Robert Reich Fights Democracy's Bullies [UNCUT CONVERSATION]

Synopsis:  Historical context for change- Reich draws parallels between the current era and the first Gilded Age, suggesting that a new Progressive Era could be on the horizon as a response to the second Gilded Age, bringing about potential reforms to economic and political systems.

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Description: The crisis we’re in was a long time coming. Now that we’re here, what do we do about it? Returning to the show, former Labor Secretary and longtime professor Robert Reich joins Laura Flanders to discuss two bullies tormenting U.S. democracy: concentrated wealth and corporate power. As Reich shares, growing income inequality yields corruption in our politics and economy. No one election will change everything, but that’s not a reason not to act, and act quickly to defeat the Trump administration — in Congress, and at the polls. Reich’s latest Substack, “Should Democrats Shut Down the Government?” presents some ideas. Reich's latest book is “Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America”. He  is also the subject of “The Last Class” about his final semester teaching at UC Berkeley's Goldman School. He's the author of eighteen books, including the bestsellers, “Aftershock” and “The System: Who Rigged It and How We Fix It,” and is co-founder of Inequality Media. Online, you can find Reich’s viral video explainers and his widely-read newsletter on Substack. Join Reich and Flanders as they unpack how economic and political power intersect in American life – and catch Laura’s two cents on “democratic capitalism.”

“If the Republicans who now control Congress say, “‘We're not going to give you any role at all, and we are not even going to reassume our constitutional role as Congress,’ then I think the Democrats have no choice but to say, ‘Forget it. That's it. The only way we bring attention to this crisis is we stop and shut the whole place down.’” - Robert Reich

“More than a century ago, we had the first Gilded Age in the United States . . . We had the equivalent of billionaires, the equivalent of Elon Musk . . . Why would we not have another Progressive Era as a response to the Gilded Age? We are now in the second Gilded Age.” - Robert Reich

Guest:  Robert Reich- Former Secretary of Labor; Professor Emeritus, University of California Berkeley; Author, Coming Up Short: My Memoir of America

Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters.

Watch the special report on YouTube; PBS World Channel September 14th, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio September 17th  (check here to see if your station is airing the show) & available as a podcast.

Full Episode Notes are located HERE.

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Music Credit:  'Dawn Smolders' by Bluedot Sessions, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper

RESOURCES:

*Recommended book:

 “Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, by Robert Reich - *Get the Book

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Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:

•  Democracy & Capitalism: A Failed Experiment?  Watch

•  The Pandemic Economy-  Watch / Listen

•  Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor: Are We Entering “End Times Fascism”?  Watch / Listen: Episode and Full Conversation  

•  Masha Gessen & Jason Stanley: Is it Doomsday for U.S. Democracy? Watch / Listen: Episode and Full Conversation

Related Articles and Resources:

•  Documentary:  The Last Class with Robert Reich

•  “The Jobs Crash” by Robert Reich, Substack

•  Democrats Regain Advantage in Party Affiliation, by Jeffrey M. Jones, July 31, 2025, Gallup News

•  Bessent hails new ‘Trump accounts’ as ‘backdoor for privatizing Social Security, by Michael Stratford, July 30, 2025, Politico

•  Co-founded by Robert Reich: Inequality Media and Inequality Media Civic Action

•  Office Hours:  Who is MOST responsible for this catastrophe, other than Trump? By Robert Reich, September 3, 2025, SubStack

• Schumer:  Democrats ‘will force votes’ on Trump tariffs after disappointing jobs report, by Al Weaver, September 5, 2025, The Hill

Chapters ep224 - Robert Reich- [Uncut Conversation]

00:00:00  Laura Flanders Introduces Robert Reich and Hist Latest Work

00:02:10 How Widening Inequality Led to Political Disaffection and Trump

00:11:39 The Broken Social Contract and the Rise of Demagoguery

00:17:25 Robert Reich on the Loss of Democracy and Rule of Law

00:26:09 Unreliable Economic Data and the Future of Social Security

00:32:36 From Gilded Age to Progressive Era: A Historical Parallel

00:42:16 Robert Reich's Vision for a Democratic Capitalist Future

00:46:21 Robert Reich Warns Against the Dangers of Cryptocurrency

00:48:35  Reconciling Idealism, Future Paths, and Government Shutdown

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