Standing Up to Economic Bullies

By Robert Reich, Robert Reich's Facebook Page

30 August 15

’ve always been very short for my age, and when I was young was bullied a lot. Bullies prey on peoples’ vulnerabilities -- using intimidation and humiliation to belittle others and thereby make themselves feel and look more powerful. Bullies scapegoat the weak. They spread fear. They use their power – physical strength, status, rank, or money, to browbeat those who don’t have these attributes.

American society today is filled with bullies. Some are economic bullies – CEOs and Wall Street moguls who use their power to pad their wallets and ride roughshod over shareholders, employees, and communities. Some are billionaires like the Koch brothers who use their money to undermine our democracy. Some are wealthy blowhards like Donald Trump who use their megaphones to belittle immigrants and women. Some are politicians who take bribes (campaign contributions) to favor the rich and hurt the poor. Some are police who use their authority and weapons to intimidate or even kill poor blacks. Some are bosses at the workplace who use their rank to spread fear among employees.

What I learned as a small boy is bullies intensify their bullying if no one stands up to them. And the best way of standing up to them is to join with others who are also bullied, and demand a stop to it. That’s what’s needed now. That's what the movements we're witnessing (#blacklivesmatter, #feelthebern #fightfor15 and so on) are seeking to do.

Your thoughts?