Bernie's Movement (And Why Krugman & Co. Don't Get It)
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman on Friday warned Bernie supporters that change doesn't happen with "transformative rhetoric" but with "political pragmatism" - "accepting half loaves as being better than none." He writes that it's dangerous to prefer "happy dreams (by which he means Bernie) to hard thinking about means and ends (meaning Hillary)."
Political "pragmatism" may require accepting "half loaves" - but the full loaf has to be large and bold enough in the first place to make the half loaf meaningful.
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman on Friday warned Bernie supporters that change doesn't happen with "transformative rhetoric" but with "political pragmatism" - "accepting half loaves as being better than none." He writes that it's dangerous to prefer "happy dreams (by which he means Bernie) to hard thinking about means and ends (meaning Hillary)."
Political "pragmatism" may require accepting "half loaves" - but the full loaf has to be large and bold enough in the first place to make the half loaf meaningful.
Krugman doesn't get it. I've been in and around Washington for almost fifty years, including a stint in the cabinet, and I've learned that real change happens only when a substantial share of the American public is mobilized, organized, energized, and determined to make it happen.
Political "pragmatism" may require accepting "half loaves" - but the full loaf has to be large and bold enough in the first place to make the half loaf meaningful. That's why the movement must aim high - toward a single-payer universal health, free public higher education, and busting up the biggest banks, for example.
But not even a half loaf is possible unless or until we wrest back power from the executives of large corporations, Wall Street bankers, and billionaires who now control the whole bakery. Which means getting big money out of politics and severing the link between wealth and political power - the central goal of the movement Bernie is advancing.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman on Friday warned Bernie supporters that change doesn't happen with "transformative rhetoric" but with "political pragmatism" - "accepting half loaves as being better than none." He writes that it's dangerous to prefer "happy dreams (by which he means Bernie) to hard thinking about means and ends (meaning Hillary)."
Political "pragmatism" may require accepting "half loaves" - but the full loaf has to be large and bold enough in the first place to make the half loaf meaningful.
Krugman doesn't get it. I've been in and around Washington for almost fifty years, including a stint in the cabinet, and I've learned that real change happens only when a substantial share of the American public is mobilized, organized, energized, and determined to make it happen.
Political "pragmatism" may require accepting "half loaves" - but the full loaf has to be large and bold enough in the first place to make the half loaf meaningful. That's why the movement must aim high - toward a single-payer universal health, free public higher education, and busting up the biggest banks, for example.
But not even a half loaf is possible unless or until we wrest back power from the executives of large corporations, Wall Street bankers, and billionaires who now control the whole bakery. Which means getting big money out of politics and severing the link between wealth and political power - the central goal of the movement Bernie is advancing.
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman on Friday warned Bernie supporters that change doesn't happen with "transformative rhetoric" but with "political pragmatism" - "accepting half loaves as being better than none." He writes that it's dangerous to prefer "happy dreams (by which he means Bernie) to hard thinking about means and ends (meaning Hillary)."
Political "pragmatism" may require accepting "half loaves" - but the full loaf has to be large and bold enough in the first place to make the half loaf meaningful.
Krugman doesn't get it. I've been in and around Washington for almost fifty years, including a stint in the cabinet, and I've learned that real change happens only when a substantial share of the American public is mobilized, organized, energized, and determined to make it happen.
Political "pragmatism" may require accepting "half loaves" - but the full loaf has to be large and bold enough in the first place to make the half loaf meaningful. That's why the movement must aim high - toward a single-payer universal health, free public higher education, and busting up the biggest banks, for example.
But not even a half loaf is possible unless or until we wrest back power from the executives of large corporations, Wall Street bankers, and billionaires who now control the whole bakery. Which means getting big money out of politics and severing the link between wealth and political power - the central goal of the movement Bernie is advancing.