It’s too easy to conclude that Trump supporters are ignorant.
Addressing the root causes of their support for Trump doesn’t justify their support of him. But if we want to reduce the lure of Trumpism — of authoritarianism and neofascism — we need to address its root causes.
For the past 10 weeks, I’ve offered 10 video essays on the 10 biggest economic myths. They have been used to justify a system whose gains increasingly go to the top, while most Americans have been working harder but getting nowhere.
Over the last 40 years, the “free market” has been rigged and power has shifted upward to corporate executives and investors who engage in organized bribery — bankrolling lawmakers who change laws and regulations to their benefit.
This has allowed the powerful to monopolize industries, bash unions, pay lower taxes, make big financial bets on Wall Street and get bailed out when the bets go sour, outsource jobs abroad, and pretend they’re job creators who deserve all this power.
ALSO READ: Republicans are playing a dangerous game by weaponizing ignorance
The result? The richest 1 percent of Americans now own nearly as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent put together.
Most Americans without college degrees are working longer hours than they worked decades ago and taking fewer sick days or vacations. They have less job security.
Life expectancy has been falling for Americans without college degrees. That’s because income and wealth have direct impacts on health and longevity. Income and wealth determine access to life-supporting services like high-quality preventive health care, nutritious foods, and housing.
Income and wealth also have a lot to do with whether someone is endangered by handguns, opioids, and economic stress.
We cannot separate what has happened to the typical American from the dangerous lure of Trumpism. Trump has exploited their anger and anxiety for his own ends, but the anger and anxiety are real. Unless addressed, they will be exploited by other authoritarians long after Trump is history.
America’s working class has become angrier and more frustrated — and more vulnerable to demagogues like Trump, peddling the politics of hate.
But this doesn’t have to be our fate. We have the power to make the system work for the many, not the few.
The goal in the upcoming election is not only to vanquish Trump. It’s also to vanquish Trumpism — the attraction of authoritarian fascism. How? By shifting power and wealth away from America’s oligarchs and back toward average working Americans.
This requires:
Breaking up monopolies. Strengthening labor unions. Making it harder for big corporations to outsource jobs abroad.
Providing paid leave. Raising the minimum wage. Ensuring that everyone who needs a job has one.
Making child care and elder care, and housing, affordable. Providing Medicare for all. Paying for this by raising taxes on the super-wealthy and on big corporations.
And, not the least, getting big money out of politics.
None of these goals will be easy to achieve. They will demand our energy and tenacity. The Biden-Harris administration has made a good start on them. The Harris-Walz administration will do even more, if given a chance.
We must all do our part — not just by voting but also by being activists in our communities, our states, and in the nation.
The stakes could not be higher.
Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/
ALSO READ: Republicans are playing a dangerous game by weaponizing ignorance
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I hope you’ve found our debunking series useful. Please share. Many thanks for joining me.
If you’d like to see or review the entire series, just click on the link:
Myth #1: Economics has nothing to do with politics, morality, or power. BUNK!
Myth #2: Government obstructs the free market. BUNK!
Myth #3: The rich deserve to be rich. BUNK!
Myth #4: Corporate political donations are free speech. BUNK!
Myth #5: The market doesn’t play favorites. BUNK!
Myth #6: Global trade is good for everyone. BUNK!
Myth #7: America is socialist. BUNK!
Myth #8: Corporate tax cuts create jobs. BUNK!
Myth #9: Inflation is caused by wage increases and too much government spending. BUNK!
Myth #10: Economic growth is always good. BUNK!
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My thanks to Sasha Leitman, Heather Lofthouse, Jordan Alport, Allan Piper, Michael Lahanas-Caledrón, and Vishal Shankor for their extraordinary help on this series.