It’s a Never-Ending Job

Keep on trucking and keep on keeping on!
by Charlie Leck

I’ve been searching for the exact source of the following quotation by Robert Reich, Labor Secretary under Bill Clinton, but I haven’t been able to find it. It’s been attributed to Reich so many times, however, that I’m confident it’s his. Reich currently teaches on the faculty at Berkely. His book, Supercapitalism, is now out in paperback.

"During the last eight years, politics has worked perversely: taxes on the wealthy have been cut, and so have programs directed at the poor. The reason isn't difficult to explain.

Many Americans -- especially those who have been losing ground have given up on politics. As their incomes have shrunk, they've lost confidence that 'the system' will work in their interest.That cynicism has generated a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Politicians stop paying attention to people who don't vote, who don't work the phone banks or walk the precincts, who have opted out. And the political inattention seems to justify the cynicism.

Meanwhile, the top tier has experienced precisely the opposite -- a virtuous cycle in which campaign contributions have attracted the rapt attention of politicians, the attention has elicited even more money, which in turn has given the top tier even greater influence."

That is why we have elected Barack Obama. For each of us who voted for him, this is the important thing to understand: We must remain involved. We’ve got to keep working as hard as we did during the election campaign. To stop now is to turn the country back over to the selfish, rich bastards who tore it apart so badly and left it shambles.

You can find copies of articles and commentaries by Robert Reich on his web site. You might also want to drop in on Robert Reich’s Blog from time to time.