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Robert Reich: The enemies of American democracy? Big lie, big anger and big money
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/19/the-enemies-of-american-democracy-big-lie-big-anger-and-big-moneySaving American democracy requires stopping three powerful forces already on the way to destroying it.
The first is Trump’s big lie that the 2020 election was stolen. That baseless claim is now believed by some 60% of registered Republicans. The lie fits with the Republican party’s understanding that demographic trends will work against it in future elections unless it shrinks the electorate.
The second is big anger spread by the media, especially Fox News and Facebook. Big anger is boosting their ratings and revenues by inciting divisiveness, racism, panic and paranoia. Yet it’s undermining trust that democracy depends on.
The big lie depends on Americans believing democracy is rigged against them. To a shameful extent, it is
The third is big money, from large corporations and wealthy individuals. It’s inundating political campaigns, supporting one-sided issue ads and bribing lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support measures that will further enrich corporations and the wealthy and block measures that will cost them.
The big lie, big anger and big money reinforce each other because they all depend on Americans believing that democracy is rigged against them. And, to a shameful extent, it is. Urgent steps must be taken against all three.
The first step is to set national voting-rights standards in light of Trump’s big lie. Senate Democrats must enact the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Amendment Act in January, when they still have a chance to prevent much Republican state voter suppression and electoral manipulation. If they fail to do this they will be complicit with the Republican party in using Trump’s big lie to shrink the electorate. . . .
The first is Trump’s big lie that the 2020 election was stolen. That baseless claim is now believed by some 60% of registered Republicans. The lie fits with the Republican party’s understanding that demographic trends will work against it in future elections unless it shrinks the electorate.
The second is big anger spread by the media, especially Fox News and Facebook. Big anger is boosting their ratings and revenues by inciting divisiveness, racism, panic and paranoia. Yet it’s undermining trust that democracy depends on.
The big lie depends on Americans believing democracy is rigged against them. To a shameful extent, it is
The third is big money, from large corporations and wealthy individuals. It’s inundating political campaigns, supporting one-sided issue ads and bribing lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support measures that will further enrich corporations and the wealthy and block measures that will cost them.
The big lie, big anger and big money reinforce each other because they all depend on Americans believing that democracy is rigged against them. And, to a shameful extent, it is. Urgent steps must be taken against all three.
The first step is to set national voting-rights standards in light of Trump’s big lie. Senate Democrats must enact the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Amendment Act in January, when they still have a chance to prevent much Republican state voter suppression and electoral manipulation. If they fail to do this they will be complicit with the Republican party in using Trump’s big lie to shrink the electorate. . . .
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