Robert Reich: Reasons for Optimism

[babylonsister]

https://prospect.org/article/reasons-optimism

Reasons for Optimism
Robert Reich
September 17, 2019
The arc of American history reveals an unmistakable pattern.

snip//


Even now, it’s not as bleak as it sometimes seems. In 2018 a record number of women, people of color, and LGBTQ representatives were elected to Congress, including the first Muslim women.

Eighteen states raised their minimum wages.

Even in traditionally conservative states, surprising things are happening. In Tennessee, a Republican legislature has enacted free community college and raised taxes for infrastructure. Nevada has expanded voting rights and gun controls. New Mexico has increased spending by 11 percent and raised its minimum wage by 60 percent.

Teachers have gone on strike in Virginia, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina — and won. The public sided with the teachers.

In several states, after decades of tough-on-crime policies, conservative groups have joined with liberals to reform criminal justice systems. Early childhood education and alternative energy promotion have also expanded nationwide, largely on a bipartisan basis.

In 2018, South Carolina passed a law giving pregnant workers and new mothers more protections in the workplace. The law emerged from an unlikely coalition – supporters of abortion rights and religious groups that oppose them. A similar alliance in Kentucky enacted laws requiring that employers provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers and new mothers.

The arc of American history reveals an unmistakable pattern. Whenever privilege and power conspire to pull us backward, we eventually rally and move forward.

[Newest Reality]

1. K&R

[CDerekGo]

2. not that I even care to discuss this

But, I think back to what Our Country looked like, after the Civil War, after World War 1, the Great Depression,after World War 2, and the frustrations our Citizens, all had to deal with. While it seems we're in a never-ending war with god knows who (thanks Bush-Cheney) I'm hopeful (most days) that our Nation will be stronger once we're able to remove this orange shit stain from our memory. Look back and thank THANK YOU!

Dealing with personal issues, and political issues all at same time, it's frustrating at times, but DAMMIT, I know I will keep at it, I'm just hopeful other DU'rs will do exact same thing!

[Newest Reality]

3. You could say...

that we have always been in a struggle with our oligarchy and its efforts to enrich itself and emerge as the real victor.

The time has come to see the mask and pull it off. Once the underlying source of so many issues is known and the stakes of this round of those manipulation are acknowledged, then we could have our collective, transcendental "moment" and proceed.

The orange stain could be the icon of useful idiots when we pull back and notice the constant maintenance and widening of divisive wedges that most obviously distract from what he actually represents. Just where do the wedge issues really take us and what do they get us in the long-run? They get dragged out of the magic bag of consent manufacturing and are shaken around as a means of providing totems for our attention while the real stuff goes on as usual.

War is a racket!

[Farmer-Rick]

5. Capitalism creates an oligarchy

The economic system always affects the political system. Capitalism is all about consolidating capital in a few people's hands. Those people own us through the jobs they allow us and the influence over our politics.

Capital is power in a capitalist economy. The corruption in DC is all about criminals making wealth and gaining capital through our political system.

Capitalism corrupts democracy. The rich capitalist kings don't want democracy because then they are not anymore powerful then you or I. Equality and fairness is not what successful capitalists want. They want all the money and power and our economic system is designed to give it to them.

[Newest Reality]

6. Well said and on spot.

I would say that, in this phase, we are watching Oligarchy reaching a critical phase where it shifts from the mere corruption of democracy to its total and undeniable destruction and once it is gone, (or is just a Simulation or shell of appearances) just how could it ever be reestablished, all things considered?

Is that sensationalism? The data seems to point to that now. You could say that the stakes are now incredibly high and most of the current Spectacle is merely a big distraction from that level of the game and from beyond the facade.

I think a good, personal demonstration of that is, if you peruse the threads here, what topics or issues hit home and evoke a strong reaction? Then, when the issue of the real, major, underlying issue being Oligarchy and the end of democracy, with let's say, a potential Neo-Feudalism as the result in a few decades or less, how does your reaction/response compare?

The priorities matter now, more than ever.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. In Europe

and not only eastern europe, economics is referred to as political economy. But if you use the term here you are branded a left wing Marxist pinko!

[PasadenaTrudy]

4. Didn't know

NM was considered a traditionally conservative state.

[TygrBright]

9. There is a big progressive community in El Norte, but mostly, yes, it's conservative here.

Not necessarily Republican, but definitely conservative Democrat.

Consider our history: The Spanish empire colonized and brutalized the native peoples (who were no slouches in conflict among themselves at various times).

The Catholic Church was the dominant cultural force here through more than two hundred years of Spanish colonial history.

Spanish colonial populations intermingled with native populations but maintained a rigid caste/class structure based on the Church's patriarchal, misogynist doctrines.

Even after the newly-independent Mexican government replaced Spain's colonial rule, the established land-grant based power structure here retained most of the local control, as the "Independent" Mexican establishment was largely dominated by Hispanic colonial descendants. (Think of the extent to which British colonial descendants dominated newly-Independent America in terms of culture and social structure here.)

Spain had allowed Texan and American colonists into its northern territories just prior to Mexican independence, and those early Anglo settlers were required to declare their Christianity and their allegiance first to Spain and then to Mexico. Mexico allowed the continuation of slavery in its northern territories through 1830 and wasn't exactly vigorous in enforcing emancipation thereafter.

After the Mexican-American war was ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Gadsden purchase finalized the actual territorial boundaries of New Mexico, the settlers who arrived here were pretty much the same as the Great Plains and early California settlers- they were looking for cheap land and little government control.

The Wild West era was pretty wild here, with Kit Carson undertaking genocide against many native peoples while befriending some, Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War provided plenty of penny-dreadful and dime novel fodder for readers "Back East". But overall it remained a bastion of racist patriarchal libertarianism for a century or more.

In the mid-20th century the small node of artists and progressive thinkers that took root north of Santa Fe was counter-balanced by the quieter but much larger military-industrial establishment that grew here out of the Manhattan project and post-WWII military research and development. That doesn't even take into account the large number of substantial military (mostly Air Force) bases here and the number of military retirees who remained or returned in the central part of the state.

And in the latter half of the 20th century we were dubiously blessed with our very own Oil Rush in the southwest portion of the state as Texas-based extraction industries moved in and bought a big chunk of state government to protect and advance their interests.

At best, we're brilliant red in the southern 40% of the state and a kind of red-violet shade of purple north of that, with a cobalt blue splotch up here in El Norte.

The Democratic Party here has historically been closer to the Democratic Parties of other Southern states in the Civil Rights era, with a strong libertarian faction and a deeply entrenched protect-the-land-grant-power-structure-by-any-means-including-rampant-corruption faction dividing up the spoils. That dynamic gave a lot of power to moderate Republicans who banged the anti-corruption good-government drum in periodic state purges.

Only in the last 30 years or so has there been any effective progressive pressure within the New Mexico Democratic party.

But conservative overall we have always been, and the Powers That Be fight hard to remain so. The current "blue from border to border" state is something of an anomaly- a very welcome one, but not necessarily a sustainable one.

explicatorially,
Bright

[Mountain Mule]

10. Great summary of the state of affairs in New Mexico!

As a resident of the Four Corners I am a very next door neighbor to New Mexico. What is true of that state can also be applied to here in southern Colorado. Both states seem to be shading from purple to blue. Let us hope that this encouraging trend continues!

[TygrBright]

11. From your keyboard to the Divine Monitor! n/t

[PasadenaTrudy]

12. I started visiting NM

about 25 years ago. Didn't pay attention to red or blue or purple, I just loved Santa Fe! I'll be out again at the end of Oct, staying in Albuquerque with a friend. So glad Keller is mayor there now, and that you got rid of that terrible governor. I have often considered moving to NM, or at least retiring there, but I think CA is one of the safest places to be now. Plus, NM is really lacking social services and medical specialists, from what I hear. Not good.

[TygrBright]

13. We do have a severe shortage of medical providers, but not in ABQ or Santa Fe.

And while in some specialties it may be difficult to find an available provider, local primaries are usually perfectly willing to do an out of state referral for specialties, and we're within reach of both Denver and Phoenix.

We discovered when my esposo went through a bout of cancer that it would actually be quicker to make 3 visits to Denver - assessment, surgery, followup - than to try and schedule the surgery in local facilities with a local specialist.

As far as social services goes, it's largely a function of what and where. Again, in both ABQ and SF you're likely to be able to find what you need and more. Get off the I-25 corridor and it's truly a desert.

But Santa Fe is comparatively expensive, and Albuquerque, while it has some really nice areas, has its own big-city issues. I don't know that I'd discourage anyone who really loves it here from looking into retirement here, but I probably wouldn't encourage anyone who's doubtful.

ambiguously,
Bright

[PasadenaTrudy]

14. I cannot imagine

having to go out of state for medical care. I'm in the L.A. area, and all of my doctors are within 30 minutes on surface streets. I'm spoiled! I wouldn't even want to drive from Santa Fe to ABQ for care...too far. Compared to here, Santa Fe real estate is quite reasonable. There are no small homes under $1M in my area. I like parts of the ABQ metro too, Nob Hill, Los Ranchos, Sandia Heights, over in Corrales. Things would still have to improve on the crime front, though. I'll just enjoy my visits for now!

[usaf-vet]

8. "We eventually rally and move forward" OK, what does that mean? In my lifetime I'm in my seventies?

In my kid's lifetime? In my grandchild's life?

Eventually is not a reassuring word in this context.

[elocs]

15. I was optimistic before the 2016 elections but now seeing is believing.

If we dump Trump next year I'll have reason to begin to feel optimistic but it could take decades to undo what Trump has done to this country in just a few years. We must remain vigilant and optimism can lead to complacency.