Robert Reich: Why the Anger?
Why the Anger?
Monday, August 12, 2013
Why is the nation more bitterly divided today than it’s been in eighty years? Why is there more anger, vituperation, and political polarization now than even during Joe McCarthy’s anti-communist witch hunts of the 1950s, the tempestuous struggle for civil rights in the 1960s, the divisive Vietnam war, or the Watergate scandal?
If anything, you’d think this would be an era of relative calm. The Soviet Union has disappeared and the Cold War is over. The Civil Rights struggle continues, but at least we now have a black middle class and even a black President. While the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been controversial, the all-volunteer army means young Americans aren’t being dragged off to war against their will. And although politicians continue to generate scandals, the transgressions don’t threaten the integrity of our government as did Watergate.
And yet, by almost every measure, Americans are angrier today. They’re more contemptuous of almost every major institution — government, business, the media. They’re more convinced the nation is on the wrong track. And they are far more polarized.
Political scientists say the gap between the median Republican voter and the median Democrat is wider today on a whole host of issues than it’s been since the 1920s. .....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://robertreich.org/post/58082787864
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and a growing divide between rich and poor.
What are your questions?
WEALTH DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES
to throw him out of office. In fact, the more the Republicans tried to throw him out, the higher his job approval numbers increased.
For me, it was baffling why more Americans weren't angry with Bush II, his Republican criminal cabal (and the cooperating Democrats) for what they did to this country. Instead, their outrage has been reserved for this president--again, not directed at the Republicans who continue to get away with everything.
Just look here on DU and all the anti-Obama threads and rhetoric. For every Republican hate thread, there are at least a dozen anti-Obama threads. It's ridiculous. No one has held the Republicans accountable for anything they've done and continue to do to sabotage this nation's economy and regress this country to where it was since the Great Depression. Actually, the Republicans would love it if we regressed to pre-Civil War times!
Let me tell this story:
Last night I went to dinner with a group of friends. All of us work for the federal government. One of my friends works for the NSA. I work at HUD. A few others work for DOT, EPA, USDA. All of us have been able to get furlough days reduced or completely rescinded, and we think it is because Obama has been negotiating behind the scenes and directly with agency heads, OMB, and the federal unions, to stop cuts in S&E; instead, targeting any wasteful spending or getting rid of discretionary programs that are no longer effective. As a result, we have no additional furlough days, and many other agencies are in the same boat (for now, that is).
And still, the guy who works for NSA--who concidently had NO furlough days at all and therefore had no cause to complain--blamed Obama for sequestration. The rest of us sat there at the dinner table looking dumbfounded and having to explain to him what happened and how the Republicans held budget negotiations hostage until we had no choice but to have sequestion.
Anyway, it's been like this now for damn near 5 years.
Case in point: Our agency and most agencies just completed and submitted our FY15 budget requests to OMB. So now, OMB (headed by the president) is reviewing that budget. Now mind you, we have submitted an FY12, FY13, FY14 and now FY15 budget request. The president, in return, has submitted an FY12, FY13, FY14 and will submit an FY15 budget request to Congress. What have we gotten in return? We did get a reduced budget for FY12 after nearly shutting down the government, but most of the negotiations thereafter have resulted in Continuing Resolutions up to this point. FY13, the latest budget, resulted in a Continuing Resolution, and of course FY14, which Congress will fight over when they get back, will likely result in yet another Continuing Resolution. (Not to mention, there's another debt ceiling fight before the FY14 budget fight begins, which means we could face another government shutdown along with another possible sequestration.) This has NEVER happened before---NEVER!! Not until the black Muslim from Kenya dared showed his face in the White House!!
But rest assured, the first thing the Republicans will do when they get back is not work on a jobs bill or pass the $5 billion infrastructure jobs bill that is ready for Obama's signature and being held up by the Republicans in the House. Hell, no! That would mean more jobs and a better economy and we can't have the black Muslim from Kenya receiving ANY credit for that. As Boehner would say, HELL NO WE CAN'T!!!
No, what the Republicans will do instead is run to the cameras and the corporate media and complain that the president has not submitted any budget request; that the president has no plan for jobs, and has not put together anything. And sure enough, watch as many Democrats--even the ones here on DU--fall in line, sucumbing to the Republican (and Corporate Media) false meme that the president has no plan.
Damnit I just explained that we submitted all these budget requests and that those requests were reviewed and submitted to Congress from the president!! And yet, there are STILL people here on DU who listen to the Republican Party, a recalcitrant corporate media, and some liberal commentators that Obama hasn't done anything!!
UGH!! It's so frustrating!! We're working our asses off here. We do all this work to put this shit together and get nothing in return but ridicule from Americans about how horrible government is and how lazy and awful government workers are.
And now you know why I believe in my heart that this is about race. It *IS* about race. Plain and simple.
No other president in the history of this great Republic has EVER been asked to submit his birth certificate and PROVE that he is a legitimate American president, duly elected by the American people. TWICE!!
No other president in the history of this great Republic has EVER been held hostage in terms of deliberately not raising the debt ceiling as punishment for having alternative ideas!!
No other president in the history of this great Republic has EVER been forced to work with an opposition party where NOT ONE member wanted to work with him or compromise in some way. Even Bill Clinton, as much as the Republicans despised him, was able to get SOME Republicans onboard and get things done. Bill was never faced with debt ceiling challenges or constant Continuing Resolutions instead of the required Appropriations Bills. George Bush II never vetoed any spending bill, always raised the debt ceiling, and was always able to sign infrastructure project bills, Appropriations bills that are, by the way, required by the U.S. Constitution!! 
With all that said, I really appreciate your response and the candor with which you express your thoughts.
However, I stand by my main point: No one can convince me that the maltreatment of this president is due to anything else besides the color of his skin.
I won't believe it. I never will. I see it with my own two eyes. I live and work in this city and it's right before my own two eyes. It's there and it's destroying this country.
