Robert Reich

Truer words were never spoken – Robert Reich on facebook 01/10/2015 (yesterday):

Look at the priorities of the new Republican congressional – the Keystone XL Pipeline, the Trans-Pacific Trade agreement, tax cuts for big corporations and the wealthy, rollbacks of Dodd-Frank regulations on Wall Street, cutbacks on Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, and decimating the Affordable Care Act – and connect the dots. Republicans want the public to think the central issue of our time is the size of government. Wrong. The central issue of our time is who government is for. Every one of their initiatives advances big corporations and Wall Street, and worsens or weakens everyone else.

Elizabeth Warren is correct: The game is rigged. And the only way to unrig it is through a new progressive movement that includes not only the Democratic base but also any and all Independents and Republicans equally determined to take the economy and democracy back from the axis of Wall Street, K Street, and big corporations. Can we rely on the Democratic Party to lead the way, or will a new third party be necessary?

Those of you who voted for Republicans or just as bad, decided not to vote, had better start understanding what Republicans are all about. If you believe you are somehow immune from their greed, that will only be true as long as you are of use to them. Once they can no longer exploit you, you or your friends or family will be targets just as teachers, workers, the elderly, women, Latinos, African-Americans, college students, and any and all others who do not fit their narrow range of acceptable humans.

You will learn this lesson one way or another. Many Republicans already have, such as Bob Ney and Jack Abramoff. Best that you learn it now while there is still a chance to reverse the damage. Until you do many Americans will suffer greatly under their morally misplaced priorities.