Ex-Labor Secretary Robert Reich Busts A Massive Republican Myth

[UpInArms]

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich has explained why he believes Republican claims of patriotism don’t ring true.

“Republicans claim they love America. But they sure don’t seem to like the American people,” Reich, who served under President Bill Clinton, began a video shared on his YouTube channel on Monday.

Reich broke down how Republicans routinely oppose reforms that would benefit the majority of Americans, attack cities and rural areas, harm the land they so claim to love with the rolling back of environmental regulations and even shun democracy itself.

“It’s time to stop letting Republicans claim the mantle of patriotism without actually being patriots,” said Reich.

…

https://news.yahoo.com/ex-labor-secretary-robert-reich-071623329.html

[Ohioboy]

1. If there is one thing republicans are good at it's bitching and complaining

This wouldn't be such a problem, but their constant bitching has hurt the country.

Through their constant complaining they have succeeded in convincing themselves that America is no good, and needs to be made "great again". They opened themselves up to a conman like Trump coming in and promising to solve all the non- existent problems they think they have.

[UpInArms]

2. I, too, am weary

of the idiocy of the GQP … and its acolytes.

They are the ones who continue to break the government. They don’t believe in it and they cannot govern. They just want to rule.

[bluesbassman]

4. They believe in an America that never really existed.

Yes, we were predominantly ruled by white men, and although the founders viewed governance through that lens the unintended consequence was that the Constitution applied to ALL men and women, regardless of the pigmentation. The right wing cannot grasp that truth. They want to go back to a time when the status quo ignored that truth too.

[wryter2000]

24. It existed for some white people

They don't care about anyone else.

Remember the bumper sticker: Bush doesn't care about white people, either.

[Beartracks]

26. Most people who say government can't do it right...

... elect people who keep doing it wrong.



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


================

[Johonny]

13. A good conservative can tell yoy every imaginary wrong

They've ever been a victim of.

[IbogaProject]

14. To be honest there are problems

They have been growing every GOP administration. They got really bad during the Reagan-Bush Administrations, but somehow it's everybody else's fault. The rich and wealthy don't spend their money quickly and often not locally. So over the years as the GOP tamped down unions, unlocked huge tax breaks for crap like stock buybacks, which provide zero economic value they are just a taking.

[Victor_c3]

15. For the duration of my lifetime, republicans have had the majority control

I was born in 1980. Since then, the majority of the time republicans had the presidency, controlled congress, held the majority of governorships, held state legislatures for the majority of the time yet they are the most unhappy with the government and how the country is going.

Why is that?

[BidenRocks]

23. They never heard of....

P.T. Barnum
Education is dangerous for repubs.

[vlyons]

3. Talking to ReThugs is pointless. It just goes in 1 ear and out the other

It's the uncommitted, centrists, and libs, whom we need to keep reminding that Dems work for the interests of the working and middle classes.

[Seinan Sensei]

22. Talking to ReThugs *IS* pointless

They don't use logic
They don't value consistency
And above all, they have NO shame

What do ReThugs respond to?
1) Money
2) Power
3) Jail time

[B.See]

5. Reich is Absolutely Correct

And here's another SPOT-ON article everyone should read.

Why are we letting red state welfare oligarchs mooch off of blue states?

Modern-day Red states are doing their best to recreate that old Confederacy, right down to state Senator Kathy Chism’s new effort to return the Confederate battle flag to Mississippi's state flag. Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence have both emphasized their presidential pledges to restore the names of murderous Civil War traitors to American military bases, celebrating their armed defense of the “values” of the Old South.

Today’s version of yesteryear’s plantation owners are called CEOs, hedge and vulture fund managers, and the morbidly rich.

[Jarqui]

6. They also claim to be about law and order while

supporting the biggest lying crook to get near the White House

while fabricating crap about Biden's integrity

[Martin68]

7. I believe many people on DU have been pointing out these inconsistencies for years.

[Lonestarblue]

8. Unfortunately, Republicans own Fox, Newsmax, AM hate radio, many Sunday pulpits, etc.

The garbage ginned up on the right keeps Republicans ignorant of reality—by their own choice because their bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, and racism get reinforced on a daily basis. So how do we challenge Republicans on their claims to love their country when their actions clearly show they do not. It is their power they love, not the country or its people.

[paleotn]

9. The question we should be asking is why Repukes hate America so much.

Why do they want to transform it into a fascist state where rule of law is whatever a few elites say it is? I suppose they know it just wouldn't be a good look to come right out and tell the truth that they really want to destroy America.

[hadEnuf]

10. Republicans are phony patriots. Always have been.

Republican patriotism is just another smoke screen to keep the fools fooled into working against own interests by getting them to do the GOP dirtywork while the GOP sneaks in the back door and steals the family jewels.

[Mblaze]

11. They don't actually love America

But they do lay claim to jingoistic “patriotism”.

I remember when the jingoism was “My country right or wrong” or “America, love it or leave it”. Now it seems to be “My country - wrong” and “America, we want you to leave it”.

[SunSeeker]

16. Republican "patriotism" is basically thinly veiled hate speech against those they disagree with.

When they wave the flag, they aren't doing it to show love of their fellow Americans. They're doing it as an in-your-face way to say that Republicans are the REAL Americans who the flag represents---and YOU'RE NOT!

[calimary]

17. THIS!!!

[Blue Owl]

18. K&R

[TigressDem]

19. K&R

What is the difference between Nationalism and Patriotism?
https://tinyurl.com/Nationlism-VS-Patriotism

Patriotism encompasses devotion to the country as a whole – including all the people who live within it.

Nationalism refers to devotion to only one group of people over all others.

5 hours ago

[BaronChocula]

20. "Republican" is just a nice word we use for white rage

Today's Republican base is primarily white people who:
1. Are angry that the American consensus is no longer completely controlled by white people and
2. Don't want the government to offer benefits if the benefits aren't solely for them.

I use the example of Ronald Reagan to demonstrate this. Before Reagan was a no gubmint/no tax republican he was a New Deal Democrat from the days when New Deal recipients were primarily white (by design). Following his evolution Reagan used racist images of big gubmint working in service of lazy African Americans on welfare when in fact there have always been way more people on welfare.

These are the same people who are frustrated that civil progress takes away their sense of superiority. They adhere to the view of the confederacy where rich, white, christian, straight males sit atop their fake American hierarchy. Anything that does not favor that demo is republican heresy.

Talk about normalizing. Using the word "republican" instead of white nationalist doing just that.

[aggiesal]

21. Here's the video ...

[Celerity]

28. +1

[Blue Owl]

25. K&R

[czarjak]

27. Hateful ignorance wrapped in religion and or patriotism is still hateful ignorance.

[Smackdown2019]

29. Sorry, BUT

Their Myth is simply put as, they only let their followers know what they want them to know. It's about whose pocket is full of corruption that knows the truth.

So exposing is just that. Exposure is just Exposure. Unfortunately, Republican followers dont listen to the left. So they will never know they are hoodwinked...