Imagine if all the money instead of being spent on the elections was reallocated to improving education, health, infrastructure, American families, etc... how much better our country would be. SHARE THE WEALTH instead of buying politicians!
Every time I hear or read about the outrageous sums of money that are dumped into political campaigns by billionaires and corporations with blatant self interest, and even with SCOTUS taking trips and gifts if not direct cash, I rue the day that Citizens United became the mainstream sewer for political contributions. One person donating a million dollars or more, does more damage to our democratic system than just putting his finger on the scale....just look at the damage Elon Musk is doing with his antisemitic tropes through X, formerly Twitter, facilitated by his vast resources. Always and ever “follow the money”.
Why do scholars keep nattering on about our 'democracy'? We don't have a 'democracy', we have an oligarchy of the corporatocracy, a plutocracy of kleptocrats acting behind the Congressional dumb-show's feckless posturing and gesticulating.
It is easy to understand Trump and his associates. They all project onto others their own conditions in a process called psychological projection.
Projection is a divergence or distraction tool.
For example, in “root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country,” think the opposite, their fear of “root out the psychopath billionaires and rogue capitalists addicted to power and money at the majority's expense, who live like fascists within the confines of our democracy"; or something similar which makes sense to you.
In this way it is easy to see through the Trump and allies tactics and appreciate how damaging their playbooks are to most everyone except themselves.
The old saying: “you have to fight fire with fire” comes to my mind. Trump is outrageous in everything he says and does, and unfortunately we are not hearing enough criticism from Democrats including President Biden. Democrats need to be more proactive and challenging. There is no doubt that big money has had a powerful influence, but they can be challenged and put on the defensive.
We need to compare and contrast Joe Biden's accomplishments, and goals for the future, with those of Donald Trump. It seems that many are simply unaware of these differences. "Those in the know (go with/support/favor/agree with) Joe!" And an effective political lawn sign from a few years ago in Wisconsin could be used nationally: "Democrats vote for you, now you vote for them!"
Robert writes 'What do you think?' Well I am speechless. In a short post to the substack today we have a super concise explanation of what we are up against. The Biden administration should go full throttle as Mr. Reich notes. I am overwhelmed by how far down the food chain we are and how little power we hold. We can vote and as Robert Hubbell says our side is winning elections. We can donate and participate in writing postcards to voters. We should share Robert's post to social media and write letters to newspapers.
Every liberal organization should join together united under saving democracy. Forget the bees, bears, whales and LBGT issues for just the next twelve months. If our country goes down the wrong path the planet as a whole will go down as well.
All good advice. I'd just add one more step necessary to protect democracy in the USA . Overturn Citizens United- which also means a different Supreme Court. No democracy can survive when billionaires can tilt elections in whatever way they want.
I had to pause at these words: "...if capitalism and its moneyed interests are in charge..." IF? They have been in charge since at least 1980, probably since 1972.
I entirely agree that honest working people, of all views and beliefs, need a champion for their interests and that we and they would vote for them. Not just a single person/candidate but a team, a party if it comes to that. I don't expect that to ride over the hill. It must grow.
I also believe that if Trump wins in '24 there will be no election in '28. I'll do what i can to prevent that but winning would have to be the beginning, not the goal.
One more thing: Dems need to make it known each time they do something on voters' behalf. Because most people are too busy to always notice. Results need to be tangible to voters.
Happy Birthday Joe Biden This is Just Another Victory over Death; Enjoy it Lots of Work To Be Done.
What America Needs is ( NOT Another Trumpet 🎺) a President In the Image of Theodore Roosevelt. The only Politician that Fits That ReRequirement Senator Warren Buffet , Elizabeth Warren...
If We Can Only Get Elizabeth Warren To Smile More to increase her Television Appeal...
Bernie Sanders is also needed but was killed off by the Wall Street loving Hillary Clinton ...
Abortion is not enough of an issue to help the Dems. They must make it very clear to Americans that the Republicans will go after Medicare and Social Security. If I can figure it out, why can't the Democrats? They must appeal to people's self interest!
Money destroyed our representative form of gov't. Money > Access > Influence. It distorts policy in favor of the monied and the corporatists. SCOTUS's brain-dead Citizens United lets the monied and the corporatists hide.
Biden's grit is very real - never doubt it - and perhaps obscured by his ability to shrewdly manoeuvre around obstacles to important projects. What Prof. Reich is calling for here must be done in such a way as to create more awareness of Biden's real strengths without destroying his integrity. He is genuinely a man of good will, but he is also very capable of standing ground and calling out deceit. And the dark money in our politics is one of the worst forms of deceit.
Paying a responsible share of the taxes would do more to rebuild America from the bottom up than billions of dollars burned to no good on election campaigns. Why would those greedy obscenely wealthy plutocrats not donate to the Republicans - it enriches the already obscenely wealthy media corporations and if we bottom out and hand America to the fascists they will get the rest of their donations back in no taxes.
Imagine if all the money instead of being spent on the elections was reallocated to improving education, health, infrastructure, American families, etc... how much better our country would be. SHARE THE WEALTH instead of buying politicians!
Every time I hear or read about the outrageous sums of money that are dumped into political campaigns by billionaires and corporations with blatant self interest, and even with SCOTUS taking trips and gifts if not direct cash, I rue the day that Citizens United became the mainstream sewer for political contributions. One person donating a million dollars or more, does more damage to our democratic system than just putting his finger on the scale....just look at the damage Elon Musk is doing with his antisemitic tropes through X, formerly Twitter, facilitated by his vast resources. Always and ever “follow the money”.
Why do scholars keep nattering on about our 'democracy'? We don't have a 'democracy', we have an oligarchy of the corporatocracy, a plutocracy of kleptocrats acting behind the Congressional dumb-show's feckless posturing and gesticulating.
It is easy to understand Trump and his associates. They all project onto others their own conditions in a process called psychological projection.
Projection is a divergence or distraction tool.
For example, in “root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country,” think the opposite, their fear of “root out the psychopath billionaires and rogue capitalists addicted to power and money at the majority's expense, who live like fascists within the confines of our democracy"; or something similar which makes sense to you.
In this way it is easy to see through the Trump and allies tactics and appreciate how damaging their playbooks are to most everyone except themselves.
The old saying: “you have to fight fire with fire” comes to my mind. Trump is outrageous in everything he says and does, and unfortunately we are not hearing enough criticism from Democrats including President Biden. Democrats need to be more proactive and challenging. There is no doubt that big money has had a powerful influence, but they can be challenged and put on the defensive.
We need to compare and contrast Joe Biden's accomplishments, and goals for the future, with those of Donald Trump. It seems that many are simply unaware of these differences. "Those in the know (go with/support/favor/agree with) Joe!" And an effective political lawn sign from a few years ago in Wisconsin could be used nationally: "Democrats vote for you, now you vote for them!"
Robert writes 'What do you think?' Well I am speechless. In a short post to the substack today we have a super concise explanation of what we are up against. The Biden administration should go full throttle as Mr. Reich notes. I am overwhelmed by how far down the food chain we are and how little power we hold. We can vote and as Robert Hubbell says our side is winning elections. We can donate and participate in writing postcards to voters. We should share Robert's post to social media and write letters to newspapers.
Every liberal organization should join together united under saving democracy. Forget the bees, bears, whales and LBGT issues for just the next twelve months. If our country goes down the wrong path the planet as a whole will go down as well.
All good advice. I'd just add one more step necessary to protect democracy in the USA . Overturn Citizens United- which also means a different Supreme Court. No democracy can survive when billionaires can tilt elections in whatever way they want.
I had to pause at these words: "...if capitalism and its moneyed interests are in charge..." IF? They have been in charge since at least 1980, probably since 1972.
I entirely agree that honest working people, of all views and beliefs, need a champion for their interests and that we and they would vote for them. Not just a single person/candidate but a team, a party if it comes to that. I don't expect that to ride over the hill. It must grow.
I also believe that if Trump wins in '24 there will be no election in '28. I'll do what i can to prevent that but winning would have to be the beginning, not the goal.
You're right about this!
One more thing: Dems need to make it known each time they do something on voters' behalf. Because most people are too busy to always notice. Results need to be tangible to voters.
Happy Birthday Joe Biden This is Just Another Victory over Death; Enjoy it Lots of Work To Be Done.
What America Needs is ( NOT Another Trumpet 🎺) a President In the Image of Theodore Roosevelt. The only Politician that Fits That ReRequirement Senator Warren Buffet , Elizabeth Warren...
If We Can Only Get Elizabeth Warren To Smile More to increase her Television Appeal...
Bernie Sanders is also needed but was killed off by the Wall Street loving Hillary Clinton ...
Abortion is not enough of an issue to help the Dems. They must make it very clear to Americans that the Republicans will go after Medicare and Social Security. If I can figure it out, why can't the Democrats? They must appeal to people's self interest!
Money destroyed our representative form of gov't. Money > Access > Influence. It distorts policy in favor of the monied and the corporatists. SCOTUS's brain-dead Citizens United lets the monied and the corporatists hide.
Biden's grit is very real - never doubt it - and perhaps obscured by his ability to shrewdly manoeuvre around obstacles to important projects. What Prof. Reich is calling for here must be done in such a way as to create more awareness of Biden's real strengths without destroying his integrity. He is genuinely a man of good will, but he is also very capable of standing ground and calling out deceit. And the dark money in our politics is one of the worst forms of deceit.
Paying a responsible share of the taxes would do more to rebuild America from the bottom up than billions of dollars burned to no good on election campaigns. Why would those greedy obscenely wealthy plutocrats not donate to the Republicans - it enriches the already obscenely wealthy media corporations and if we bottom out and hand America to the fascists they will get the rest of their donations back in no taxes.
How can anyone call America a Democracy when it is run by money?