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Robert ReichWhen America had a large and growing middle class, fueled by strong unions and good public schools,fascism didn’t stand a chance.
Patty@rbreich St Ronnie took care of the strong middle class I enjoyed growing up by the start of union destruction, trickle down economics and race baiting to divide voters.
Toasty Fun Buns@PattySaysWhat @rbreich St. Ronnie and his gal pal, Throat Goat Reagan.
Truth Or Consequences ✅ 🇺🇦@rbreich The GOP has convinced many struggling Americans that it is in their best interest to shoot themselves in their feet while they stab them in the back.
abdullah luu@rbreich
That's right
That's right
David Burns🌹Are we just ignoring Jim Crowe, or internment, or McCarthyism, or red scare, or stonewall, or the height of the KKK, or Lochner era, or Oklahoma city, or ruby ridge, or... ? Like I think fascism's been here for a while but idk maybe we've failed to give them pushback for 50 years and now they're just bold wackos? Maybe I just didn't think I'd be living in a reality where I have to worry about how my opinions make the neo Nazis feel....
Katrags@rbreich
When there were strong unions/funded public schools, the Greatest Generation was in charge; a generation that knew WHY we had to work together.
Their children grew up in the best economy in history, assuming everything would come easy and they were entitled to success. The "I got mine, eff the rest of you"
generation destroyed what their parents created, and at the end of their lives of failure ( because things AREN"T easy) they are looking for someone to blame AKA facism.
When there were strong unions/funded public schools, the Greatest Generation was in charge; a generation that knew WHY we had to work together.
Their children grew up in the best economy in history, assuming everything would come easy and they were entitled to success. The "I got mine, eff the rest of you"
generation destroyed what their parents created, and at the end of their lives of failure ( because things AREN"T easy) they are looking for someone to blame AKA facism.
Mike | Abundance Protocol@rbreich wasn't too long ago when it was unthinkable. The financial crisis and social media polarization fundamentally changed this country.
Ido Amir
soapone@rbreich Unions strong enough to break kneecaps of anyone who dare defy a strike because product needs to ship to keep a strong middle class running in America.
Khloe_the_Red@rbreich Fascism is the inevitable conclusion to late-stage capitalism. The bourgeoisie class will use fascism as a tool to maintain control and divert attention from the economic consequences of their wealth hording. The only 2 paths forward are the collapse of the empire or socialization.
Gordon W@rbreich Good to a acknowledge Unions strengthened the middle class and pushed against facist tendencies in the capitalist class. Racism and fascism existed in unions too and capitalists exploited this in many ways. Seems like in 80s and 90s R’s worked hard to undermine unions as have the new Tech Billionaires. Both have funded authoritarian approaches to governance which is extremely Anti-Union. Tax breaks benefiting the rich and undermining communities.
@rbreich
It's a decades long concerted and organized Right Wing operation to 'TAKE AMERICA BACK' for the MAKERS --corporations and the wealthy. Investment in a propaganda machine and workers despise themselves for being 'welfare queens'.
'DRAIN THE SWAMP --- NO not THAT swamp. Those are MY swampers. The MARXIST swampers'
It's a decades long concerted and organized Right Wing operation to 'TAKE AMERICA BACK' for the MAKERS --corporations and the wealthy. Investment in a propaganda machine and workers despise themselves for being 'welfare queens'.
'DRAIN THE SWAMP --- NO not THAT swamp. Those are MY swampers. The MARXIST swampers'
Nutriamix@rbreich
The only way to have a strong and growing middle class is to eliminate the wealth gap by growing union membership and passing laws that limit executive pay for any publicly held corporation to no more than 6 times the lowest paid worker.
Also, break up monopolies and would-be monopolies, just like they broke up Ma Bell back in the 1980s, and not let them put the monopoly back together like they have.
PJT North@rbreich I could not agree more.
brimcmike@rbreich that has been the point of the Reagan Revolution et seq. To rend the social contract & to dysgovern in order to foster disengagement & discouragement, then to channel disillusionment & resentment into us/them, strong/weak, winners/losers, no right or wrong, nihilistic cynicism. #FascismByDesign
A Reformed Pastafarian@rbreich I look at people like my US House Rep, Dean Phillips, as a huge part of the current problem, but the truth is that the Third Way/New Democrats did a lot of the heavy lifting to create our current hellscape.
There's a reason Bernie has owned the <30 vote in the last two Presidential elections.
vttoth@rbreich Are you sure? What about, say, Lindbergh or the Amerikadeutscher Volksbund? (Not to mention systemic racism, Jim Crow, etc.) You're right to be concerned about the present, but idealizing the past is not necessarily the right answer. Cherish the values, but leave the "Make America Great Again" kind of sloganizing to those fond of wearing red hats...
Ledermand@rbreich ever since the Reagan era this has been the Republican agenda for America
fritzcokid@rbreich my dad was a wwii vet, having joined at age 19 in 1944.
he was original antifa.
i am second generation antifa.
my adult children are third generation antifa.
he was original antifa.
i am second generation antifa.
my adult children are third generation antifa.
Justine S. Harrison@rbreich one reason I am a a member of not one but TWO professional unions.
Looking for explanations…@rbreich But then people are encouraged to desert collective action in favour of individual aspiration.
Thales@Susan60 @rbreich what’s demanding an either or scenario? You can use your mind as a thinking person and decide what’s important depending on situation. There are times when collective action is needed, and times where independence and individuality is important. Doesn’t have to be a polar opposite extreme at all times.
@Susan60 @rbreich Yup, it’s not an American brain, or Latin brain or Asian brain, it’s a human brain that got brainwashed by rich narcissists and psychopaths to believe in nationalism to serve their egomaniacal endevours and life styles, while purposely gaslighting, undermining, exploiting, degrading and hazing their public to maintain all those things.
ex or current IDF unwelcome@rbreich We need a tool that in posts like this can interchange AMerica with UK. They are getting indistinguishable
LadyT@rbreich same in the UK, Thatcher began the process of ripping the heart out of the unions and working classes
Jono@rbreich , to be fair Robert, regardless of economics fascism has always had a chance. Especially when major outlets like Fox fuel irrational fear of minority groups. Social media has also placed people further into echo chambers. Especially in more rural areas where people are prone to fear groups they have little experience of. If you look back at when unions were stronger, middle class wage growth was better, fascism was still prevalent.
@rbreich Have you listened to Maddow's "Ultra." Indeed, we have had fascism, and it was a close call for democracy.
CUDA813@rbreich and then we elected Reagan, corruption and greed took over
Geoff Wilbourn@rbreich 🤔 yet you are against the Kroger buy🤔 … won’t that make the union stronger?
Michael@rbreich The middle class was cancelled with consumption market avoidance in lue for credit debt to the working class in 1915. After 1971, civil wealth was cancelled for spending your wealth with petrol. 2 classes. Working class and capitalist class. Small businesses with loans are often confused, wanting to one day be a work free capitalist, even as they get squeezed by large capitalists with small government assistance on taxpayers dimes.
Awdeo@rbreich Could the rise of fascism be attributed to the increase in wealth and income disparity?
@rbreich Two parties of federalists against the Bill of Rights. Legal Plunder of constructionist Law from 1971. Recent document release, the Federalist CIA are not friends with the FBI. Let's hope the FBI brings the CIA to justice for breaking international laws. 😆 FBI, we don't like rules based order. 😉
@rbreich Fascists don't like VAT or consumption tax. Having a terrible time finding Ultra Nationals or Fascists in the EU economic zone. Federalist Fascists gold for iPhone? Fascists paying for market consumption. 😱 The EU iPhone is a little more expensive, but it is likely worth it. 🤔
@rbreich Decades of 60%+ global USD settlement layer for fiat. US dollars is down 10X from 1970. 1 trillion dollars in debit to 30 trillion in debit. From smaller government to small government captured lies. Federalist consumption avoidance and legal plunder is a bust. From the equivalent of 100k in cash in the 1960s to $600 is the Redline now for common citizens now. Big money out of politics, not Democrats or Republicans big media fairness doctrine absence.
MysticalWolf@rbreich When America wasn't an enabler that's when things didn't stand a chance.
Then again... We also did invite the Nazis to create our space program sooo... Really?
It still stood a chance because we wanted the power that they had. Got it, too bad we took a long their views points as well.
Craig D Carmoney@rbreich So our best days are in the rear view mirror🤷🏻♂️
Josh Adell@rbreich Then how did we get from there to here? Taking a long view, it seems like fascism has a really good chance, even in that environment, because our current state grew out of the choices made in the time period you're talking about.
Fascism doesn't really have anything to do with unions and schools. It has to do with in-groups and out-groups. The "good old days" weren't good for everyone equally, and the rise of fascism here corresponds with the "out-groups" starting to gain equality.
Alex Mouravskiy@rbreich with all due respect, America had a very large and successful fascist movement even during the height of the American middle class. J. Edgar Hoover ran the FBI until 1972. Allen Dulles ran the CIA until Kennedy fired him, and John Dulles was Sec. State until 1959.
Fascism isn't remotely dissuaded by prosperity or union participation.
SunhouseCitizen@rbreich There was a time of good public schools? That surprises me to hear. I’ve been thinking the educational system has been all about producing obedient workers all this time.
SabreToothTigress/ZenDragoness@rbreich Strong Unions did not derive from the middle class! Not even in the USA.
Gebhard Hopfmüller@rbreich
When <insert nation of choice> had a large and growing middle class, fueled by strong unions and good public schools, fascism didn’t stand a chance.
So what would fascism do?
Correct.
When <insert nation of choice> had a large and growing middle class, fueled by strong unions and good public schools, fascism didn’t stand a chance.
So what would fascism do?
Correct.
Robert Wilson, III 🏴🇪🇸🇸🇮@rbreich Were public schools ever good?
Bill Howard@rbreich Which explains why we don’t have a strong middle class today.