Let’s Talk Clinton: Michael Parenti

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. . . next luminary . . .

He could have moved in a big way to cut the military budget but it’s just like Bush’s, an enormous amount of money to pay for missiles pointed toward a country that no longer exists. He could cut back and not lose too many jobs. Create jobs in mass transit, conservation, alternative energy, and environmental preservation.

He could start a works project to reclaim the environment. Build affordable housing. A massive cleaning of air and water, and [development of] a high-speed rail system.

He could phase out nuclear plants and go thermal, solar, hydral, and tidal. We have a newly developed electric car that’s long-running and low-cost.

Infrastructures are crumbling in cities–electrical, power, water, bridges are coming apart. HUD is sitting on thousands of abandoned units and could rehabilitate those houses with workers. Homework for the homeless.

This would put him in collision with vested interests like real estate and housing. Mass transit would get the oil, auto, and tire lobbies on his neck.

But there’d be a political payoff for that kind of political courage. Job spending and reallocation would win masses of people. That’s how Roosevelt did it, and he had people behind him and was re-elected three times.

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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