The most stunning part of President Biden's speech was totally missed by the media

[turbinetree]

By John Stoehr, The Editorial Board-Commentary
Published March, 21, 2021

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The president said something stunning last night during an address that marked the one-year anniversary of the start of the covid pandemic. If the press corps had been truly paying attention, it would be headline news. What Joe Biden said reflects the sea change I've been talking about here in the Editorial Board, a fundamental shift in thinking about pretty much everything. "We need to remember the government isn't some foreign force in a distant capital," he said. "No, it's us. All of us. We, the people."

I might be wrong, but I don't recall any president talking like this in my lifetime. Not even Barack Obama. While the former president certainly spoke of the importance of duty and community, it was always placed in an acceptable framework, one assuring white voters that the first Black president represented consonance with a conservative view of government, rather than dissonance. The current president is not making any such attempts at assurance. This is something new, something wholly extraordinary.

Think about it. Without those assurances, all the assumptions of the past must be rethought. The biggest assumption, the one that was so widely understood as to be "natural," was this: the government is not a public good. Ergo, the political solution to most, if not all, political problems was minimizing its role in the lives of individuals. Key to this assumption was the raw conviction that the government and the citizenry are two separate and unequal things—the diametric opposite of what the president said.

https://www.rawstory.com/the-most-stunning-part-of-president-bidens-speech-was-totally-missed-by-the-media/

[elleng]

1. "We need to remember the government isn't some foreign force in a distant capital," he said.

"No, it's us. All of us. We, the people."

[Atticus]

2. Reagan's oft-quoted "government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem"

has done more to wound our democracy than any other 12 words I can think of.

[Xipe Totec]

5. Governance by Republicans (if you can call it that), is the problem

[LiberalFighter]

8. Yep!

[Beartracks]

20. There's nothing wrong with government that getting Republicans out of it won't fix.

[ShazzieB]

60. A-freaking-men!

[MFM008]

27. republicans period

are the problem...

[Auggie]

7. +1,000,000 ... Reagan fucked-up everything

[Mr.Bill]

16. The irony was that he

wanted to be in charge of the "problem". That's the last guy you want running the government.

[SunSeeker]

22. Yup. It's like putting an arsonist in charge of the Fire Department! nt

[Rebl2]

17. You are so

right!

[Lonestarblue]

36. I've always added that Reagan left out a word.

And that word is “bad.” Bad government is the problem, and Republicans have given us nothing but bad government for decades.

[mrsadm]

39. That is so true!

Who was it that said, government should be drowned in a bathtub? Or something to that effect.

[Atticus]

40. I believe that was the estimable Karl Rove, AKA "turdblossom". nt

[druidity33]

41. Actually it was Grover Nordquist. nt.

[Atticus]

43. My bad! You are correct. Somehow, I often confuse those two with each other. Thanks for

correcting my flub.

[calimary]

44. Remember that "cutesie" talking point of Reagan's?

“The most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

That just screwed things up ROYALLY, for YEARS. No, make that DECADES!!!

Fucking damn reagan did that. He was the original “virus” that spread the toxic spew of “ooooooh, gummmnt BAAAAAD!!!” That bastard singlehandedly did more damage to the American political landscape than just about anybody else before or since. All that “I hate the government” crap began with him. So Whaddya want then? Fucking ANARCHY?????

I hated reagan more than I’ve hated ANY political scoundrel. More than Nixon. More than bush/cheney. More even than trump. reagan was the Demon Seed of all that’s gone bad in the past 40 years. He’s where it all started. The head of the serpent. The father of the modern greed-is-good pestilence. Its “Patient Zero.” And he was SOOOOOO slick and SOOOOOO disarming, awwww, kindly old lovable harmless “Uncle Dutch.” Harmless MY ASS.

MOST of what ails this country politically now, got its start with him. With a booster shot of old Hollywood hocum and slick, disarming, dishonest, misleading pablum that he was so good at selling to an unsuspecting America. He sure knew how to sell.

One of the worst curses that’s EVER plagued this country. Best thing I can say about him is that he’s dead and GONE. But it will take YEARS to undo the damage he did. HE’S the paradigm Joe Biden talked, last night, about our national need to shift AWAY from.

[Atticus]

46. I heard that some of Raygun's disciples were at his grave site three days after his funeral---

---just to see if "the stone had rolled away" and he had "risen""

[jaxexpat]

61. .....and the stone was gone, stolen. It's on E-bay, today. (for the 5th time)

[Upthevibe]

47. Atticus.....

I absolutely agree.....Sooooooooooooo damaging

[usaf-vet]

62. And there you have it this is where all the stupid shit we are dealing with began.

" RayGun (the actor) using unscripted words.".

His mouth in motion before his mind was in gear.

In the context of the pandemic, we are all faced with. "RayGun" would be considered PATIENT ZERO!

[IronLionZion]

66. Then Republicans get elected to prove it

Republican government is the problem.

[Gaugamela]

3. I've been saying for years that when Republicans complain about government, what they

are really talking about is democracy. When Ronald Reagan said “Government isn’t the solution, government is the problem,” again, he was talking about democracy. The right began talking about the “crisis of democracy” in the early 70s, as a response to the turmoils of the sixties. The Powell Memo was distributed in 1971, and the foundations of the new right were laid in the 70s and culminated in the election of Reagan in 1980. It’s been a war on democracy ever since. And the right is very close to winning. What happens in the next two years could very well make or break the republic. (Which is why we need to kill the filibuster.)

[Oldem]

29. Succinct and accurate.

[Blue_true]

30. The right isn't close to winning.

Such a statement is the type of over-wrought hyperbole that sets us back.

To me what has been clear is two things. First, the vast majority of Americans hate extremes, if we swing too far to the left we get kicked out of office, if republicans swing too far to the right, they get kicked out of office. Second, our side is horrible at framing a message or at staying away from poorly thought out phrases that end up shooting us in the foot, republicans simply have done a better job of framing their pitch, even when it is bullshit, and they have learned to make their poorly thought out phrases look palatable. We win when we stay true to our roots, a party of ethical people that works to uplift everyone, and when we use words and phrases that make our objectives clear - why do you think republicans try to suppress voting every time they gain power - they can’t compete with us on ideas or goals for society.

Reverend King pointed out “The moral arc of the universe is long, but it points to justice”. To that I would add complete equality for all. The right will lose, history simply is not and cannot be on their side.

[Gaugamela]

49. I would recommend a book called "The Shadow Network" by Anne Nelson.

https://smile.amazon.com/Shadow-Network-Media-Secret-Radical/dp/163557319X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1TLHBXZU7IYEC&dchild=1&keywords=the+shadow+network&qid=1615606091&s=books&sprefix=The+shadow+net%2Cstripbooks%2C252&sr=1-1

This is a well respected, detailed history of the rise of the new right. For me it’s an eye opener.

A coalition of plutocratic oligarchs and theocratic fundamentalists are playing the long game. They hate the enlightenment, they hate democracy, they hate the constitution, and they are deeply organized and have unlimited funding. For them, every defeat is a temporary setback. And all they have to do is win the house and senate in the next two elections, and they will likely destroy the republic. That is, unless we win over enough of the electorate in the next two years to stop them. But as H.L. Mencken said: no one ever went broke underestimating the American people.

[Blue_true]

50. This period is not the first time monied people and/or fundamentalists

have tried to impose their views on all the rest of society. Prohibition came about due to a powerful wave of fundamentalism, and it was a massive failure that caused enormous crime and bloodshed. Robber barons once tried to rule the country, but their efforts led to the formation and growth of labor unions and to passage of anti-Trust laws. Every time is our history, an excess toward religious fundamentalism or business ruling all has taken place, there has been a strong correction by the rest of society that clawed back, and then capped the power of fundamentalist or the super rich.

[Gaugamela]

52. Very true. But the rich are not idiots, and they have learned from history. And the left has never

been so scattered and disorganized. And the masses are captivated by conspiracy theories, propaganda, political bubbles cultivated on social media, bigotry and anti-science. The right is running a race against time. They know they are losing demographically and they are running out of rationalizations. Dr. Seuss? Mr. Potato Head? They know that time is running out. They are looking to pass all kinds of voter suppression laws across the country, and they will likely succeed. They will do everything they can to win. They are like the evil villain in an 80s slasher film. They keep rising from the dead and come back for more.

I’m not saying it’s a lost cause. Far from it. I think we can win. But we can’t take present circumstances for granted.

[Blue_true]

53. We do need to be both aware and prepared.

Recent events say that, at least at the national level, our leaders understand that reality.

[Gaugamela]

55. Let's hope so.

[luvtheGWN]

64. Add to that the book "Dark Money" by Jane Mayer.

Sorry if both books give you nightmares. Best not to read either one before going to bed.

[Journeyman]

4. My Mom told me that growing up in the '30s, people talked about "our Government" . . .

But this changed after the War, when it became "the Government."

She went to her grave believing that this was something fundamentally wrong with us.

And that was another thing she strongly believed in: the United States is the U.S., it is "us" and we must protect everyone within the nation, for we are the "one" our motto speaks about.

[orleans]

23. +1 nt

[Tommymac]

37. It takes a village.

Who said that?

[FakeNoose]

42. "It takes a village" is a deep, profound metaphor

... however I've noticed that Repukes are pathetically bad with metaphors.

[Tommymac]

48. Unless they are wearing them on their t shirts.

On Edit - On second thought didn't want to pollute this thread with those sicko images. Removed 'Camp A' and '6mwe' tshirt seditionist pictures. My apologies.

[FakeNoose]

63. I concur, and most of us have seen them anyway

[demtenjeep]

6. Biden is not messing around

the perfect man at this time

[calimary]

45. And THANK GOD for that!

He’s EXACTLY what the doctor ordered. And not a moment too soon!

[Biophilic]

9. Yes, this is our government. For better or worse. We are the ones governing and

we are the ones being governed, the ones who feel either the help or the hinderance, the support or the lack of support. Government is not something separate from the people. Dang, that is what I grew up with and it is something that I've been feeling more and more alienated from. This man is soooo cool.

[yonder]

10. Great post and comments!

[turbinetree]

15. Your welcome....................

This is a very good commentary.........

[ariadne0614]

11. The Republicans have been trying to replace democracy since Reagan.

Yesterday Thom Hartmann cited this article, which includes a handy graphic showing their nefarious playbook:

“Republican Agenda: Rich Guy Overlords ruling Worker Drones | by S. Novi | Democracy Guardian

https://democracyguardian.com/republican-agenda-rich-guy-overlords-ruling-worker-drones-8105d1d10a1e

[turbinetree]

14. Wado................thank you

Good read..........

[crickets]

31. Excellent read. Thanks, ariadne! nt

[Tommymac]

38. At least since Hoover.

The hatred Roosevelt generated among the right is legend. But the Class War goes back to the 1890's, at least.

Robber Barons vs Union Organizers. Same shit different century.

[scarletwoman]

51. Many thanks for the link to that excellent article!

[bucolic_frolic]

12. Obama hit similar themes and words in his "don't let them steal your democracy" speech in Philly

'It's not about me. It's about you.'

I could swear that speech was pre-DNC in June or July, but I'm seeing on on YouTube in October 2020.

[Red Pest]

13. Michelle Goldberg pointed this out tonight on Ari Melber's show

Democrats need to build on the idea, the fact, that the government is us, the people. In this case, we are borrowing from ourselves to help us out of this pandemic and the economic problems caused by the pandemic. The spending that will result from this $1.9T infusion will eventually dwarf the investment and, over time, pay for itself. Of course, getting rid of the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy would also help to pay for this, but we shall see if that happens.

[SunSeeker]

18. I sure didn't miss it. That was my favorite part of the speech.

[Ilsa]

19. I heard it, too. Meanwhile,

From the New Yorker:

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Just minutes after the House of Representatives passed President Biden’s coronavirus-relief bill, an emotional Rand Paul said that he was “deeply saddened to see the government helping people.”

Despite his best efforts “to keep this dark day from happening,” Paul said that soon the government would be interfering in people’s lives by sending them money to pay their bills.
snip

[turbinetree]

25. Rand Paul takes money from the taxpayers he is a leech and he is hypocrite

[MASW]

21. Yup--Republicans are doing their damnedest to destroy democracy.

The lies are a huge problem. We're supposed to have a marketplace of ideas and policies that best serve the people. It can't work if there's constant lying about...everything. Of course, the fact that they're all on the corporate payroll doesn't help, either.

[MustLoveBeagles]

24. K&R

[Irish_Dem]

26. The idealism of the Kennedy brothers made pragmatic and real.

[niyad]

28. KNR

[Whiskeytide]

32. Minimizing government influence in matters ...

... of business and commerce has ALWAYS been the primary role of the leadership of the Republican Party. Everything they do is calculated toward that singular goal.

[crickets]

33. Ours is supposed to be a government "of the people, by the people, for the people" --

as Lincoln said in his Gettysburg address. Republicans may have conveniently forgotten that, but Joe has not. 💙

[dalton99a]

34. Kick

[Treefrog]

35. K AND R.

[betsuni]

54. Lewis Black: "Is 'government' the word that's bad? At what point does anyone not comprehend

that government is not a word. It's people. People who do the job. That's what it is."

[BobTheSubgenius]

56. But consider the consequences if a government starting working in perfect alignment...

...with the public's needs and wishes? Where would society be then? Fed? Housed? Healthy?

It's madness.

[Cha]

57. "We need to remember the government isn't some foreign force

in a distant capital," he said. "No, it's us. All of us. We, the people."

President Joe Biden , March 11, 2021..

https://www.rawstory.com/the-most-stunning-part-of-president-bidens-speech-was-totally-missed-by-the-media/

Mahalo, Turbinetree!

[Hortensis]

58. "Government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

Abe Lincoln's version of what our framing fathers created.

Not a new idea then, not at all a new idea of Biden and those he's always worked with in government, and not at all new to me. The subversive, anti-government -- and very anti-democratic! -- line that government is "they" and "them" instead of "we" and "us" is for useful idiots.

[burrowowl]

59. Kick

[love_katz]

65. Huge kick and rec.!!!!!

Kick and rec for this post and thread. Excellent discussion.

[CrispyQ]

68. Excellent commentary!

That last paragraph you included is spot on, but then the author links the separation between the government and the citizenry to white supremacy.

Thurmond is a footnote to political history, but he articulated a key feature to periods in our history of white-power backlash against the slow liberalization of the republic, a feature that was never discussed while conservatives dominated political discourse. That feature was this: white supremacy demands what monarchy demands, the right to hereditary rule. The legitimacy of that demand depended to a great degree on the willingness of the American people—and the opposing party—to see the government as separate from the citizenry, a predicate reaching its zenith in the era of Donald Trump. Polarization wasn't a byproduct of Trump's partisanship. It was the point.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

69. I used to say something similar.

This reminds me of something I used to say during my thirty years of acting as my union's shop steward. My coworkers would often complain about something that the union had done. I would remind them that those folks down the street weren't the union, we were. Those people just work for us. I would tell them to go to meetings and get involved. Some did, and some didn't.

[turbinetree]

70. When I was organizing and in my union we would tell everyone you are only as strong as your members

what us to be, United We Stand - Divided We Fall

Good comment.......

[Grumpy Old Guy]

71. Thanks!

Thank you! 🙏

[turbinetree]

73. Your welcome....................

and welcome to DU.......

[SleeplessinSoCal]

72. If people will listen, he is saving us from Conspiracyland of the Lost Souls.

And the countless podcasts with cynical views that turn listeners into the non-voter.