Bernie Sanders
Related: About this forumWhat I Learned on My Red State Book Tour ROBERT REICH
http://robertreich.org/post/132819483625Ive just returned from three weeks in red America. It was ostensibly a book tour but I wanted to talk with conservative Republicans and Tea Partiers. I intended to put into practice what I tell my students that the best way to learn is to talk with people who disagree you. I wanted to learn from red America, and hoped theyd also learn a bit from me (and perhaps also buy my book).
But something odd happened. It turned out that many of the conservative Republicans and Tea Partiers I met agreed with much of what I had to say, and I agreed with them.
The more conversations I had, the more I understood the connection between their view of crony capitalism and their dislike of government. They dont oppose government per se. In fact, as the Pew Research Center has found, more Republicans favor additional spending on Social Security, Medicare, education, and infrastructure than want to cut those programs. Rather, they see government as the vehicle for big corporations and Wall Street to exert their power in ways that hurt the little guy. They call themselves Republicans but many of the inhabitants of Americas heartland are populists in the tradition of William Jennings Brian.
I also began to understand why many of them are attracted to Donald Trump. I had assumed they were attracted by Trumps blunderbuss and his scapegoating of immigrants. Thats part of it. But mostly, I think, they see Trump as someone wholl stand up for them a countervailing power against the perceived conspiracy of big corporations, Wall Street, and big government. Trump isnt saying what the moneyed interests in the GOP want to hear.
I kept hearing Trump is so rich he cant be bought.
Heartland Republicans and progressive Democrats remain wide apart on social and cultural issues. But theres a growing overlap on economics. The populist upsurge is real. I sincerely hope Donald Trump doesnt become president. Hes a divider and a buffoon.
But I do hope the economic populists in both parties come together.
Thats the only way were going to reform a system thats now rigged against most of us.
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)The Tea Partiers are angry abou some of the same things we are angry about.
Feel the Bern!
Bernie is likely to appoint Reich to a cabinet or high level post. I certainly hope he will.
SammyWinstonJack
(44,130 posts)He can't be bought? Not sure that's true, regardless, how is Trump not Wall Street?
LiberalArkie
(15,715 posts)Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)and found it not only to be very interesting, but spot on from what I have found in my conversations along the way. Social issues do tend to make a split between folks, but on economics there is likemindedness in general.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Liberals used the "F-Word" as in "Farm". We actually were trying to save family farms.
That was before the corporate media painted every rural area in this country bright red and told Liberals they weren't welcome.
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)The Republican Party will go down with it.
At this point they're looking for someone to be their Troll In Chief.
starroute
(12,977 posts)There was a 30th Annual Farm Aid concert this September: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/farm-aid-30-willie-nelson-neil-young-headline-30th-anniversary-show-20150728
And here's something Willie wrote last March criticizing the Republican candidates for sucking up to Big Ag.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/03/willie-nelson-iowa-agriculture-115815
On Saturday, a cast of Republican presidential hopefuls will take the stage at the first-ever Iowa Ag Summit.
The eventorganized by Iowa native and Big Ag operator Bruce Rastetterpromises to be a conversation about modern agriculture, renewable fuels, biosciences, GMOs, grain and livestock markets, land conservation and federal subsidies. Over the course of the day, Rastetter will sit down on stage with Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and more.
Often, conversations like these become about feeding the world, a slogan that industrial agriculture uses to justify its existence. But family farmers are adamant that the focus should be on feeding all of us, rather than feeding corporate interests. People, not profits, should come first. The truth is, while the motivation to feed the world sounds noble, its often a front for corporate consolidation and power.
Industrial agriculture displaces the people who farm and steward the land. It produces cheap food that damages our health. It pollutes the soil and water. And it makes it harder and harder for small- and mid-sized farmers to access the credit, markets and fair prices they need to make an honest living. Yet, its these very farmers who show up in report after report as the ones who will actually feed the world, while also diminishing climate change and alleviating rural poverty.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)The whole point of GMOs is to make seeds from the resulting crops worthless forcing farmers to buy seeds every year.
Martin Eden
(12,867 posts)Perhaps some tepartiers are more aware than we give them credit for, but they're still being manipulated into voting against their own interests when Rethug politicians thump the bible and drape themselves in the flag.
Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)only dems are guilty of these transgressions. That's the way their propaganda works
Demeter
(85,373 posts)and ratings are way down, meaning there really aren't as many as there used to be.
Reality, after all, has a definitely liberal bias, and Reality has been catching up with the Joe SixPacks and their female counter parts. The pendulum is finally swinging back our way.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)they might think twice in the polling booth
much of it is bluster to cover up "ego-injuries" like our winner-and-loser economy