Robert Reich begins, "Maine Governor Paul LePage has ordered state workers to remove from the state labor department a 36-foot mural depicting the state's labor history. Among other things the mural illustrates the 1937 shoe mill strike in Auburn and Lewiston. It also features the iconic 'Rosie the Riveter,' who in real life worked at the Bath Iron Works. One panel shows my predecessor at the US Department of Labor, Frances Perkins, who was buried in Newcastle, Maine."
Portrait, Robert Reich, 08/16/09. (photo: Perian Flaherty)
Why We Need a Fighter in the White House
24 March 11
Why Governor LePage can't erase history, and why we need a fighter in the White House.
aine Governor Paul LePage has ordered state workers to remove from the state labor department a 36-foot mural depicting the state's labor history. Among other things the mural illustrates the 1937 shoe mill strike in Auburn and Lewiston. It also features the iconic "Rosie the Riveter," who in real life worked at the Bath Iron Works. One panel shows my predecessor at the US Department of Labor, Frances Perkins, who was buried in Newcastle, Maine.
The LePage Administration is also renaming conference rooms that had carried the names of historic leaders of American labor, as well as former Secretary Perkins.
The Governor's spokesman explains that the mural and the conference-room names were "not in keeping with the department's pro-business goals."
Are we still in America?
Frances Perkins was the first woman cabinet member in American history. She was also one of the most accomplished cabinet members in history.
She and her boss, Franklin D. Roosevelt, came to office at a time when average working people needed help - and Perkins and Roosevelt were determined to give it to them. Together, they created Social Security, unemployment insurance, the right of workers to unionize, the minimum wage, and the forty-hour workweek.
Big business and Wall Street thought Perkins and Roosevelt were not in keeping with pro-business goals. So they and their Republican puppets in Congress and in the states retaliated with a political assault on the New Deal.
Roosevelt did not flinch. In a speech in October 1936 he condemned "business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering."
Big business and Wall Street, he said,
"... had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.
"Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me - and I welcome their hatred."
Fast forward 75 years.
Big business and Wall Street have emerged from the Great Recession with their pockets bulging. Profits and bonuses are as high as they were before the downturn. And they're spending like mad on lobbying and politics. After the Supreme Court's disgraceful Citizens United decision, there are no limits.
Pro-business goals are breaking out all over. Governors across America are slashing corporate taxes as they slash state budgets. House and Senate Republicans are intent on deregulating, privatizing, and cutting spending and taxes so their corporate and Wall Street patrons will do even better.
But most Americans are still in desperate trouble. Few if any of the economic gains are trickling down.
That's why the current Republican assault on workers - on their right to form unions, on unemployment insurance and Social Security, on public employees, and even (courtesy of Governor LePage) on our common memory - is so despicable.
And it's why we need a President who will fight for workers and fight against this assault - just as Perkins and FDR did.
By the way, Maine's Governor LePage may be curious to know that the building housing the US Department of Labor in Washington is named the "Frances Perkins Building." He can find her portrait hanging prominently inside. Also portraits and murals of great leaders of American labor.
A short walk across the mall will bring Governor LePage to an imposing memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt, should the Governor wish to visit.
Governor, you might be able to erase some of Maine's memory, but you'll have a hard time erasing the nation's memory - even if it's not in keeping with your pro-business goals.
Robert Reich is Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley. He has served in three national administrations, most recently as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton. He has written thirteen books, including "The Work of Nations," "Locked in the Cabinet," "Supercapitalism" and his latest book, "AFTERSHOCK: The Next Economy and America's Future." His 'Marketplace' commentaries can be found on publicradio.com and iTunes.
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Comments
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Obama isn't even "Obama". At least he's not the Obama he represented himself to be during the campaign.
I can't help but wonder how a man with such intelligence and confidence became so complacent and, either cowardly or lazy. He just hasn't done much of anything to help the causes he pretended to champion.
Time to move him out and find a real leader to take his place. Make the speech Obama.... You know the one. "If nominated I will not run; If elected, I will not serve..."
We must overwhelm at the ballot box to balance the corporatist assault.
When Obama and Reid allowed Congress to start their vacation before completing health care, they set themselves up for 7 months of attack, and lost a lot of momentum.
The difference is that FDR sought pressure to help him gain crucial support for the things that he WANTED to accomplish and therefore welcomed it. Obama, on the other hand, while he asked for pressure, has responded to it in the exact opposite manner -- by throwing up road blocks, insulting and rejecting the part of his base that was bringing pressure to bear, and using party organs like DNC and OFA to thwart that pressure.
In other words, like so many other things Obama said during the campaign, his request that we make him do it was nothing but empty rhetoric, a part of his award winning presidential marketing campaign.
Alas Alas FDR was no FDR, at least not the FDR history/historians worship. He was a tool of banking.
I said it before and I'll keep saying it; Obama needs to make the LBJ speech and America needs a Howard Dean to run in his place.
NO MORE "kids" in the White House and no more OLD GUARD either!
I actually search for his comments, and intend accessing
his books and, if possible, attending his lectures in Berkeley. Thank you, Mr. Reich, for the clarity of your thinking and your
effort to make it available.
Beth Coffelt
Who it is he would most like to see take now Pres. Obama on in the primary. Or, does he believe we the sheeple should get behind a 'workers party' candidate? Dicey it would be, given our fraud laden election system in state after state. Careful we must be to not once again be Bushwhacked.
Perhaps our best chance, outside a French style revolution, is to dump Obama in the primaries, and get a real true progressive running and elected, a fighter of the first order. And then, protect them like hell, to a avoid their joining the likes of true fighters for liberty and justice for all fighters, JFK, RFK and MLK, in their martyrdom.
How about getting behind Kucinich, or giving Howare Dean another opportunity?
Please Prof. Reich, keep educating and leading us, for our sake, the whole world's sake, and the sake of our kids, grandkids, and generations to come, in our fight to tell the villainaires to go to hell, and our fight to actually.....
UNDO THE COUP!
what did you think a creation of david rockefeller was going to be doing?
why do you think a former operative of the cia was going to be serving any interests other than those of the bosses?
you doing medical marijuana?
Government organized by Wall Street along with the government organized mob(Congress)wi ll be difficult to fight, but fight we must. Perhaps the people of Maine can now join in, organize and push back..hard.
Perhaps we need to take guidance from the Egyptian protesters, who changed their government.
because in general, democrats have tried to speak truth to power ... who do you think shoots them?
R Reagan was shot by Bush family friend's son and wan-a-be lover of Jody Foster (what a joke!), John Warnock Hinckley, Jr.
What revolution, you ask?
It was peaceful. Revolutions are historically rather benign affairs in which a new faction takes over peacefully. It is not until the The Old Guard counter-revolts (to regain access to the treasury) that things get messy & blood flows.
Here's what's happened to us:
- Organized Labor lost (gave up) its voice in politics.
-Labor's 20th Century advance to Middle Class status was reversed.
- "Elected officials" are beholden to, represent & pander to Corporate America which paid for their elections & re-elections.
- Despite robust economic growth since the 80's, WORKERS' buying power & wages are bogged down +/- 1970 levels.
- The USA is now a full-blown plutocracy in which power is held by the ultra wealthy . . . with whom Obama, if he wishes to be re-elected, must walk a thin line.
Obama is NOT his own man any more than "W" was - or to a lesser extent, Clinton before him. Further, he is NOT the crisis leader that these times require.
The only remedy is government financed elections: absolutely NO private money allowed.
You are a man after my own heart. Well said.
mmm, I like that! almost sounds like some sort-of "campaign finance reform"...no? But how can the wealthy influence an election and a get a politician to serve them if they cannot use their blessed potency? you want the rich to vote with the rabble? priceless!
While some may say Hillary Clinton may have been the right choice, I remind them that she pledged to bring back Alan Greenspan. That cost her my vote. Yet it is as if Greenspan is back, in spirit, and the spirit of brutal business and selfishness rules the land.
And the minions, lemmings, and losers support and vote for this while losing any chance of a future.
Robert Reich's comments are dead on.
I'm sick of 11-dimensional chess. I'm disgusted by the perceived need to bow down to Wall Street. The whole point of being President isn't simply to be re-elected, it's to lead. Otherwise, what's the point of being elected at all?
This blatant assault on the poor & working class has been in the works for a long time but is now seeing fruition & if Americans allow it to continue we will all sink like the Bismark.
Uprise Now!
I will vote for Obama and expect him to act like he "can" in his second term.
Reason: Nobody is running against him except Republicans.
Do you really want a R as President? R's are funded by the Kock brothers who are supported by the Supremes.
Rule #2 - Never vote for a Republican - in a General Election
Rule #3 - Vote in the Primary - Always
Rule #4a - When the Progressive is a shoe-in as the Democrat in a Primary follow 4b.
Rule #4b - If possible vote for the worst candidtae on the Republican ballot in the Primary
Obama will not, and an argument can be made that he should not, be the front person in a Populist Progressive movement. But conversely, when he wins in 2012, if everything is in place for such a movement to be handed the political reins of setting policy; Obama may be the best hope of keeping the Righties from going commando.
And those people should vote D in 2012 - or have LePage removed after a "year" (or whatever the state's rules allow.
Vote 2012 - and look who backs your candidate (their financials are online) - We know what the R's will do to this country.
Maybe the USA should divide into 2 countries -- the religious right + banks, Wall Street biggiers, etc., (and they can have the Supremes) and Main Street of the middle and poor. We will beat them in prosperity -- CA will be part of the second group.
Mr. Reich we will stand with you. Lead the way.
Ruth in Mill Valley
telling you that a George Soros creation would work only for Wall Street. There are plenty of people who were saying that Obamas policies were to be more "free trade", globalization, perma-war and corporate swindle bail out. Now that you realize you've been conned, don't let it happen again. Now go keep trying to peel all those embarrassing change stickers off your bumper.
The only persons that were conned were the ones not paying attention.
The MSM does not allow a real Progressive a voice. Dennis Kucinich was totally ignored. Other progressives are lost in memory. And I am only discussing 2008.
So, we got the best we could. Yes, we are disappointed. But to say that those of us that were paying attention are surprised shows that you really don't understand that the MSM always selects kool-aid. We just get to pick which flavor, instead we would have much preferred something a little stronger.
someone who will.
Simply replacing Obama with another first term president only assures the continuation of the first term stalemate. If Democrats or any other party could assemble a spine the first term stalemate would be a non-issue. Unfortuantely if you consider the battle within the Democratic rank and file for the first two years of Obama's first term there was a COMPLETE failure to provide the necessary support for real change.
We in effect govern ourselves, we need not look much further than ourselves to lay blame. Soldarity regardless of the personal cost may be our key to a better future.
Unfortunately Obama is a product of our times-having grown up in post-radicalized America. He was likely taught to be a careful liberal-to pick and choose battles that can be won-albeit incrementally. I get the philosophy and the belief to tread softly- so not to offend too many white Americans. But this may be the burden that our first African-American President must bare. Perhaps he feels that this is the only tactic available to him. Because of this strong possibility I am willing to throw him a pass as not being vociferous in his leadership and defense of leftist economics.But...the time may have to come where he takes advise from the ghost of FDR and leads us into battle. My gut feeling is that Obama intends to do so after his re-election. But his aversion to risk/calculating style may be his downfall.
Mr. Reich is dead on, with one exception. President Obama can not move forward without clear messages from the American people. He felt he got one in November 2010. We as Americans have a responsibility to our country and our democracy. The people of Maine, if they want to perserve the history their new governor is tearing down need to find their voice.
One person, one vote. We can have change we believe in, if we participate.
I also don't thin Mao belongs with Pol Pot, Himmler, etc. His movement overthrew a demonic government (backed by us) headed by criminals. I'm sure Diego Rivera would agree that Chiang Kai Shek belongs on that mural along with Pinochet and the government of South Africa before Mandela's victory. Oh yes, and let's not forget Franco in Spain. I think it should be on a big billboard on the Mall in D.C.
It is so obvious that all of these anti-labor actions are part of a concerted effort nationwide. Add to that: cuts to public education, Medicaid, voting rights, etc.
Do Republicans really want a country in which they must be chauffeured around in bullet-proof limos -- for fear of the desperate poor that might rob them? And literally step over the sick and old on the streets on the way to their plush homes & offices?
Anyone this myopic and avaricious is only inviting a serious revolution in which they will surely and deservedly lose everything.
Prof. Reich is the only columnist whose articles I'd be willing to share on Facebook before I'd even read them. However, I'm always eager to read his brilliant columns right away!
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