Jul 1, 2022·edited Jul 1, 2022Liked by Robert Reich
Thank you Robert Reich for sharing. I respect and trust your knowledge, experiences and views. I’m reading, listening to your voice at 1:30 a.m. sleepless. When I first began reading/listening to you, almost daily, I heard a sense of history and optimism about the future or at least what we could do to “fix” it. But now I hear deep worry and discouragement. Is it too late? The Supreme Court packed by TFG and the repubs are destroying our Democracy. The most immoral and unethical people run the courts and Repub party. Destroying any chance of recovery for our Environment, for sane Gun laws, for women’s right to choose, reproductive rights, it’s a daily assault by crooks and mob rule. My biggest worry is for our children and grandchildren.
Irenie, I continue to be optimistic about the longterm -- mainly because of the young people I work with and teach. I've never encountered a generation more dedicated to righting the wrongs in the world. But I'm obviously worried about what happens over the next several years.
Professor Reich, you engender that optimism because of the segment of young people you’re engaged with. Yesterday I watched a video clip of two young women, normal in appearance and dress, being interviewed before entering a Trump rally. When asked what they thought about January 6th they had no clue what the interviewer was talking about. They had no knowledge of the riot at the Capitol. Interviews with other attendees demonstrated a shocking level of ignorance and outright stupidity, yet their vote counts the same as yours. The SC will be taking up a case next term that may give state legislatures complete power over voting, with no court oversight. Three Justices have expressed interest in it. Can you imagine what that would do to our democracy? With our reactionary Supreme Court, the possible loss of the House and Senate, and a thousand “paperwork coups” at voting sites in red states, your students may end up as successful as the protestors in Hong Kong, or the left wing in Hungary. 2022 and 2024 will be a key test for our democracy. If the GOP takes total control, with Trump or DeSantis as president, we would be in an existential crisis. I’m 74 years old and I’ve never been this worried about our democracy. We’re very worried about our daughter’s future.
This is exactly why these midterms are literally the most important election in American history. We need the biggest landslide of all time, more votes than in 2020. We need to expand the court. We need to check the imbalance of this SC over-reach, we need to indict Trump and all who helped him plot the insurrection and then see if we can dissolve all of the Federal court appointments made during his criminal regime. We need to codify a whole lot of legislation. We can only do this with resounding majorities in both Houses. Working to get everyone registered and to the polls, regardless of the voting restrictions currently in their States, is a perfect job for semi-retired or retired boomers who have the time and the will and the recollection of when America was more functional. If this is the legacy of boomers, it's an urgent one and a fine one.
I’m there with you Wende. As of this post, I’m giving up all my political reading and podcasts, including the New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Professor Reich, etc etc etc. I’m happy to remain a paid subscriber to Professor Reich because I think his words are excellent…..but I just can’t take it anymore. From attacks on our democracy, reproductive rights, climate disaster, the horror in Ukraine, etc etc etc etc , it’s just too much for this old sensitive liberal. I’m going to concentrate on getting out the vote and donations. We already get enough emails soliciting donations to keep the KGB busy for weeks. My sister donates more than we do, to a whole raft of liberal entities, and she gets up to 1000 emails….per day. I’ve got to remain sane and healthy, so I put on my headphones and listen to “Relaxation Radio” on Pandora while opening the latest request from the DCCC. All those envelopes are further evidence of the disfunction in our politics. We are fast becoming The Disunited States of America and I don’t know where it ends. I’ll do what I can in my time remaining, but I’ve got to keep my mind more serene. Fortunately, we live in a beautiful area with trees, mountains, and water. May the best of American ideals…..as mythologized as many of them were….somehow prevail.
Zip, if you are talking about the recent Jordan Klepper interviews of the (I love him and catch all his work that I can) Maga gathering, I think I viewed the same piece. Yes, it was staggering to watch these two young women appear brain dead on the question. But the impression I really came away with is they didn't want to talk to him so I think that was an ACT. Now, that doesn't mean I think they're well informed, NO, they're utterly ignorant, after all, look at where they are. But those girls did not want to talk to Klepper....if we're talking about the same clip.
Zip, it takes a considerable amount of 'willful ignorance' to be a member in good standing for the trumpublican cult. Did not see the video you speak of, but over the last several years I have seen enough to call into question my aging comprehension. 😉 Sometimes I just don't get it, what do they see as the end benefit?
Zip, I have the same worries about losing our precious Democracy while our 5 Gen X adult kids, 4 are boys, stand by & watch it happen without a care in the world! Surprisingly, several of the 12 grands show a much stronger interest in the political fate of our country. I believe the boys have all agreed with tRump when he starts ranting about grievances but I really don’t understand what they have to complain about. If anything they all were spoiled & have had a good life light years away from what many poor Black & Hispanic kids had to deal with! They lapped up all the lies tRump was spewing & they insisted he was the better choice for President! Not one has said they were wrong or even said they should have paid more attention to my emails & text msgs I used to forward truthful info to them! They all believed they knew the truth about what was happening under the terror reign of tRump. I think they are lost & have nothing good to say about President Biden. The Grand kids in HS & College have a lot more to say about the damage tRump has done to our country & are worried about the ability of Biden to fix all the problems due to his age. I believe most of the Grands will become good Democrats! We’ll just have to see what happens in the coming years I suppose & see if more tRump Rethugs finally see the truth about #45 & relegate him to the History books & jail. I certainly hope so!
You’re a very humble being. A very smart young man once said “I'm not saying I'm gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that WILL change the world.” I see no failure here, only sparks!
One of my favorites from what most would consider an unlikely source, Tupac Shakur. I’ll admit just the mention of how worried y’all are has me terrified....like don’t leave me(us) here! I’m trying to stay hopeful. With all the bad there has to be so much good coming, some day🤞
Thank you Robert. I know you have the long view, so if you’re optimistic, then that’s my path, too. Worry can be a catalyst for action and change, so that’s the road I’ve followed. Political change is happening so fast, we have to pay attention. I work with the younger people and their families and teachers, so I’m keenly aware of the need to speak up and act on their behalf. I’m relieved that you see the young adult generation as not only concerned but connected to making change. Action. Onward!
I TOLD you already, Bob, you are not old. Human beings are programmed to live to 110 at least. There is plenty of time to hatch a new plan. Everything has to be based on reality this time. Love to you, beautiful man.
Robert, this is EXACTLY what I believe and feel. I am frightened for the next several years, the country is clearly, well, to me, headed for upheaval and the already authoritarian states may well anchor their power. But, long term, the country will likely right itself with the coming of age of a new generation. I am always grateful for your voice.
Irenie, humanity has always been at war with itself. Even in the most desperate situations, it has never been too late to restore good in the world, morally speaking. Practically speaking, which is most people's concern, victory has always been at hand. We should question our perceptions. They can drive us to feel overwhelmed but this an emotional state, not an objective assessment of what can be done.
Philippe & Cecelia, You both sound good and wholesome people. You both have good ideas/attitudes that can be used in a sensible America, but your working together idea is just WISHFUL THINKING. I too, worry about the America that my mature daughter will have to live in, plus all the innocent little children, but you will never change the evils who are trying to make America a dictatorship country.
The most I could hope for as for living is another 10 years. Not many live to be 100. I saw what was causing America's fall (even though I couldn't see it falling just this way) back after WWII, but it might have been about the time of the Korean war. Anyway, The evil Bible thumpers were spreading lies over the radios and as they made their way on TV, they really got going strong. The thumpers and Republican's game was/is to tell the same lies over and over until they brainwashed people. Over these many, many years there have been many millions born with the evil mind-set bred into them.
I know from experience, that no one is going to make these sheep admit to the truth. They DON'T want the truth. If one is found that will change his/hers way of thinking, it would be a miracle.
These people change the Bible and the constitution around to suit their position. Their reasonings are so childish that it is even hard to refute them. They are NOT going to say they have been wrong, even if they see it. Their education is not an issue. I have encountered many highly educated people who have the same lousy mind-set. Education doesn't mean that one has commonsense, or even want to stand for truthful/lawful principles.
Until we get so-called religion out of schools, government and government out of religion, not many good things will happen. And, this old bull shit "that no one is above the law" is just that, bull shit. That was really affirmed to me when Ford pardoned Nixon.
Our Democratic party have been timid for many years and let the Bible thumpers get away with their lies. Yes, we have Robert Reich and others speaking out about what has been going on for many years. Many strong women have been trying to wake the party up, but it takes more to wage the fight that is needed. I view Biden about as strong as wet tissue paper. AG Garland has yet to prove that he is much stronger. I am hoping.
I don't have many good answers, but I know that going along and getting along will not cut it. IT JUST ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN BY BEING NICE.
Definitely Democrats have been too nice. I don't understand why Biden doesn't realize this at this point. I think he thinks he's going to fix the process by respecting it but now it's obvious Democrats were naive about the real goals of their opposition all along. On the cusp of losing democracy to religious autocracy, these midterms may be our only chance. We need the biggest turn-out in history. That's something boomers can help with by volunteering as a matter of urgency.
It seems to me, Dewey, that we totally agree. It is not about being nice and civil—we'll leave this bad excuse for doing nothing to Democrat "leaders"—but about rationality vs. fake religious values and fake values in general. Granted, not everyone is ready to exert their rational mind, but everyone is human. I have faith in people. They did not follow Franklin D. Roosevelt because they understood all what he was doing or why, but because they felt he was genuine and well-intended. Even hard-core Trumpists can turn around and get out of their lunacies if they find someone who speaks directly to them and respects their intelligence. Look at what Bernie was able to do back in 2016 and 2017. The issue we have is that he has never shamed his fellow "Democrats" for not engaging in the same way. This is true as well for the Squad, who seems to be very impressed to have a seat in Washington and forgets to go to war.
It DOES seem to be a very dark time in USA history (& more importantly for me perhaps, [ living in small-fry NZ ] ,- global human history in terms of democracy, climate change, pollution. ... Etc) but I'd like to share a couple of quotes...
"What you focus on- GROWS" - I heard it from Louise L. Hay.
There is currently also an amazing amount of discovery in this time of human history - beyond the imagination of just 40 years ago, within & beyond our solar system, within the cells of our own bodies, & understanding of other forms of life [refer Anna Breytenbach, Koko the Gorilla, Alex the African Grey (& Irene Pepperill) ]. ...... &....
"BE the change you wish to see in the World". - Ghandi
You & I are not as influential as Robert Reich but our lives can still influence perhaps a handful of younger people to grow our values beyond our own lives if we live them as best we can. .. Cheers
John. YOU hit the nail on the head. Our world and the USA has changed dramatically the past 30 years due to technology. We can no longer look at the past to predict our future. We need to lead with wisdom and compassion. We are not as influential as Robert Reich. But we do have our area of influence. Like you said with quote by Ghandi: "Be the change you wish to see in the World. The next generation is watching us. Let's all be good role models. Sending you hugs from Arizona. This is a good article about technology and how it is changing democracy. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
Thanks for the reminder, John, I’m an activist for children and this is my favorite quote, “BE the change you wish to see in the World". - Ghandi” we can’t give up.
Our parents/grandparents thought the same- every generation has its older detractors- and the young ones
Think things will be better when they all die off…stupid cycle that does no one any good! We’re allies- can you imagine if we seniors really joined forces with the 20somethings?
Susan. My company helps people that need help. I work with a group of amazing people from ages 25 to 45. I am 70 years old. What we are accomplishing together is transitional! I admire them and they look up to me. We can join forces. However, we need to quit dividing the USA. We need to work together to find real solutions. We can do it! Angel Hugs from Arizona.
Irenie. Don't despair. Don't give up on hope. In the USA and around the world we are living in unchartered waters. We can no longer look at the past to predict the future. We need to educate ourselves and be excellent role models for the next generation. This article will help you to understand how technology is changing our world. Let's all work together to find real solutions. Sending you hugs from Arizona. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
Thank you Cecilia. I’m working on not despairing by Doing! Just wrote 200 VOTE postcards. And I’m an activist. I read the Guardian article. 2017. In my own work with Children’s issues I recognize the danger. And the “likes” ! It’s so true yet today here we are communicating constantly with technology. Smartphone addiction! I might have this problem! A computer in our hand. 24 hours a day. It’s real.
You can't get TOO discouraged, Irenie! Are we in HORRIFIC hot water as the result of a mad man-child and those he conned? Yes. Can a SINGLE executive action change EVERYTHING? ALSO yes.
Biden and the cowardly Americans he is beholden to just need to hike up their pants and MESSAGE MESSAGE MESSAGE!
WHO wants to do away with American democracy? _RUMPLICANS. WHO kill MILLIONS each year because they STILL suckle at the shrivled teet of obsolete fossil fuel billionaires? _RUMPLICANS.
MOST IMPORTANT: WHO can stop all this and return BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS? DEMOCRATS.
Thank you, Daniel, we humans are complicated. Yes, I’m so so discouraged but at the same time I just wrote 200 Get Out the Vote postcards to Arizona Dem voters. So I do have hope! And I’ll never give up because our work is for our children and grandchildren and the future.
Of course not, Carol. You and I will go on for another 20 years at least. (My father continued to enjoy life until he was 100. His 101st year was difficult. He almost got to 102.
Agree. One fault that we, at all ages, have developed is stereotyping people, categorizing and labeling them, then consigning whole categories to trash heaps because we dislike what we imagine them all to be. News flash: there are "old people" with potential and good ideas. There are young people who are evil. One of those damn, thwarting labels could be preventing a "old person" from having a job where they, with their experience, might solve some major problem.
Did the previous generation do so well? How did they feel at having let the Nazis kill their peers? Did they say it was, then, all up to our generation?
With one sweeping statement, stereotypers consign all of one generation's progress in medicine, technology, and more to the dumpster. But human evil exists in all generations. What differs are circumstances. Imagining any young generation as having magically been born without human evil is illogical. But lucky them!
I am tired of being consigned to the trash heap of uselessness and outdatedness while I'm still alive and a heck of a lot more technologically knowledgeable than a many of the young people whom I encounter. But stereotyping speaks, so we all must listen and squash every shred of potential. So It must be true. I am worthless. I don't, however, see that every older person is..But from the way they're treated -- especially by those younger people who are going to solve our problems -- why not just put us all in our coffins now? Why waste good food? Logan's Run rules! Long live stereotyping and Soylent Green!
I don't think Dr Reich was implying we are useless, just that our time is rapidly running out, and we haven't accomplished as much as we hoped. I remember fondly my enthusiasm at being part of the Civil Righrs and Anti Vietnam War movements. But I look now, at the hatred spewed by the far right and wonder, did we accomplish anything?
Yes you did accomplish a great deal We have a significant black middle and upper middle class now. We have mixed marriages that are no big deal. We have skepticism about war and military spending. We just never knew how organized, well-funded and relentless the push back would be.
Or some knew but have had insufficient power to stop it. I recall worrying in at least 1978 about corporate power and greed, probably prior. I didn't support letting the company control our pensions, but the majority of my co-workers did. Now, even after the company terminated our pensions using illegal claims, a significant number of my former co-workers support Trump. Despite having tried various voter/education efforts, I have never seen what will work to change made-up, mistaken, closed minds.
Mo777Jet ; Even back in the 50's President Eisenhower warned about the "military-Industrial complex!" People were happy with a government that was working well at the time. We all became complacent. But when the mantra of the 'free market' is that shareholders get the profit ; guaranteed, no matter who or what it hurts, we end up in the mess there is today; where money is speech and ethics and sanity be damned. The idea of the 'common good' is unholy communism or worse ; Socialism.
You are right. We ignored ALEC since it's founding in the early 70's. We ignored it when it aligned with huge corpotations
We've ignored its secret meetings to write pro corporate, anti-black, anti-hispanic, anti-women, anti-LGBTQ etc legislation. Legislation which is handed to its legislatures in States and enacted into law. And we don't care. Bur we should.
That is am understatement. In the end, they took us more seriously than we took ourselves. The money they spemt on discrediting those they could not buy, on buying those they could, and mefia to question our goals was immense. We never saw it coming.
Fay Reid : of course we accomplished good things. We can now find food items that used to only be available at 'health food' stores, like organic greens and other fruits and vegetables. We have spoken ' truth to power' and can now email, text, phone or write our government and representatives quickly. We can Google anything and get quick answers. We can make video recordings on our phones and share evidence of a crime in real time that might have gone unpunished
And we set an example of what an entire generation could do if motivated. No, we may not have succeeded everywhere we would have liked to, but we tried. We STOOD UP FOR OURSELVES. And we won for awhile.
And we made mistakes. Our mistakes are there for younger generations to learn from. We had a good start, but a lot of us stopped believing in ourselves. We listened to money and greed where once we listened to our hearts and minds. As a group we SOLD OUT. So to the younger genertions I say, DON'T SELL OUT! Don't listen to the wealthy just because they are wealthy. Their wealth did not bring us happiness. They stole our conviction and replaced it with credit cards, and we fell for their lies.Remember, the wealthy only care about their own wealth. They DO NOT CARE ABOUT PEOPLE!
Mo777Jet: I so agree that it is a fallacy to group and stereotype people (don't think that's what Robert meant, though). "Us vs. Them" is at the root of much evil. We need to see people as individuals, not as members of a nation, what skin color they have, in what decade they were born, if they're Butcher, Baker, or Candlestick Maker. And I don't mean "rugged individualism" which is a stereotype in its own rights. BTW, I'm 76 and I don't FEEL old; it's just a number (LOL).
Good rant, Mo. Our age does not matter. And we still have the ability to vote for humanity over greed, stupidity, and what you call evil. The question is, are we going to vote what we believe to be true?
Carol. I agree. I am 70 years old. My best friend was inducted into the Arizona Hall of Fame with Sandra Day O'Connor. They were both in there 90's. I took their picture together and marveled at what they accomplished. They did the best work from age 70 to 90. I have another 20 to 30 years and will continue to lead with love, compassion and understanding of each side of every issue. However, educate yourself. We are living in unchartered waters due to technology. This is a good article that explains a lot of where we are at today: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
Thank you, Prof. Reich, for expressing so beautifully something that keeps me going through the darkest times - the hope that our kids and grandkids will do so much better than we did.
In my mid-40s, after 2 decades of volunteering, I'm about to start my formal training as a professional Youth Worker because I have always believed that our young people are our greatest natural resource.
Jul 1, 2022·edited Jul 1, 2022Liked by Robert Reich
I am no so quick to write off the accomplishments of our generation. Today’s BLM and LGBTQ+ movements rest on the Civil Rights and Women’s Movements of the 60s and 70s. Today’s climate activism echoes the Ecology Movement of our time too. Most significantly, just as the optimism of our parents’ post-war generation created our generation with our idealism and fight and accomplishments, we created the current generation with its. The reason they are so upset is because of the values we instilled in them.
Our generation had powerful and incumbent enemies to fight, and though we fell short of our own goals, we won a lot of very important battles against formidable forces, including the dominant culture and our own government.
Sadly, we didn’t win the war, so the current generation has to continue the fight. We now live in a darker time than the post-war era. Our kids have it worse than we did, which is amazing not only as an American first, but because, if you recall, we had it pretty bad.
I despair that we are not yet at the end of things getting worse before trending better again, but that is how history arcs. It sucks to be a young adult now, but that is not on those of us on this forum. It is on those not on this forum.
Our generation was not entirely made of good guys, but neither was it made entirely of bad guys. Right now, the bad guys are winning, and gloating in their new-found freedom to be bad guys without shame or consequences. It is disgusting, and horrifying, but it will not hold.
Eventually, enough people will be sufficiently fed up that change will come. It is infuriating that enough people do not currently seem to be that fed up with today’s evil-doers. Let’s not forget how many of today’s young adults protest-voted and non-voted Trump into power. Like our generation, and every generation, theirs is not all good guys.
The war is not over. We don’t condemn the soldiers who fought and lost for that fact. We condemn the enemy. The enemy is not “boomers”, it’s some specific people who have done some specific things. The details of who and what have been spelled out better by Prof Reich than by anyone else. I am profoundly sorry that the war is not over, and that the bad guys are currently winning, but the war isn’t over. We on this forum are not the reason for that.
Dear Bennett. Thank you for your thoughts. This planet is evolving and changing. The USA is evolving as well. Keep educating yourself. We are living in unchartered waters with technology. The best thing we can do is lead by example and be role models for the next generation. We can't keep fighting each other and expect to survive. Democracy is at risk. Don't give up on hope. I see rights coming back to the states closer to the people. That is a good thing. The federal government is so big it is stuck in mud. Read this article if you have time. Hugs from Arizona https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
Cecelia, we are in profound disagreement. A lot of what is problematic in America is that we are a confederation of States and not a unified country. The idea that State governments are so much better run than the Federal government is mostly a fairytale, and where it is true it is because the Federal government is impeded by being a collection of States.
Every single time that States Rights are asserted, it is in the service of depriving some portion of the population of their civil rights or of public safety. Every time Congress fails to act in favor of civil rights or public safety, it is because we are a collection of States. If we let States do their thing unfettered by the nasty ol' Feds, we'd still have segregation -- strike that -- we'd still have slavery. There would still be Americans unprotected by Social Security and Medicare and basic labor laws. I bet there would still be American women who couldn't vote or own property or get a credit card.
We have the most gun violence and deaths in the States with the most lax gun laws. We have vastly varying quality of public education in our independent States. We have States where seat belts are effectively optional, or optional in the back seat. We are about to see a return to what we already know about abortion -- those States that criminalize it will have more adult woman deaths due to illegal abortions, especially among our least privileged citizens, and more children raised in poverty.
States Rights is only the answer if what is wanted is for more people in America to live poorly.
Couldn’t agree more. My husband, who is English, is always pointing out the differences between the UK and the US for just this reason. States should have very little power. Otherwise we’re not a country, we’re a confederation.
Paula, Though I can’t speak for Bennett, speaking solely for myself, I don’t agree with the generalization that “States should have very little power.” Were that the case, States would have no recourse when federal Courts, for example, abuse their power.
I generally agree with your thesis, but consider what the US Supreme Court is doing now, which is, for the first time ever, taking away our rights, & making it even harder to combat climate chaos & environmental destruction, I want my state government to protect its citizens from SCOTUS or congressional or executive overreach.
I live on the West Coast, so I have more faith in my state government at this point. If I were in a red or purple state, I'd probably feel entirely differently.
Yeah, as a liberal (that is, as a decent human being), I am glad to live in a major city in California. Tactically, I am glad to have California protections for those of us here (and those who travel here when their home State is too screwed up to allow them to take care of themselves). But strategically, this country would be so much better off being a unified country (with a general liberal leaning). We are very far away form that. In the meantime, I'd be very happy to have all the Red States secede, stop taking that horrible socialist tax money from Blue States that supports them, and to have to deal with their crappy schools and economies while we build a wall to keep them out. :-)
Bennett. The federal government is too big. It can no longer operate effectively. We have safety net programs put in place to help people. Unfortunately many people figured out how to "work the system". The federal government needs to call in Six Sigma. Reorganize. Some state governments do operate better than the federal government. That is no fairytale.
It's the nature of time, life, the universe that there are always new twists to the way reality plays out. You probably made major dents in its direction. It all pays off. The only question is whether we have done what we could. I believe in a different sort of universe than most people. I don't see it in terms of God or No God. I see it in terms of the eventual rise of infinite varieties of life, from life on a subatomic scale out to the furthest folds of hidden dimensions, and I believe that the only reason we don't see it all around us is that this is our first exposure to it all and they, who have been here for eons, let us use this time, this little introductory period when there are no other influences upon us other than those natural to our environment, and they watch what we make of ourselves and of our times. They learn from this about our character and what to expect from us over the coming eons. What we experience after death — a problem that all that other life conquered a long time ago, trust me! — is largely dependent on what we make of ourselves now. So is it the time of the young? Yes. But if you've used your time wisely and well, all time is yours from here on. You often ask if we are optimistic or hopeful. I would say that I am. I am glad you are too. Best not to lose sight of that. There is an infinite future in front of us, once we get over that little road bump of the first life.
The question is, given the current struggles both politically and socially, do we have enough people willing to change things for the better? We can’t forget the massive amount of people under the Trumpism spell, and I’m not naïve enough to think it will die with him. Many children grow up with their parents ideals and I fear not enough have the will to break the cycle and think for themselves.
Jul 1, 2022·edited Jul 1, 2022Liked by Robert Reich
I think Robert himself points out that many Trumpists understand too well that the system is rigged against us. That is where we need to start. Change the system. Enact laws that put people first, not corporations. Tax land and resources instead of labour. Introduce universal health care. Break the power of Big Pharma. Force Big Tech platforms to be interoperable. Act against monopoly power. Start prosecuting white collar crime instead of settling lawsuits for a fine. The list of things that could be done immediately is long, if we voted in representatives who acted in the public interest.
True and I agree on those points, what they fail to understand is that he represents those things that they hate. He does not care for the average citizen, only himself.
Agreed. But what if the message the Trump voter is sending is that they feel that the Democrats do not care either?
For example, the Democrats had plenty of time to turn Roe v Wade into law, or to introduce a carbon fee and dividend, or to change the law that prohibits the Secretary of Health from negotiating prescription drug prices, etc, etc.
This is why we need new voices elected. For too long on both sides it’s been the old guard in charge. Nothing will change in either party if we don’t change that.
Agreed. What convinced me that we need a new party is https://hiddentribes.us/media/qfpekz4g/hidden_tribes_report.pdf If one looks at their analysis and adds in that currently only a very small percentage of voters decides on who wins the primaries, it becomes clear that the vast majority of Americans is not represented at all.
It’s spot on, after all one only needs to look at the last presidential election for proof. More Americans than ever before wanted change, and they got it but it wasn’t drastic enough. That more than anything is why people are disappointed with the Biden administration. I’ll say it again, we need fresh faces, preferably younger people to be elected.
If only Democrats had chosen candidates that ran on those issues rather than centrist, corporatist candidates that are influenced by their donors, all those proposals you mention would already be enacted.
Bernie, who did run on those issues & more, did spark an interest among many Republicans as well as Democrats & Independents. Warren also ran on those issues & had developed a well thought-out plan to solve just about every one of our major problems. But the corporate establishment that controls the party would always come up with a reason why they & other progressives should not be the nominee & they always prevailed.
Keep in mind, THEY have the microphone. That is more of a danger than the fact that there are far more of us. There is a lot of frustration about Biden. It is good to discuss on forums like this but we must LEARN from republicans that we do not criticize our leaders who cannot proceed without senate votes etc. I hear a lot of Biden is failing from the Dem side. Nice way to help ReThugliCons.
We can do this in “normal” times not when we are on the brink of full-on Fascist rule! Suck it up and help us gain the seats. Then shout from the rooftops whoever you want to blame.
Not convinced of what? I glanced at the link but don’t have tome to read a book. Our intelligence knows Russia & likely others tampered with elections with a propaganda campaign. I specifically pointed out congress is not represented in age, race, gender. What are you talking about?
Don't forget the forces you have been up against. What we see now is the consequence of corporate power fighting the progress from the 1960ies on all fronts. Unfortunately, the development of modern communications infrastructure has shifted the balance from the power of the people even further to the power of the corporations. Fortunately, on both sides of the spectrum, more people become aware of the problem of corporate power. But we still spend too much time on culture wars and too little time on the economic and environmental problems. We cannot solve the latter as long as we allow corporations to run politics.
Thank you. I was part of the 60's. I protested on many fronts and in the 70's I cut my hair, shaved off my beard and put those ideals in my heart and raised a family of free thinking women who today see the injustices and speak out about them. All is not lost and when things look bleak for those whose hearts are in the right place, there will be a team when the injustices will be changed. Hopefully it will not be a bloody one. Yes, there is goodness in our world and it will rise above what is happening now. I have faith in all of us. Now, my wife and I donate to causes as we can and talk with our grandchildren about the necessary things needed to keep our country free. Life, through all that is happening is still beautiful.
Gerald. Thank you for your comment. We see what is in our hearts. We are living in unchartered waters right now. I can still walk into my back yard and see the paradise my husband and I have created. I can text my grandchildren who respond back immediately to me. Life can be beautiful but we need to keep our country free to make choices. I totally believe in giving more decisions back to the states that are closest to their people. This is a good article what is happening with democracy and technology. We older baby boomers need to become smarter than computers. Be role models for the next generation. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
That communications power oscillates; the development of distributed information technologies (desktop computing, Internet, etc.) is a big shift in favor of the people! Corporations may try to consolidate their grip - but open platforms & standards have democracy built-in; kudos for your thoughtfulness & being responsible in raising your voice & sharing your opinion.
I totally agree that there are forces in both directions. But, so far, what was the free internet in the 90s turned into a surveillance machine. Maybe we can turn this around by building decentralised social networks that are based on people owning and controlling their own data, but at the moment this is just a utopia. Let me also add that one obstacle turning this idea into practice is the legal structure we have, which leads us back to the topic of the influence that Big Tech (and corporations more generally) have on politics.
What I found shocking about the article is that the last time I heard people worrying about things like this was during real existing socialism (their own words) before the Wall came down. It really has rings of the Stasi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi
Thanks for the link ... if you don't know this yet you might want to watch this video with Tristan Harris (who appears in the article you link) https://www.humanetech.com/technologists
He proposes a quite detailed approach how to reform social media. It is also simple and radical: To change to a business model that does not try maximize income from adverts.
This is also a good example where maximizing profits directly harms society.
You hit on a very important point. We have social technology that thrives on greed (free markets), but we do not have social technology that leverages the generosity of people. This is one of the arguments in favour of a universal basic income. People are both selfish and generous. If we had more time to do things not dictated by markets, generosity could play a bigger role in our economy and provide much needed balance. What is also missing is a better way to finance public goods. Governments have a bad reputation for this in the US, but without better public goods democracy will not survive in this country for long, I believe.
Please use your remaining energy to mentor folks younger than us. You have valuable experience and resilience to teach. Please don’t be negative now: we need all hands on deck!
I think we started out pretty well. But by the time Reagan came along we were out earning a living and got distracted. This happens as people need to focus on making money. It’s discouraging but not a cause for blame.
We kicked the can down the road and by the time the Piper came to be paid we had forgotten about it. We missed our chance to turn the arch in time to save the environment.
I spent a career in public service. Actually, multiple careers in public service. I am now a retired septuagenarian. I recall our parents’ generation expressing similar angst about the future. We did not do so bad. Could we have done better? Sure. But we…made a difference across so many domains. While I still involve myself in philanthropic activities…I recognize that it is time for the next generation to enter the stage. As for the comment that “the old generation doesn’t let us put our foot in the door”…you have to push the door. It will open but be prepared to act…and make a difference.
Thank you. Too many people say "I can't get a job because of old people, foreign, people, affirmative action..." . Bullshit! I retired in 2021, i was nearly 88. Now at nearly 90 I still get job offers, I just don't want to work. What I most regret is I didn't do more to combat the greed that started in the 70's and despite defeating the trumpster in 2020 is still too strong
"Occasionally I’m haunted by an overwhelming sense of failure — not just my own failure but my entire generation’s failure."
The first time this hit me really hard was when Russia attacked Ukraine. I still remember when the Wall came down, the sense of optimism that was around. 30 years later we live on a dying planet and even make things worse by fighting senseless wars.
Thank you Robert Reich! You have used your intelligence, education and talents to make a difference for humanity. There is no question in my mind that you could have been one of todays 900 plus American billionaires buying, selling and, controlling politicians but, you chose to serve rather than be served. And yes, the next generation need all of the encouragement we can give them.
I feel the same way, Pam. Listening to Robert Reich sustains me. I am grateful that Berkeley has a school of public policy and that he teaches there. One of the most discouraging things to me about the Ivy League is that so many of its graduates flock to Wall Street. And the tech indisutry is is great part a misogynist fiefdom. After a long crusade against Big Government, the right has taken it over while we have somehow fallen asleep at the wheel, but the very fact that Liz Cheney, whose parents I viewed as the heart of darkness, has indeed gone against the grain. We never know where help will come from or if it will be adequate against the darkness. But as I near my 80th birthday, I refuse to give up. I can't march, but I can support those who do, and I look for ways to exercise the influence I have.
It really is that simple. Human nature as in “Nature” goes through cycles. The season’s. As I sit here looking at the Day Lillies we planted in April I remember the same ground covered with ice and snow just 2 months prior. Mother Nature, our planet our home will never let us down. This reality humbles the beast eventually. Old age reveals many stories. As the Redwoods continue to live on in their silence they are examples to the young seedlings about which they will become.
I feel the same sense of failure in spite of a lifetime of work. We have to remember that the seeds we planted take time to grow into maturity. The blooms and fruit will come, whether we are here to see them or not.
I agree. We of this generation have made a royal mess of things I am sad to say. How did we get to this point? I am afraid that we just didn't bother to get involved enough or soon enough. Possibly we were just too polite to the rowdies.
We knew about climate change and renewable power sources. Hell Ronald Reagan took Jimmy Carters solar collectors off the White House. We knew a lot of things and then we turned 30 and started selling insurance and saving for a boat or second house. Greed and stupidity. No excuses.
I want to be kinder about that. I think the pride and confidence most people had in being American: the ones who saved Europe in WW2, the ones who had such a great rock n' roll history, such great high school memories, such high standards of living, blinded the entire generation from noticing the organized darkness that was encroaching. The Vietnam war ended. Johnson didn't seek re-election, Nixon resigned in disgrace. We won Roe. I think most young boomers thought they succeeded in changing the world. And for a minute it seemed like we did. When Reagan was starting this slide, I tried to get friends to notice the rise of homelessness coincided with de-funding Federal social welfare programs, that de-funding public education and reclassifying ketchup as a vegetable to meet nutritional requirements in school lunches was obscene. But they were too happy and high on being young American adults moving up in the world to believe so much darkness was possible in the new America. They didn't realize the fight never ends. They thought it was ok to change the channel. How could they have known? Yes people got bogged down with debts and house prices and perks. but that was part of the GOP plan, it still is: to get people to think only about themselves, not the whole society. It's a form of 'divide and conquer.' Fox does this every night. We can still do a lot for the society and the planet as a whole. Most boomers have more time now too. Let's decided to wake up and get active. Yes the younger generation is doing to take the reins but we can still be up for the ride. Only buy things you can recycle and recycle them. Only buy things you can compost and make compost Take the bus, not your car.. Just make sure everyone you know votes in November. That alone will go a long way to saving the things we value. My opinion in my work and in my beliefs is that we can always wake up and do more.
Hope is self-generated. If lots of people keep chipping away, that becomes a critical mass.
De-motivation is another GOP trick. We're definitely at a tipping point so this is when we need to keep pushing in our own small way. If enough boomers get back into the frames of mind they had in their youth, there's a lot we can do individually that will add up to get things to tip the way we know it needs to go. Voting, voter registration, campaigning, donating seems to me the most obvious way to help. Older people are often involved at the polls. Also if you have a cause that you've always felt strongly about, it's now or never. We are still very needed. We can still walk the walk.
I disagree. We got lazy. The environment now is not as rich and unspoiled as it was when we were young. Species including insects have gone extinct because of us. No excuses. We failed. I am sad and ashamed.
Your despair and regret is obvious in all of your comments here. I understand the feeling as everyone commenting here probably does. I just don't see any benefit to discussing abject failure as if this is the end and there's no use trying to do better. This is where we disagree. The fight has to go on, life has to go on, our children and their children have to go on. We have experience, even our regret has value if used as an object lesson to bring to the perspective of the young who need to keep pushing back. You may think you got lazy, I think people had children, they had responsibilities, global corporations conspired to tantalize us with materialism and burden us with debt while they lobbied the government to rape the earth and tie up our laws aided by propaganda and disinformation.
You can still wake up now with all of this knowledge to work for a better climate and a better world in countless ways. Whatever you think you can do now is what matters, especially to be sure words and actions match. As long as we're still here on earth we have a chance to do better.
What a beautiful reply. I have worked my entire life for life as an ICU nurse. My post was a confession. Sometimes, even for atheists, confession is good for the soul. I was looking at my generation (I am 79) and how collectively we had failed after showing so much promise. I can’t stop trying as what keeps me sane is the beauty of the Pacific Northwest where I live; must do my best to protect this precious place, our only home.
That's so kind of you Molly. And yes, never stop trying! I think angels and devils, heaven and hell are based on the endless struggle between good and evil; fairness, kindness, safety, preserving beauty vs evil, greed and exploitation. When the scale tips away from us, that's not failure just because greater benefit may not seem obvious in one life span. We just have to keep doing what we know is right. There has always been a dark world order that maintains itself and evolves covertly and there's always been tremendous progress made because of the enlightened efforts of good people, and the process goes on.
But let’s not forget what THEY did. All their right-wing think tanks and their goons like Newt Gingrich, Lee Atwater, etc. geared up for the long haul. Who had ever seen anything like this before? It’s no sin not to have realized how evil, organized, and ruthless they were and are. Let’s start from here and give them hell.
Exactly! It took most people decades to believe this was happening in the country they loved and trusted, but here we are so let's help the next generation by continuing to actively volunteer, donate and to live our lives the way we think is best for the future of our planet and our country.
The shortest response to those students: If not you, then who? You may never have a better opportunity to discover how creative and inspiring you can be.
Thank you Robert Reich for sharing. I respect and trust your knowledge, experiences and views. I’m reading, listening to your voice at 1:30 a.m. sleepless. When I first began reading/listening to you, almost daily, I heard a sense of history and optimism about the future or at least what we could do to “fix” it. But now I hear deep worry and discouragement. Is it too late? The Supreme Court packed by TFG and the repubs are destroying our Democracy. The most immoral and unethical people run the courts and Repub party. Destroying any chance of recovery for our Environment, for sane Gun laws, for women’s right to choose, reproductive rights, it’s a daily assault by crooks and mob rule. My biggest worry is for our children and grandchildren.
Irenie, I continue to be optimistic about the longterm -- mainly because of the young people I work with and teach. I've never encountered a generation more dedicated to righting the wrongs in the world. But I'm obviously worried about what happens over the next several years.
Professor Reich, you engender that optimism because of the segment of young people you’re engaged with. Yesterday I watched a video clip of two young women, normal in appearance and dress, being interviewed before entering a Trump rally. When asked what they thought about January 6th they had no clue what the interviewer was talking about. They had no knowledge of the riot at the Capitol. Interviews with other attendees demonstrated a shocking level of ignorance and outright stupidity, yet their vote counts the same as yours. The SC will be taking up a case next term that may give state legislatures complete power over voting, with no court oversight. Three Justices have expressed interest in it. Can you imagine what that would do to our democracy? With our reactionary Supreme Court, the possible loss of the House and Senate, and a thousand “paperwork coups” at voting sites in red states, your students may end up as successful as the protestors in Hong Kong, or the left wing in Hungary. 2022 and 2024 will be a key test for our democracy. If the GOP takes total control, with Trump or DeSantis as president, we would be in an existential crisis. I’m 74 years old and I’ve never been this worried about our democracy. We’re very worried about our daughter’s future.
This is exactly why these midterms are literally the most important election in American history. We need the biggest landslide of all time, more votes than in 2020. We need to expand the court. We need to check the imbalance of this SC over-reach, we need to indict Trump and all who helped him plot the insurrection and then see if we can dissolve all of the Federal court appointments made during his criminal regime. We need to codify a whole lot of legislation. We can only do this with resounding majorities in both Houses. Working to get everyone registered and to the polls, regardless of the voting restrictions currently in their States, is a perfect job for semi-retired or retired boomers who have the time and the will and the recollection of when America was more functional. If this is the legacy of boomers, it's an urgent one and a fine one.
I’m there with you Wende. As of this post, I’m giving up all my political reading and podcasts, including the New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Professor Reich, etc etc etc. I’m happy to remain a paid subscriber to Professor Reich because I think his words are excellent…..but I just can’t take it anymore. From attacks on our democracy, reproductive rights, climate disaster, the horror in Ukraine, etc etc etc etc , it’s just too much for this old sensitive liberal. I’m going to concentrate on getting out the vote and donations. We already get enough emails soliciting donations to keep the KGB busy for weeks. My sister donates more than we do, to a whole raft of liberal entities, and she gets up to 1000 emails….per day. I’ve got to remain sane and healthy, so I put on my headphones and listen to “Relaxation Radio” on Pandora while opening the latest request from the DCCC. All those envelopes are further evidence of the disfunction in our politics. We are fast becoming The Disunited States of America and I don’t know where it ends. I’ll do what I can in my time remaining, but I’ve got to keep my mind more serene. Fortunately, we live in a beautiful area with trees, mountains, and water. May the best of American ideals…..as mythologized as many of them were….somehow prevail.
Zip, if you are talking about the recent Jordan Klepper interviews of the (I love him and catch all his work that I can) Maga gathering, I think I viewed the same piece. Yes, it was staggering to watch these two young women appear brain dead on the question. But the impression I really came away with is they didn't want to talk to him so I think that was an ACT. Now, that doesn't mean I think they're well informed, NO, they're utterly ignorant, after all, look at where they are. But those girls did not want to talk to Klepper....if we're talking about the same clip.
It’s the same clip. I got the feeling they actually didn’t know. They kind of did Mark Twain’s quote in reverse:
“It’s better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool that to open it and remove all doubt.”
Zip, it takes a considerable amount of 'willful ignorance' to be a member in good standing for the trumpublican cult. Did not see the video you speak of, but over the last several years I have seen enough to call into question my aging comprehension. 😉 Sometimes I just don't get it, what do they see as the end benefit?
Zip, I have the same worries about losing our precious Democracy while our 5 Gen X adult kids, 4 are boys, stand by & watch it happen without a care in the world! Surprisingly, several of the 12 grands show a much stronger interest in the political fate of our country. I believe the boys have all agreed with tRump when he starts ranting about grievances but I really don’t understand what they have to complain about. If anything they all were spoiled & have had a good life light years away from what many poor Black & Hispanic kids had to deal with! They lapped up all the lies tRump was spewing & they insisted he was the better choice for President! Not one has said they were wrong or even said they should have paid more attention to my emails & text msgs I used to forward truthful info to them! They all believed they knew the truth about what was happening under the terror reign of tRump. I think they are lost & have nothing good to say about President Biden. The Grand kids in HS & College have a lot more to say about the damage tRump has done to our country & are worried about the ability of Biden to fix all the problems due to his age. I believe most of the Grands will become good Democrats! We’ll just have to see what happens in the coming years I suppose & see if more tRump Rethugs finally see the truth about #45 & relegate him to the History books & jail. I certainly hope so!
You’re a very humble being. A very smart young man once said “I'm not saying I'm gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that WILL change the world.” I see no failure here, only sparks!
Liv, wonderful quote. “…spark the brain that will change the world.” Change the story. This conversation really does put hope on the table.
One of my favorites from what most would consider an unlikely source, Tupac Shakur. I’ll admit just the mention of how worried y’all are has me terrified....like don’t leave me(us) here! I’m trying to stay hopeful. With all the bad there has to be so much good coming, some day🤞
Absolutely, the spark!
Thank you Robert. I know you have the long view, so if you’re optimistic, then that’s my path, too. Worry can be a catalyst for action and change, so that’s the road I’ve followed. Political change is happening so fast, we have to pay attention. I work with the younger people and their families and teachers, so I’m keenly aware of the need to speak up and act on their behalf. I’m relieved that you see the young adult generation as not only concerned but connected to making change. Action. Onward!
I TOLD you already, Bob, you are not old. Human beings are programmed to live to 110 at least. There is plenty of time to hatch a new plan. Everything has to be based on reality this time. Love to you, beautiful man.
Robert, this is EXACTLY what I believe and feel. I am frightened for the next several years, the country is clearly, well, to me, headed for upheaval and the already authoritarian states may well anchor their power. But, long term, the country will likely right itself with the coming of age of a new generation. I am always grateful for your voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxWTDcP9Y5E
Daniel, my favorites. Peter, Paul and Mary. We need a big hammer! Each of us. Thank you.
Irenie, humanity has always been at war with itself. Even in the most desperate situations, it has never been too late to restore good in the world, morally speaking. Practically speaking, which is most people's concern, victory has always been at hand. We should question our perceptions. They can drive us to feel overwhelmed but this an emotional state, not an objective assessment of what can be done.
Philippe you hit the nail on the head. We have work to do in the USA. However, we need to work together on real solutions. Educate others as we are living in uncharted waters with technology. This article is insightful. Sending hugs from Arizona https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
Philippe & Cecelia, You both sound good and wholesome people. You both have good ideas/attitudes that can be used in a sensible America, but your working together idea is just WISHFUL THINKING. I too, worry about the America that my mature daughter will have to live in, plus all the innocent little children, but you will never change the evils who are trying to make America a dictatorship country.
The most I could hope for as for living is another 10 years. Not many live to be 100. I saw what was causing America's fall (even though I couldn't see it falling just this way) back after WWII, but it might have been about the time of the Korean war. Anyway, The evil Bible thumpers were spreading lies over the radios and as they made their way on TV, they really got going strong. The thumpers and Republican's game was/is to tell the same lies over and over until they brainwashed people. Over these many, many years there have been many millions born with the evil mind-set bred into them.
I know from experience, that no one is going to make these sheep admit to the truth. They DON'T want the truth. If one is found that will change his/hers way of thinking, it would be a miracle.
These people change the Bible and the constitution around to suit their position. Their reasonings are so childish that it is even hard to refute them. They are NOT going to say they have been wrong, even if they see it. Their education is not an issue. I have encountered many highly educated people who have the same lousy mind-set. Education doesn't mean that one has commonsense, or even want to stand for truthful/lawful principles.
Until we get so-called religion out of schools, government and government out of religion, not many good things will happen. And, this old bull shit "that no one is above the law" is just that, bull shit. That was really affirmed to me when Ford pardoned Nixon.
Our Democratic party have been timid for many years and let the Bible thumpers get away with their lies. Yes, we have Robert Reich and others speaking out about what has been going on for many years. Many strong women have been trying to wake the party up, but it takes more to wage the fight that is needed. I view Biden about as strong as wet tissue paper. AG Garland has yet to prove that he is much stronger. I am hoping.
I don't have many good answers, but I know that going along and getting along will not cut it. IT JUST ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN BY BEING NICE.
"America just needs a better class of citizens."
Definitely Democrats have been too nice. I don't understand why Biden doesn't realize this at this point. I think he thinks he's going to fix the process by respecting it but now it's obvious Democrats were naive about the real goals of their opposition all along. On the cusp of losing democracy to religious autocracy, these midterms may be our only chance. We need the biggest turn-out in history. That's something boomers can help with by volunteering as a matter of urgency.
It seems to me, Dewey, that we totally agree. It is not about being nice and civil—we'll leave this bad excuse for doing nothing to Democrat "leaders"—but about rationality vs. fake religious values and fake values in general. Granted, not everyone is ready to exert their rational mind, but everyone is human. I have faith in people. They did not follow Franklin D. Roosevelt because they understood all what he was doing or why, but because they felt he was genuine and well-intended. Even hard-core Trumpists can turn around and get out of their lunacies if they find someone who speaks directly to them and respects their intelligence. Look at what Bernie was able to do back in 2016 and 2017. The issue we have is that he has never shamed his fellow "Democrats" for not engaging in the same way. This is true as well for the Squad, who seems to be very impressed to have a seat in Washington and forgets to go to war.
Thanks, Cecelia.
Just sing this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90WD_ats6eE
And tell 'em about:
https://democrats.org/cda/
Daniel, thanks for this.
My favorite !
They have good references at Baghdad by the Sea!
Thank you, Phiiippe. Deep breath. And wishing the same for the collective We and you and Professor Reich.
It DOES seem to be a very dark time in USA history (& more importantly for me perhaps, [ living in small-fry NZ ] ,- global human history in terms of democracy, climate change, pollution. ... Etc) but I'd like to share a couple of quotes...
"What you focus on- GROWS" - I heard it from Louise L. Hay.
There is currently also an amazing amount of discovery in this time of human history - beyond the imagination of just 40 years ago, within & beyond our solar system, within the cells of our own bodies, & understanding of other forms of life [refer Anna Breytenbach, Koko the Gorilla, Alex the African Grey (& Irene Pepperill) ]. ...... &....
"BE the change you wish to see in the World". - Ghandi
You & I are not as influential as Robert Reich but our lives can still influence perhaps a handful of younger people to grow our values beyond our own lives if we live them as best we can. .. Cheers
John. YOU hit the nail on the head. Our world and the USA has changed dramatically the past 30 years due to technology. We can no longer look at the past to predict our future. We need to lead with wisdom and compassion. We are not as influential as Robert Reich. But we do have our area of influence. Like you said with quote by Ghandi: "Be the change you wish to see in the World. The next generation is watching us. Let's all be good role models. Sending you hugs from Arizona. This is a good article about technology and how it is changing democracy. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
Thanks for the reminder, John, I’m an activist for children and this is my favorite quote, “BE the change you wish to see in the World". - Ghandi” we can’t give up.
Our parents/grandparents thought the same- every generation has its older detractors- and the young ones
Think things will be better when they all die off…stupid cycle that does no one any good! We’re allies- can you imagine if we seniors really joined forces with the 20somethings?
Susan. My company helps people that need help. I work with a group of amazing people from ages 25 to 45. I am 70 years old. What we are accomplishing together is transitional! I admire them and they look up to me. We can join forces. However, we need to quit dividing the USA. We need to work together to find real solutions. We can do it! Angel Hugs from Arizona.
Irenie. Don't despair. Don't give up on hope. In the USA and around the world we are living in unchartered waters. We can no longer look at the past to predict the future. We need to educate ourselves and be excellent role models for the next generation. This article will help you to understand how technology is changing our world. Let's all work together to find real solutions. Sending you hugs from Arizona. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
Thank you Cecilia. I’m working on not despairing by Doing! Just wrote 200 VOTE postcards. And I’m an activist. I read the Guardian article. 2017. In my own work with Children’s issues I recognize the danger. And the “likes” ! It’s so true yet today here we are communicating constantly with technology. Smartphone addiction! I might have this problem! A computer in our hand. 24 hours a day. It’s real.
Or as Yeats put it:
The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity.
You can't get TOO discouraged, Irenie! Are we in HORRIFIC hot water as the result of a mad man-child and those he conned? Yes. Can a SINGLE executive action change EVERYTHING? ALSO yes.
Biden and the cowardly Americans he is beholden to just need to hike up their pants and MESSAGE MESSAGE MESSAGE!
WHO wants to do away with American democracy? _RUMPLICANS. WHO kill MILLIONS each year because they STILL suckle at the shrivled teet of obsolete fossil fuel billionaires? _RUMPLICANS.
MOST IMPORTANT: WHO can stop all this and return BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS? DEMOCRATS.
Thank you, Daniel, we humans are complicated. Yes, I’m so so discouraged but at the same time I just wrote 200 Get Out the Vote postcards to Arizona Dem voters. So I do have hope! And I’ll never give up because our work is for our children and grandchildren and the future.
I’m 76 and I’m not about to feel my time is over. Robert, you were right to encourage the young students, of course. But I’m not obsolete.
Of course not, Carol. You and I will go on for another 20 years at least. (My father continued to enjoy life until he was 100. His 101st year was difficult. He almost got to 102.
Thank you, Robert.
I looked you up and found out we’re practically the same age. I was born August 14, 1945, the day WW II ended.
So glad to hear about your father. I hope I can last. My maternal grandparents, and one aunt, lived to be 97.
Agree. One fault that we, at all ages, have developed is stereotyping people, categorizing and labeling them, then consigning whole categories to trash heaps because we dislike what we imagine them all to be. News flash: there are "old people" with potential and good ideas. There are young people who are evil. One of those damn, thwarting labels could be preventing a "old person" from having a job where they, with their experience, might solve some major problem.
Did the previous generation do so well? How did they feel at having let the Nazis kill their peers? Did they say it was, then, all up to our generation?
With one sweeping statement, stereotypers consign all of one generation's progress in medicine, technology, and more to the dumpster. But human evil exists in all generations. What differs are circumstances. Imagining any young generation as having magically been born without human evil is illogical. But lucky them!
I am tired of being consigned to the trash heap of uselessness and outdatedness while I'm still alive and a heck of a lot more technologically knowledgeable than a many of the young people whom I encounter. But stereotyping speaks, so we all must listen and squash every shred of potential. So It must be true. I am worthless. I don't, however, see that every older person is..But from the way they're treated -- especially by those younger people who are going to solve our problems -- why not just put us all in our coffins now? Why waste good food? Logan's Run rules! Long live stereotyping and Soylent Green!
I don't think Dr Reich was implying we are useless, just that our time is rapidly running out, and we haven't accomplished as much as we hoped. I remember fondly my enthusiasm at being part of the Civil Righrs and Anti Vietnam War movements. But I look now, at the hatred spewed by the far right and wonder, did we accomplish anything?
I still feel we should not think in terms of our time running out, or that we should feel like failures.
How would the world look -- how far would evil, greed, and pseudo-religion have come had we done nothing?
Yes you did accomplish a great deal We have a significant black middle and upper middle class now. We have mixed marriages that are no big deal. We have skepticism about war and military spending. We just never knew how organized, well-funded and relentless the push back would be.
Or some knew but have had insufficient power to stop it. I recall worrying in at least 1978 about corporate power and greed, probably prior. I didn't support letting the company control our pensions, but the majority of my co-workers did. Now, even after the company terminated our pensions using illegal claims, a significant number of my former co-workers support Trump. Despite having tried various voter/education efforts, I have never seen what will work to change made-up, mistaken, closed minds.
Mo777Jet ; Even back in the 50's President Eisenhower warned about the "military-Industrial complex!" People were happy with a government that was working well at the time. We all became complacent. But when the mantra of the 'free market' is that shareholders get the profit ; guaranteed, no matter who or what it hurts, we end up in the mess there is today; where money is speech and ethics and sanity be damned. The idea of the 'common good' is unholy communism or worse ; Socialism.
Citizens United did not help.
You are right. We ignored ALEC since it's founding in the early 70's. We ignored it when it aligned with huge corpotations
We've ignored its secret meetings to write pro corporate, anti-black, anti-hispanic, anti-women, anti-LGBTQ etc legislation. Legislation which is handed to its legislatures in States and enacted into law. And we don't care. Bur we should.
Thank you Wende, you really understand
That is am understatement. In the end, they took us more seriously than we took ourselves. The money they spemt on discrediting those they could not buy, on buying those they could, and mefia to question our goals was immense. We never saw it coming.
Fay Reid : of course we accomplished good things. We can now find food items that used to only be available at 'health food' stores, like organic greens and other fruits and vegetables. We have spoken ' truth to power' and can now email, text, phone or write our government and representatives quickly. We can Google anything and get quick answers. We can make video recordings on our phones and share evidence of a crime in real time that might have gone unpunished
And a lot more!
And we set an example of what an entire generation could do if motivated. No, we may not have succeeded everywhere we would have liked to, but we tried. We STOOD UP FOR OURSELVES. And we won for awhile.
And we made mistakes. Our mistakes are there for younger generations to learn from. We had a good start, but a lot of us stopped believing in ourselves. We listened to money and greed where once we listened to our hearts and minds. As a group we SOLD OUT. So to the younger genertions I say, DON'T SELL OUT! Don't listen to the wealthy just because they are wealthy. Their wealth did not bring us happiness. They stole our conviction and replaced it with credit cards, and we fell for their lies.Remember, the wealthy only care about their own wealth. They DO NOT CARE ABOUT PEOPLE!
You started out very well, but then I think you went downhill. We are NOT on the trash heap! Not at all. 😃This will be understood and ratified.
Mo777Jet: I so agree that it is a fallacy to group and stereotype people (don't think that's what Robert meant, though). "Us vs. Them" is at the root of much evil. We need to see people as individuals, not as members of a nation, what skin color they have, in what decade they were born, if they're Butcher, Baker, or Candlestick Maker. And I don't mean "rugged individualism" which is a stereotype in its own rights. BTW, I'm 76 and I don't FEEL old; it's just a number (LOL).
Good rant, Mo. Our age does not matter. And we still have the ability to vote for humanity over greed, stupidity, and what you call evil. The question is, are we going to vote what we believe to be true?
Carol. I agree. I am 70 years old. My best friend was inducted into the Arizona Hall of Fame with Sandra Day O'Connor. They were both in there 90's. I took their picture together and marveled at what they accomplished. They did the best work from age 70 to 90. I have another 20 to 30 years and will continue to lead with love, compassion and understanding of each side of every issue. However, educate yourself. We are living in unchartered waters due to technology. This is a good article that explains a lot of where we are at today: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
Thank you! Well said.
Thank you, Prof. Reich, for expressing so beautifully something that keeps me going through the darkest times - the hope that our kids and grandkids will do so much better than we did.
In my mid-40s, after 2 decades of volunteering, I'm about to start my formal training as a professional Youth Worker because I have always believed that our young people are our greatest natural resource.
Thank you very much for walking the walk.
They understand global warming and what it means for their future.
Thank you all for the positive responses - getting a Like from Prof. Reich in particular has made my day! ✌️☺️
Good luck to you.
I am no so quick to write off the accomplishments of our generation. Today’s BLM and LGBTQ+ movements rest on the Civil Rights and Women’s Movements of the 60s and 70s. Today’s climate activism echoes the Ecology Movement of our time too. Most significantly, just as the optimism of our parents’ post-war generation created our generation with our idealism and fight and accomplishments, we created the current generation with its. The reason they are so upset is because of the values we instilled in them.
Our generation had powerful and incumbent enemies to fight, and though we fell short of our own goals, we won a lot of very important battles against formidable forces, including the dominant culture and our own government.
Sadly, we didn’t win the war, so the current generation has to continue the fight. We now live in a darker time than the post-war era. Our kids have it worse than we did, which is amazing not only as an American first, but because, if you recall, we had it pretty bad.
I despair that we are not yet at the end of things getting worse before trending better again, but that is how history arcs. It sucks to be a young adult now, but that is not on those of us on this forum. It is on those not on this forum.
Our generation was not entirely made of good guys, but neither was it made entirely of bad guys. Right now, the bad guys are winning, and gloating in their new-found freedom to be bad guys without shame or consequences. It is disgusting, and horrifying, but it will not hold.
Eventually, enough people will be sufficiently fed up that change will come. It is infuriating that enough people do not currently seem to be that fed up with today’s evil-doers. Let’s not forget how many of today’s young adults protest-voted and non-voted Trump into power. Like our generation, and every generation, theirs is not all good guys.
The war is not over. We don’t condemn the soldiers who fought and lost for that fact. We condemn the enemy. The enemy is not “boomers”, it’s some specific people who have done some specific things. The details of who and what have been spelled out better by Prof Reich than by anyone else. I am profoundly sorry that the war is not over, and that the bad guys are currently winning, but the war isn’t over. We on this forum are not the reason for that.
Beautifully said, Bennett.
Well said
Dear Bennett. Thank you for your thoughts. This planet is evolving and changing. The USA is evolving as well. Keep educating yourself. We are living in unchartered waters with technology. The best thing we can do is lead by example and be role models for the next generation. We can't keep fighting each other and expect to survive. Democracy is at risk. Don't give up on hope. I see rights coming back to the states closer to the people. That is a good thing. The federal government is so big it is stuck in mud. Read this article if you have time. Hugs from Arizona https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
Cecelia, we are in profound disagreement. A lot of what is problematic in America is that we are a confederation of States and not a unified country. The idea that State governments are so much better run than the Federal government is mostly a fairytale, and where it is true it is because the Federal government is impeded by being a collection of States.
Every single time that States Rights are asserted, it is in the service of depriving some portion of the population of their civil rights or of public safety. Every time Congress fails to act in favor of civil rights or public safety, it is because we are a collection of States. If we let States do their thing unfettered by the nasty ol' Feds, we'd still have segregation -- strike that -- we'd still have slavery. There would still be Americans unprotected by Social Security and Medicare and basic labor laws. I bet there would still be American women who couldn't vote or own property or get a credit card.
We have the most gun violence and deaths in the States with the most lax gun laws. We have vastly varying quality of public education in our independent States. We have States where seat belts are effectively optional, or optional in the back seat. We are about to see a return to what we already know about abortion -- those States that criminalize it will have more adult woman deaths due to illegal abortions, especially among our least privileged citizens, and more children raised in poverty.
States Rights is only the answer if what is wanted is for more people in America to live poorly.
Couldn’t agree more. My husband, who is English, is always pointing out the differences between the UK and the US for just this reason. States should have very little power. Otherwise we’re not a country, we’re a confederation.
Paula, Though I can’t speak for Bennett, speaking solely for myself, I don’t agree with the generalization that “States should have very little power.” Were that the case, States would have no recourse when federal Courts, for example, abuse their power.
I generally agree with your thesis, but consider what the US Supreme Court is doing now, which is, for the first time ever, taking away our rights, & making it even harder to combat climate chaos & environmental destruction, I want my state government to protect its citizens from SCOTUS or congressional or executive overreach.
I live on the West Coast, so I have more faith in my state government at this point. If I were in a red or purple state, I'd probably feel entirely differently.
Yeah, as a liberal (that is, as a decent human being), I am glad to live in a major city in California. Tactically, I am glad to have California protections for those of us here (and those who travel here when their home State is too screwed up to allow them to take care of themselves). But strategically, this country would be so much better off being a unified country (with a general liberal leaning). We are very far away form that. In the meantime, I'd be very happy to have all the Red States secede, stop taking that horrible socialist tax money from Blue States that supports them, and to have to deal with their crappy schools and economies while we build a wall to keep them out. :-)
Fully agree Bennett and well said!
Bennett. The federal government is too big. It can no longer operate effectively. We have safety net programs put in place to help people. Unfortunately many people figured out how to "work the system". The federal government needs to call in Six Sigma. Reorganize. Some state governments do operate better than the federal government. That is no fairytale.
It's the nature of time, life, the universe that there are always new twists to the way reality plays out. You probably made major dents in its direction. It all pays off. The only question is whether we have done what we could. I believe in a different sort of universe than most people. I don't see it in terms of God or No God. I see it in terms of the eventual rise of infinite varieties of life, from life on a subatomic scale out to the furthest folds of hidden dimensions, and I believe that the only reason we don't see it all around us is that this is our first exposure to it all and they, who have been here for eons, let us use this time, this little introductory period when there are no other influences upon us other than those natural to our environment, and they watch what we make of ourselves and of our times. They learn from this about our character and what to expect from us over the coming eons. What we experience after death — a problem that all that other life conquered a long time ago, trust me! — is largely dependent on what we make of ourselves now. So is it the time of the young? Yes. But if you've used your time wisely and well, all time is yours from here on. You often ask if we are optimistic or hopeful. I would say that I am. I am glad you are too. Best not to lose sight of that. There is an infinite future in front of us, once we get over that little road bump of the first life.
The question is, given the current struggles both politically and socially, do we have enough people willing to change things for the better? We can’t forget the massive amount of people under the Trumpism spell, and I’m not naïve enough to think it will die with him. Many children grow up with their parents ideals and I fear not enough have the will to break the cycle and think for themselves.
I think Robert himself points out that many Trumpists understand too well that the system is rigged against us. That is where we need to start. Change the system. Enact laws that put people first, not corporations. Tax land and resources instead of labour. Introduce universal health care. Break the power of Big Pharma. Force Big Tech platforms to be interoperable. Act against monopoly power. Start prosecuting white collar crime instead of settling lawsuits for a fine. The list of things that could be done immediately is long, if we voted in representatives who acted in the public interest.
True and I agree on those points, what they fail to understand is that he represents those things that they hate. He does not care for the average citizen, only himself.
Agreed. But what if the message the Trump voter is sending is that they feel that the Democrats do not care either?
For example, the Democrats had plenty of time to turn Roe v Wade into law, or to introduce a carbon fee and dividend, or to change the law that prohibits the Secretary of Health from negotiating prescription drug prices, etc, etc.
This is why we need new voices elected. For too long on both sides it’s been the old guard in charge. Nothing will change in either party if we don’t change that.
Agreed. What convinced me that we need a new party is https://hiddentribes.us/media/qfpekz4g/hidden_tribes_report.pdf If one looks at their analysis and adds in that currently only a very small percentage of voters decides on who wins the primaries, it becomes clear that the vast majority of Americans is not represented at all.
It’s spot on, after all one only needs to look at the last presidential election for proof. More Americans than ever before wanted change, and they got it but it wasn’t drastic enough. That more than anything is why people are disappointed with the Biden administration. I’ll say it again, we need fresh faces, preferably younger people to be elected.
If only Democrats had chosen candidates that ran on those issues rather than centrist, corporatist candidates that are influenced by their donors, all those proposals you mention would already be enacted.
Bernie, who did run on those issues & more, did spark an interest among many Republicans as well as Democrats & Independents. Warren also ran on those issues & had developed a well thought-out plan to solve just about every one of our major problems. But the corporate establishment that controls the party would always come up with a reason why they & other progressives should not be the nominee & they always prevailed.
Wise words. I agree and share your fear.
Keep in mind, THEY have the microphone. That is more of a danger than the fact that there are far more of us. There is a lot of frustration about Biden. It is good to discuss on forums like this but we must LEARN from republicans that we do not criticize our leaders who cannot proceed without senate votes etc. I hear a lot of Biden is failing from the Dem side. Nice way to help ReThugliCons.
We can do this in “normal” times not when we are on the brink of full-on Fascist rule! Suck it up and help us gain the seats. Then shout from the rooftops whoever you want to blame.
I am not convinced. I think the problem is that the vast majority of Americans is not represented at all as I argued in another comment. See also https://hiddentribes.us/media/qfpekz4g/hidden_tribes_report.pdf
Not convinced of what? I glanced at the link but don’t have tome to read a book. Our intelligence knows Russia & likely others tampered with elections with a propaganda campaign. I specifically pointed out congress is not represented in age, race, gender. What are you talking about?
So ashamed of my generation who made a huge fuss in the 60’s but didn’t do the real heavy lifting. Shame on us we knew better.
Don't forget the forces you have been up against. What we see now is the consequence of corporate power fighting the progress from the 1960ies on all fronts. Unfortunately, the development of modern communications infrastructure has shifted the balance from the power of the people even further to the power of the corporations. Fortunately, on both sides of the spectrum, more people become aware of the problem of corporate power. But we still spend too much time on culture wars and too little time on the economic and environmental problems. We cannot solve the latter as long as we allow corporations to run politics.
Thank you. I was part of the 60's. I protested on many fronts and in the 70's I cut my hair, shaved off my beard and put those ideals in my heart and raised a family of free thinking women who today see the injustices and speak out about them. All is not lost and when things look bleak for those whose hearts are in the right place, there will be a team when the injustices will be changed. Hopefully it will not be a bloody one. Yes, there is goodness in our world and it will rise above what is happening now. I have faith in all of us. Now, my wife and I donate to causes as we can and talk with our grandchildren about the necessary things needed to keep our country free. Life, through all that is happening is still beautiful.
Gerald. Thank you for your comment. We see what is in our hearts. We are living in unchartered waters right now. I can still walk into my back yard and see the paradise my husband and I have created. I can text my grandchildren who respond back immediately to me. Life can be beautiful but we need to keep our country free to make choices. I totally believe in giving more decisions back to the states that are closest to their people. This is a good article what is happening with democracy and technology. We older baby boomers need to become smarter than computers. Be role models for the next generation. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
That communications power oscillates; the development of distributed information technologies (desktop computing, Internet, etc.) is a big shift in favor of the people! Corporations may try to consolidate their grip - but open platforms & standards have democracy built-in; kudos for your thoughtfulness & being responsible in raising your voice & sharing your opinion.
I totally agree that there are forces in both directions. But, so far, what was the free internet in the 90s turned into a surveillance machine. Maybe we can turn this around by building decentralised social networks that are based on people owning and controlling their own data, but at the moment this is just a utopia. Let me also add that one obstacle turning this idea into practice is the legal structure we have, which leads us back to the topic of the influence that Big Tech (and corporations more generally) have on politics.
Yes, agreed; nothing exists in a vacuum!
A timely link on the dangers of surveillance https://medium.com/@carolinesinders/where-we-go-from-here-1bc60b274692
Alexander. Excellent article. Thank you for sharing.
What I found shocking about the article is that the last time I heard people worrying about things like this was during real existing socialism (their own words) before the Wall came down. It really has rings of the Stasi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi
Alexander. You hit the nail on the head. However, we are now living in unchartered waters with technology. We need to be smarter than computers. If you have time this is an excellent article. Sending you hugs from Arizona. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
Thanks for the link ... if you don't know this yet you might want to watch this video with Tristan Harris (who appears in the article you link) https://www.humanetech.com/technologists
He proposes a quite detailed approach how to reform social media. It is also simple and radical: To change to a business model that does not try maximize income from adverts.
This is also a good example where maximizing profits directly harms society.
A link on the topic that came in just now: https://grist.org/accountability/the-supreme-courts-climate-decision-came-out-of-a-decades-long-campaign-to-kneecap-regulation/
On your statements I am in total agreement. I'm just not sure how to overvime greed
You hit on a very important point. We have social technology that thrives on greed (free markets), but we do not have social technology that leverages the generosity of people. This is one of the arguments in favour of a universal basic income. People are both selfish and generous. If we had more time to do things not dictated by markets, generosity could play a bigger role in our economy and provide much needed balance. What is also missing is a better way to finance public goods. Governments have a bad reputation for this in the US, but without better public goods democracy will not survive in this country for long, I believe.
Part of it is cultural though. We need to stop the selfishness and elevate the importance of working for the common good.
Please use your remaining energy to mentor folks younger than us. You have valuable experience and resilience to teach. Please don’t be negative now: we need all hands on deck!
I think we started out pretty well. But by the time Reagan came along we were out earning a living and got distracted. This happens as people need to focus on making money. It’s discouraging but not a cause for blame.
We kicked the can down the road and by the time the Piper came to be paid we had forgotten about it. We missed our chance to turn the arch in time to save the environment.
I spent a career in public service. Actually, multiple careers in public service. I am now a retired septuagenarian. I recall our parents’ generation expressing similar angst about the future. We did not do so bad. Could we have done better? Sure. But we…made a difference across so many domains. While I still involve myself in philanthropic activities…I recognize that it is time for the next generation to enter the stage. As for the comment that “the old generation doesn’t let us put our foot in the door”…you have to push the door. It will open but be prepared to act…and make a difference.
Thank you. Too many people say "I can't get a job because of old people, foreign, people, affirmative action..." . Bullshit! I retired in 2021, i was nearly 88. Now at nearly 90 I still get job offers, I just don't want to work. What I most regret is I didn't do more to combat the greed that started in the 70's and despite defeating the trumpster in 2020 is still too strong
.
"you have to push the door." YES!
"Occasionally I’m haunted by an overwhelming sense of failure — not just my own failure but my entire generation’s failure."
The first time this hit me really hard was when Russia attacked Ukraine. I still remember when the Wall came down, the sense of optimism that was around. 30 years later we live on a dying planet and even make things worse by fighting senseless wars.
One wall fell, dear friend, then new ones were built - longer walls are being built right now.
Thank you Robert Reich! You have used your intelligence, education and talents to make a difference for humanity. There is no question in my mind that you could have been one of todays 900 plus American billionaires buying, selling and, controlling politicians but, you chose to serve rather than be served. And yes, the next generation need all of the encouragement we can give them.
I feel the same way, Pam. Listening to Robert Reich sustains me. I am grateful that Berkeley has a school of public policy and that he teaches there. One of the most discouraging things to me about the Ivy League is that so many of its graduates flock to Wall Street. And the tech indisutry is is great part a misogynist fiefdom. After a long crusade against Big Government, the right has taken it over while we have somehow fallen asleep at the wheel, but the very fact that Liz Cheney, whose parents I viewed as the heart of darkness, has indeed gone against the grain. We never know where help will come from or if it will be adequate against the darkness. But as I near my 80th birthday, I refuse to give up. I can't march, but I can support those who do, and I look for ways to exercise the influence I have.
It really is that simple. Human nature as in “Nature” goes through cycles. The season’s. As I sit here looking at the Day Lillies we planted in April I remember the same ground covered with ice and snow just 2 months prior. Mother Nature, our planet our home will never let us down. This reality humbles the beast eventually. Old age reveals many stories. As the Redwoods continue to live on in their silence they are examples to the young seedlings about which they will become.
I feel the same sense of failure in spite of a lifetime of work. We have to remember that the seeds we planted take time to grow into maturity. The blooms and fruit will come, whether we are here to see them or not.
DK "Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Sending you hugs from Arizona.
Beautiful quote that I'd never heard before! And of course, old women too! My mom has always been my biggest inspiration that we can do better.
Yes, it is our time but the old generation doesnt let us put our foot in the door .
I hope many of us can become like Pete Buttigieg.
Then push harder! Look at AOC and her squad. They’re young and they’re awesome. You can do it!!! 😘😘
Yep, like Pete Buttigieg. Please explain the other part.
Actually, please the second one too. :)
Yes! Our youngest generation. We must do all we can to empower, promote and listen to them - across all boundaries and origins.
With my last breath . .
I agree. We of this generation have made a royal mess of things I am sad to say. How did we get to this point? I am afraid that we just didn't bother to get involved enough or soon enough. Possibly we were just too polite to the rowdies.
We knew about climate change and renewable power sources. Hell Ronald Reagan took Jimmy Carters solar collectors off the White House. We knew a lot of things and then we turned 30 and started selling insurance and saving for a boat or second house. Greed and stupidity. No excuses.
I want to be kinder about that. I think the pride and confidence most people had in being American: the ones who saved Europe in WW2, the ones who had such a great rock n' roll history, such great high school memories, such high standards of living, blinded the entire generation from noticing the organized darkness that was encroaching. The Vietnam war ended. Johnson didn't seek re-election, Nixon resigned in disgrace. We won Roe. I think most young boomers thought they succeeded in changing the world. And for a minute it seemed like we did. When Reagan was starting this slide, I tried to get friends to notice the rise of homelessness coincided with de-funding Federal social welfare programs, that de-funding public education and reclassifying ketchup as a vegetable to meet nutritional requirements in school lunches was obscene. But they were too happy and high on being young American adults moving up in the world to believe so much darkness was possible in the new America. They didn't realize the fight never ends. They thought it was ok to change the channel. How could they have known? Yes people got bogged down with debts and house prices and perks. but that was part of the GOP plan, it still is: to get people to think only about themselves, not the whole society. It's a form of 'divide and conquer.' Fox does this every night. We can still do a lot for the society and the planet as a whole. Most boomers have more time now too. Let's decided to wake up and get active. Yes the younger generation is doing to take the reins but we can still be up for the ride. Only buy things you can recycle and recycle them. Only buy things you can compost and make compost Take the bus, not your car.. Just make sure everyone you know votes in November. That alone will go a long way to saving the things we value. My opinion in my work and in my beliefs is that we can always wake up and do more.
Thank you so much for what you just said.
Thank you!
Thank you. I like your optimism. I'm a generation or so older, so I'm a little more pessimistic. But you offer a ray of hope
Hope is self-generated. If lots of people keep chipping away, that becomes a critical mass.
De-motivation is another GOP trick. We're definitely at a tipping point so this is when we need to keep pushing in our own small way. If enough boomers get back into the frames of mind they had in their youth, there's a lot we can do individually that will add up to get things to tip the way we know it needs to go. Voting, voter registration, campaigning, donating seems to me the most obvious way to help. Older people are often involved at the polls. Also if you have a cause that you've always felt strongly about, it's now or never. We are still very needed. We can still walk the walk.
You are right of course. I hopr lot of people answer the call
Right on and thank you for your thoughts.
I disagree. We got lazy. The environment now is not as rich and unspoiled as it was when we were young. Species including insects have gone extinct because of us. No excuses. We failed. I am sad and ashamed.
Your despair and regret is obvious in all of your comments here. I understand the feeling as everyone commenting here probably does. I just don't see any benefit to discussing abject failure as if this is the end and there's no use trying to do better. This is where we disagree. The fight has to go on, life has to go on, our children and their children have to go on. We have experience, even our regret has value if used as an object lesson to bring to the perspective of the young who need to keep pushing back. You may think you got lazy, I think people had children, they had responsibilities, global corporations conspired to tantalize us with materialism and burden us with debt while they lobbied the government to rape the earth and tie up our laws aided by propaganda and disinformation.
You can still wake up now with all of this knowledge to work for a better climate and a better world in countless ways. Whatever you think you can do now is what matters, especially to be sure words and actions match. As long as we're still here on earth we have a chance to do better.
What a beautiful reply. I have worked my entire life for life as an ICU nurse. My post was a confession. Sometimes, even for atheists, confession is good for the soul. I was looking at my generation (I am 79) and how collectively we had failed after showing so much promise. I can’t stop trying as what keeps me sane is the beauty of the Pacific Northwest where I live; must do my best to protect this precious place, our only home.
That's so kind of you Molly. And yes, never stop trying! I think angels and devils, heaven and hell are based on the endless struggle between good and evil; fairness, kindness, safety, preserving beauty vs evil, greed and exploitation. When the scale tips away from us, that's not failure just because greater benefit may not seem obvious in one life span. We just have to keep doing what we know is right. There has always been a dark world order that maintains itself and evolves covertly and there's always been tremendous progress made because of the enlightened efforts of good people, and the process goes on.
Well said, Wende!
Thank you Professor Reich, for the like. There's no one's opinion I respect more.
But let’s not forget what THEY did. All their right-wing think tanks and their goons like Newt Gingrich, Lee Atwater, etc. geared up for the long haul. Who had ever seen anything like this before? It’s no sin not to have realized how evil, organized, and ruthless they were and are. Let’s start from here and give them hell.
Exactly! It took most people decades to believe this was happening in the country they loved and trusted, but here we are so let's help the next generation by continuing to actively volunteer, donate and to live our lives the way we think is best for the future of our planet and our country.
👍
The shortest response to those students: If not you, then who? You may never have a better opportunity to discover how creative and inspiring you can be.
Many thank yous!