Saturday, June 18, 2011

25 Years Ago, I Was Telling People That This Was Happening

By Manifesto Joe

I'm including multiple links to make sure that folks can somehow get this.

http://youtu.be/JTzMqm2TwgE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTzMqm2TwgE



I was saying all this 25 years ago. I don't think this necessarily makes me a visionary, because some other people were saying it, too. We just couldn't get very many people to listen, nor can we now. At least now an economist and former Labor secretary is saying it, too.

And, he's being far too nice. Regarding the American middle class, he never uses the word "stupid." I have, and often.

5 comments:

Underground Politics said...

I wish more of the Middle Class would realize what was going on but so many of them choose to remain willfully ignorant/stupid when it comes to what's going on. It doesn't help that you have the right wing media spewing off what they do.

Jack Jodell said...

Manifesto Joe,
Thank you for posting this brilliant video. Robert Reich sums it all up PERFECTLY! This should be required viewing in every economics and civics classroom in the entire country!

lunamother said...

I'll be kind. I won't say stupid either. When you consider that most people now have to work longer hours at two or maybe three jobs just to maintain an existence just UNDER water, by the time anyone gets home they're exhausted.

All they have the energy for is to turn on the tube and get whatever Propaganda du Jour is on there before falling into bed for a few hours and getting up to repeat the same grueling cycle.

Pitting us against each other to expend the last vestige of energy is brilliant, and working.

So Joe- where are you in Texas? Be nice to know where the rest of us are who AREN'T in Austin or Denton LOL

Manifesto Joe said...

Hi, all:

To Lunamother -- I have good reasons for keeping a very low profile. I live in a large urban area of Texas. That narrows it down a lot, but I'd better not say any more.

The people I think of when the word "stupid" comes to mind are, well, for example: My wife is almost the only Democrat in her large extended family. We generally avoid talking about anything political with relatives whom we know to be Republicans. But the subject does come up on occasion. These are lower-middle-class people, a few of whom have benefited greatly from union perks, yet they consistently vote against their own interests. After a few discussions with such people, I've had to conclude that political/economic attitudes and values are passed on to subsequent generations quite irrationally, much as religious views are. You can mop up the floor with such people in a political argument, yet they are unfazed. It's the same if you play nice, and try to do the old "point of optimal discrepancy" trick that they teach you in communications classes. Either way, they don't budge. I had to conclude at some point that such people simply aren't trying to think for themselves. It hurts their brains too much!

Cletis said...

President Obama could have, should have, and still should make these same points to the American people. I supported the President and still do but what's he going to say to his supporters, "This time I really mean it."? When your enemy snipes at you, shoot his ass with a bazooka. This one video, if embraced by the White House and messaged prooperly, would help educate your in-laws and many of my family as well. The medium is indeed the message and the messenger is vital. I grew concerned about the President when he stressed his love for "The Team of Rivals" biography he was reading about Lincoln during the campaign. He really thought he could manage that nest of vipers. Oh, the hubris Grasshopper. We'll see if he gets more realistic about how to deal with a fascist.