, heat waves, droughts & wildfires -- Texans would have a clue about climate chaos.
We've always had these natural disasters, BUT, not with the increased frequency and intensity of the past few years. Some folks do acknowledge climate change but certainly not enough.
Our good "Governor Hot wheels" (as he is sometimes referred to) is an O&G man. Yet, it is our wind and solar sustaining our grid this summer, which doesn't get much media coverage. Texas produces more wind and solar than current transmission lines are capable of carrying.
“How we vote determines if democracy survives!” This is true, but why? Trump? The Repugs? No way!
It’s our corrupted system! Citizens United and related SCOTUS rulings have unraveled our Constitution. Our government is already gone, or maybe hanging by a thread in some corrupted version of pay to play big money politics. And many democrats don’t really want change. That’s where we come in.
We can restore our Constitution back to us, We the People, with HJR54. But our Constitution will not amend itself.
We need your help. What can one person do? Sign on please: movetoamend.org
And spread the word.
Don’t accept this corruption and stress. It can and will get a lot worse because the Oligarchy has robots and technology. And our planet is dying. It’s now or never to save democracy and our planet with HJR54!
We can't amend until we get republicans out of power. That has to be the first goal.
We must elect Reps who stand with us, We the People, if we wish to amend the constitution. Only vote for candidates who sign the pledge to do so: movetoamend.org/pledge! Demand that all candidates for public office sign the pledge, or else they get no donations! It’s our long game and we must build momentum now to win it. Spread the word!
I signed and donated. You are correct, we must ALL step up to help!
Just signed it! I probably signed it years ago, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to do it again.
True! Thank you much for fighting the strategic good fight! ♥️♥️♥️
I'm thinking about a parallel promotion of self-centredness and greed in the UK. Margaret Thatcher (Ronald Reagan's good pal) sold off social housing in the UK (originally built by local Councils to rent to people who couldn't afford their own houses) to the tenants, emabling them to make a fat profit, drive up the costs of houses, and enhance inequality. The pandemic has now greatly increased the competition for rental housing the UK because of the shortage and all supermarkets now have donation points for food banks, which distribute groceries to the poorest families. I predict that housing could become a deciding issue in the UK general election in 2024. The Conservatives also began increasingly replacing grants for university students with loans so that the "Americanised" system the UK now has puts a heavy debt on young people without corresponding job prospects, especially if they don't go to the stronger and mainly older two dozen universities (the "Russell Group", comparable to AAU institutions in the USA). The late UK Chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote "Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times", published posthumously, which may be worth mentioning. I hope to read it some time, as well as Reich's book.
Thank you, Robert Reich, for this topic and forum. It always seemed like there was nothing like a crisis or challenge to bring people together ; whether environmental , like a natural disaster, or a war. I hope we, as a human race, can find our common good. Realize that we must co-operate to solve our problems and repair the Common Good. We must rediscover it first. Then act to save ourselves, our children and our environment. May we discover the Common Good soon and work to enhance it. I look forward to reading your book on the subject, and the next installments here!