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2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumRobert Reich: Bernie’s Movement
http://robertreich.org/post/137882162570New York Times columnist Paul Krugman yesterday warned Bernie supporters that change doesnt happen with transformative rhetoric but with political pragmatism accepting half loaves as being better than none. He writes that its dangerous to prefer happy dreams (by which he means Bernie) to hard thinking about means and ends (meaning Hillary).
Krugman doesnt get it. Ive been in and around Washington for almost fifty years, including a stint in the cabinet, and Ive learned that real change happens only when a substantial share of the American public is mobilized, organized, energized, and determined to make it happen.
Political pragmatism may require accepting half loaves but the full loaf has to be large and bold enough in the first place to make the half loaf meaningful. Thats why the movement must aim high toward a single-payer universal health, free public higher education, and busting up the biggest banks, for example.
But not even a half loaf is possible unless or until we wrest back power from the executives of large corporations, Wall Street bankers, and billionaires who now control the whole bakery. Which means getting big money out of politics and severing the link between wealth and political power the central goal of the movement Bernie is advancing.
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Robert Reich: Bernie’s Movement (Original Post)
antigop
Jan 2016
OP
Skwmom
(12,685 posts)1. Half a loaf? Try crumbs...
Skwmom
(12,685 posts)2. They should film an ad with Reich. n/t
DanTex
(20,709 posts)3. I'll go with Krugman over Reich 100 times out of 100.
BTW, people know that Reich was Clinton's labor secretary, right? How does that fit in with the whole "evil Clinton establishment" meme? I wonder.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)5. Evil? Exaggerate much?
cali
(114,904 posts)4. Yes. Only by mobilising and engaging people is there
a chance to reform our corrupt political system.
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)6. I like Reich more and more with the passing of time.
This is so right on I wish I could rec this thread a thousand times.
I'm so proud of the team of people who support Bernie. Poor Rove. I wonder where he is today.
Funtatlaguy
(10,890 posts)9. Reich should be used as a surrogate
Would be good on tv
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)7. Thank you Rob't Reich. And thank you antigen for the OP. n/t
antigop
(12,778 posts)8. you're welcome. nt