Robert Reich: The New Common Ground Between Populist Left And Populist Right – OpEd
By Robert Reich
The old debate goes something like this:
‘You don’t believe women have reproductive rights.”
“You don’t value human life.”
Or this:
“You think everyone should own a gun.”
“You think we’re safer if only criminals have them.”
Or this:
“You don’t care about poor people.”
”You think they’re better off with handouts.”
Or this:
“You want to cut taxes on the rich.”
“You want to tax everyone to death.”
But we’re seeing the emergence of a new debate where the populist left and right are on the same side:
Both are against the rich to spend as much as they want corrupting our democracy.
Both are against crony capitalism.
Both are against corporate welfare.
Both are against another Wall Street bailout.
Both want to stop subsidizing Big Agriculture, Big Oil, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Both want to close the tax loophole for hedge fund partners.
Both want to ban inside trading on Wall Street.
Both want to stop CEOs from pumping up share prices with stock buy-backs … and then cashing in their stock options.
Both want to stop tax deductions of CEO pay over $1 million.
Both want to get big money out of politics, reverse Citizens United, and restore our democracy,
If we join together, we can make these things happen.
