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eridani

(51,907 posts) Fri May 6, 2016, 05:27 AM May 2016

Robert Reich: David Brooks Discovers Income Inequality

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/36702-david-brooks-discovers-income-inequality

From Brooks’ latest column:

“This election — not only the Trump phenomenon but the rise of Bernie Sanders, also — has reminded us how much pain there is in this country. According to a Pew Research poll, 75 percent of Trump voters say that life has gotten worse for people like them over the last half century. This declinism intertwines with other horrible social statistics. The suicide rate has surged to a 30-year high — a sure sign of rampant social isolation. A record number of Americans believe the American dream is out of reach. And for millennials, social trust is at historic lows. Trump’s success grew out of that pain, but he is not the right response to it. The job for the rest of us is to figure out the right response. That means first it’s necessary to go out into the pain. I was surprised by Trump’s success because I’ve slipped into a bad pattern, spending large chunks of my life in the bourgeois strata — in professional circles with people with similar status and demographics to my own. It takes an act of will to rip yourself out of that and go where you feel least comfortable. But this column is going to try to do that over the next months and years. We all have some responsibility to do one activity that leaps across the chasms of segmentation that afflict this country.”

It's about time, David.

8 replies

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Highlight:

Robert Reich: David Brooks Discovers Income Inequality (Original Post) eridani May 2016 OP

Here comes broken record merrily: income inequality, while important, is not where the rubber meets merrily May 2016 #1

repetition is sometimes the only route to learning n/t n2doc May 2016 #3

That is kind. Thank you. merrily May 2016 #4

"go out into the pain" My Good Babushka May 2016 #2

Right? How dare he be surprised (or try to get away with feigning surprise)? merrily May 2016 #5

The reaction in his strata to OWS was "they fouled that beautiful plaza..." Human101948 May 2016 #6

That was only Manhattan OWS. Did he notice them in the rest the nation? merrily May 2016 #7

Oh goody - more urgent dispatches from the Olive Garden salad bar!!! hatrack May 2016 #8

merrily

(45,251 posts)

1. Here comes broken record merrily: income inequality, while important, is not where the rubber meets

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Fri May 6, 2016, 05:33 AM

May 2016

Last edited Fri May 6, 2016, 06:42 AM - Edit history (1)

the road. "Income inequality" is code for: "increase the minimum wage some," and/or "guaranty some subsistence level income," which is basically a welfare program. Those things, while important, are about all government can do about income inequality. The rubber hits the road at WEALTH INEQUALITY. As far as I know, Bernie is the only candidate for the Presidential nom who talks wealth inequality.

n2doc

(47,953 posts)

3. repetition is sometimes the only route to learning n/t

Reply to merrily (Reply #1)

Fri May 6, 2016, 06:26 AM

May 2016

merrily

(45,251 posts)

4. That is kind. Thank you.

Reply to n2doc (Reply #3)

Fri May 6, 2016, 06:43 AM

May 2016

My Good Babushka

(2,710 posts)

2. "go out into the pain"

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Fri May 6, 2016, 06:24 AM

May 2016

jesus christ, what an asshole.

merrily

(45,251 posts)

5. Right? How dare he be surprised (or try to get away with feigning surprise)?

Reply to My Good Babushka (Reply #2)

Fri May 6, 2016, 06:47 AM

May 2016

That means first it’s necessary to go out into the pain. I was surprised by Trump’s success because I’ve slipped into a bad pattern, spending large chunks of my life in the bourgeois strata — in professional circles with people with similar status and demographics to my own. It takes an act of will to rip yourself out of that and go where you feel least comfortable.

He's a fscking political pundit by trade, ffs. What the hell does he do to prepare to write a political column? What the eff did he think Occupy Wall Street was about? Which books and magazine articles does he read? To which news stories does he pay attention? Which documentaries does he watch? Has he ever heard of FrontLine? Did he sleep through the "pain" of 2008-10? If the NYT had a shred of integrity, it would fire him for saying he is surprised.

Human101948

(3,457 posts)

6. The reaction in his strata to OWS was "they fouled that beautiful plaza..."

Reply to merrily (Reply #5)

Fri May 6, 2016, 06:59 AM

May 2016

in front of the office buildings where the Wall Streeters spend long days figuring out more ways to screw the average American.

merrily

(45,251 posts)

7. That was only Manhattan OWS. Did he notice them in the rest the nation?

Reply to Human101948 (Reply #6)

Fri May 6, 2016, 07:01 AM

May 2016

He has just proven himself unqualified for his job, even as a competent conservative commentator. We have to figure out a realistic way to pressure the NYT --and PBS, btw--to throw him out as utterly unqualified to pontificate about politics to anyone ever.

hatrack

(59,587 posts)

8. Oh goody - more urgent dispatches from the Olive Garden salad bar!!!

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Fri May 6, 2016, 07:55 AM

May 2016

I just love it when Brooksie mingles with us proles!

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