Robert Reich vs. the right

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Former labor secretary and gubernatorial candidate to speak in Eastham


Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, Democratic primary candidate for governor of Massachusetts, professor of social and economic policy at Brandeis University, author of nine books, and co-founder and former chairman of the political magazine The American Prospect, Robert Reich is a prominent figure in the fields of politics and economics.

Reich, a Truro summer resident, will be at Eastham Town Hall at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7, where he will present the keynote address for the Nathan Anthony Perspectives on Politics series presented by the Friends of the Eastham Public Library. His topic will be "Where is the Economy Heading?"

Reich spoke with us recently about his upcoming talk and other topics.

CC: What will you be discussing in your talk?

more..............

http://www.townonline.com/harwich/news/local_regional/newhoreich08062003.htm

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1. Question: is it Robert Reich vs. the right?

or it is Robert Reich vs. Fourth Reich?

[T_i_B]

2. L:ast week's Observer article

Written by Reich

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,1011308,00.html

Since his election in 1997, Tony Blair has based much of his appeal on claims of integrity and sincerity, coupled with promises to improve domestic services. Now two-thirds of the British public doesn't trust him, and he's compelled to show how well he's done on domestic issues apart from the attention he's given to foreign affairs. But in an America that is still reeling from the terrorist attack of 11 September, Bush's appeal has been based largely on his determination to fight back. Americans haven't cared very much about the details of Bush's strategy, as long as it's sufficiently bold. In fact, a large portion of the American public continues to believe that Saddam Hussein was somehow involved in the 9/11 attack. As long as the administration seems to be making 'progress' by tracking down or killing his key assistants, including his sons, and fighting the remnants of his forces, most Americans are satisfied.

The American public would have preferred that we go into Iraq with more of our allies, of course. And there's lingering concern that neither Saddam Hussein nor Osama bin Laden has yet been captured or killed. But Bush needs only to demonstrate resolve against the forces of evil - or, as he did last Wednesday, merely to mention that terrorists might be planning another attack similar to 9/11 - and questions about the quality of the intelligence underlying his decision to go into Iraq don't seem to register on the public's mind. At every opportunity, Bush emphasises that we've freed the Iraqi people from a terrible dictator and are making the world safer from terror ism. Apparently that's enough.

Democrats, meanwhile, are in disarray, lacking both a critical message about the war and a messenger to deliver it. At least nine Democrats are running for the Democratic nomination for President, each seeking to distinguish himself or herself from the pack. This hardly makes for coherent criticism.

Only one Democratic hopeful - Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont - has sought to claim the anti-war mantle. But he accuses Bush of mishandling the terrorist threat rather than of being too bellicose.