Posted on 11/10/2015 8:14:15 AM PST by BlackFemaleArmyColonel
Most of the people I met in Americaâs heartland want big money out of politics, and think the Supreme Courtâs âCitizens Unitedâ decision was shameful.
Most are also dead-set against the Trans Pacific Partnership. In fact, theyâre opposed to trade agreements, including NAFTA, that they believe have made it easier for corporations to outsource American jobs abroad.
A surprising number think the economic system is biased in favor of the rich. (Thatâs consistent with a recent Quinnipiac poll in which 46 percent of Republicans believe âthe system favors the wealthy.â)
The more conversations I had, the more I understood the connection between their view of âcrony capitalismâ and their dislike of government. They donât 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 Americaâs 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 Trumpâs blunderbuss and his scapegoating of immigrants. Thatâs part of it. But mostly, I think, they see Trump as someone whoâll stand up for them â a countervailing power against the perceived conspiracy of big corporations, Wall Street, and big government.
Trump isnât saying what the moneyed interests in the GOP want to hear. Heâd impose tariffs on American companies that send manufacturing overseas, for example. Heâd raise taxes on hedge-fund managers. (âThe hedge-fund guys didnât build this country,â Trump says. âTheyâre âgetting away with murder.â).
(Excerpt) Read more at salon.com ...
I don't believe that. If we haven't sought out 'other remedies' by now we never will. The American people are too comfortable to rock the boat. Even those who are unemployed...they're getting checks and foodstamps from the government they may not like but they won't do anything to risk those benefits.
We've been sold down the river.
Isn’t the author by his own admission Robert Reichshhhhhhhh?
Clearly, the man is an idiot who doesn't know any live-brained people.
Citizens United puts corporations (collections of people banded together for a common goal) on the exact same footing as labor unions (collections of people banded together for a common goal).
"Shameful" is what one calls a government which claims first rights on one's property, including money, without offering representation at all. Hmmm... Wasn't that a major basis for the little 18th century disagreement we had with the British?
Because like Putin, he’s not ashamed of being white.
Better get used to him as he is all but certain to win the nomination and probably the White House. Cruz may be able to give him a fight if enough others are forced out.
He didn’t even get the name right. It is William Jennings Bryan, IIRC.
You would prefer Jeb Bush, maybe?
Actually, I’m for Hillary/sarc
I made it through the excerpt but I can’t handle anymore. I’m on my way to the bathroom to wash my brain off. Liberals have no concept of reality whatsoever.
In the end, you're measured not by how much you undertake
but by what you finally accomplish.Donald Trump
He can’t help the fact that he’s small, but he can help the fact that he’s small-minded.
” A surprising number think the economic system is biased in favor of the rich “
It is not the rich that are the problem, the problem are the ones in power who write laws that favor the rich but on the outside make the laws look like they favor the poor.
Not really.
I second it. Looks more and more likely.
Oh, please. Robert B. Reiiiiiich and his commie cronies always assume “populism” because they themselves have no values, and assume everyone else doesn’t, either. The head-shrinkers call that “projection.”
I could vote for Senator Cruz with a big smile on my face.
Thanks for the well reasoned substantive reply.
I don’t need little Bobby Reich to tell me that a lot of Trump supporters hate the rich just as much as the “Occupiers” do. See it here every day.
Well, I haven’t been this enthused about a candidate, since the twice married Reagan ;)
(There’s that marriage thingy, again :)
My trust in BOTH Reagan and Trump was NOT in how many times they’d been married, but how well they managed people, programs and processes that they were/are responsible for.
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