Robert Reich nails what is going on in this country...

[madinmaryland]

Suppose a small group of extremely wealthy people sought to systematically destroy the U.S. government by (1) finding and bankrolling new candidates pledged to shrinking and dismembering it; (2) intimidating or bribing many current senators and representatives to block all proposed legislation, prevent the appointment of presidential nominees, eliminate funds to implement and enforce laws, and threaten to default on the nation’s debt; (3) taking over state governments in order to redistrict, gerrymander, require voter IDs, purge voter rolls, and otherwise suppress the votes of the majority in federal elections; (4) running a vast PR campaign designed to convince the American public of certain big lies, such as climate change isn't occurring, and (5) buying up the media so the public cannot know the truth. Would you call this treason?

https://www.facebook.com/RBReich?hc_location=stream

[tk2kewl]

1. yes i would

[JEB]

2. Damn straight, it's treason.

[cantbeserious]

3. Thank You For Sharing - He Is On Point About The Fate Of America

eom

[forestpath]

5. Systemic-wide.

[abelenkpe]

6. K&R

[drynberg]

7. Actually I'd use a slightly different term

How about Frigglin' 1%er Treason? or Rich Asshole Treason? or Off with their heads Treason?

[Bohunk68]

75. It is why my avatar on fb

is Madame la Guillotine.

[jwirr]

8. K&R and agreed.

[KansDem]

9. I wouldn't call it treason...

I'd call it a "stellar business plan!"

[hughee99]

10. Why would rich people want to destroy the US government?

It's the US government that sends in the military to guarantee their profits. It's the government that enables the redistribution of wealth from the poor and middle class to the rich. It's the government that provides for their safety and creates the illusion that there's an entity who can bring justice to wealthy criminals. It's the government that gives people faith that they can fix the system peacefully, rather than getting out their pitchforks and torches. The government isn't their enemy, it's their servant.

[world wide wally]

12. Did you notice that the military is the one part of government they want to increase?

The process of redistributing wealth upwards is already in place and working quite well.
They realize that Americans do not have the passion, time, or energy to pick up pitchforks and torches.
They only want to destroy government as we know it.

[Brigid]

17. But just wait until enough of us 99-percenters have nothing to lose.

What that tipping point will be, what will be the last straw, I don't know -- but sooner or later it will surely be reached.

[Wolf Frankula]

45. Then It Will Be Time for the Coup

The replacement of the United States of America by a Christian Republic with the 99 percent controlled by compulsory church, compulsory service, civilian and military, the destruction of all unions, non-1% approved organizations, low wages, dumbed down education, unavailable healthcare and prisons and death for dissenters.

The fodder units will still be told, by the boughten media, that they are the envy of the world, they are the freest people in the world, WE'RE NUMBER ONE! and so on. You know, like North Korea.

Wolf

[world wide wally]

49. "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into"

[Brigid]

14. But what happens when the illusion no longer works?

And I think that is beginning to happen. We DUers are not the only ones who have at least a dim realization that the government works for the rich, not for us.

[hughee99]

26. That's when they bring in new leaders who make new promises,

all bought and paid for by the same old people.

[backscatter712]

47. Ask Frank Zappa.

It's what happened to Occupy...

“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.”

[roamer65]

61. Bingo. It's when the jackbooted fascism will be in your face and in the streets.

[Quantess]

76. That was a prophetic statement.

Frank Zappa passed away in the early 1990s, back when times were still good for the middle class.
I wonder if there is an approximate date as to when he said that?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

31. A quote...

These economic royalists complain that we seek to overthrow the institutions of America. What they really complain of is that we seek to take away their power. Our allegiance to American institutions requires the overthrow of this kind of power. In vain they seek to hide behind the Flag and the Constitution. In their blindness they forget what the Flag and the Constitution stand for.

--Franklin Delano Roosevelt

[Brigid]

33. Thread winner.

[Enthusiast]

72. It's the same enemy.

And make no mistake, they are an enemy.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

87. Someone asked if it feels like the 60s and from what I sense it's more like the 30s...

And what's weird about that is do the math. It feels like those two events were really distant from one another because they were culturally but the Great Depression was only 30 years from Woodstock. Fast forward to today and it's almost like we've blotted out the Bush Years and there's a lost decade in our consciousness. We need to start reminding Republicans that "The Reagan Years" was 30 years ago and their beloved 50s was 60 years ago.

[Enthusiast]

92. Someone needs to remind the assholes

that during their beloved 50s the top marginal tax rate was 90%.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

93. Gives one hope that factoid is becoming common knowledge.

[Marr]

40. That's what always makes me laugh. They benefit *immensely* from the system-- far more than others.

Their connections, wealth, and influence only exist *because* of that system. It's like a medieval lord sitting in his castle and grumbling that the peasants have too much food to eat, so he's going to salt the farms and burn their homes. He's already sitting on top of the pile and taking as much as possible; many thousands of times more than any one individual could ever need or even use.

But they'll just keep undermining it a little more here, a little more there, to squeeze out a little more themselves. I expect there was a lot of French nobility at one point really wishing Marie Antoinette would just be satisfied with ten thousand gowns and chill out.

[sulphurdunn]

50. They don't want to destroy it per se.

They just want to ensure it does their bidding. Government legitimizes corruption and the criminal acts it spawns.

[rhett o rick]

66. They want to destroy the form of government that is democratic. They want to change the government

into an oligarchy. Which they have already done.

[mtasselin]

83. control

They would have total and absolute control of the military and who would have the power to go against them, nobody.

[90-percent]

11. treason is such a strong word

Robert would be better to use this kinder and gentler term;

Fascism

Or the long version:

Totalitarian Fascist Police State


thanks to Robert Reich for shoving this onto the MSM platform. I hope Robert bumps the plane crash and Zimmermans' trial on tonights news!


-90% Jimmy

[lastlib]

15. .

I hope Robert bumps the plane crash and Zimmermans' trial on tonights news!

. . . . . . . . .

[byeya]

13. Reich is one of the very few progressives the M$M will quote so it's doubly important

that he is the one to say this. It might be widely reproduced for 24 hours and people need to hear it.

[pscot]

16. K&R

[markiv]

18. he does often nail it, but he often condradicts himself

with the other side of his mouth

[antigop]

21. yes, he wrote that the country needs Hillary, yet she played a leading part in drafting the TPP

according to Business Week:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101667554

[markiv]

24. he's part of an adminstration that takes a baseball bat to the middle class

then pats himself on the back for telling you what happened

what the hell did he ever do for us while he was IN THE INNER CIRCLE?!?!?!

[Enthusiast]

73. Well, he is wrong about HRC.

If we had HRC Clinton we would be exactly where we are now.

[pansypoo53219]

19. taint patriotic.

[Mushroom]

20. I would call this treason. n/t

[malthaussen]

22. Treason never prospers, what's the reason?

For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.

-- Mal

[raccoon]

80. John Harrington said that. nt

[polichick]

23. There's a reason this guy doesn't have a job in the administration.

[Quantess]

78. Robert Reich was the US Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration

(as most DUers are aware).
I sort of doubt his sage advice was always followed, when he had a job in the Clinton administration. That said, Robert Reich is a very smart man, and I wish he were on Obama's cabinet.

[polichick]

86. Of course, but that's not THIS administration...

Reich speaks the truth about what's going on (love his books) - truthiness about corporate America is not the kind of thing that gets you a position in THIS administration.

[Quantess]

88. It's too disappointing to even think about. The truth hurts.

(I know you and most DUers were already aware. I wanted to make it clear I knew that it's not news, so nobody gets insulted)
My point was, It is to Clinton's credit that he had Robert Reich on his cabinet, but I doubt he carried all that much weight in the policy making. Clinton was a corporatist and somewhat of a neoliberal, too.

[polichick]

89. Maybe the times were just different enough for Clinton to choose Reich...

And yet still it was the end of Glass-Steagall so who knows what really went on between them.

I agree with you, it's all so disappointing.

[Quantess]

95. I have not read any of Robert Reich's books.

He is such a smart person. Maybe someday I'll get to it..
K & R

[ladjf]

25. Yes, I would call such activities treason. nt

[another_liberal]

27. That's all fine with people who wish the South had won in 1865.

And that is principally who votes for Republicans these days, them and the wealthy (if the truly wealthy even bother to vote, I'm not sure they do).

[WillyT]

28. HUGE K & R !!!

[hue]

29. Don't forget formation & implimentation of ALEC which is legislative agenda to carry out their plan

[libodem]

30. You know the drill

Not only YES, but HELL YES!

[Egalitarian Thug]

32. Worse, this is exactly what we've been warned against since before the nation was founded.

He left out the major role that religion has played in this.
& R

[Coyotl]

34. I would call that a conspiracy to steal all the public land and the TRILLIONS in mineral wealth

The USA is 50% public lands, and some people want that land for themselves.

[badtoworse]

35. Get a dictionary and look up treason

Obstructing government efforts to move in a certain direction is not treason and can be done legally. Bribery is a crime but that isn't treason either

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

81. Ok, here ya go

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/treason

Yes I guess strictly speaking you are correct.
But the lines of battle have been changed.
This is a bloodless coup.

They are taking over the government by buying it.
Is this not overthrowing? In my eyes and feeble brain it is!

If Snowden is a traitor, than the Koch Bros are also.
Wish I could be here for more but my servant job requires my attendance.

[badtoworse]

90. It depends on your viewpoint

To use your example of the Koch brothers. If Koch's are buying off the politicians, they have broken laws for offering bribes and the politicians have broken laws for accepting them, but who are the real traitors? I would say the politicians who took the bribes are the traitors because they betrayed the public's trust. Unfortunately, there are plenty of examples of that on both sides of the aisle.

I dislike the use of words like traitor, racist, fascist, etc. as hyperbole because it cheapens the word and reduces its impact. The word racist has been so overused in my opinion that it's become meaningless, at least in my opinion.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

91. I'm on your side on that.

Great answer.

Both in my opinion are at fault. This government is corrupt to the max. It makes no difference who runs or is elected. After the transition period all will bow down to the ones that put them in office.
It is not "We the people", it is the monied few that wanted that person to be elected. The elected will represent that money, not us. They at that point are complicit of treason. They conspired to overthrow this government. Not a popular opinion, one that will probably get me kicked off this board. I believe in a social democracy, we are the ones that will make that so.

My view is that we should be able to fire those politicians that betray our trust.
I live in Michigan. My current governor ran saying he "works for us" and as citizens we are " consumers" of government. Can I fire him? Not really, we tried. Did he betray my trust? I guess if I had trust in him, yes he did. Is he bought off by the Koch's? Probably, though no connection is apparent. Is he a traitor to the state and the people in it? In my opinion yes.
They work for us, something I feel is forgotten by them.

In another argument, lets just take the word racist. We are all "racist". It is inherent in us.
Oh yes we don't want to admit it, but as humans we love to be in " the same as us " group.
We have a hard time accepting different. One of the reasons DU works, we have differences but are from the same group, we will accept each other. Please don't take the words you mentioned as meaningless,none of them are. Overuse will sometimes kill impact, that doesn't take away the true intent of the word.

I value your opinion. Thank you very much.

I guess my sig line explains it all.

[badtoworse]

94. Thanks for the nice words

I agree with your sentiments about not being able to fire your politicians. At least in Michigan, you have Recall and it's a possibility. New Jersey doesn't have that and politicians here can and regularly do thumb their noses at the people who put them in office.

BTW, I believe the most on DU would agree with your post.

[BlueToTheBone]

36. Yes. Now how do we stop them? n/t

[highplainsdem]

37. Yes, I'd call it treason. K&R

[1-Old-Man]

38. Isn't this what is meant by "Connecting the dots"?

When you see the pieces all in one place its pretty obvious.

[joeybee12]

39. You seem to like the right people, except when it comes to...

SPORTS!

[sakabatou]

41. That's not reason (according to law)

[Hubert Flottz]

42. This man would make a great president.

Smartest man on the block.

Want to know what's going on in America? Find and read this old book.

http://educate-yourself.org/ga/RFcontents.shtml

As with most books I don't agree with every single item in this book, but this writer had the USA of today pegged back in the 1970s.

Conspiracy theorist? Look at the NSA conspiracy in progress right now and ask yourself, Are the shakers and movers in America out to destroy our country and our way of life forever? I think the answer is yes and it has been for years and years.

[Uben]

43. Treason, greed, assholism, ignorance, arrogance....

.....what difference does it make what you call it, it sucks. Personally, I would call it ignorance. One has the right to accumulate wealth in this country and they have a duty to share it. The latter got lost somewhere. If the wealthy refuse to share their weallth, either by contribution to help those less fortunate, or by spending and stimulating the economy, it damages the way our capitalism works. Amassing huge fortune is not part of the equation. It won't work. End game is all out revolt. Anyone with a brain can see that......thus, ignorance!

[DonCoquixote]

44. If only this person would run for pres

I would pick him over the next DLC approved swine anyday.

[polichick]

52. Which party would have him?

[zentrum]

46. And what if the NSA was used...

...by members of this 1% cabal to get information that allowed them to control judges, and politicians?
The NSA is now operated by private, corporate contractors---why wouldn't they use and sell the information they are privy to?
One hand washes the other.

[indepat]

48. How about akin to treason on 'roids

[closeupready]

51. I'm not a fan of his, but on this, he absolutely nails it.

K&R

[BlueJac]

53. I would call it Amerika 2013

unreal!!!

[malaise]

54. I called it treason ages ago

Who will lock them up?

[felix_numinous]

55. These are international entities,

who are not beholden to any country. They have off shore accounts and hire the cheapest labor anywhere they can, plunder resources, destabilize countries (leave civil wars and civil unrest in their wake in order to profit from the chaos), and support dictators.

What they are against are: peace, democracy, conservation of resources, and ANY regulations, oversight or limitations on their bank accounts, unionization, human or civil rights, or and social programs. They have entered our system by radicalizing and taking over the Republican Party. They use fundamentalism as a tool to a control, abuse and divide populations.

They are a GLOBAL disease and a threat to peace, sovereignty and safety of average people. They are creating misery and poverty everywhere.

Yes, this is an international problem now. It may not have started out that way, but it is now. Way bigger than any one President or administration for certain.

[duffyduff]

65. They have by and large taken over the Democratic Party as well

That is perhaps the most outrageous of all.

There is nobody out there representing the interests of the masses.

[felix_numinous]

67. Yes, the worst part if it

for the Democratic Party, is recognizing these influences. The latest divide, about surveillance, uses personalities as a distraction.

The hardest thing to do is to operate on multiple levels--to elect the most honest people we can, while staying focused on this major level threat.

If only Americans could figure out how to put differences aside (ha) long enough to recognize we are all in the same boat (99%), then we might have a chance, IMHO. And THIS is why billions are spent to divide us so this never happens....

Cheers!

[reformist2]

56. It all comes down to money being used to buy elections. Take money out of politics, and they're done

[Kablooie]

57. And it's looking more and more like they will win.

Even though America as a block seems to be moving more towards Democrats, the Republicans have manipulated the system enough that this won't be the deciding factor as to who runs the country.

[TBF]

58. Also focusing their legislative efforts on taking rights away from women -

[BornLooser]

59. High Crimes and Misdemeanors

Edited for the High

[roamer65]

62. Lincoln predicted that our downfall would come from within.

I think 'ol Abe just may be right.

[Cobalt-60]

63. It goes past treason

It's open warfare.
The gloves need to come off when dealing with with these people and their paid creatures.

[og1]

64. robert reich nails

he forgot to mention how docile and massifyed the american people have become they constantly need to be sherparded. Progressive cannot be active activists sitting at the computor!

[certainot]

68. most of it is only possible because the left has been ignoring RW talk radio for 25 years

there is nothing to compare with the ability of the think tanks to blast large areas (most) of the country with coordinated propaganda from 1200 radio stations reaching 50 mil a week. and that propaganda is uncorrected and unchallenged in real time except for the specifically targeted stoprush boycott.

considering the time lost on global warming, ignoring talk radio is undeniably the biggest political mistake in our history.

the really outrageous part is that between 30-40% of those RW stations piggyback our universities and state funded schools ( https://sites.google.com/site/universitiesforrushlimbaugh/ ) because they broadcast their sports on them, essentially endorsing RW radio while their ignorant blowhards scream anti-science bullshit and attack public ed and ed funding and teachers all day long on behalf of the RW think tanks.

[raouldukelives]

69. And suppose millions of people lined up to give them money and assist them.

By working and investing in Wall St. If you can't beat em, join em.

[davidwparker]

70. K&R

[BillyRibs]

71. Remember this,

Treason Doth Never prosper, for if it prospers who dare call it treason.

[Enthusiast]

74. Enacting NAFTA was an act of treason......nt

[blkmusclmachine]

77. 9/11. Chicken or the egg?

[4dsc]

79. So what are we going to do about it?

Anyone have a plan of action? It would appear there are far too many sheeple in this country who would much rather sit on their hands than get up to do something about it.

[Hotler]

82. Yes I would call it treason, but.......

what are we going to do about??????? Just sit back and bitch and then vote every 2-4 years?????? How about a revolt that the whole world would be proud of.

[sinkingfeeling]

84. I'd call it treason. Much more so than releasing information on NSA.

[atreides1]

85. Marcus Tullius Cicero

“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear. The traitor is the plague.”

[RainDog]

96. How do we stop them?

If we've lost the capacity to create change at the ballot box, how do people stop those who are fucking over the people of this nation without bloodshed?

Who has the capacity to organize, nationwide, to bring this shit to a halt?

Politics isn't dealing with this adequately.