Of course Americans are gloomy. They’re being told left, right and center just how badly Biden and company are doing, all the while the corporatists are raking it in like there’s no tomorrow. People are fed up and want someone to blame. Tucker Carlson tells them to blame Biden as do the rest of the GOP gremlins who don’t give a shit because their coffers continue to overflow. I don’t know what to say anymore because nothing is working in this administration. Now we’ve got the diplomat from the Ukraine telling Biden to dial it back as far as Russia invading its country…because he is “scaring” their countrymen and women, even as more and more Russian troops surround the country on all sides…what?? What game is going on here? In the meantime, Arizona’s poised to impose the greatest strikes against voting including voter subversion, introducing a slew of restrictive voting bills, including an omnibus bill that subverts nonpartisan election administration basically allowing any elector to request a new election be held should an audit be requested and the votes rejected. What?? Biden promised this and Biden promised that but we know as long as McConnell is around, the good Biden has planned to do for the country will never happen…not student loan forgiveness, not Build Back Anything unless it’s cut into little pieces with the hopes of the dastardly GOP throwing it a bone. Then we’ve got the insane Donald trump and his nighttime rallies, inciting the masses, telling them hellacious things like the “vote counter is more important than the candidate.” I know I’m all over the place but as we approach the midterms I foresee more of the same chaos, propaganda and lies, quite possibly foretelling the end of our democracy. And this isn’t me being cynical…just realistic.
PS…as for Starbucks, I’ve got no time for them or their bitter coffee. It was a good idea at the outset, with Howard Schultz who grew up in public housing dreaming of a better way for his employees. But as with everything else in this sad country, the corporatists moved in.
"Chaos, propaganda, and lies" indeed. But I wonder if they could take hold as readily if most Americans didn't sense that those at the top have never done as well, and with their winnings are pouring unprecedented sums into politics?
And by human resource you mean a form of indentured servitude? Because that's what I see and have been talking about since RWR fired the PATCO air traffic controllers and hired scabs. I warned my fellow (union and non-union) workers the day he did that about how this was a very bad trend and I have been trying to get others to understand it since.
JAB ; I guess if a human is a human resource, it is because they can be useful; can be used or employed. If not, they are a burden. Resource says it all. We can be 'resourced', are expendable, like any other marketable goods. At least that is what It looks like. If a human person can work in a position that is satisfying to them, and they are making a livable wage, Ok for them. Otherwise , it may not be so great.
JAB ; I think I described the Republican political platform, as far as what they are 'running on' to do for 'the people'. They have none for the humans, only for the Corporate 'Persons'. What I heard was they want our 'votes' before they will tell us what their plans are for the country. The former guy has said on his microphone to the first rally he has had this year, 'The ones who count the votes, are more important than the candidates', or something very like that. He should be jailed.
Thank you, Dr. Reich…so, how could they take hold as readily when the masses continue to be misinformed, brainwashed even? Forewarned is forearmed but folks have not been hearing the truth for years now, especially if they’ve been counting on Fox or much of online ‘media’ for integrity and honesty in reporting the news. Remember, they were told ad nauseam early on that our news sources/journalists are the “enemy of the people.” So they have looked for other avenues instead like Alex Jones or faux evangelical right wing rubbish The time for the citizens of this country to open up its eyes is fast approaching, dwindling even.
You also have to understand how little you are being informed about what is really going on if you rely just on what MSNBC , the Post, the Times etc. are telling you. Take the Ukraine. What did the Russian ambassador say about the American proposal? You will find virtually nothing about it. What they said was they are willing to negotiate on an arms reduction of short and medium range missiles. Why no discussion? Because Congress is about to take billions that should go into BBB and put it into more military expansion. And Congress knows that most Democrats will let that happen because they don’t even understand that the way you protect Ukrainian independence is not to poke a stick at the bear when you left your shotgun in the barn. Bears can outrun people. The Russians are not afraid of NATO stopping an invasion. De-escalation and arms control not more money flushed down the military drain are the way forward. So figure out the game that is going on here my fellow Democrats.
Unless you view ol' Tweety's objective as being a spoiler to Occupy and Antifa, who'll talk loudly the talk, while delivering the opposite walk, then blaming the Democrats.
The hard economic question is better addressed to Prof Reich. However, it seems that the top 1% already got theirs. I didn't see ol' Tweety ratify any counterbalancing tax >increase< for said 1%. And let's not limit it to the 1%. Let's go all the way down to - say - the top 3%, or maybe 5%! Personally, I'd extend it all the way to the top 10%.
Besides, if memory serves, the pandemic is a deadly, highly contagious virus that's transmitted mainly through closing yourselves into close quarters and >breathing< on each other - just like any other, far less deadly contagion, that doesn't fill ICUs for treatment of the already half-dead. (I understand it's not as bad now, as it was before the advent of the vaccine and the many more people who are now facing facts and getting vaccinated.) Unless you would presume to have me believe the lie that it's otherwise, and that the only >real< power play is not the Q-publican - but Democrat - ploy to grab power and hang onto power at the cost of our very lives. Go ahead and rebut. It won't change >my< view, and I doubt it will have any impact on anyone here that doesn't already believe said lie.
That's why I think it's a mistake for political candidates to promise anything other than their >maximum effort< to achieve what they would otherwise unadvisedly promise. Any "honest" politician could certainly avoid breaking >that< promise.
Mary Hyland ; McConnell has been at it for awhile: just getting away with moves that are out of whatever 'norms' of ethics or tradition. He just does what he wants. There is no decency. Citizens United opened the floodgates of money buying our govermnent.
I agree totally about Starbuck's hypocrisy. I also think most Americans are gloomy because so far - every government toadie and elected official who orchestrated 1/6/21 has not been held accountable for their actions, and too many members of Congress are constantly thumbing their noses at voters while they rake in the cash. I turn 69 next week and have never felt more demoralized about the fact that cheaters, liars and people with not one ounce of integrity continue to prosper!!
Maybe something is brewing in the pot, and it's not coffee. And, it's not for the betterment of society and its people. What is it? 4 things, possibly, more: 1. The fear of a war with Putin and Putin stealing more land from its neighbors. 2. Covid-19 isn't dead, it's transforming itself. And, for the life of me, I still don't understand why people won't get vaxxed. 3. The American Dream has turned into a nightmare and only the wealthy can see their way through it... just stomp on the backs of all Americans that have less than you do. 4. The awful feeling that it takes so long for good to win out. Sometimes decades, but it takes less than a wink of the eye for an underhanded republican to mess up what is good about democracy.
If there is a feature I wish Americans would embrace once more, it would be unionism. My entire family understood the power of the union in securing a living wage and benefits. Americans have been duped by “right to work” laws which have eviscerated unions across this country. Gone are the days when George Meany carried the water for working families. The Democratic Party lost its bearings when it turned away from the bread and butter issues facing American families. Thus the state of our Democracy.
The latest polls show more than 60 percent of Americans favor labor unions -- the highest percentage since 1970. But it's become very hard to form one (see Amazon, Starbucks, etc).
I am a strong supporter of unions in theory. However, there are unions and unions, and there's no guarantee that a union will be on the level. Years ago when I worked at Macy*s, a co-worker and I got the idea of visiting the offices of our local SEIU union. There were so many abuses and violations of laws and regulations, so many health hazards and unfair labor practices, etc., that we thought we might be able to start a union or at least bring the issue to a vote. (It was at the meeting with the union guys that I discovered that my male co-worker who started work the same week as I was making $2.00 more per hour.) We were dumb--both of us--and very naive about how to go about it but we signed union cards. What the union guys did was back out of it and try to turn the entire drive over to us--and we didn't have a clue. I organized a sort of meeting of the two union guys at my apartment house and the union guys promised help from a union store not far from our store. That was as far as the union guys went. However, management at my store harassed and threatened me over a few years and informed me that, if I had an issue of any kind, I would not be able to address my concerns with anyone in mgmt. I always believed (and still believe) that Macy*s had paid off the two union guys as no one put in an effort to get anywhere with this.
Bravo Tony. You're right on point. When talking about George Meany, you're talking about the height and might of working people and the power and ability make an honest living. I'm blessed that way also of gorging a way through the trade unions in raising my family. You're also very perceptive in recognizing when the Democratic Party lost it's way. Bill Clinton and a wave of young democratic politicians entering politics replacing others out of the unpopularity of the Vietnam War. Working people had taken care of the Democratic Party ever sense FDR, yet these young politicians had a different way of looking at Wall Street and Investment banks. A hold over from the greed is good days. If you're into reading, look into "How The South Won The Civil War", by Heather Cox Richardson. I've read the book but I also listen to the audio CD. Extremely informative.
I always have mixed feelings about unions, maybe it was all the horror stories I heard about the UAW when I was kid growing up in the Midwest in the 60's. Today's police unions don't give me much confidence or earn my respect either. Sometimes, I try to imagine what would happen if employers didn't hold all the cards, where they actually had to compete for workers. And the government actually provided for all the basic worker needs for ensuring worker safety, reasonable work hours and pay, adequate paid leave and then above and beyond all that provided for the education, healthcare and retirement of all workers (all citizens actually). It seems like a win-win to me, too good to be true. Would we even need or want unions then?
In Denmark and Norway (where I lived off- and on for five years or so), there were strong trade unions of all kinds. The government required that certain industries (building/construction, health care workers, educators, retail workers, research workers, well, practically every worker, join a union of some kind. The unions were carefully supervised and looked over by agencies of the government, so as to prevent them from descending into illegal (and self-promoting) practices. The government also supervised working conditions in ways that are probably unheard of in the USA; for example, stores were required to abide by government-set hours of business and conditions of employment. What this meant was that (when I lived there) all stores were closed after 2:00PM on Saturdays and all day Sunday. And this same rule applied to neighborhood shops as well as the large downtown dept stores. What this did was put all businesses on the same basic schedule so that the large stores did not have huge advantages over the Mom-and-Pop type shops. (It worked a real hardship on foreigners save for the fact that there were 7-11 type shops at the railroad stations and bus stations so that emergency supplies were still available.) This was the system in Denmark and led to a kind of government control of employers that guaranteed a safe and well-run labor environment. It was not ideal but the govt would not tolerate the kind of abuse that companies and corporations in the USA routinely inflict on their workers. But no one in Denmark is ever allowed to garner the kind of wealth that the American ceo takes as his due...heavy taxes on the wealthy reduce the wealthiest while, at the same time, giving ordinary workers a decent living...nothing fancy for anyone but a decent life for the average Dane or Norwegian.
From the time I was kid, I believed that things were always getting better. Now, I understand that it is not a given. There's still a lot of work to be done and I need to do my part.
Hopefully more and more of us will see what is important and participate in Democracy, which, ideally is self government. We can make necessary changes to our laws to guide fairness and health for all living things. Everything needs updating from time to time.
Democracy is a living, breathing thing, unlike our Constitution which needs to be relevant to our world at present. We the human people need to take it back so that it is on a human scale again, on a planet that needs to be protected, and living things can be nurtured. If we don't live it, it will end.
You seem to have experienced the same sort of deal with SEIU as my co-worker and I experienced trying to start a union (SEIU) at Macy*s. We started our effort before our only remaining avenue for fairness closed--that was something called class action suits against Macy*s. For a while, an employee with a legitimate issue against Macy*s could take the issue/case to an attorney who would proceed to organize and run a class-action suit; during my tenure at Macy*s, I was involved in 3-4 separate class-actions against Macy*s. In one, the judgment against Macy*s led to a payout of $25 million to members of the class; I received over $1200--and I had not been there more than five years. Over the next 4-5 years, I would occasionally join class-actions and receive additional sums as Macy*s way of settling with its employees. However, Macy*s could not stand this as it detracted from its profits and stock value. So they created (and were legally allowed to create) a system called "arbitration" which Macy*s touted as being more amicable and friendly and more in the spirit of partnership that Macy*s supposedly supported; what it really meant was that the issue was to be settled in-house and the "judge" settling it would be a member of Macy*s own legal staff. (Talk about a conflict of interest.) No wonder, that the employees viewed this as a scam and a means of depriving them of their legal rights. Macy*s put the icing on the cake by requiring that a prospective employee sign a pre-employment agreement to accept company arbitration and forego class-action participation, that is, in order to work at Macy*s you had to surrender your legal right to a fair hearing and judgment on any employment issue. I was already an employee but Macy*s also required its staff to sign on to arbitration agreements and give up their legal rights---which most employees did because they needed the pathetic excuse for a job that Macy*s offered (and still offers). No one in govt on any level decided to take on Macy*s and a lawyer I approached laughed at the situation (he probably had Macy*s in his personal stock portfolio!). What it meant was that people were forced to sign off on their rights in order to try to manage Macy*s as one of their 3 employers...And now we wonder why people are gloomy? Maybe because the pandemic has forced us to see what has happened and none of us like the looks of the way our time has been squandered so that public servants could squander theirs (and ours) once again. It is supposedly a tenet of American democracy that an ordinary citizen can receive justice and fairness before the courts; in the case of Macy*s and forced company-run arbitration, that right was ignored and obliterated and the American legal system did nothing to uphold the tenet.
I know you were raised, as most of us were, to believe in these tenets of American democracy. Over the years, I've been told by many friends that saying and believing those things proves that I'm white.
What I say and believe about fairness and justice is generally anchored in my study and reading of a specific document, namely, the Constitution of the United States of America. It is not a fantasy or my interpretation or wishful thinking, there is very little belief attached to it. I am citing a written document of 18th century political and philosophical thinking. That the document was(is) flawed is readily admitted, mainly because it builds on a society based on white male supremacy and barely addresses the issue of women and people of color. (Actually--if memory serves--slaves were considered 3/5 of a person and had no vote whatsoever and women did not exist at all in the body politic.) Times have changed and a Civil War brought new amendments and additions to the Constitution. However, that Constitution did not change people appreciably, those who supported expanding rights to groups excluded continued to press on, those who wanted to stick with the 18th century take on government and the governed stayed in the past and fought (fight) for that to this day, finding it harder and harder to stick with the Glories of the Past while increasing numbers tend to progressive views...and while the ethnic make-up of the country continues to change and diversify. However, none of this means that my beliefs about fairness and justice for all or for any group of individuals are somehow less valid or naive or indicative of my race. Actually, my beliefs and ideas have very little to do with the issue of Macy*s denial of my rights (and those of my co-workers, some of whom were also people of color). What I am suggesting is that a cold, dispassionate look at the Constitution of the US reveals that my group and I have been deprived of our rights to an impartial review by a judge of our grievances. That we did not receive such justice is one instance in which the law was ignored; it does not change or alter the fact that there are (regrettably) many such instances in our country.
“Americans are gloomy about the economy despite its record growth because most Americans haven’t shared in that growth.“ BINGO!
“But in fact, Starbucks isn’t socially responsible. Its brand is built on an edifice of faux social responsibility.” BINGO!
“Could it be that Americans are gloomy despite the economy’s record growth because the super-rich are taking home an ever-larger share of those gains while most people are getting the crumbs?” Yes, and BINGO!
I could go on, but suffice to say that once again, you’ve hit the nail on the head with this article. It is so frustrating to many of us who are either unemployed, under-employed or otherwise being taken advantage of by the likes of companies such as Starbucks.
While the economy might have grown in the past year, I think Americans wretched and excessive consumerism combined with the sheer boredom of being cooped up due to the pandemic certainly didn’t help matters. We spend money on stuff we don’t really need (including a $6.00 cup of coffee from Starbucks) and wonder why we are broke!
You nailed it in my opinion. But it came to me that we vote (or should vote) on our public servants to serve the public, to determine what will be in the interests of the majority of people in the US, and, as near as I can discern, many of them are wasting our time and theirs. Instead of dealing with income inequality or climate change or housing crises or education or health care improvements, etc. etc. (ad infinitum), they have chosen to spend our time and theirs revisiting the 2020 election, attending campaign and cult rallies, and promoting one looney conspiracy after another. If they have issues with each other, they need to determine whether these issues are serious and involve dereliction in duty and./or criminality and failure to abide by the oath once taken; if the issues are proven, the offending public servants need to be removed from office, no matter whether the individual servant is a long-term one or a newcomer to the government. And the media needs to be disciplined and reined in in some way: there is no way that a democratic government and citizens in an advanced democracy (if we are that which I doubt) should promote the political outsider view of such supposed experts as MIke the Pillow Guy, Tucker Carlson, and Donald J Trump. There are a few public servants who are trying to help us all and not simply feather their own nests and these people should take charge and see to it that reforms and changes help those most in need of a change.
Wage slaves. Paying shit wages and making them work for it at their own risk, continually holding them under threat of immediate dismissal for >anything< that suits your fancy, and fending for themselves with it - not to mention demanding their slavish gratitude for the opportunity - is far more "economically responsible" than clothing, housing, feeding - and whipping - an unpaid labor force. By definition, wage slaves are "free" to have as many equivalently paid jobs as they can fill their days with.
During my years at Macy*s (including 2016-2017), I paid many times more in actual taxes than the $750 paid by Trump. I used to tell my co-workers at the time--and still say it--"If only I could make money more so that I could lower my taxes." This is actually a bonafide (but deeply unfair) way of taxing people, something my Dad (a tax accountant) used to call regressive taxation (that is, the more money you make, the lower your taxes). America prides itself on being a progressive-income tax nation (the more money you make, the greater your tax burden) but, for a long time, we abandoned that strategy and theory, lowered the tax rates on the wealthiest and coupled that with tax write-offs and loopholes to the point where most lower-income people are further imperiled and put on the edge by inordinately higher tax rates. As long as, government and those in the Gilded Age class run the show, we will be forced to deal with a system that punishes poor people by upping their tax rates. And that's about as regressive as you can get!
And a few more reasons for boiling anger: (1) Have the victims of the 2008 "crisis" - it was the most monumental robbery in history - forgotten the ravaging consequences on their lives? (2) more than 850,000 dead from Covid in the US Vs. 80,000 in China. We suffer under a system that does not work at all for the people; (3) another Big Lie: "we live in the leading democracy" Gilens and Page conclude their research with "70 % of the people are disenfranchised, have zero impact on policy decisions." The "representatives" represent the corporations, the financiers and the bomb makers, not the people. (4) we live in a system of obnoxious inequality, a kleptocracy. Do read the September 2020 Rand Corporation paper about the top 10% who siphoned-off from the bottom 90% between $25 and $47 TRILLION from 1975 to 2018. AND, with the so-called inflation, who is going to siphon-off all the help people received from the government? The "Big Lie" of the presidential election is a distraction from all the other "big Lies." We labor under a system of plunder and pillage, subjected to "The vile maxim of the masters of mankind: All for us, and nothing for the rest." Adam Smith "The Wealth of nations" 1776. And we take it!
And why do we take it? I can assure you that the problem is not just confined to those getting the crumbs off the table and taking lobbyists bribes in Washington. One thing politicians are good at is figuring out how many lies they can get away with and what is the mood of the electorate. They know that there are no mass movements out there calling for change and reform. They are not going to stick their necks out only to have their own party do what it did in Upstate NY where the DNC supported a write in candidate over their own Democratic candidate for mayor. They are about to throw even more money into the military machine even after the debacle of Iraq and Afghanistan because the people are disorganized and leaderless. Believe me if a mass mobilization on any issue put pressure on Washington,Washington would respond.
Honestly, my response to the McDonalds or Starbucks question would have been "neither"! These are not businesses I choose to support. I would rather see more locally owned independent restaurants and coffee shops and fewer corporate chains.
As for the economic growth, while it's true that the bulk of it is still going to the top 1%, it is also unrealistic to expect that a President or a political party can reverse 40+ years of trickle down economics with a more egalitarian model in just one year. Meanwhile, those at the bottom of the economic pile are being forced to fight over who has a bigger pile of crumbs, while the 1% are enjoying the whole cake! How do we help the blue collar class to see that it's not just the "burger flippers" who are underpaid, but also the truck drivers, warehouse workers, retail clerks, nurses (!!), office workers, and other service employees who need a boost?
Don't forget teachers ... I know 2 former teachers with MAs who make more money tending bar!! That is pretty horrible given that both received awards last year for excellence.
I haven't forgotten them! Teachers in most districts ARE unionized, although they are still underpaid and underappreciated. When I hear people complain about taxes, I think about teachers, firefighters, police, and all the other municipal, county, state and Federal employees whose services and paychecks are supported by those taxes.
Susan R ; those Truck drivers , warehouse workers, retail clerks office workers and nurses are striking and calling in sick and quitting. Some are rehired with better benefits and higher pay. My son is enjoying $30/hour doing warehouse work fixing and maintaining fork lifts and other equipment. There is an affordable insurance plan for him and his wife, he gets paid for time driving to jobs within a 200 mile area in a company truck provided for his work. Also generous vacation time.
🇨🇦 As a Canadian, I am finding the state that America has found itself in has attracted me like a bottlenecker driving by an accident. I can’t take my eyes off of it.
I read a number of reputable American newsletters daily, including yours, which I very much enjoy. I do not profess to understand the intricacies of politics, history and economics of your country, but I am learning. Although I can find similarities within our own Canadian borders, I do find the American situation much more interesting.
It is disheartening to say the least, that the American people (generalizing here) do not take the time and effort to become more fully versed in what is happening in their country beyond their own personal circumstances and living situations. As with Canadians, they are interested only in their work, their wages, the price of groceries and whether they’ll get dinged at the gas pump this week. Rightly so - to an extent. Things that are not completely in their control are driving them to extremes of thinking but not in basic action. By that, I mean taking their concerns to the top and being persistent until they get meaningful change. Really persistent. The top doesn’t have to mean congress, or those particularly in control of financial distribution of wealth, but that can be a goal to work towards. Unfortunately, that takes time and effort, little of which people are actually willing to invest for their future.
I am blown away with how little mainstream media, especially reputable news outlets, report on what is actually happening (as opposed to inserting soundbites, with very little follow up). However, I am pleased to see more in general interest, especially in the area of wages. It shows an increasing awareness of the disparity between “them and us.”
I value the work you do, Mr. Reich. My hope is that you and your like can reach a far wider audience. Heck, you reached me! Keep up the great work!
Prof. Reich, we have to hope that the people take power back by organizing into unions and cooperatives and not by organizing to overthrow a democratically elected government, as thousands did on January 6, 2021. Biden and the Dems have to reenact the child tax credit, along with paid family leave, improving health care coverage, etc., etc., etc. They also have to deliver voter protections. In short, Build Back Better and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
I am not optimistic that the Dems will deliver. I fear we will have autocratic, plutocratic, monopolistic government in the near future in this country. When the real history of the 21st century in this country gets written, Manchin and Sinema will have places of honor, along with Trump and Carlson for the overthrow of democracy in the U.S. Hopefully, the House committee investigating Jan. 6 gets enough evidence and the Justice Dept. gets enough convictions, including of Trump, before the midterm elections, and we can prevent this disastrous scenario from coming about.
"Schultz, who is Jewish, said a rabbi in Israel told him about the experiences of prisoners at concentration camps in Poland: They were only given a few blankets and had to share.
"'Not everyone, but most people shared their blanket with five other people,' said Schultz. 'So much of that story is threaded into what we've tried to do at Starbucks -- is share our blanket.'
"Schultz shared the story with employees in the Buffalo area Saturday. He said it illustrates Starbucks' commitment to morality, honor and humanity. He has told the story before, including during a 2016 shareholders meeting. His comments on Saturday were posted on a video on Starbucks' YouTube page.
"Reactions to his analogy have been wide-ranging. Holocaust prisoners' selflessness while facing death isn't a direct parallel to a Fortune 500 company providing benefits to its employees.
"'Felt like it wasn't a very appropriate analogy," a Starbucks employee in attendance told the New York Times. The Forward, a Jewish publication, called the remarks 'mystifying.'"
I gave up Starbucks when Schultz was running for President. He explained then that people didn't need government health care and a big country like ours couldn't afford it. I guess he didn't want us sharing hospital blankets. He continues this short-sightedness. https://www.gq.com/story/howard-schultz-health-care
"Schultz backed up his anti–universal-health-care stances by saying that Starbucks was the first company to offer health insurance to part-time workers. And that's a noble and good thing, especially in an economy where so many people are living in constant precarity, but that doesn't mean that Schultz is an authority (or even an honest broker) on health-care reform. This is a lot to untangle, but first and foremost, the U.S. absolutely can afford a single-payer health-care system. The common justification for this claim—that the country is "too big" and such systems only work in smaller nations—has it exactly backward: A country with a larger population and a greater amount of wealth is actually better positioned to pay for universal programs because it has so much more money. Schultz has deep-seated financial interests in opposing any program like that because it would require cutting into the mountains of wealth that his employees have produced and that he subsequently hoarded. What's abundantly clear now, at a time when people are starting GoFundMe pages for life-saving medicine, is that Americans can't afford to survive in a health-care system that prioritizes profit over, well, another human being's vitality." (This is from GQ, for Heavens' sakes!)
Here in Oregon, we have Dutch Brothers (with incredibly cheerful baristas), Blackrock, and Caffe Umbria outlets - all less expensive than Starbucks with (in my opinion) better coffee. I don't know if they make their workers share their blankets.
I believe that you're saying that, like any other economic enterprise, after it becomes big enough it benefits from economy of scale. That's another Q-publican deception, that on one hand they'd support, but on the other fail to mention.
I don't accept that big means better in the "Q-publican" sense. I've worked in mom-and-pop operations and huge enterprises and find only that the willingness of the upper echelon determines whether things will be humane or hellish. I think there is more of a tendency in larger organizations to obfuscate and BS the workers.
The most socially responsible businesses are not large corporations like Starbucks, but locally owned businesses. Most care about their community and value their reputation. That's why I try to shop and do business within them as much as possible.
Right on! Reich is not afraid to speak the bitter truth. It's heartening, though, to see an increasing awareness among workers that they need to unionize or join together to exert pressure in other ways for decent wages, safety, health care, child care and pensions.
Most people associate the economy with their lifes. So the better question to ask is "how is your life?" its not surprising that the answer to this is "gloomy"!
And the reasons for this goes beyond the economy! But rather, the "collateral damage" that economy created supported by a political system that favors money over people.
Yes, and it's impossible to separate the economy from politics because politics determines the rules of the economy -- such as billionaires can get rich off their monopolies and oligopolies, and can pollute politics with their money, but average working people don't have the bare minimums that most working people in other advanced countries have (such as universal health care, paid leave, nearly free higher education).
The level of complexity and insecurity in the lives of most americans is unbearable. The highest in all of Europe.
Families and otherwise strong individuals come appart at the seams. Children are confussed and go astray. And crime is on the rise, adding to the fear and insecurity people feel.
And the only solution offered by Conservatives and Republicans is guns and tax cuts!!
More guns in the hands of desperate people will not solve our problems! Nor more tax cuts for the very rich aimed at giving them more power and striping our government from the ability of helping families that are struggling heroically.
It's always hard to do major transformative investment while still functioning. I compare it with doing construction work on Manhattan, which is simply amazing to watch. The surroundings-- often even a building being worked on-- are braced and wrapped and continue to function while major undermining occurs and waste is removed. As a small-town-grown person, I continue to find it a quotidian wonder.
But that's what needs doing for US institutions-- and what seems to be so impossible for us to conceive-- at least, without public teaching. Which fortunately Mr. Reich does so well. And Senator Warren. And Representative Porter. But we need more communicators, small and large. We're up against pat slogans.
Experience will inspire people, even if not well educated in school. I think once the truth gets around, people will come together and organize. I remember the anti war movement. Powerful!
I feel as if people are lacking access to their own memories these days. More than in the past. And so recitative assertions about what is, what everyone knows, what has been proved, meet little resistance from people's own experiences of the world and of the information they've received.
I agree ; But! Some things are impossible to forget. If you loved people who went to Vietnam and they were injured or killed, you never forget. If you see good things happen, like the end of an unjust war, you remember that too. If you read the Pentagon Papers, you know there is honesty, bravery and courage in the world.
I am not very good at forgetting-- and don't want to be. But I find people failing to remember events and stories of very recent months and years, let alone historical events from the 1970s and on that they were as present for as I.
I hope that you're right and that my experience has been anomalous.
I think that certain memories are not as important at a given time. if a person has had an illness or job loss or even a new job, certain things or events may not be at the forefront of the mind. Some memories when associated with a traumatic period of experience may even be blotted out. Priorities can fill our heads with the present.
Of course Americans are gloomy. They’re being told left, right and center just how badly Biden and company are doing, all the while the corporatists are raking it in like there’s no tomorrow. People are fed up and want someone to blame. Tucker Carlson tells them to blame Biden as do the rest of the GOP gremlins who don’t give a shit because their coffers continue to overflow. I don’t know what to say anymore because nothing is working in this administration. Now we’ve got the diplomat from the Ukraine telling Biden to dial it back as far as Russia invading its country…because he is “scaring” their countrymen and women, even as more and more Russian troops surround the country on all sides…what?? What game is going on here? In the meantime, Arizona’s poised to impose the greatest strikes against voting including voter subversion, introducing a slew of restrictive voting bills, including an omnibus bill that subverts nonpartisan election administration basically allowing any elector to request a new election be held should an audit be requested and the votes rejected. What?? Biden promised this and Biden promised that but we know as long as McConnell is around, the good Biden has planned to do for the country will never happen…not student loan forgiveness, not Build Back Anything unless it’s cut into little pieces with the hopes of the dastardly GOP throwing it a bone. Then we’ve got the insane Donald trump and his nighttime rallies, inciting the masses, telling them hellacious things like the “vote counter is more important than the candidate.” I know I’m all over the place but as we approach the midterms I foresee more of the same chaos, propaganda and lies, quite possibly foretelling the end of our democracy. And this isn’t me being cynical…just realistic.
PS…as for Starbucks, I’ve got no time for them or their bitter coffee. It was a good idea at the outset, with Howard Schultz who grew up in public housing dreaming of a better way for his employees. But as with everything else in this sad country, the corporatists moved in.
"Chaos, propaganda, and lies" indeed. But I wonder if they could take hold as readily if most Americans didn't sense that those at the top have never done as well, and with their winnings are pouring unprecedented sums into politics?
The big money is buying 'our' country because the 'Supreme Court' said it can. If you don't have billions, you are a 'human resource' or a burden.
And by human resource you mean a form of indentured servitude? Because that's what I see and have been talking about since RWR fired the PATCO air traffic controllers and hired scabs. I warned my fellow (union and non-union) workers the day he did that about how this was a very bad trend and I have been trying to get others to understand it since.
Look where it has gotten us now. Damn.
JAB ; I guess if a human is a human resource, it is because they can be useful; can be used or employed. If not, they are a burden. Resource says it all. We can be 'resourced', are expendable, like any other marketable goods. At least that is what It looks like. If a human person can work in a position that is satisfying to them, and they are making a livable wage, Ok for them. Otherwise , it may not be so great.
You just described the Republican agenda. And here we thought they didn't have one... smile.
JAB ; I think I described the Republican political platform, as far as what they are 'running on' to do for 'the people'. They have none for the humans, only for the Corporate 'Persons'. What I heard was they want our 'votes' before they will tell us what their plans are for the country. The former guy has said on his microphone to the first rally he has had this year, 'The ones who count the votes, are more important than the candidates', or something very like that. He should be jailed.
JAB ; I do not see a reason to smile, but I was not describing the Republican Agenda.
Thank you, Dr. Reich…so, how could they take hold as readily when the masses continue to be misinformed, brainwashed even? Forewarned is forearmed but folks have not been hearing the truth for years now, especially if they’ve been counting on Fox or much of online ‘media’ for integrity and honesty in reporting the news. Remember, they were told ad nauseam early on that our news sources/journalists are the “enemy of the people.” So they have looked for other avenues instead like Alex Jones or faux evangelical right wing rubbish The time for the citizens of this country to open up its eyes is fast approaching, dwindling even.
Very true. Zuckerberg alone spent $300 million on the 2020 election. Plus the invaluable in-kind contribution of Facebook data manipulation.
You also have to understand how little you are being informed about what is really going on if you rely just on what MSNBC , the Post, the Times etc. are telling you. Take the Ukraine. What did the Russian ambassador say about the American proposal? You will find virtually nothing about it. What they said was they are willing to negotiate on an arms reduction of short and medium range missiles. Why no discussion? Because Congress is about to take billions that should go into BBB and put it into more military expansion. And Congress knows that most Democrats will let that happen because they don’t even understand that the way you protect Ukrainian independence is not to poke a stick at the bear when you left your shotgun in the barn. Bears can outrun people. The Russians are not afraid of NATO stopping an invasion. De-escalation and arms control not more money flushed down the military drain are the way forward. So figure out the game that is going on here my fellow Democrats.
Why, just now, is the old chestnut "truth is the first casualty of war" crossing my mind ‽
Regrettably, well said.
Unless you view ol' Tweety's objective as being a spoiler to Occupy and Antifa, who'll talk loudly the talk, while delivering the opposite walk, then blaming the Democrats.
The hard economic question is better addressed to Prof Reich. However, it seems that the top 1% already got theirs. I didn't see ol' Tweety ratify any counterbalancing tax >increase< for said 1%. And let's not limit it to the 1%. Let's go all the way down to - say - the top 3%, or maybe 5%! Personally, I'd extend it all the way to the top 10%.
Besides, if memory serves, the pandemic is a deadly, highly contagious virus that's transmitted mainly through closing yourselves into close quarters and >breathing< on each other - just like any other, far less deadly contagion, that doesn't fill ICUs for treatment of the already half-dead. (I understand it's not as bad now, as it was before the advent of the vaccine and the many more people who are now facing facts and getting vaccinated.) Unless you would presume to have me believe the lie that it's otherwise, and that the only >real< power play is not the Q-publican - but Democrat - ploy to grab power and hang onto power at the cost of our very lives. Go ahead and rebut. It won't change >my< view, and I doubt it will have any impact on anyone here that doesn't already believe said lie.
Thank you for your response. You hit th nail on the head!
That's why I think it's a mistake for political candidates to promise anything other than their >maximum effort< to achieve what they would otherwise unadvisedly promise. Any "honest" politician could certainly avoid breaking >that< promise.
To be fair, some of it could have been put into place if not for turncoats like manchin and sinema. The foul McConnell goes without saying…
Agreed. On the other hand, I have no doubt that the "faithful" Democrats did everything they could to accomplish their aim.
Mary Hyland ; McConnell has been at it for awhile: just getting away with moves that are out of whatever 'norms' of ethics or tradition. He just does what he wants. There is no decency. Citizens United opened the floodgates of money buying our govermnent.
Yep.
They're "forward-looking statements."
I agree totally about Starbuck's hypocrisy. I also think most Americans are gloomy because so far - every government toadie and elected official who orchestrated 1/6/21 has not been held accountable for their actions, and too many members of Congress are constantly thumbing their noses at voters while they rake in the cash. I turn 69 next week and have never felt more demoralized about the fact that cheaters, liars and people with not one ounce of integrity continue to prosper!!
Happy Birthday.
Happy birthday, Dee! At least you have us!
that's true - it's been nice to find kindred spirits!
Happy Birthday Dee!! I have one coming up on 2-22-22…plus, I’m a twin!
Oh goodness! Birthington’s washday. Something wonderful has to happen to you both on that day.
Are you Aquarius or on the cusp of Pisces?
Happy Birthday, Dee!
Maybe something is brewing in the pot, and it's not coffee. And, it's not for the betterment of society and its people. What is it? 4 things, possibly, more: 1. The fear of a war with Putin and Putin stealing more land from its neighbors. 2. Covid-19 isn't dead, it's transforming itself. And, for the life of me, I still don't understand why people won't get vaxxed. 3. The American Dream has turned into a nightmare and only the wealthy can see their way through it... just stomp on the backs of all Americans that have less than you do. 4. The awful feeling that it takes so long for good to win out. Sometimes decades, but it takes less than a wink of the eye for an underhanded republican to mess up what is good about democracy.
If there is a feature I wish Americans would embrace once more, it would be unionism. My entire family understood the power of the union in securing a living wage and benefits. Americans have been duped by “right to work” laws which have eviscerated unions across this country. Gone are the days when George Meany carried the water for working families. The Democratic Party lost its bearings when it turned away from the bread and butter issues facing American families. Thus the state of our Democracy.
The latest polls show more than 60 percent of Americans favor labor unions -- the highest percentage since 1970. But it's become very hard to form one (see Amazon, Starbucks, etc).
I am a strong supporter of unions in theory. However, there are unions and unions, and there's no guarantee that a union will be on the level. Years ago when I worked at Macy*s, a co-worker and I got the idea of visiting the offices of our local SEIU union. There were so many abuses and violations of laws and regulations, so many health hazards and unfair labor practices, etc., that we thought we might be able to start a union or at least bring the issue to a vote. (It was at the meeting with the union guys that I discovered that my male co-worker who started work the same week as I was making $2.00 more per hour.) We were dumb--both of us--and very naive about how to go about it but we signed union cards. What the union guys did was back out of it and try to turn the entire drive over to us--and we didn't have a clue. I organized a sort of meeting of the two union guys at my apartment house and the union guys promised help from a union store not far from our store. That was as far as the union guys went. However, management at my store harassed and threatened me over a few years and informed me that, if I had an issue of any kind, I would not be able to address my concerns with anyone in mgmt. I always believed (and still believe) that Macy*s had paid off the two union guys as no one put in an effort to get anywhere with this.
Unfortunately, there are union thugs.
Bravo Tony. You're right on point. When talking about George Meany, you're talking about the height and might of working people and the power and ability make an honest living. I'm blessed that way also of gorging a way through the trade unions in raising my family. You're also very perceptive in recognizing when the Democratic Party lost it's way. Bill Clinton and a wave of young democratic politicians entering politics replacing others out of the unpopularity of the Vietnam War. Working people had taken care of the Democratic Party ever sense FDR, yet these young politicians had a different way of looking at Wall Street and Investment banks. A hold over from the greed is good days. If you're into reading, look into "How The South Won The Civil War", by Heather Cox Richardson. I've read the book but I also listen to the audio CD. Extremely informative.
Thank you Larry. I agree with your take on the Democratic Party’s errant ways. I’m an admirer of FDR.👍
I agree. I was a reluctant union member as a teacher but I fully recognize how better my life in retirement is because of collective bargaining.
Thank you…I’m a retired teacher also, and I’m grateful for all the benefits my Union has provided.
I always have mixed feelings about unions, maybe it was all the horror stories I heard about the UAW when I was kid growing up in the Midwest in the 60's. Today's police unions don't give me much confidence or earn my respect either. Sometimes, I try to imagine what would happen if employers didn't hold all the cards, where they actually had to compete for workers. And the government actually provided for all the basic worker needs for ensuring worker safety, reasonable work hours and pay, adequate paid leave and then above and beyond all that provided for the education, healthcare and retirement of all workers (all citizens actually). It seems like a win-win to me, too good to be true. Would we even need or want unions then?
In Denmark and Norway (where I lived off- and on for five years or so), there were strong trade unions of all kinds. The government required that certain industries (building/construction, health care workers, educators, retail workers, research workers, well, practically every worker, join a union of some kind. The unions were carefully supervised and looked over by agencies of the government, so as to prevent them from descending into illegal (and self-promoting) practices. The government also supervised working conditions in ways that are probably unheard of in the USA; for example, stores were required to abide by government-set hours of business and conditions of employment. What this meant was that (when I lived there) all stores were closed after 2:00PM on Saturdays and all day Sunday. And this same rule applied to neighborhood shops as well as the large downtown dept stores. What this did was put all businesses on the same basic schedule so that the large stores did not have huge advantages over the Mom-and-Pop type shops. (It worked a real hardship on foreigners save for the fact that there were 7-11 type shops at the railroad stations and bus stations so that emergency supplies were still available.) This was the system in Denmark and led to a kind of government control of employers that guaranteed a safe and well-run labor environment. It was not ideal but the govt would not tolerate the kind of abuse that companies and corporations in the USA routinely inflict on their workers. But no one in Denmark is ever allowed to garner the kind of wealth that the American ceo takes as his due...heavy taxes on the wealthy reduce the wealthiest while, at the same time, giving ordinary workers a decent living...nothing fancy for anyone but a decent life for the average Dane or Norwegian.
Jim Tedford ; Unions, like anything else, can be corrupted. But at this time, workers are better off with a union than without.
Agree 100%. Just wondering what could be if we had a government actually of the people, by the people, and for the people.
That is something worth pursuing. 'Towards a more prefect union'. Onward and upward.
From the time I was kid, I believed that things were always getting better. Now, I understand that it is not a given. There's still a lot of work to be done and I need to do my part.
Hopefully more and more of us will see what is important and participate in Democracy, which, ideally is self government. We can make necessary changes to our laws to guide fairness and health for all living things. Everything needs updating from time to time.
Democracy is a living, breathing thing, unlike our Constitution which needs to be relevant to our world at present. We the human people need to take it back so that it is on a human scale again, on a planet that needs to be protected, and living things can be nurtured. If we don't live it, it will end.
We can at least try, even if there may come a comet to destroy us. LOL! It would make the Orange Cabal look so puny.
My SEIU local was just abominable. Its officers showed no respect for the people it represented.
You seem to have experienced the same sort of deal with SEIU as my co-worker and I experienced trying to start a union (SEIU) at Macy*s. We started our effort before our only remaining avenue for fairness closed--that was something called class action suits against Macy*s. For a while, an employee with a legitimate issue against Macy*s could take the issue/case to an attorney who would proceed to organize and run a class-action suit; during my tenure at Macy*s, I was involved in 3-4 separate class-actions against Macy*s. In one, the judgment against Macy*s led to a payout of $25 million to members of the class; I received over $1200--and I had not been there more than five years. Over the next 4-5 years, I would occasionally join class-actions and receive additional sums as Macy*s way of settling with its employees. However, Macy*s could not stand this as it detracted from its profits and stock value. So they created (and were legally allowed to create) a system called "arbitration" which Macy*s touted as being more amicable and friendly and more in the spirit of partnership that Macy*s supposedly supported; what it really meant was that the issue was to be settled in-house and the "judge" settling it would be a member of Macy*s own legal staff. (Talk about a conflict of interest.) No wonder, that the employees viewed this as a scam and a means of depriving them of their legal rights. Macy*s put the icing on the cake by requiring that a prospective employee sign a pre-employment agreement to accept company arbitration and forego class-action participation, that is, in order to work at Macy*s you had to surrender your legal right to a fair hearing and judgment on any employment issue. I was already an employee but Macy*s also required its staff to sign on to arbitration agreements and give up their legal rights---which most employees did because they needed the pathetic excuse for a job that Macy*s offered (and still offers). No one in govt on any level decided to take on Macy*s and a lawyer I approached laughed at the situation (he probably had Macy*s in his personal stock portfolio!). What it meant was that people were forced to sign off on their rights in order to try to manage Macy*s as one of their 3 employers...And now we wonder why people are gloomy? Maybe because the pandemic has forced us to see what has happened and none of us like the looks of the way our time has been squandered so that public servants could squander theirs (and ours) once again. It is supposedly a tenet of American democracy that an ordinary citizen can receive justice and fairness before the courts; in the case of Macy*s and forced company-run arbitration, that right was ignored and obliterated and the American legal system did nothing to uphold the tenet.
I know you were raised, as most of us were, to believe in these tenets of American democracy. Over the years, I've been told by many friends that saying and believing those things proves that I'm white.
What I say and believe about fairness and justice is generally anchored in my study and reading of a specific document, namely, the Constitution of the United States of America. It is not a fantasy or my interpretation or wishful thinking, there is very little belief attached to it. I am citing a written document of 18th century political and philosophical thinking. That the document was(is) flawed is readily admitted, mainly because it builds on a society based on white male supremacy and barely addresses the issue of women and people of color. (Actually--if memory serves--slaves were considered 3/5 of a person and had no vote whatsoever and women did not exist at all in the body politic.) Times have changed and a Civil War brought new amendments and additions to the Constitution. However, that Constitution did not change people appreciably, those who supported expanding rights to groups excluded continued to press on, those who wanted to stick with the 18th century take on government and the governed stayed in the past and fought (fight) for that to this day, finding it harder and harder to stick with the Glories of the Past while increasing numbers tend to progressive views...and while the ethnic make-up of the country continues to change and diversify. However, none of this means that my beliefs about fairness and justice for all or for any group of individuals are somehow less valid or naive or indicative of my race. Actually, my beliefs and ideas have very little to do with the issue of Macy*s denial of my rights (and those of my co-workers, some of whom were also people of color). What I am suggesting is that a cold, dispassionate look at the Constitution of the US reveals that my group and I have been deprived of our rights to an impartial review by a judge of our grievances. That we did not receive such justice is one instance in which the law was ignored; it does not change or alter the fact that there are (regrettably) many such instances in our country.
What is socially responsible about a $4.50 cup of coffee?
It encourages you to brew your own and keep a thermos handy!
It only would be socially responsible if the coffee bean workers were paid well with health and other benefits.
“Americans are gloomy about the economy despite its record growth because most Americans haven’t shared in that growth.“ BINGO!
“But in fact, Starbucks isn’t socially responsible. Its brand is built on an edifice of faux social responsibility.” BINGO!
“Could it be that Americans are gloomy despite the economy’s record growth because the super-rich are taking home an ever-larger share of those gains while most people are getting the crumbs?” Yes, and BINGO!
I could go on, but suffice to say that once again, you’ve hit the nail on the head with this article. It is so frustrating to many of us who are either unemployed, under-employed or otherwise being taken advantage of by the likes of companies such as Starbucks.
While the economy might have grown in the past year, I think Americans wretched and excessive consumerism combined with the sheer boredom of being cooped up due to the pandemic certainly didn’t help matters. We spend money on stuff we don’t really need (including a $6.00 cup of coffee from Starbucks) and wonder why we are broke!
You nailed it in my opinion. But it came to me that we vote (or should vote) on our public servants to serve the public, to determine what will be in the interests of the majority of people in the US, and, as near as I can discern, many of them are wasting our time and theirs. Instead of dealing with income inequality or climate change or housing crises or education or health care improvements, etc. etc. (ad infinitum), they have chosen to spend our time and theirs revisiting the 2020 election, attending campaign and cult rallies, and promoting one looney conspiracy after another. If they have issues with each other, they need to determine whether these issues are serious and involve dereliction in duty and./or criminality and failure to abide by the oath once taken; if the issues are proven, the offending public servants need to be removed from office, no matter whether the individual servant is a long-term one or a newcomer to the government. And the media needs to be disciplined and reined in in some way: there is no way that a democratic government and citizens in an advanced democracy (if we are that which I doubt) should promote the political outsider view of such supposed experts as MIke the Pillow Guy, Tucker Carlson, and Donald J Trump. There are a few public servants who are trying to help us all and not simply feather their own nests and these people should take charge and see to it that reforms and changes help those most in need of a change.
Very well said. Let’s just hope everyone can and will vote.
Should we refer to low wage earners as serfs? I suppose this could only be effective if one had learned enough history to get the analogy.
Wage slaves. Paying shit wages and making them work for it at their own risk, continually holding them under threat of immediate dismissal for >anything< that suits your fancy, and fending for themselves with it - not to mention demanding their slavish gratitude for the opportunity - is far more "economically responsible" than clothing, housing, feeding - and whipping - an unpaid labor force. By definition, wage slaves are "free" to have as many equivalently paid jobs as they can fill their days with.
During my years at Macy*s (including 2016-2017), I paid many times more in actual taxes than the $750 paid by Trump. I used to tell my co-workers at the time--and still say it--"If only I could make money more so that I could lower my taxes." This is actually a bonafide (but deeply unfair) way of taxing people, something my Dad (a tax accountant) used to call regressive taxation (that is, the more money you make, the lower your taxes). America prides itself on being a progressive-income tax nation (the more money you make, the greater your tax burden) but, for a long time, we abandoned that strategy and theory, lowered the tax rates on the wealthiest and coupled that with tax write-offs and loopholes to the point where most lower-income people are further imperiled and put on the edge by inordinately higher tax rates. As long as, government and those in the Gilded Age class run the show, we will be forced to deal with a system that punishes poor people by upping their tax rates. And that's about as regressive as you can get!
Jeanette Mateer ; No matter what they are called, they are not getting a very good deal, paying proportionately more taxes too.
"You say potato" . . . etc.
Yes, the new gilded age comin ‘atcha!
And a few more reasons for boiling anger: (1) Have the victims of the 2008 "crisis" - it was the most monumental robbery in history - forgotten the ravaging consequences on their lives? (2) more than 850,000 dead from Covid in the US Vs. 80,000 in China. We suffer under a system that does not work at all for the people; (3) another Big Lie: "we live in the leading democracy" Gilens and Page conclude their research with "70 % of the people are disenfranchised, have zero impact on policy decisions." The "representatives" represent the corporations, the financiers and the bomb makers, not the people. (4) we live in a system of obnoxious inequality, a kleptocracy. Do read the September 2020 Rand Corporation paper about the top 10% who siphoned-off from the bottom 90% between $25 and $47 TRILLION from 1975 to 2018. AND, with the so-called inflation, who is going to siphon-off all the help people received from the government? The "Big Lie" of the presidential election is a distraction from all the other "big Lies." We labor under a system of plunder and pillage, subjected to "The vile maxim of the masters of mankind: All for us, and nothing for the rest." Adam Smith "The Wealth of nations" 1776. And we take it!
And why do we take it? I can assure you that the problem is not just confined to those getting the crumbs off the table and taking lobbyists bribes in Washington. One thing politicians are good at is figuring out how many lies they can get away with and what is the mood of the electorate. They know that there are no mass movements out there calling for change and reform. They are not going to stick their necks out only to have their own party do what it did in Upstate NY where the DNC supported a write in candidate over their own Democratic candidate for mayor. They are about to throw even more money into the military machine even after the debacle of Iraq and Afghanistan because the people are disorganized and leaderless. Believe me if a mass mobilization on any issue put pressure on Washington,Washington would respond.
Honestly, my response to the McDonalds or Starbucks question would have been "neither"! These are not businesses I choose to support. I would rather see more locally owned independent restaurants and coffee shops and fewer corporate chains.
As for the economic growth, while it's true that the bulk of it is still going to the top 1%, it is also unrealistic to expect that a President or a political party can reverse 40+ years of trickle down economics with a more egalitarian model in just one year. Meanwhile, those at the bottom of the economic pile are being forced to fight over who has a bigger pile of crumbs, while the 1% are enjoying the whole cake! How do we help the blue collar class to see that it's not just the "burger flippers" who are underpaid, but also the truck drivers, warehouse workers, retail clerks, nurses (!!), office workers, and other service employees who need a boost?
Don't forget teachers ... I know 2 former teachers with MAs who make more money tending bar!! That is pretty horrible given that both received awards last year for excellence.
I haven't forgotten them! Teachers in most districts ARE unionized, although they are still underpaid and underappreciated. When I hear people complain about taxes, I think about teachers, firefighters, police, and all the other municipal, county, state and Federal employees whose services and paychecks are supported by those taxes.
Susan R ; those Truck drivers , warehouse workers, retail clerks office workers and nurses are striking and calling in sick and quitting. Some are rehired with better benefits and higher pay. My son is enjoying $30/hour doing warehouse work fixing and maintaining fork lifts and other equipment. There is an affordable insurance plan for him and his wife, he gets paid for time driving to jobs within a 200 mile area in a company truck provided for his work. Also generous vacation time.
Good for them!
His bride is a nursing student who wants to be a midwife/nurse.
🇨🇦 As a Canadian, I am finding the state that America has found itself in has attracted me like a bottlenecker driving by an accident. I can’t take my eyes off of it.
I read a number of reputable American newsletters daily, including yours, which I very much enjoy. I do not profess to understand the intricacies of politics, history and economics of your country, but I am learning. Although I can find similarities within our own Canadian borders, I do find the American situation much more interesting.
It is disheartening to say the least, that the American people (generalizing here) do not take the time and effort to become more fully versed in what is happening in their country beyond their own personal circumstances and living situations. As with Canadians, they are interested only in their work, their wages, the price of groceries and whether they’ll get dinged at the gas pump this week. Rightly so - to an extent. Things that are not completely in their control are driving them to extremes of thinking but not in basic action. By that, I mean taking their concerns to the top and being persistent until they get meaningful change. Really persistent. The top doesn’t have to mean congress, or those particularly in control of financial distribution of wealth, but that can be a goal to work towards. Unfortunately, that takes time and effort, little of which people are actually willing to invest for their future.
I am blown away with how little mainstream media, especially reputable news outlets, report on what is actually happening (as opposed to inserting soundbites, with very little follow up). However, I am pleased to see more in general interest, especially in the area of wages. It shows an increasing awareness of the disparity between “them and us.”
I value the work you do, Mr. Reich. My hope is that you and your like can reach a far wider audience. Heck, you reached me! Keep up the great work!
Prof. Reich, we have to hope that the people take power back by organizing into unions and cooperatives and not by organizing to overthrow a democratically elected government, as thousands did on January 6, 2021. Biden and the Dems have to reenact the child tax credit, along with paid family leave, improving health care coverage, etc., etc., etc. They also have to deliver voter protections. In short, Build Back Better and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
I am not optimistic that the Dems will deliver. I fear we will have autocratic, plutocratic, monopolistic government in the near future in this country. When the real history of the 21st century in this country gets written, Manchin and Sinema will have places of honor, along with Trump and Carlson for the overthrow of democracy in the U.S. Hopefully, the House committee investigating Jan. 6 gets enough evidence and the Justice Dept. gets enough convictions, including of Trump, before the midterm elections, and we can prevent this disastrous scenario from coming about.
Yeah! It'll also include that they saved our children from being taught critical race theory in elementary school, too! LOL!
Absolutely! It's not inflation, and wouldn't matter if wages kept pace. I just saw this unfortunate story Howard Schultz tells people to explain Starbucks benefits. https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/09/business/howard-schultz-starbucks/index.html
"Schultz, who is Jewish, said a rabbi in Israel told him about the experiences of prisoners at concentration camps in Poland: They were only given a few blankets and had to share.
"'Not everyone, but most people shared their blanket with five other people,' said Schultz. 'So much of that story is threaded into what we've tried to do at Starbucks -- is share our blanket.'
"Schultz shared the story with employees in the Buffalo area Saturday. He said it illustrates Starbucks' commitment to morality, honor and humanity. He has told the story before, including during a 2016 shareholders meeting. His comments on Saturday were posted on a video on Starbucks' YouTube page.
"Reactions to his analogy have been wide-ranging. Holocaust prisoners' selflessness while facing death isn't a direct parallel to a Fortune 500 company providing benefits to its employees.
"'Felt like it wasn't a very appropriate analogy," a Starbucks employee in attendance told the New York Times. The Forward, a Jewish publication, called the remarks 'mystifying.'"
I gave up Starbucks when Schultz was running for President. He explained then that people didn't need government health care and a big country like ours couldn't afford it. I guess he didn't want us sharing hospital blankets. He continues this short-sightedness. https://www.gq.com/story/howard-schultz-health-care
"Schultz backed up his anti–universal-health-care stances by saying that Starbucks was the first company to offer health insurance to part-time workers. And that's a noble and good thing, especially in an economy where so many people are living in constant precarity, but that doesn't mean that Schultz is an authority (or even an honest broker) on health-care reform. This is a lot to untangle, but first and foremost, the U.S. absolutely can afford a single-payer health-care system. The common justification for this claim—that the country is "too big" and such systems only work in smaller nations—has it exactly backward: A country with a larger population and a greater amount of wealth is actually better positioned to pay for universal programs because it has so much more money. Schultz has deep-seated financial interests in opposing any program like that because it would require cutting into the mountains of wealth that his employees have produced and that he subsequently hoarded. What's abundantly clear now, at a time when people are starting GoFundMe pages for life-saving medicine, is that Americans can't afford to survive in a health-care system that prioritizes profit over, well, another human being's vitality." (This is from GQ, for Heavens' sakes!)
Here in Oregon, we have Dutch Brothers (with incredibly cheerful baristas), Blackrock, and Caffe Umbria outlets - all less expensive than Starbucks with (in my opinion) better coffee. I don't know if they make their workers share their blankets.
Good Lord, how nauseating.
I believe that you're saying that, like any other economic enterprise, after it becomes big enough it benefits from economy of scale. That's another Q-publican deception, that on one hand they'd support, but on the other fail to mention.
I don't accept that big means better in the "Q-publican" sense. I've worked in mom-and-pop operations and huge enterprises and find only that the willingness of the upper echelon determines whether things will be humane or hellish. I think there is more of a tendency in larger organizations to obfuscate and BS the workers.
The most socially responsible businesses are not large corporations like Starbucks, but locally owned businesses. Most care about their community and value their reputation. That's why I try to shop and do business within them as much as possible.
Right on! Reich is not afraid to speak the bitter truth. It's heartening, though, to see an increasing awareness among workers that they need to unionize or join together to exert pressure in other ways for decent wages, safety, health care, child care and pensions.
Most people associate the economy with their lifes. So the better question to ask is "how is your life?" its not surprising that the answer to this is "gloomy"!
And the reasons for this goes beyond the economy! But rather, the "collateral damage" that economy created supported by a political system that favors money over people.
Yes, and it's impossible to separate the economy from politics because politics determines the rules of the economy -- such as billionaires can get rich off their monopolies and oligopolies, and can pollute politics with their money, but average working people don't have the bare minimums that most working people in other advanced countries have (such as universal health care, paid leave, nearly free higher education).
The level of complexity and insecurity in the lives of most americans is unbearable. The highest in all of Europe.
Families and otherwise strong individuals come appart at the seams. Children are confussed and go astray. And crime is on the rise, adding to the fear and insecurity people feel.
And the only solution offered by Conservatives and Republicans is guns and tax cuts!!
More guns in the hands of desperate people will not solve our problems! Nor more tax cuts for the very rich aimed at giving them more power and striping our government from the ability of helping families that are struggling heroically.
It's always hard to do major transformative investment while still functioning. I compare it with doing construction work on Manhattan, which is simply amazing to watch. The surroundings-- often even a building being worked on-- are braced and wrapped and continue to function while major undermining occurs and waste is removed. As a small-town-grown person, I continue to find it a quotidian wonder.
But that's what needs doing for US institutions-- and what seems to be so impossible for us to conceive-- at least, without public teaching. Which fortunately Mr. Reich does so well. And Senator Warren. And Representative Porter. But we need more communicators, small and large. We're up against pat slogans.
Experience will inspire people, even if not well educated in school. I think once the truth gets around, people will come together and organize. I remember the anti war movement. Powerful!
I hope so.
I feel as if people are lacking access to their own memories these days. More than in the past. And so recitative assertions about what is, what everyone knows, what has been proved, meet little resistance from people's own experiences of the world and of the information they've received.
I agree ; But! Some things are impossible to forget. If you loved people who went to Vietnam and they were injured or killed, you never forget. If you see good things happen, like the end of an unjust war, you remember that too. If you read the Pentagon Papers, you know there is honesty, bravery and courage in the world.
I am not very good at forgetting-- and don't want to be. But I find people failing to remember events and stories of very recent months and years, let alone historical events from the 1970s and on that they were as present for as I.
I hope that you're right and that my experience has been anomalous.
I think that certain memories are not as important at a given time. if a person has had an illness or job loss or even a new job, certain things or events may not be at the forefront of the mind. Some memories when associated with a traumatic period of experience may even be blotted out. Priorities can fill our heads with the present.