I remember as a kid talking with other kids my age about becoming an astronaut. At the time, astronauts came from middle-class and blue-collar families. They’d gone to public schools.

It was something any of us could aspire to.

Today’s space race could not be more different.
We used the term “we” to describe being the first to land on the moon. Bezos and Branson aren’t “we.” There's no common good in their achievement. They symbolize the extreme apex of wealth, much of it gained by paying workers low wages, dodging taxes and shutting out competitors.
If Branson and Bezos are advancing anything or anyone, it’s the prospect of making boatloads of money by selling future seats to other people able and willing to pay huge sums for the thrill. It's hardly impressive or heroic.
If some kids today are inspired by Branson, Bezos, and Musk, the inspiration is more about accumulating money and power than propelling America or the world.
We’ve privatized almost everything else, but no one can privatize heroism.

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More from @RBReich

9 Apr
Let me be clear: The Amazon union fight is far from over.
For seven weeks, Amazon pulled out all the stops in its most blatant anti-union blitz yet. Workers were forced to attend anti-union meetings, received multiple anti-union texts a day, and were bombarded by anti-union fliers in bathrooms.
The company hired an infamous union-busting law firm for the cool price of $3,200 a day, and even got the county to change the traffic light schedule so that union organizers had less time to talk to workers as they entered or left the warehouse parking lot.
Read 10 tweets
26 Feb
THREAD: Here is every state where a minimum wage worker can afford 2 bedroom rent:
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Read 5 tweets
2 Jan
The cynical ploy of Ted Cruz and 10 other Republican senators will now force every other Republican member of Congress to openly choose democracy or fascism.
America will watch and remember those who choose the path of treason on January 6.
Here are the enemies of democracy:
Ted Cruz (TX)
Ron Johnson (WI)
James Lankford (OK)
Steve Daines (MT)
John Kennedy (LA)
Marsha Blackburn (TN)
Mike Braun (IN)
Cynthia Lummis (WY)
Roger Marshall (KS)
Bill Hagerty (TN)
Tommy Tuberville (AL)
Read 5 tweets
7 Nov 20
While the forces that propelled Trump to the presidency — racism, corruption, and greed — still plague America, we can find hope in this victory.

Thank you for still believing in democracy.
Every single one of you who organized your community, who mobilized your friends and family, who made even just one phone call, should be incredibly proud.
This election is just the beginning. Now our work to rebuild America as a true democracy centered on social justice and human rights can begin in earnest.
Read 4 tweets
17 Oct 20
When this nightmare is over, we need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It would erase Trump’s lies, comfort those who have been harmed by his hatefulness, and name every official, politician, executive, and media mogul whose greed and cowardice enabled this catastrophe.
I love the people responding to this tweet as if it's a radical, undemocratic idea. theconversation.com/do-truth-and-r…
Just came across this thoughtful piece by historian Jill Lepore on why such a commission -- while useful in other societies that have gone through traumatic periods -- would probably not be useful in post-Trump America. washingtonpost.com/outlook/truth-…
Read 4 tweets
14 Oct 20
Blue wave: Vote!
Vote Vote
Vote Vote Vote
Vote Vote Vote Vote
Vote Vote
Vote Vote
Ga: Voters wait up to 11 hours to cast ballots on 1st day early voting.

NC: Nearly 1 in 5 of roughly 500K who have returned mail ballots so far didn't vote in the last pres election.

Mich: More than 1 million — roughly one-fourth of the turnout in 2016 — have already voted.
Roughly 15 million Americans have already voted, despite barriers erected by the coronavirus pandemic and voter suppression, setting a trajectory that could result in the majority of voters casting ballots before Election Day for the first time in U.S. history.
Read 4 tweets

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