282 Comments
Jan 25Liked by Robert Reich

Sir, you are the hardest worker for the "common man", and one of the brightest. Thank you for all you do!

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Jan 25·edited Jan 26Liked by Robert Reich

Speaking of "the common man," ol' Tovarich МАГАт really >loves< his undereducated voter base, does'n' 'e? :

"Too complicated to explain;" "You don’t have to know about it.”

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More like, "My severe dementia prevents me from understanding how to pull up my pants, let alone understand THAT."

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Jan 25·edited Jan 25

Oh you're so wrong about that. He just has to "follow his nose!" 🤣🤣🙄

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#trumpstinks

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That’s because he can’t control his bowels,he best be careful his brain is in his ass ,and if it hasn’t already shot out it’s only a matter of time!

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👍👍

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Right! He follows nobody except his nose and guts.

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Jan 25Liked by Robert Reich

Not only does Trump like his undereducated man, he absolutely depends on him.

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Yes, they understand him because he doesn't speak in complete sentences that usually don't make any sense at all.

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Trump's cult fan base don't need his sentences to make sense...Trump's bullshite creates "feelings" and that is what they crave: feelings and entertainment.

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And perhaps, if he were to speak in complete sentences, they might realize that he is full of sh*t and his eyes should turn brown.

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His face is kinda orange/brownish maybe he’s about to top off!

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Much of the base seems to not care. He's an idiot but he does good things for his base ... like what? Give the billionaires a tax cut and raised ours in 2017 (thanks McTurtleface).

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Thus the term 'word salad'!

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Absolutely!

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👍

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And under educated Women don’t forget they are a little more than half of the population...

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Well said !!!

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Jan 25·edited Jan 25

DZK: "You don't have to know about it" Wow! He is not even pretending , and obviously would not allow an audience member to ask any questions, never mind refute anything he said. He even told the guy who would know exactly what to say. And he did as he was told. Sean Spicer had no choice.

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People always have a choice. Loosing a job should not prevent someone from doing what is right and legal.

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The border--

Donald Hodgins <silencenotbad@gmail.com>

9:05 PM (0 minutes ago)

Trump is telling the Republicans not to find a solution to the border problem because the Democrats will use it to their advantage in the 2024 election. Trump’s administration built 52 miles of new primary border barriers — the first impediment people encounter if they’re trying to cross the southern border with Mexico, that can block access either for people on foot or for vehicles — where there were none before.

The administration repaired 458 total miles of primary and secondary border barriers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows. The majority were replacements of smaller, dilapidated barriers.

Trump acted as our President for 4 years and that is all he did to fix the issues at the Southern Border. He added approximately 52 miles of new barrier, and he repaired or fixed 458 miles of dilapidated fencing. He also sent Bannon down there to embezzle donated money from people who only wanted to help. Bannon promised to build a portion of Trumps nonexistent wall with bricks that had people's names printed on them, for a fee. By Trump's own admission he doesn't want an answer to the problem at the Southern Border. Donnie Boy doesn't want to lead; he wants to plunder.

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Sean Spicer had a choice and he chose fealty to the orange man!

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As have so many other Republicans with no spine & no conscience.

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Peggy Freeman ; They parted ways, I guess. Maybe Sean refused to go along with his lies?

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No choice, as long as he wanted the job.

Sigh….

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Pat ; exactly!

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Unable to Debate. Unable!

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👍

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This is another way to speak[and poopoo the listener, but gently]. "Too complicated to explain" says: "We don't have time to get into the details but trust me". So it appeals to trust but also positions himself as the one who is here to help. The "you don't have to know about it" is similar and also expresses that he knows [better than the listener] the topic he is talking about. It is just a turn of phrase and Trump uses it brilliantly, I've noticed, precisely when he does not know anything about the topic.

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It's the old US truism: "If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit!"

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If your selling a junker, polish the hubcaps!

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Jan 26·edited Jan 26

It just occurred to me that you - in particular - may appreciate this. As you've probably noticed, I've taken to writing "MAGA" - actually, MAGAt - as МАГАт. I figured the reference would be clear to all here. However, this morning I got a response to my comment:

"Speaking of "the common man," ol' Mr МАГАт really >loves< his undereducated voter base, does'n' 'e? : "Too complicated to explain;" "You don’t have to know about it.”

asking: "Excuse me, but what is the symbol between MA & AT?"

I was delighted that someone would ask me to explain that:

"Every letter in "МАГАт" is the Cyrillic - Russian - equivalent of "MAGAt", where "Г" = G, the direct equivalent.

In Russian, МАГА - MAGA - means "magician," where the equivalent in English is "mage." I could easily suspect "MAGA" is the KГБ code name: "magician" - and like always, in plain sight." Remember, he seems to end his posts proclaiming "MAGA." I'm thinking it's his plain sight alias signature, rather than simply a proclamation.

I have since modified "Mr MAGAt" in my original statement to "Tovarich МАГАт." I think I'm a'gon'na keep it! (Remember "Maggot" in "The Dirty Dozen?" Just an afterthought, that.)

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I knew what the symbols stood for [since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I've been paying attention to the Cyrillic spelling of names (especially towns)], but I didn't know the Russian meaning of maga. I'm also not familiar with Tovarich.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's Benedict Donald's code as a Russian agent. I'm not surprised about any of the Siberian Candidate's connections to Russia.

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DZK ; I do not know Russian, and it has been eons since I watched "the Dirty Dozen" , but it may be a good keeper. You may have an apt description there. Creative and on target. What is the 'letter' between K and the stylized 5, or is it 6? 🤔 called?

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Too complicated for him to explain since there's never a plan for him to speak about. Even if there was, it would be the same old BS word salad that his gullible, minimally- schooled base would eat up by the shovel full.

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It’s a prerequisite!

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Absolutely demented thinking!!! Ack!

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Excuse me, but what is the symbol between MA & AT?

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Jan 26·edited Jan 26

Every letter in "МАГАт" is the Cyrillic - Russian - equivalent of "MAGAt", where "Г" = G, the direct equivalent.

In Russian, МАГА - MAGA - means "magician," where the equivalent in English is "mage." I could easily suspect "MAGA" is the KГБ code name: "magician" - and like always, in plain sight.

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Thanks.

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👍

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Just the wording of that quote is bonkers! I mean, Trump can't even put together simple, coherent sentences! All presidential candidates need to take the SAT's! If they fail or get a really low score, they don't get to run, plain and simple.

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His BeLuved UnEds . . .but he was Just Kidding . . like I could Shoot someone! . . and when they're Not kidding . .. He gets to Watch! . . .. Adolf had a similar sense of humor . .# But It Rhymes. .. .

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Yes. But stop repeating what Trump says. Those who are likely to believe it are not moved by you saying before and after that it is a lie. The power of the lie in propaganda is from its repetition. So the solution is simple. How about “whatever trump says the economy is doing well.” No need to repeat the lie.

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If only main stream media would ignore him, but they keep repeating his disinformation.

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THE ENEMY INSURRECTIONIST ARE AT THE GATE, DEFEAT TREASONOUS , TERRORIST, AND CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE AND JAIL CORRUPT AND TRAITOR RTRUMP AND CRONIES.THE ENEMY INSURRECTIONIST ARE AT THE GATE, DEFEAT TREASONOUS , TERRORIST, AND CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE AND JAIL CORRUPT AND TRAITOR RTRUMP AND CRONIES. VOTE PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS , AND RESTORE DEMOCRACY. YES, CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL, DANGEROUS, AND EXPENSIVE.

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Jan 25Liked by Robert Reich

I am so tired of all of the lies. I’m even more exhausted listening to people who believe those lies, and they are repeated by the media! It compares to watching an alternate reality episode from The Twilight Zone or Star Trek. There’s no escaping this absurdity! Scotty, beam me up🖖

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Nothing has changed. trumpet 🎺 is still a coward and a liar...

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And he is still pathetically insecure and weak. and he knows his "victory" in New Hampshire merely masks a major weakness. He scared and cornered; we best be wary.

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A Cornered Rat 🐀 Fights The Hardest ;

Also known as An Extinction Event in behavior.

In kids a burst of misbehavior ( acting out ) before they conform to reality...

Trumpet 🎺 won’t quit until the money stops coming in; This is his business gathering money. 💰 talking shit getting attention press.

His next move is to convince everyone he has Alzheimer’s or dementia or he’s just old and confused. Anything to avoid and/or, reduce his upcoming jail time.

He has a plan and he’s working the plan

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I believe you. The reason I think he is not necessarily deep into dementia is that his political instincts are still keen--he knows perfectly well how to read the numbers that came in from the New Hampshire primary and those numbers are making him very worried--which in turn, is making him crazier and prodding him into his "hit back--harder" mode at Nikki Haley.

However, I have a hard time believing that Trump would want to be regarded as having Alzheimers or being old and confused--even as an escape ploy--he is also very impulsive. How will he be able to curb his impulse to yap. He's bragged for years about "acing" the Montreal cognition test...surely a sudden switch to a shambling wreck might require more finesse than he possesses ? Is he truly that good an actor? I've never been able to make up my mind on that.

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He is the untimate CONMAN he is constantly selling his SnowJob.

“It’s easy to see When He is Lying His Lips Ate Moving”

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". . . there's no intelligent life on this planet!"

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So Trump named businesses have filed six bankruptcies. So Trump signed $1400 checks to everyone during the pandemic whether they were working or not. So Trump pushed Jerome Powell to lower interest rates to zero and buy stocks and bonds with money that had to be printed. So Trump is responsible for the inflation. No one cares. Fox and Sinclair and Facebook and Twitter are in control of the messaging. As long as uninformed and misinformed people are encouraged to vote, America is going nowhere but down.

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Yeah, but I still can’t afford my rent. And the prospects of me becoming a homeowner are slim to none. I hear you, that the data shows improvement, but I consider myself at the bottom of the economy, I am an apprentice pipefitter, I make 19 and change per hour. I make between 6 and 700 a week, and I am struggling. I am making it work, but it’s rough out here for a single mom.

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founding
Jan 25·edited Jan 25

You are not wrong. There is overall economic improvement, but we do not all have cash falling out of our pockets. Robert has been trying to get the message out about what has happened to the middle class over the last 40+ years. Corporate monopolies among other things have been slowly bleeding us for a long time. People are starting to understand this, and we need politicians in office that understand this and support change. (Sorry to not go more in depth, but Robert writes about this often)

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founding

It absolutely is rough, but Trump would make it worse. What we need is strong unions. That would be a great start. We also need disincentives for flipping houses and for turning them into short-term rentals. And we need a better safety net.

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Angela, Regrettably, too few of us recall that back in 2021 the Democratically-controlled House had passed a legislative package Bernie Sanders had stated would have improved life “for tens and tens of millions of working people.” Unfortunately, the legislation never made it to the Senate floor because it was filibustered by all 50 Republican Senators plus Manchin and Sinema. Hence, Senate Democrats had to cram the parts of the legislative package that qualified under reconciliation into one bill that could pass with 50 votes, with the VP breaking the tie. The reconciliation package, painfully, failed by 2 votes—Manchin and Sinema. Sometime later, the Senate was able, through reconciliation, to pass the vastly edited-down Inflation Reduction Act.

My point is, because Congress came extraordinarily close to passing legislation Biden would have signed that was reminiscent of FDR and LBJ, we must do two things: 1) Remind voters what Dems tried to deliver and the folks that voted against it and 2) retake the House, hold our 49 Senate seats, excluding Sinema and Manchin, flip 1 currently-held Republican Senate seat, and hold the White House.

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I think less than $80K a year keeps you on edge. You are doing spectacular on your income. You should take a lot of pride in yourself.

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$1538 a week is a pretty good income.

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She said she makes between 600-700/week, not livable wages.

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I agree, maybe. I all depends on how much she pays for rent, what she eats, what luxuries she affords herself. For instance and ISP is costly (mine is $80) a month, I don't have a cell phone or tablet but the wife does and the service is $70 a month, was $120 amonth until she paid off the hardware.

Computers, cell phones, ISP's are luxuries, not necessities. I never had a cell phone in my life, and never had a computer until 1985, and a dial up until 1990,

What I am getting at it is that way too many of us, believe that luxuries are actually necessities.

I use a home phone, what use to be called a landline, there are still old computers around with modems, that can be plugged into your home phone., and one can browse the internet, like I did with Windows 95 and a 36,000 baud modem in early 2000's,

These days I see photo's and video's of people living in tents under overpasses with cell phones., and even browsing and posting on substack.

My mother supported herself and three kids on $310 a month, less when she worked for tips as a waitress, we had a telephone, but it was a party line, and she gave us a choice between going to the movies on Saturday matinee or a TV, we went for the TV., which I suspect was bought for by a boyfriend. A red naugahide covered Philco table model, black and white.

Poverty has been seriously redfined.

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Yes it is, Angela. I honestly think it is because the large corporations and anyone else in the supply chain raised prices so high during the pandemic and it is extremely hard to afford when you're getting the same paycheck!! These prices need to come back down. The pandemic is over, the supply chain is working fine so cut the prices back to where they were before the pandemic!! The rich fat cats won't do that because they want all the money and all the power!!

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The hourly wage should be at least $25/hr, universal health care should be in play ( and nonprofit), and give subsidized child support and education should also be present. This is why Western European, Australian, Scandinavian citizens have a better standard of living. It wouldn’t take much to do this: the will to tax the wealthy and corporations.

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Yes Angela, you should be earning twice that. We need your skills-not enough young people going into the trades, as I find with my furnace, plumping, electrical, irrigation system, etc. repairs. How can we survive without your skills (we can't)? I do think Democrats are your only hope & I support unions, unlike the Repubs. I hope things improve for you!

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Why isn’t the journalistic community making list of Trump‘s lies and failures compared to Joe Biden‘s successes and accomplishments???

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That would be impressive!! An actual in your face, can't deny list! People could see for themselves the fantastic work President Biden and his staff have done for the American people and compare it to trump who has done............crickets!

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Jan 25·edited Jan 26

FYI: Tovarich МАГАт's accomplishments: https://youtu.be/1M6CXhUS-x8?si=X1Fzl1WxmCCH0-xw

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Jan 25Liked by Robert Reich

I love reading your article first thing. It gets my day off to a great start! I hope to meet you one day and thank you in person!

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Why aren’t the first 7 paragraphs Breaking News on the MSM? Where is David Muir when you need him???

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Trump's comment reminds me of the old Rush Limbaugh line, "Let me do your thinking for you." The fact that so many people seem to want that makes me cringe

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It's the EZ way out... and very undemocratic too!

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So why are the Democrats not shouting this from the housetops? Where are their spokespersons giving the good news about the Biden/Harris administration? Why is the media giving all the press to Trump? Come on, Democrats!

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What a bunch of gobbledygook in Trumps explanation of his vs. Biden’s economy. Kind of like, never mind that man behind the curtain line, only with no meaning. If any of his supporters would just step back and read what he pontificates, they might just say, huh? But hope is a dangerous word.

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founding

These are people who are not used to thinking for themselves. They want someone else to do the work.

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FYI: Mr МАГАт's accomplishments: https://youtu.be/1M6CXhUS-x8?si=X1Fzl1WxmCCH0-xw

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Jan 25Liked by Robert Reich

How do we get the Media to report these lies? They seem to just let him get away with it

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.. condescending comments (?to his sycophantic supplicants?) from the guy with the best brain the world has ever known: "too complicated to explain" and "you dont have to know"!

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1.) He knows they're idiots

2.) He hopes they don't fact-check his lies

3.) He has no idea what the truth is and couldn't explain it on his best day

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Paula, I want to slightly modify your good points:

1. He knows they are easily manipulated due to their backgrounds, or at least his handlers know that.

2. He knows they don't care enough to fact-check anything because, of course, Trump believes nearly everything that comes from his mouth. As god, he believes he is creating with each word and can't understand how anyone could dare to stand against him. That might explain the ridiculous vomit he spews when he talks about any of his opponents.

3. Related to #2, Trump thinks he is the truth, especially since he is moving more and more deeply into dementia. I have seen dementia develop and he is there. Those I have known with it did not treat others badly and lie all the time, but that is what Trump has always done, so should be expected to do the same while in dementia.

Thanks for your points to ponder.

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Thank you for expanding on my points! I totally agree with you.

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Yep, the ol’ “Trust me”. Not only is it insulting, it usually pushes me in the opposite direction unless that trust is already established. I once had a boss who said to a co-worker, “I trust but verify, and you get exactly one chance”.

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Jan 25Liked by Robert Reich

Great news, Robert. But it needs to be said that while the RATE of inflation has dropped significantly, many prices for food, rent and housing are still high, which is what most people think of as inflation. The media doesn't seem to know the difference, which is why people are still "grumpy" about the economy, as you said. Meanwhile, Biden has done a great job on the economy overall, and it's mind-boggling that his approval rating (at least according to the polls) is still so low.

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Jan 25Liked by Robert Reich

There's the global economy, the U.S. economy, and the individual economy. If your individual economy is in the dumpster, you can't appreciate the other two. "Some of the persistent grumpiness is due to continuing high monthly household costs."

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You don’t mean that Trump lies? Wow, what else is new!

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Anthony Wilkins : true! But it is nice to know which remarks are lies. I guess if his lips are moving, it's a lie. Clarification like these truths about his version vs the facts is valuable to those deciding how to vote. it's actual news.. fact checking is good.

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If it’s Biden v Trump, I’ve already made my decision! I’ve never desired to live under an authoritarian government !

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Same!

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Me too!!

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Agreed! His lies need to be exposed as much as possible! MSM appears to be somewhat quiet most of the time.

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Jan 25·edited Jan 25

Anthony Wilkins : Agree! Knowledge is power! When MSNBC isn't doing ' 'balanced' news, some of the shows nail it. Have to really pay attention. I record the shows I like, and fast forward past commercials and things I am not as interested in (like polls). Remind myself that the hosts and pundits are working for the owners: Billionaires. Grain of salt needed.

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some "trumpers" don't believe anyone but trump who only lies to them. I'll never understand what they see in him, even when he's called out for his lies and STILL he lies even more..

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The man is a genuine psychopath who really believes what he’s saying,he’s God and God is infallible! This guy is a true lunatic, he must not be questioned! The Constitution has an answer for screwballs in the office of the President,but the cowards in Congress refused to use it! May Karma come down heavily upon each of those repugnant bastards!They had their shot but they couldn’t summon the courage to do what was so obviously necessary!They should all rot in the fires 🔥 of Hell for their culpability in his crimes!If there is a God Maybe it can forgive their cowardice and shame ,but the country should not ! They have disgraced themselves and we should never forget that!

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