Really well stated. An excellent summation. Here is a less eloquent condensed version:
Republican politicians bought by the Oligarchs fed the rich and starved the poor all the while blaming the Democrats. Using bigotry and racism and whistling about "socialism" they projected their own culpability onto "others" as they continued to hoard more of the nations wealth.
But I take issue with blaming "Democrats and progressives". Robert, you speak as if we had a majority. We do not. Yes, technically there are 50 in the Senate. But in reality, Sinema and Manchin are not Democrats at all. The House has passed what we need with a super slim majority. Thank you Leader Pelosi! But the Senate is still in the hands of Mitch McConnell. And there are no longer any REPUBLICAN senators who have the courage to stand against him. McConnell functions in a manner similar to J. Edgar Hoover who kept "files". He expects obedience from his puppets. He gets it in spades.
And none of this is President Biden's fault. It is our fault as voters. We have allowed money to rule. Big money. Dark money. It propels our politicians. It feeds ultra extreme "justices" to the Supreme Court. It funds a TV network that is the American equivalent of TASS. And we vote this system back into office every time.
As voters play Candy Crush and Wordle the rich continue to roll right over us.
While the Democratic Party is better at steering the economy than Republicans, both Clinton and Obama stubbornly clung to neoliberal orthodoxy, which I found to be a great betrayal to middle-class, working-class and poor Americans.
And this is what's so frightening about Trumpism: Americans who aren't wealthy have every right to be angry, because this country has been systematically looted since Reagan's Presidency.
However, anyone expecting the blighted and malevolent Trump and his brownshirts to rescue America is living in a dystopian pipe-dream.
I'm not hopeful that Biden (who was also a neoliberal champion) can now rescue this country from the GOP's autocratic momentum.
OMG! Your comments and summaries are so insightful, pithy and concise. They are exactly what people need to hear. Yet so many times after reading your posts, I come away feeling so frustrated, hopeless and resigned to my tendency to be pessimistic about the future of America. I am worried about the ability of "the majority" of the US population to turn around the steamroller of autocracy that is pushing its way into all areas of power. "Majority" does not mean power....just look at South African Apartheid-80% of the population was Black, but the 20% of white people were in control and took all measures to keep their power as "rulers". This is where America is headed and I truly do not believe things will change. We frogs are already in the pot and so many (confused) frogs don't even know that their futures are going to be cooked and eaten by the monied and the corporations who are in positions of control and power. Guess when you keep people fearful and hopeless, they will jump into any pot you tell them to.
Robert--You didn't even mention the parts that unions played in America developing a middle-class and how Raygun declared WAR on unions shortly after becoming president!!
Unions had been a major win for workers--actually all Americans because then we could say we were all investing in Americans buying, "Union Made", "Made in USA" everything.
I consider myself a skeptic of the Dems’ ability to get things done, but I don’t ascribe equal blame to the progressive wing and the corporate/Wall Street wing, which holds the bulk of power within the party. I feel like they cheated Bernie out of a fair shot at the democratic nomination in 2016. I also feel that Bernie would have given enough of the justifiably angry and disenfranchised working class and middle class voters a clear choice between establishment politics (as represented by Trojan horse Trump) and insurgent, progressive politics, and Bernie would have become President.
The corporate/ Wall Street Dems bear a good amount of the blame for the mess the country is in today. Even if, somehow, the Dems retain control of the House and the Senate in 2022, I fear we will have more of the same inept governance, and we, the people will pay a terrible price in 2024.
Despite this gloomy scenario, we cannot give up. We must primary Sinema and Manchin, as well as all the corporate/Wall Street House Dems. We must contribute money and volunteer time to elect progressive candidates. Let’s give people a reason to turn out and vote to save our democracy!
Yep. Pretty scary. Seems "management" could let the rest of America know the plan so we don't feel so insecure...seems there may not really be a solid plan. Seriously...we need better control over our leaders to get them to do what we want them to do...they do work for us...supposedly.
Given my education and life’s experiences, I faithfully believed in American exceptionalism…that the founding fathers and the colonists created a Democracy for, by, and of the people…I recognized the glaring fault lines inherent in our Constitution regarding African and Native Americans, women, and immigrant groups and the excessive powers of capitalism, but up until 2016, I believed that the “ moral arc bends towards justice”…shaken,I still do, but I’m incredulous and angry with those who align themselves with Trumpism or authoritarianism in the world today…now, more than ever our words and actions and capital must be supportive of Democracy for everyone, everywhere… we must not let them win…
How about censuring Manchin and Sinema and kicking them out of Congress for being liars and traitors - and inviting Cheney and Kinzinger to join the Democratic Party so we can have people who will support the Democratic agenda in their seats instead of sell-outs to corporate money.
Professor, I don't know who could have said it better. Your command of the facts and robust pro-democracy stance are both inspiring and enlightening. However, for once I can argue with your message. Two words, "kinder and gentler" don't seem to fit with your message. From my point of view those words signal an intention on the part of neo-liberals that I don't think is there. I don't think any policies out of THIS congress are intended to be either kinder or gentler than any of the worst autocrats around the world. I don't think that any of the republicans (small "r") are constrained by sentiments such as kindness or gentleness. Rather, I think that our history, including the New Deal, the better parts of the structure of our political system and some remaining effectiveness on the part of real democrats limits the worst that the neo-libs can do in this country! They would do worse if they could! Manchin and Senema are only the two slightly better republicans in this Senate and neither they nor even one of the formal Republicans seem to care what happens to hungry and disadvantaged children!
Reagan was partly right when he said government is the problem. His government was, and continues to be, a problem. In addition to his promoting the ideology of money worship, it was his justice department that nurtured Chief Plutocrat John Roberts, who now plays a major role in the deregulation horseman. Congressman and constitutional scholar Jamie Raskin has said that Congress, as set forth in Article I, is the predominant branch of government, suggesting that the three branches are not co-equal. He asserted this in reference to the Executive branch, but I wonder why he allows the unelected Judicial branch to override the will of the people's elected Congress.
Republicans are now crediting the end of the child tax credit with the better-than-expected jobs report. They previously blamed the enhanced unemployment benefits enacted as part of pandemic relief for the current worker shortage, although the end of the benefit didn't relieve the shortage. Republicans are masters of destructive rhetoric, and Democrats don't seem to be able to counter it. The Republican modus operandi is for a small group to decide on a message that resonates, and then all of their minions spread it far and wide. Democrats should be able to do the same.
I don't see Joe Manchin changing his mind anytime soon. Pleading with him a little bit more, giving him a few more facts, is just a waste of time and effort. Unless Senate leadership can figure out something he really, really wants to horse trade, or a stick that will alter his calculus, I think they should do what Bernie Sanders has proposed: Just start voting on Build Back Better proposals. And work really, really hard to elect more Democrats to Congress.
Re: Neoliberalism. We can't blame just our president, politicians for the continued destruction using conservative policies! The vast majority of US would benefit from virtually every progressive policy and 1 group that definitely needs progressive help is black Americans. Yet it was a conservadem/corporatist Dem, the late John Lewis who took conservadem/corporatist Hillary to win for Dems in 2016. Then again, in 2020, conservadem/corporatist James Clyburn took conservadem/corporatist Biden to become president!!
So the question is: Why, when sooo many black Americans needs progressive policies--need real change, why do these black voters continue to shoot themselves in the foot, really, all of us by voting for neoliberals over & over again????
Remember: Both John Lewis & James Clyburn were spitting nails every chance they got at progressive candidate, Bernie Sanders!! (No hyperbole here.) Btw: I read some blogger mentioning one of Biden's choices to head SCOTUS is a black jurist who hates unions & guess who Clyburn is pushing Biden to pick???
The People continue to blindly follow neoliberal Dems!! What is wrong with picture???!!!
Democrats do not control the senate; Manchin and Sinema control the senate. Therefore, Democrats do not really control congress. In addition, the Republican party is the party of "NO", now more than ever. Talk about playing with a stacked deck....
I agree with the summation and Alstrom's qualification. From day one, the United States has been ruled by a minority, a Senate representing states, not people, allowing a minority within that minority to paralyze decision-making, and allowing a small group of justices to have the last word . Yet we claim to be the example of democracy in the world.
Then, after World War II and ever since, leading the world in weapons and armaments, much of it driven by corporate profit-seeking.
Meanwhile, 3 centuries of industrialization has despoiled the environment, and the nations of the world failed to unite to deal with climate change. Is that the fifth horseman?
Really well stated. An excellent summation. Here is a less eloquent condensed version:
Republican politicians bought by the Oligarchs fed the rich and starved the poor all the while blaming the Democrats. Using bigotry and racism and whistling about "socialism" they projected their own culpability onto "others" as they continued to hoard more of the nations wealth.
But I take issue with blaming "Democrats and progressives". Robert, you speak as if we had a majority. We do not. Yes, technically there are 50 in the Senate. But in reality, Sinema and Manchin are not Democrats at all. The House has passed what we need with a super slim majority. Thank you Leader Pelosi! But the Senate is still in the hands of Mitch McConnell. And there are no longer any REPUBLICAN senators who have the courage to stand against him. McConnell functions in a manner similar to J. Edgar Hoover who kept "files". He expects obedience from his puppets. He gets it in spades.
And none of this is President Biden's fault. It is our fault as voters. We have allowed money to rule. Big money. Dark money. It propels our politicians. It feeds ultra extreme "justices" to the Supreme Court. It funds a TV network that is the American equivalent of TASS. And we vote this system back into office every time.
As voters play Candy Crush and Wordle the rich continue to roll right over us.
Thank you for this history.
While the Democratic Party is better at steering the economy than Republicans, both Clinton and Obama stubbornly clung to neoliberal orthodoxy, which I found to be a great betrayal to middle-class, working-class and poor Americans.
And this is what's so frightening about Trumpism: Americans who aren't wealthy have every right to be angry, because this country has been systematically looted since Reagan's Presidency.
However, anyone expecting the blighted and malevolent Trump and his brownshirts to rescue America is living in a dystopian pipe-dream.
I'm not hopeful that Biden (who was also a neoliberal champion) can now rescue this country from the GOP's autocratic momentum.
OMG! Your comments and summaries are so insightful, pithy and concise. They are exactly what people need to hear. Yet so many times after reading your posts, I come away feeling so frustrated, hopeless and resigned to my tendency to be pessimistic about the future of America. I am worried about the ability of "the majority" of the US population to turn around the steamroller of autocracy that is pushing its way into all areas of power. "Majority" does not mean power....just look at South African Apartheid-80% of the population was Black, but the 20% of white people were in control and took all measures to keep their power as "rulers". This is where America is headed and I truly do not believe things will change. We frogs are already in the pot and so many (confused) frogs don't even know that their futures are going to be cooked and eaten by the monied and the corporations who are in positions of control and power. Guess when you keep people fearful and hopeless, they will jump into any pot you tell them to.
Need a raise? Vote Democratic
Can't make your rent? Vote Democratic
Need a job? Vote Democratic
Feed the kids? Vote Democratic
Pay for college? Vote Democratic
Clean up your city? Vote Democratic
Afraid of gun violence? Vote Democratic
Against permanent war? Vote for Bernie Sanders! LOL
Robert--You didn't even mention the parts that unions played in America developing a middle-class and how Raygun declared WAR on unions shortly after becoming president!!
Unions had been a major win for workers--actually all Americans because then we could say we were all investing in Americans buying, "Union Made", "Made in USA" everything.
You missed this very important issue.
I consider myself a skeptic of the Dems’ ability to get things done, but I don’t ascribe equal blame to the progressive wing and the corporate/Wall Street wing, which holds the bulk of power within the party. I feel like they cheated Bernie out of a fair shot at the democratic nomination in 2016. I also feel that Bernie would have given enough of the justifiably angry and disenfranchised working class and middle class voters a clear choice between establishment politics (as represented by Trojan horse Trump) and insurgent, progressive politics, and Bernie would have become President.
The corporate/ Wall Street Dems bear a good amount of the blame for the mess the country is in today. Even if, somehow, the Dems retain control of the House and the Senate in 2022, I fear we will have more of the same inept governance, and we, the people will pay a terrible price in 2024.
Despite this gloomy scenario, we cannot give up. We must primary Sinema and Manchin, as well as all the corporate/Wall Street House Dems. We must contribute money and volunteer time to elect progressive candidates. Let’s give people a reason to turn out and vote to save our democracy!
Robert Reich for President in 2024!!!
Yep. Pretty scary. Seems "management" could let the rest of America know the plan so we don't feel so insecure...seems there may not really be a solid plan. Seriously...we need better control over our leaders to get them to do what we want them to do...they do work for us...supposedly.
Given my education and life’s experiences, I faithfully believed in American exceptionalism…that the founding fathers and the colonists created a Democracy for, by, and of the people…I recognized the glaring fault lines inherent in our Constitution regarding African and Native Americans, women, and immigrant groups and the excessive powers of capitalism, but up until 2016, I believed that the “ moral arc bends towards justice”…shaken,I still do, but I’m incredulous and angry with those who align themselves with Trumpism or authoritarianism in the world today…now, more than ever our words and actions and capital must be supportive of Democracy for everyone, everywhere… we must not let them win…
How about censuring Manchin and Sinema and kicking them out of Congress for being liars and traitors - and inviting Cheney and Kinzinger to join the Democratic Party so we can have people who will support the Democratic agenda in their seats instead of sell-outs to corporate money.
Professor, I don't know who could have said it better. Your command of the facts and robust pro-democracy stance are both inspiring and enlightening. However, for once I can argue with your message. Two words, "kinder and gentler" don't seem to fit with your message. From my point of view those words signal an intention on the part of neo-liberals that I don't think is there. I don't think any policies out of THIS congress are intended to be either kinder or gentler than any of the worst autocrats around the world. I don't think that any of the republicans (small "r") are constrained by sentiments such as kindness or gentleness. Rather, I think that our history, including the New Deal, the better parts of the structure of our political system and some remaining effectiveness on the part of real democrats limits the worst that the neo-libs can do in this country! They would do worse if they could! Manchin and Senema are only the two slightly better republicans in this Senate and neither they nor even one of the formal Republicans seem to care what happens to hungry and disadvantaged children!
Reagan was partly right when he said government is the problem. His government was, and continues to be, a problem. In addition to his promoting the ideology of money worship, it was his justice department that nurtured Chief Plutocrat John Roberts, who now plays a major role in the deregulation horseman. Congressman and constitutional scholar Jamie Raskin has said that Congress, as set forth in Article I, is the predominant branch of government, suggesting that the three branches are not co-equal. He asserted this in reference to the Executive branch, but I wonder why he allows the unelected Judicial branch to override the will of the people's elected Congress.
Republicans are now crediting the end of the child tax credit with the better-than-expected jobs report. They previously blamed the enhanced unemployment benefits enacted as part of pandemic relief for the current worker shortage, although the end of the benefit didn't relieve the shortage. Republicans are masters of destructive rhetoric, and Democrats don't seem to be able to counter it. The Republican modus operandi is for a small group to decide on a message that resonates, and then all of their minions spread it far and wide. Democrats should be able to do the same.
I don't see Joe Manchin changing his mind anytime soon. Pleading with him a little bit more, giving him a few more facts, is just a waste of time and effort. Unless Senate leadership can figure out something he really, really wants to horse trade, or a stick that will alter his calculus, I think they should do what Bernie Sanders has proposed: Just start voting on Build Back Better proposals. And work really, really hard to elect more Democrats to Congress.
Re: Neoliberalism. We can't blame just our president, politicians for the continued destruction using conservative policies! The vast majority of US would benefit from virtually every progressive policy and 1 group that definitely needs progressive help is black Americans. Yet it was a conservadem/corporatist Dem, the late John Lewis who took conservadem/corporatist Hillary to win for Dems in 2016. Then again, in 2020, conservadem/corporatist James Clyburn took conservadem/corporatist Biden to become president!!
So the question is: Why, when sooo many black Americans needs progressive policies--need real change, why do these black voters continue to shoot themselves in the foot, really, all of us by voting for neoliberals over & over again????
Remember: Both John Lewis & James Clyburn were spitting nails every chance they got at progressive candidate, Bernie Sanders!! (No hyperbole here.) Btw: I read some blogger mentioning one of Biden's choices to head SCOTUS is a black jurist who hates unions & guess who Clyburn is pushing Biden to pick???
The People continue to blindly follow neoliberal Dems!! What is wrong with picture???!!!
Help me understand how expanding access to birth control would not be a better, less costly in the long run, way to reduce childhood poverty.
Democrats do not control the senate; Manchin and Sinema control the senate. Therefore, Democrats do not really control congress. In addition, the Republican party is the party of "NO", now more than ever. Talk about playing with a stacked deck....
I agree with the summation and Alstrom's qualification. From day one, the United States has been ruled by a minority, a Senate representing states, not people, allowing a minority within that minority to paralyze decision-making, and allowing a small group of justices to have the last word . Yet we claim to be the example of democracy in the world.
Then, after World War II and ever since, leading the world in weapons and armaments, much of it driven by corporate profit-seeking.
Meanwhile, 3 centuries of industrialization has despoiled the environment, and the nations of the world failed to unite to deal with climate change. Is that the fifth horseman?