David Brooks: Maybe Bernie Sanders Is Right

[@bryanujueta7032]

‘Secular Talk’ made a good point: “People wanted revolutionary politics so they gravitated to Bernie. When Bernie was snuffed they still wanted the revolutionary part but all that was left was revolutionary conservatism.”

[@jizzosh1233]

Preach

[@andref9663]

I think it’s a multitude of things. Race and gender definitely played a role, Trump doesn’t win if he’s black. But anti-establishment is also a factor. Which is why there were crossover Bernie and Trump voters.

[@IamSpacedad]

Kinda reminds me of what happened in iran - people wanted a revolution of the shah, but the US & CIA collaborated with the shah regime to destroy the secular socialists. So that just left the religious clerics as the only ones who could amass organizational momentum against the shah. So instead of Iran becoming a populist secular democracy after revolution, it became an extreme religious conservative state. When liberals & centrists destroy the movements and momentum of leftists, the right is all that is left to challenge the system.

[@Lennybird91]

I'm not one of them but this is why some of my progressive peers fully embraced accelerationism and sat out. It's the wrong approach in my view but still, we should've seen it coming.

[@bryanujueta7032]

@@andref9663to clarify I’m not saying the Bernie to Trump pipeline is significant or why he won. I’m saying the status quo isn’t working for the vast majority therefore the Democratic Party BEING the party of the status quo fails to speak to the times, regardless of political affiliation. The Democratic Party has derailed revolution, not promoted it.

[@TonatiuhMorenoGed]

MAYBE Bernie was right? OMFG.

[@ecurewitz]

Of course he was right he would have been a fantastic president

[@SANITIZEDINC]

Seriously. Just admit Bernie was right and you were wrong, Brooks! Jebuz! The mental gymnastics this guy employees.

[@dgaydos]

Bernie would have beat tRump in 2016 for sure. Had he been the party's candidate we wouldn't be in this magat MESS.

[@daysofend]

@@dgaydos the world broke in 2016, across countries. We’re on the dankest timeline

[@ThisisKyle]

​@@dgaydosBernie Sanders would absolutely have lost worse than Kamala in 2016. I know it's a big shock to you people but most Americans absolutely hate communists

[@oldtownscouts3712]

We've been trying to tell you this for 8 years and people like you actively worked to crush his movement and moved a bunch of his supporters to Trump. Good job.

[@guru47pi]

Bernie's been saying the same things for 50 years, not just the last 8

[@oldtownscouts3712]

@@guru47pi Yes I know but the Sanders national political movement started in 2015-2016

[@DanielLuechtefeld]

Bernie is unelectable nationwide. Populism never translates to support for progressives, even when populists express support for progressive economics. This has been true since the '80s. The Green Party has never elected a candidate above the county level. Center-left is as far as the American electorate is capable of going.

[@Paladin521]

Yes. The most frustrating thing is to be pandered to by moderate liberal minds. I have become way more moderate since 2016, but there was always one answer to the problem. An answer that was actively destroyed by the elites.

[@astrid.00.7]

Man. I've been leaving comments like these on soooo many videos deploring what the Democratic Party did to Sanders in order to get Hilary on the ballot, and no one ever replied. Not even a troll-bot. (Probably because I also pointed out how a lot of highly educated religious people lose perspective and vote myopically, and that doesn't sit well because sheeple gonna sheep and if you are in any way religious, this hurts to hear).

[@laza8675]

He hears Bernie's words, but his heart doesn't allow him to really understand.

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

When a pig flies, you can't complain if he doesn't stay up for long...

[@laza8675]

@@Blaqjaqshellaq alright I agree to celebrate the baby steps

[@michaelkulman7095]

Under his breath you can hear him repeating, "system 32 error"...if you really listen...

[@cactusimon]

Just imagine him editing the script to ensure a balanced hedging of his admission. 😂

[@bitey-facepuppyguy2038]

Are you really sure it is his heart ? Perhaps it could be his pocket book instead.

[@GreekInThe6ix]

We’re going to look back at the Democrats having everyone drop out of the primaries to back Joe Biden - just so Bernie Sanders couldn’t be the nominee - as one of the turning points in American political history.

[@dylangamble4810]

That pissed me off...a lot! Also the whole Wassermann fiasco...

[@SANITIZEDINC]

So dark. So dark what they did to Bernie -- and by doing so, dark what they did to us. Shame!

[@craigwinters5724]

I assume you're talking about 2020. Agree. The party did not want Bernie to be the nominee, so Kamala and Pete threw their support to Biden to deny Bernie his rightful place as the people's choice. It worked out OK then as Biden won. I was a delegate in the state caucuses in 2016 and was disgusted at how screwed up the legislative district caucus was then. Bernie was the favorite then too, but the party wanted Hillary. It took hours just to determine who was credentialed as a delegate eligible to vote. I left at 10pm and we still had not selected our delegates to the congressional level. I, and many others, think it was intentional to deny Bernie his delegates. We were told we had to vote for a minority or a woman. As a white man, I felt ignored and disrespected. But even so, it still was not enough to make me vote for Trump.

[@markfitzpatrick7186]

And roll back to 2016 when they put knives in Bernie from every direction. Is it any wonder that the party that ran on “saving democracy” was rejected?

[@SenorJuan2023]

The irony of 2016 is that Biden had a better chance of beating Trump than Hillary did............and that would have ended Donald's political career right then.

[@musoid6308]

Decades of stagnant wages for laborers while the investor class has seen exponential growth of wealth is a pretty prominent factor in this equation.

[@selin8274]

The VP is a venture capitalist. Hardly working class interest!

[@D.A.OhK.]

Bernie's been the biggest force against income inequality and there's a reason he votes with the Democratic party. Bernie was hitting the airwaves after the Great Recession, pointing out how the top 5% got richer while we got poorer. In contrast, the following three frauds were in full swing at that time: Trump University, Trump Network, and Trump Foundation.

[@kirikoza2488]

Pretty ironic the electorate voted for a billionaire nepobaby who is in the pocket of the world's richest man to fight the class divide.

[@JohnDoe-nv5oe]

And any laborers that made bank, in the last couple decades, tend to pull their ladders up. Many small businesses do this because they are just following the schemes that they have seen from larger ones, regardless of education. Google slims down, we slim down. Elon Musk says “jump for AI” and we have to jump for our boss’ latest AI takes.

[@judykinsman3258]

Which party has suppressed wages & labor unions.

[@QuestioningYourSanity]

Saying those with a college degree aren't in the working class in 2024 is seeing the data and missing the point.

[@jabrowne2018]

That sums up a lot of things very nicely--"See the data & miss the point." Can't believe I never thought of it when I used to argue with data-driven business & university people who arrogantly dismissed anything & everything that didn't generate percentages & scores. Not that it would've changed their minds, but the sheer pith of it may have stuck in their minds. I'm going to etch that in my memory & use it the 1st chance I get.

[@jizzosh1233]

I work at a UPS the OPPORTUNITY for education was never presented to me

[@dylanlukas342]

That is David Brooks’ specialty. Seeing the data and missing the point

[@travcollier]

I'm not much of a leftist, but looking at the rise of populist nationalism in the US (and elsewhere) though a "class" lens seems to give some real insights. The problem is that folks like Brooks forgot the middle class is a thing (and means something a bit different than how most Americans use the term). People who own small businesses, are "self-employed" contractors, upper management, ect. are way over-represented in MAGA. A lot of those folks are not college educated, but they aren't working class.

[@norman_5623]

An economist knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

[@carlosvalle2387]

Maybe? Really?? Omg!! Bernie should have won 2016 and we could have avoided all this shit!!

[@sarahknehr1362]

This!

[@br1729]

Bernie was--and is-- a terrible politician (he ran BEHIND Harris in the election last week), whereas Trump has ended up being a very good politician.

[@D.A.OhK.]

Bernie's an Independent. Why didn't he run as an independent and win if he "should have won"?

[@YouSnoozeYouNooze]

@@D.A.OhK. Because he knew HRC would be a spoiler since she felt entitled to the nomination because of her gender

[@claireconover]

being right before your time, never means your ideas would have worked then. they never do… thats why youre ahead of your time.

[@blamite]

The idea that “college educated” and “working class” are two separate categories is so insanely delusional man.

[@wizo304]

it’s really not tho… both in economic and cultural terms there is a pronounced divide

[@carolinedelisle589]

@@wizo304 I have never understood the "working class" term. Who doesn't work for a living? Very, very few people. I have a post-graduate university degree and a job to make a living.

[@wizo304]

@@carolinedelisle589 assuming you got that job because of your degree, you are not working class. Working class refers to people who make a living off of only their labor not their expertise or education

[@kindwordsfromafriend]

You're so right. College-educated millennials and Gen X are struggling with student debt, a high cost of living, childcare and getting hit with fees left and right. Anyone who actually works for a living as opposed to owning financial assets as the main source of income should be considered working class in my book.

[@carolinedelisle589]

@ that’s gotta be a fuzzy definition then. Even cashiers making minimum wage need training to operate the register and have a high school diploma. Isn’t that education?

[@D0P3ST]

Seeing Bernie's popularity, and thinking the answer in John Fetterman, is the most tone deaf thing I have ever heard. If the DNC follows this logic, they will just continue to lose.

[@SamSung-nf6tr]

I recently saw Fetterman, living in PA. He's not the answer. He's not 100%. I won't be voting for him again.

[@weasaldude]

Bernie is not that popular. He ran behind kamala in vermont. Unfortunately vermont is quite liberal but this is a conservative country

[@msolomonii9825]

Exactly. I used to luv Fetterman then he just became something... grotesque. He might as well join the rethuglican fascist party now, I honestly won't be surprised if he actually does.

[@alexmacdonald9182]

he's paid to say that BS

[@DaraelDraconis]

That's the goal. That's _always_ the goal with Dem party establishment. Present a deliberately-bastardised version of a populist-progressive position, lose, and use it to claim that such things are inherently losing propositions so they have to pivot to the "centre" more and harder. They'd always rather be in opposition than win on a platform of actually improving anything.

[@MartyMcTube]

It is about rich vs. poor, David. Stop dancing around it.

[@112428]

He's a republican. He has to dance around it, because otherwise it becomes obvious his party's policies got us to this point and destroyed the middle class to favor the wealthy.

[@frederickrapp5396]

It’s also about rural vs. urban. I wish David Brooks had spoken about the huge rural vs. urban divide across America.

[@terminalmode]

💯 He just wants to think his University of Chicago degree matters and that the NYT will continue to publish his absolute mediocrity.

[@Thorvelt]

He isn't

[@aSunkeee]

It’s not. Voting was splits pretty much 50/50 on income.

[@saltyfish5244]

Saying Bernie was right while saying everything opposite

[@kyleolson9636]

He only said Bernie was right about wanting disruption. He said Trump was the wrong answer to the right question, and I'd bet he would say the same about Bernie.

[@bonsaitomato8290]

Brooks is going to brooks. Remember what Martin Luther King said about the “white moderate” . They are useless in times of change.

[@craven5328]

​@@kyleolson9636 He would, as most have derided Bernie as a communist for decades. I love Bernie, but his latest take that the Dems suffered from a lack of real working class policy instead of a messaging issue is I think off. Yes, they may have lacked detailed, robust policy...but the vast majority of the electorate does not pay attention to that. They haven't got the time or inclination...but those who listen to NYT podcasts do. American presidential politics has very much been a cult of personality for decades, and while maybe the Dems could have had more robust policies - without the right messaging, they were never going to break through to that cult.

[@JohnDoe-nv5oe]

@@craven5328clear and to the crux. Sadly, recent posts online make it look like most people now know that the policies never mattered but, then, they are hesitant to also admit that personality and presentation are picking up the slack. I suppose it does make the average person seem like a brain dead zombie on autopilot mode…but I personally don’t think that’s a wrong answer, honestly.

[@Jeremiah-h8i]

Bernie is right. But dropping Bernie’s name like so much clickbait when you don’t agree with the guy is disingenuous. Dems need a young Bernie basically, any race or gender will do.

[@civicspectator2573]

Wow, ten years and two defeats later you guys are now finally figuring it out.

[@nicolamastascusa8173]

Heck, even Biden's victory was way closer than it should've been.

[@MWHarnish]

Who is "you guys"?

[@threeofeight197]

@@MWHarnishthe Democratic Party establishment who blocked Bernie at every turn and insisted we go with the likes of Hilary, Biden and Harris. They’re not as bad as Trump but it’s not enough anymore. The ppl who decided not to fight for Medicare for all but fight like hell for war funding.

[@Mitzi73]

They have? This guy can’t be more wrong. This devastating election for the Democrats means DJT got everyone behind him (college and non-college).

[@dudemynameisdebo]

@@MWHarnishyou specifically

[@ipekseda3087]

Why are people with degrees not considered working-class? Teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, scientists, mid level managers. WE ALL WORK , ffs. We get up every effing morning and go to work.

[@mostly_water]

It's purposeful. "Middle class" is a meaningless label that just exists to split up the working class. All of us are working class.

[@cpttreebeard9112]

And most of us are still living paycheck to paycheck

[@rhymeswithcigar]

Would you prefer less well off and less educated? I don’t like the term working class either…

[@blue_wolfproductions12]

Exactly

[@MacCarell]

For real as if we're a different class in a way even somewhat similar to how the bourgeois is a different class

[@TheNerdHerd1000]

"Someone like Fetterman, not another elite college graduate " fetterman literally went to harvard???? If anything is learned from this period it should be to never listen to the media class ever again

[@tusker2418]

Exactly

[@aeroslythe6881]

fr

[@Hirnlego999]

There's plenty of good journalism, have to look around

[@nowisallthereis]

Elite college grads? Trump went to Wharton, Vance went to Yale, RFK jr went to Harvard, Gaetz went to William and Mary......etc.

[@MM-vs2et]

@@Hirnlego999 Mostly indepenent. Legacy media is compromised

[@jjj1951]

We didn't decide to ship.jobs overseas. Corporate CEOs made that decision. But the public was all too happy to.pay less for foreign made appliances and clothes.

[@lifeisgood12341]

Yep, we wanted to have our cake and eat it too.

[@dogeared100]

Bingo

[@jabrowne2018]

It mystifies me how corporations slip thru so many conversations, speeches, op eds like this one. Well, maybe it's not so mysterious . . .

[@DaveDDD]

You’re leaving out the government’s role in this. When trade agreements (particularly NAFTA, which was backed by both parties) were implemented, that allowed the US to purchase cheap goods but gave up lots of manufacturing jobs. Another significant change in the balance of the wealthy vs working class was when Reagan took a sledgehammer to unions. This era of neoliberalism started in earnest in the 1980s, and we are now politically reaping what we’ve sown. I’m massively oversimplifying, but these actions were at the behest of the ruling class/wealthy, but the line between the rich and politicians blurs more and more every year.

[@selin8274]

I worked in the apparel business in the 90s. Ads were begging Americans to buy US. The consumer ignored them so the jobs left the US. Adding high tariffs to those goods now is going to be a rude awakening for the consumer.

[@bkinstler]

Mr. Brooks has taken Bernie Sanders’ observation, oversimplified it, twisted it to his own purposes, undermining the entire point in the process.

[@harku123]

I'm curious what you mean by that

[@BacklogSemantics]

@@harku123 This is a wildly stupid take on a socialist perspective. The notion that the working class is defined as "not having college diplomas" is stupid both within Bernies ideological framework, and modern economics. Most people, including the college educated, are working class by definition, they work for some form of salary and that's where they derive their bargaining power with an ownership class. Framing this as college vs. high school educated is needlessly inflammatory and condescending, arguably pointing to the attitudes and image that lost the democrats this election in the first place.

[@andref9663]

Everyone is looking for one singular answer

[@jabuhrer1]

This is the same simplistic argument Brooks has been making since the 80’s, only instead of seeing that his model is wrong he has simply switched sides within it. He went from “techno yuppies aided by global capital ditching industrialism to live the good life” being a good thing to that now being a bad thing. Anything to stay away from the obvious truth he’s been avoiding his whole life: the golden age of the American Dream (for white guys at least) that he remembers was actually created by progressive taxation combating economic inequality across all professions and education levels, which at the time both parties understood and agreed on. We can discuss and hypothesize and argue about anything but that.

[@travcollier]

​​@@BacklogSemanticsA lot of people without college degrees are lower middle class (in the classical sense, not the American "everyone who isn't in poverty is middle class"). The HVAC guy Brooks mentioned, I bet he owns or is upper level in a small business. There are a lot of folks like that. They aren't working class..

[@hatsofftoroyharper2]

If you are using Bernies name and Federman in the same sentence, you are missing the lesson completely.

[@dpz47]

And he has absolutely no idea.

[@jonathangreen6163]

I don't agree with this. Bernie and Federman tap into an anger with "elites". They are populists. I am a person who prefers Trump to Kamala, but would prefer Bernie to Trump.The democrats display contempt for regular people. You can feel it. Why would anyone call voters "uneducated"? This is out of touch, rude, and belittling. I have a Masters Degree, make 6 figures, and I find this sort of language... gross.

[@KM-fb1kw]

@@hatsofftoroyharper2 He is a self labeled moderate for the New York Times. He was never going to get it.

[@christopherchilton-smith6482]

You said it, unfortunately they have no clue whatsoever where to look, they don't even know who to ask.

[@hatsofftoroyharper2]

@KM-fb1kw yeah, I caught a segment from CNN of guy who was a consultant for Gore, Hillary, and Harris. Telling the audience that the dems were just too "woke". Why the F is this guy's opinion valid at this point. The only thing this guy does is lose elections. Lol.

[@theobrominator]

What the DNC did to Bernie Sanders for the 2016 campaign needs to be reconciled with now in order to move on. It still illustrates the smugness that exists for many Democrat politicians.

[@D.A.OhK.]

Bernie lost. He got over it. Why can't you?

[@dustion1995]

​ @D.A.OhK. Jesus. Hillary and Kamala lost , in addition to anyone else you can name from any democratic primary besides Joe Biden . So WHAT IS YOUR POINT ?

[@D.A.OhK.]

@@dustion1995 Read my comment -- Bernie got over it, so there's nothing to reconcile. But good point that Jesus lost, too.

[@dustion1995]

@@D.A.OhK. Bernie won a plurality . His politics are popular . The guy has capital and media against him. He represents an agenda and a movement . No one wants him running for president again including him but I think you know that already . So I ask again . We have moved on from Bernie the person. But just like GREAT MEN before him , his ideas will carry us though. With or without the DNC .

[@jamesdurtka2709]

​@@D.A.OhK.Bernie may have gotten over it, but that doesn't mean millions of people who wanted to vote for him did...

[@misterfunnybones]

The average executive pay ratio for companies on the S&P is 268:1. Let's start there.

[@april5666]

And it was around 20:1 in the 1970s -- so yes, redistribution of wealth; and respect all around.

[@donjoe7529]

the corporate tax rate should be pegged to this ratio, along with how much the corporation employs/operates overseas vs. within the u.s... so, abc inc. wants to pay their ceo obscenely but not give their rank and file workers any raise ? ok, then the irs hits abc inc. harder and puts that money towards keeping social security, medicare, etc. funded (programs that these same workers are forced to rely on more when they aren't compensated adequately). similarly, abc inc. wants to offshore more jobs to increase profit margin and please their shareholders ? same result. xyz inc., on the other hand, is willing to move in the opposite direction of abc inc. ? cool, then xyz inc. will be rewarded with a lower corporate tax rate that some other politicians are all too willing to give away for a modest campaign contribution once every four years.

[@andybrice2711]

I don't think there was ever a consensus that _"We were entering a post-industrial age…and the college-educated class was going to be in the commanding heights of society."_ That was always an elitist position.

[@threeofeight197]

So true. The difference between the ideas of the democrats/lefties I meet in the street and the ones in positions of power in the Democratic Party couldn’t be more different in the last 40 years. It’s maddening.

[@mrschnider6521]

lol the diploma divide? the people with diplomas are useless and unemployed and have loads of debt. These people are so clueless, maybe people dont want their country invaded by the third world so you can dilute their political power and take away their right to vote. These people spent 8 billion dollars on electric car chargers, only 10 have been built and 3 dont work. 40 billion on rural internet, not a single customer has been installed. They wanted to spend 5 trillion more dollars on build back better. Maybe people are tired of criminality on a level that the world has never seen before, and the complete breakdown of law and order and the destructioin of their inheritence, currency, and quality of life. Its absolutely incredibly these people are so clueless they cannot see their massive failures.they think its because of sexism.... MORONS.

[@threeofeight197]

Exactly. The democrats I meet in the street never agreed to that. The Democratic Party has been out of touch with its base for the past 40 years. Maybe we’re finally going to address that. I won’t hold my breath.

[@ianbelanger7459]

It is a framing that is comfortable to the Times because saying that the Democrats were forced by their big business backers to adopt the conservative economic policies of the Reagan-Thatcher revolution would make the Times and all the Big Bankers the problem. Establishment Democrats wouldn't let the part move in a populous economic direction because it threatened the flow of money and goodwill from businesses like the Times.

[@fastestdino2]

It's likely a somewhat reasonable take when you consider the fact that a lot of non-automated jobs now require some theory and knowledge to achieve. As someone who works in an automation adjacent company though, jobs aren't going anywhere because of automation. They require a lot of babysitting to function correctly and companies always have other things they'd like to be doing but never enough money or manpower to get it done.

[@lizaltieri]

Oh David. Well you're closer, but the divide is economic, not academic. We certainly do need technical job training as well. But we've been transferring wealth away from ourselves and to a diminishing few since 1975. We must course-correct. The economy isn't static. It's a valve that has to be adjusted based on conditions. In a country where even multi-millionaires are now middle class, we must slow the transfer of wealth up and retain more of it for our human and social infrastructure. That's why Trump won. People think he'll fix it. He'll fix tax cuts for billionaires. He's the Citizens United candidate. Globally, capital has to be brought under better control before there's another war on democracy that nobody shows up to fight. This isn't revolutionary France or Russia. We're just asking the top tier to pay their taxes like the rest of us do. As Warren Buffet says. They'll hardly notice a difference. But it will make all the difference to the rest of us.

[@andybaldman]

And what do you think drives economic inequality?

[@kyleolson9636]

Everyone keeps saying this, but it isn't true. The economic divide is about 4 percentage points towards Republicans. The education divide is 25 points. This isn't about income inequality, it is about education inequality. Trump won by targeting low-education voters, not low-income voters.

[@laza8675]

@@andybaldman its not only academia. He forgets nurses go to college too, as well as social workers and primary school teachers

[@andybaldman]

@@laza8675 He's not literally referring to 'academia', but rather academics, meaning education. It's been well studied and documented that on a societal scale, people who are college-educated, earn more over the course of their lives. The easiest way for any individual to get further left behind in terms of wealth inequality is to not go to college.

[@andybaldman]

@lizaltieri People think Trump is going to make the rich pay MORE taxes? Please explain that one.

[@mossydog2385]

Once again, the smug, very well off conservative misses the point. Status and recognition, perhaps, but the inequality that most oppresses us stupid uneducated working people is INCOME inequality. There was a time when you could be a grocery clerk, or a store manager, or a middle manager at a corporation that you started working for out of highschool and worked your way up in, or many other necessary jobs that didn't require a $140,000 education that STILL doesn't guarantee you a job in your field. If you had one of those many necessary jobs, you could buy a modest home and a modest car, maybe put a little away for retirement. Nowadays the job market is too dog eat dog, it pits ordinary people against one another due to our literal worship of wealth and status engendered by the hyper capitalism neoliberalism gave rise to. We're not stupid, we're just good at other types of things. There is no shame in working with one's hands, but nowadays if a job doesn't buy you a McMansion and a $70,000 truck that suburban cowboys seem to love, you are looked down on, and why shouldn't you be? With medical and other necessary services growing more and more expensive, of course people who work for themselves in sole proprietorships or mom and pops can no longer afford those services, and live shorter, unhealthier lives. Of course we're angry, weren't we called "essential workers" during COVID? You can't buy a condo with applause at the end of your shift. Were we paid more for risking our lives? No? Why not? Because this hyper capitalist hellscape Reagan and the neoliberals unleashed on us doesn't allow people to be paid what they're actually worth. The 300% excess profit goes to CEO's that we serve drinks to while they lose 10,000 playing bar dice in San Francisco's financial district while we serve them $60 illegal Cuban cigars and $50 shots of whiskey while they parade their expensive hookers because they don't have time to find a real girlfriend. Neoliberal paradise that is. Good Job elites. Well thought out.

[@brendanm87]

People with skillsets NEED to start their own business. Even as a side hustle. This is how you break free of the system. The richest people I know are business owners without college degrees (and some didn’t even graduate HS). Blue collar trades and blue collar businesses. Otherwise, you are a slave of the system for your entire life.

[@redhedkev1]

Do you know where the revenge on your point comes into play? When an Elite's six-figure car breaks down there are no trained mechanics to fix it.

[@kyleolson9636]

No, this columnist got it right. The economic divide is about 4 percentage points towards Republicans. The education divide is 25 points. This isn't about income inequality, it is about education inequality. Trump won by targeting low-education voters, not low-income voters.

[@BrianMorisky]

You should have written this column

[@BrianMorisky]

@@redhedkev1 and when the new liberal wealth extracting system creates a subscription model for the heated seat on your fancy vehicle

[@williamwebb8696]

I want to thank Mr. Brooks for this piece. In a time when so many things seem topsy-turvy and unpredictable, his complete misunderstanding of Sanders' message and our present situation was like a warm and comforting embrace. Thank you for completely missing the point, as ever.

[@Kittymancer78]

😂 well said

[@ellaaysun6181]

I plan to retire at 62 in another country outside the US that is free, safe and very cheap with a high quality of life. I could fully just rely on only my SS if I wanted to when that times arrives but l'll also have at least one pension, a 403 (b) and a very prolific Investment account with my Stephanie Janis Stiefel my FA. Retiring comfortably in the US these days is almost impossible.

[@SissyJosito]

I know this lady you just mentioned. Stephanie Janis Stiefel is a portfolio manager and investment advisor. She gained recognition as an employee of neuberger berman; a renowned investor she is. Stephanie Janis Stiefel has demonstrated expertise in investment strategies and has been involved in managing portfolios and providing guidance to clients.

[@GobinderLuymes]

I’m planning on moving to Thailand in the next 5 years if trump’s government doesn’t do anything with the high prices of groceries and taxes What about you??

[@MafArdoleda]

Been debt free for two years thanks to Stephanie Janis Stiefel. So sad to see my friends in their 40s with car loans, mortgages and credit card debt.

[@ryancihet555]

Please stop gentrifying countries

[@ryancihet555]

How can i reach Stephanie if you don't mind me asking? Heard she’s an IA.

[@thomasjpuleo8112]

You did not really say anything. You just spoke the usual social science speak you always speak. How are working class and educated class values different? Why are the working class strip malls so bad? This is not a sociological problem. What value does a college degree have? Is the 25 year old with a business degree different from a 25 year old who has worked in an oil and lube shop for several years? Why are they both finding it so hard to buy a house and start a family? Your little ten minutes of nonsense is completely meaningless in the face of these and much bigger and much more complicated problems. Bernie may be right, but he will never get elected. Why is that?

[@declansteward7863]

You’ve got a good point… Seems like you have your own idea as to why. Care to share it?

[@thomasjpuleo8112]

@ I have no answers. You need the optimal number of people to produce the optimal number of solutions to the optimal number of problems. Let’s take housing, for example, It is not a degree vs no degree problem. It is a multi factorial problem: economic (mortgage rates), political (immigration), social (density), cultural (what is a house?), environmental (fires, droughts, floods, resource use et cetera), historical (path trajectory), technological (construction techniques, traffic management). How do you solve those problems? Believe me, harmonizing some trivial or imagined difference between those with degrees and those without will get you nowhere, except on the NYT Opinion page..

[@noelheberling3143]

I think education class is a bit of a generalized categorization. He could more accurately describe it as college educated in a field with a pipeline to the upper middle class. Lawyers, doctors, finance, etc... My art degree certainly didn't put me in a class that is any different than that of a landscaper.

[@simonmackenzie6230]

You ask too much of an 11 minute clip. What you ask for requires much more time. I was happy with what he said with the time given to him. He seems to be on the right track. Hopefully it is enough to introduce the idea to those who need to adjust their world schema. It's a gradual process.

[@thomasjpuleo8112]

@@simonmackenzie6230 This is why long format podcasts are so popular. 11 minute clips are just entertainment.

[@dudemynameisdebo]

Maybe? No he was right when he said this in 2016 and he’s even more right today.

[@threeofeight197]

He was right when he said it in 2003!!! He gets more right with time. Bless his heart he will probably be gone before the Democratic Party gets it together enough to listen.

[@anahata2009]

Right out of the starting gate, how can you possibly conceive of the interests of the working class being "against the interests of the educated class." What a bizarre and misguided framing. [Edited: to be clear, Trump's policies aren't good for either side of that imaginary divide.] And by the way, members of the educated class who didn't have rich parents footing the bill are the ones buried under student loan debt, affecting every aspect of their life choices. I'm so sorry that I listened beyond that opening foolishness, because it only got worse from there. This is some of the most out-of-touch (but deluding itself that it's in-touch) commentary I've heard in a long time. I wouldn't even know where to begin to dismantle it, because it's so very wrong on so many levels. Life is too short. Bernie Sanders wasn't "maybe right." He was and is absolutely right. But the spoiled and bubble-dwelling elite class will never learn. Probably not even from the current political disaster. They'll just get foreign passports and leave the rest of us to clean up the mess that neoliberalism made.

[@dragons123ism]

Why on earth not

[@mr.kind_stranger8755]

He then immediately justifies it…

[@glenkirkup6861]

It doesn't have to be. The framing is that Trump has created a political coalition which claims to be in the interest of the working class with policies that are relatively much less popular amongst voters with college degrees, e.g. universal tariffs and mass deportation. Specific policies affect classes differently. For example if income tax was zero below $50k and 40% for all earnings above the threshold.

[@JohnBarron-n]

Obviously you're not working class.

[@anahata2009]

​@@dragons123ismbecause our fates are interconnected, whether the "educated class" likes to admit it or not. Current election results submitted as evidence: Everyone-working class or educated class-is going to suffer. Not to mention it's a framing that implies educated people never choose to work with their hands or their muscle. That's nonsense.

[@TheRockerX]

God, this guy is dumb. Fetterman is not and never will be the "new Bernie Sanders"

[@williamtell5365]

Bernie is exactly right. I'm a liberal corporate lawyer. I'm have very progressive social views and Im not a class warrior. But above all the Democratic party has to stand for the general welfare of all, especially ordinary people. It needs to stand for peace and the general welfare and not be a bunch of special interest groups bundled together touting causes that aren't relevant to most people. Capture by corporate interests and too much of the "woke" crowd has really damaged American liberalism. That's the hard fact

[@bonglesnodkins329]

Correct on all fronts.

[@patti5999]

So true. At the beginning of the Biden administration there was a big push for a $15/ hr minimum wage. Somewhere along the way that was replaced by forgiving the debt of college graduates.

[@supernova622]

Honestly, the things most marginalized groups are seeking is good for most working Americans Job protections Housing protections Access to education Access to healthcare

[@williamtell5365]

@supernova622 That's true, and even supported by most people in surveys. But people are poorly informed and easily manipulated. That's unfortunate but just true. It is a big problem with democracy, always has been.

[@timeenoughforart]

Class is a big part of it. 30 years ago I made $23.00 an hour working construction. Now I could make $20.00 an hour, without benefits. If my body wasn't broken down by life. If I didn't watch my retirement decimated by a heart attack, a divorce, 2008, and then going two years with zero income due to disability.

[@TwentyNineJP]

Fetterman? Really? The guy who has explicitly disavowed progressivism?

[@threeofeight197]

As an elite, I think he’s just guessing at what we like. 😂. It’s closer than last time I guess.

[@lizzy-wx4rx]

That's the point, he still doesn't want an actual progressive, just someone who cosplays as one to beat Trump and "end the chaos."

[@lemonbeans]

The guy who literally has brain damage.

[@gabriellabelle3915]

As a working class pittsburgher and progressive who has followed fettermans career from the go and has worked with his wife in her non profits and initiatives, fuck John fetterman. Summer lee is the icon of the working class. Aoc is.

[@maryk4591]

@@gabriellabelle3915AOC? The college educated daughter of an architect? I like aoc but she codes upper middle class bc that’s what she is. I’m not sure she could win office outside very blue areas of the country tbh

[@terminalmode]

David Brooks is literally the conservative doofus from the "I just want to grill" meme. The fact that other right-wing-ding-dongs in the comments think they are any different than him is pretty funny.

[@TwentyNineJP]

"Bernie is right. That's why we need someone from the heartland who can speak the language of the unwashed masses, like Joe Manchin" - Brooks if Fetterman didn't exist

[@06barcafan10]

David Brooks is a lefty liberal….been there for decades.

[@jabrowne2018]

I used to be an assistant professor of education at a university. I can assure you there are plenty of pro-Trump people in the academic world. This is a rich vs poor and liberal vs conservative thing. One of the "givens" that has been erased over the past 8 years is my presumption that someone with a college education would be against Trump. Having our presumptions proved wrong means we have to look more closely, openly, honestly at the why's & wherefores. Liberals were complacent far too long. Some of us were arrogant, too.

[@jobsmine]

Definitley arrogant. You guys are not complacent at all... in fact you guys are intolerant, crude and whiny arrogants.

[@Klemkee]

"....And that person may be John Fetterman." There it is. There's the David Brooks idiocy we all know

[@MarsM13]

Yeah, he lost me when he promoted that genocide enabler sellout.

[@1wertyuiop1wertyuiop]

i need yall to understand that "working class" just means you work for a living. Most folks with college degrees are working class.

[@kennysmith1925]

Young people can't afford homes or get decent paying jobs or have families and the issue is degrees vs diplomas. How out of touch is the democratic party?

[@threeofeight197]

Very

[@anahata2009]

He's framing a wealth divide as an educational divide because it allows him to continue to feel superior, like he's earned his status. It's also possible he doesn't even see the reality of wealth inequality. Forget about all the highly educated people who are struggling financially and are tired of getting only pretty speeches from Democrats.

[@andybaldman]

You don’t get it because you don’t have a diploma.

[@kyleolson9636]

Not realizing the issue is college vs high school diplomas is why the Democrats are out of touch. Democrats were thinking rich vs poor, but Trump realized that was the wrong way to look at it. He didn't target the poor, he targeted those without higher education. And it worked.

[@christiancarrazana9534]

Let’s not speak in absolutes. Rather than the entire Democratic Party, only the corporate wing is out of touch. The progressive wing gets it. Republicans are far worse-there the absolute is true, as the entire GOP is out of touch with the working class voters on bread and butter issues-i.e., economics. At least with Democrats, there is hope that the progressives will, somehow, oust the corporate leadership and helm the Party to the left, i.e., populism.

[@MostDecentNA]

Aight, who’s gonna tell them we’ve known this for a decade?

[@CourtFisk-fs6zf]

We have, but the DNC hasn't.

[@LaserBread]

We've known this for a century, frankly.

[@bethsanchezyoga55]

two! or three!

[@hydrobyte8333]

Bernie Sanders is correct. We need his energy more in the democratic party.

[@dogeared100]

Dems pushed us out of the party!

[@BrianMorisky]

@@dogeared100 and we are never going back. Basically, I am voting for the second term of the administration that passes single payer healthcare. Until then I am voting down ballot only. You can say “but Trump…” all you want.

[@that_heretic]

The Dems are controlled by elite interests. They're also relatively weak and incompetent. So Bernie's message falls on deaf ears. Need a grass-roots effort to force their hand.

[@Alarik52]

The corporation isn't likely to self-harm.

[@SmashPhysical]

More energy, and a lot more guts.

[@Rawstock92]

Maybe we could stop talking about “working class voters” as though a “working class voter” is something at a zoo that other people can take their kids to see … these are people, David. Not all working people are uneducated, backward, or unintelligent. They’re not just tired of the condescension, they’re beginning to return it …

[@rationalactor8695]

The educated class is usually also the working class...for what it's worth

[@bitey-facepuppyguy2038]

The conservatives in both parties will never admit that, because they can never admit that class struggle is a real thing, that meritocracy is largely a myth, and a rising tide will NOT lift all boats...... It hasn't yet despite more then 40 years insisting that it would, and it never will.

[@santubandieri]

I'm always amazed at the bad takes that Mr Brooks graces us with.

[@terminalmode]

He's incredibly talented and funny in that regard. He's one of the best arguments against milquetoast credentialism.

[@SeanMintus]

I want to make that much money being wrong pretty much all the time.

[@lorainejones41]

David, John Fetterman has completely disowned the working class base who got him elected. Called us scum and said he wants nothing to do with us. A person with that much hate against people is not a good choice. There are so many nice people who are charismatic that could lead a new party. No DC politicians currently serving fit that bill. Get out of your bubble, there are no simple answers people are not fools. By the way, I think Trump is compromised unpredictable and the whole world is in for a rough ride. The truth is the democratic party became a lazy mean girls party that blames the voters and just people surviving while committing pure neglect for 40 years to their base. Goodbye and good riddens.❤

[@luisablandonmos]

To everyone who has commented here: I know nobody has the complete picture and people’s explanation of the world (including mine and this one) is heavily influenced by our personal experiences, upbringing, genetics, class, expertise, etc, making it impossible to be 100% without biases or blind spots, so I always take everything with a grain of salt and try not to believe everything I think. Having said that, I (genuinely and respectfully) would like to know why do you think his take is so wrong. Do you agree with some elements of his analysis or discard it all and why? What I am trying here is to understand more so thank you for sharing your thoughts in a civil way.

[@mosheedy9862]

​@@terminalmodeYes!

[@MrTheLuckyshot]

It's not a question of if he was right. It's a question of wheter or not the wealthy donor class of the Democratic party cares. My guess is, No. I think, in their heart of hearts, they'd much prefer to be heading into a second Trump term than out of a second Bernie term.

[@chrisrutledge9330]

Spot on. Their operating plan is "Compassion without Taxation"

[@lucky_spyke]

Agreed

[@jrr2146]

Maybe “NOT SANDERS, NOT EVER” was the worst position to have in 2020.

[@kenster2018]

The arrogance of this guy is astounding

[@reichjef]

I love how they pegged young men who support Bernie as 'Bernie Bros' and this caused them to feel stateless and drove them right into the arms of the right wing. Way to go.

[@YouSnoozeYouNooze]

Big money donors want MORE INCOME INEQUALITY and that's what we'll get

[@Hirnlego999]

Yes, big chance the tariffs will cause major economic harm to millions who didn't know what they voted for

[@SamuelSpear-h7o]

John Fetterman??? You people will never figure this out. How are you this hopeless?

[@Mark-gq8ei]

Said it before, and I’ll say it again: Sanders would’ve won in 2016, and moreso now. I don’t buy the ‘he couldn’t even win against Clinton’ - it would’ve been a fundamentally different battle.

[@kw6382]

Clinton was backed by Wall Street & campaigned while on their leash. Sanders was backed by every day Americans who funded his campaign. She gave her power away - couldn't look the American people in the eye, and lost to a carnival barker.

[@idrinkfernet]

Bernie would have 1000% beat Trump. We could have had a progressive Supreme Court and affordable healthcare by now.

[@supernova622]

​@@idrinkfernet ... fuck.

[@Gala-yp8nx]

Clinton cashed in decades worth of political favors in order to screw Bernie out of the nomination.

[@scarlettmorgan2938]

“I love the poorly educated!” -DJTrump-

[@hostrow]

We didn’t outsource American jobs to prepare for anything more than making more money.

[@jonmeador8637]

We made college too expensive. I see young men every morning who looked like me 40 yesrs ago and who can't afford college like I could 40 years ago. What could I have done without college? My dad wss blue collar. I saw how he struggled to pay the bills for a family of 9. I didn't want to deliver propane. Now these young men are damned to a life of truck driving, construction, convenience stores, etc., and, yes, drugs and alcohol. I probsbly would have committed suicide too. Make college free so these young minds can carve out a meaningful life.

[@brendanm87]

90% of colleges are total scams today. So many worthless degrees. Insanely inflated cost of tuition, which is not worth the cost. And you do it all for a piece of paper that MIGHT give you an edge in the marketplace. But in reality, that education RARELY makes you an immediate value to any employer. You still need real world training and experience before you are of any value.

[@redhedkev1]

You know, I've wondered about that. Is it 'baked into the cake' that young men with limited life options enter the military? How many elite society members, 1%er, progeny go into the military. (West Pont, Annapolis, etc notwithstanding.)

[@BassGoThump]

Bruh, I would be suicidal working in an office hunched over a desk all day taking meetings and writing emails. It’s the fact that you think you’re better than me and people like me. You aren’t.

[@danielwebb8402]

But more go to college now than 40 years ago

[@HerrPoopschitz]

@@BassGoThump​​⁠as someone who works with excel for hours on end I agree wholeheartedly. Dehumanizing tasks. At least some get fresh air and don’t suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency. Who’s the smart one now?

[@aCleverFishingPun]

Bernie has always been right! He fights for us and we love him for it!

[@evanb4189]

Bernie Sanders had the most educated voters in both primaries.

[@thabomuso2575]

A realization that income inequalities in America are extremly serious and brutal!? Wow!

[@BigDdreaming]

Salaries haven’t kept up with inflation since the 80’s. Taxes can’t go any lower. Salaries must go up and the billionaires need to pay their fair share.

[@McZsh]

There is a reason for this. In a regime of unmitigated, lopsided free trade, capital is mobile, work is not. Companies go to China for manufacturing, import the product and sell high. The arbitrage cannot be taxed as long as it is parked in tax heavens. The Dem voting coastal elites street cred stays and falls with how it handles Apple. But they will point to the fact that Apple white collars are well paid, while there are no blue collars involved. No problem, apart from the poor souls lining up for Foxconn and the huge trade.and budget deficits that come with it. Rising the cost of external labor is the only way to tackle this system. It is being done by tariffs.

[@fleurosea]

Hasn’t Fetterman gone a bit off?

[@TwentyNineJP]

To say the least

[@envy5664]

a bit lol. the guy is a conservative

[@mrschnider6521]

people tend to become more conservative as their cognitive ability returns and very much so if they gain the ability to think critically.

[@maryk4591]

Maybe from the perspective of a single issue Gaza voter but luckily most ppl are not in that category lol

[@envy5664]

@@mrschnider6521 fetterman is legally brain dead

[@vickibolsover6559]

Read David cay Johnston books. The tax rate for millionaires and billionaires people has been too low for years as well. Tax policy is one of the reasons for inequality.

[@prismpyre7653]

Of course *YOU* don't have to worry about fascism. why would you? you've NEVER had to worry

[@GayProphetMuhammad]

How is Trump a fascist? Can you explain?

[@Mhinqa]

@@GayProphetMuhammad He's not, at least not any more than Harris and the rest of the political elite.

[@SoraTheHappyEmo]

2016: GIVE US BERNIE Dems: have a clinton 2020: BERNIE? Dems: biden 2024: BERNIE?? Dems: harris 2028: GUYS, BERNIE. Dems: fetterman looks good epogne4pgnn this is insanity

[@patriciaeamon1388]

This is just rich. Honestly. The next time a Bernie Sanders-like figure (someone who actually cares about the masses of people and who accurately diagnoses the problems with US politics--namely, brutal winner-take-all capitalism) arises, which we don't deserve at this point, Brooks and the NYTimes will do just as much to crush them as they did Bernie. SMDH

[@TerryMcKennaFineArt]

The shipping of jobs was not done in the manner David suggests. In fact it was business owners looking for profits who one by one sent manufacturing jobs overseas. Here it sounds like a plan to replace industrial economy with the non industrial economy. So yes, the jobs moved but is was not a plan. It happened largely because Reagan showed the business owners that they could break strikes and unions.

[@msolomonii9825]

All this sickness comes back to reagan and his obscene "administration", they build the foundations of all that's gone so badly.

[@jakuboledzki6499]

After listening to David Brooks' take I am of the opinion that his takes sound overly simplified, to the point of naivety. For example at about 4:25 he states that the aggression and embitterment is directed 'basically the Democratic party' - such a huge level of oversimplification causes the heuristic he draws to no longer convey any useful information. At 4:31 he says 'You know, the Democratic Party is built for one thing - to address inequality' - that is just not true. All political parties are made to take power - that is the goal for a political party to exist. Yes, people in political parties want to take power for different reasons, some Democratic Party members might even want to take power for reasons he mentions - fighting inequality (the efficiency of their actions to fight inequality on macro level suggest that they are grossly incompetent at doing so). But to state the Democratoc Party exists to address inequality is just ridiculous. The take that 'Trump is the wrong answer to the right question' is at least not openly untrue, but he doesn't actually utter the right question or explain why Trump is the wrong question - he fails to get to the bottom of his thought. The take that you cannot blame and attack people for their viewpoints is a good take, but he doesn't offer what to actually do. It's so easy to say what NOT to do. But saying what NOT to do is not really pushing things forward. One could argue that you could determine what to do by process od elimination by cutting out what NOT to do, but somehow no one of yhe commentators really takes that step and proposes something to actually DO with arguments to back that up and proposed actions on how to get it done. I'm not interested in David Brooks' opinions in future editions - he takes time to present banal non-sequiturs and oversimplifications that are simplified to the point of failing to convey any meaning they might have once held.

[@mrschnider6521]

Have you ever seen trump at a mcdonalds? he knows everything on the menu, its amazing. That is something you cannot fake, its something magical, people know he is someone who genuinely loves this country and its people. it doesnt matter if the person running is democrat or republican, all working class people want is a leader who actually cares about this country and have a deep connection with the land and its people. Democrats are unpopular because they self righteous, incompetent, fake, and never take responsibility for their failures. when joe biden negotiates with a foreign leader, we know one thing for sure. We know, whatever deal they work out will be terrible for our country, and great for the others. They are not just weak, they dont even try. they are heavily invested in the destruction of this country. to many, that is the definition of treason. Trump is strong, trump suceeds despite great adversity. Biden is a frontman for a corrupt ologracy, trump is a leader of a nation. its why joe biden couldnt even win a primary wihtout the DNC interferring, and why trump won 3 elections in a row. the amount of fruad and interference they had to commit to put joe biden over the top in 2020 was so extreme, they had to completely change the way we voted, in 2020 we had 20 million more votes cast, they coudlnt even get any of the numbers to add up correctly. It tottaly exposed the rigging that had been going on for a long time, reveling why people like nancy pelosi won her 20th congress election, while the people of san francisco desperately want her to retire. every election is won by a few votes with the establishment candidate wininng, its like flipping a coin 100 times and getting tails 98 of them. they dont even try to make them look legitimate anymore. trump is the right answer, he is the right answer because he is the only one with the courage and thick enough skin to make change. He is the only one that was able to survive the attacks from the intel community and deep state. Nixon was framed by the cia and kicked out, his mistake was choosing a vp with ties to inteligence (aka state sactioned organized crime) Kennedy was killed. Where these two men failed, by the grace of god, trump succeeded. he beat the rigged elections, the assasination attempts, and deep state coups. If he is able to do one thing during his 4 years, and that one thing is give us back transparent, secure, free and fair elections. Every problem we have with our government we will be able to fix and resolve, it cannot be resolved currently because the people have no power. the congress doesnt do anything the poeple want, because the people that get them elected are the people who run the voting machines and tabulators. Trump is the right answer, they picked the least corrupt man to have ever serve to go after criminally. the full power of the survailence state couldnt even find anything worse than a parking ticket, they had to make up crimes, and bring in corrupt prosecutors and judges to get anywhere and even that failed miserably. You can have the best intentions, but if it only results in crime, poverty, drug addiction, unemployment, what your doing is evil. Conversely you can be the biggest asshole, if pursuring your self interest brings changes that benifiet the middle class, prevent war, grow the economy, and increase the standard of living. you are dong gods work.

[@laza8675]

you who are so clever is telling us what david does wrong, should complete his thought and tell us what the solution is

[@jakuboledzki6499]

@laza8675 not on YT, I dont get paid here. Edit: so as not to sound dismissive towards an honest question, here are some broad strokes for actions that, in my opinion and experience, promise better results than the current strategy of the Democratic party: 1. Reorgnaize definitions in according to which you categorize voting groups (the demographic geoups they use right now are outdated ans do not reflect voter needs). Move away from ethnic and sex criteria, focus on income per member of household, net monthly spending, net monthly savings as dimentions to in which to categorize demographics, etc. Ensure the proposed cstegories are linear and not discrete, ergo, attach shifting weights to each variable so that we avoid sharp 0-1 division lines between established demographic groups. 2. Test developed in 1. model by doing field research and contacting such devised groups and verify ifntheir answer patterns are according to assumptions. Rince and repeat until model reflects realistic division lines. 3. Perform research with determined demographic groups on what is their stand on your proposed policy programs. 4. Determine how well voters respond to your proposed policies, modify policies as needed - withing the range of what you are willing to modify 5. Recognize information channels the desires votera interact with the most through targeted studies 6. Focus on reaching voters through determind information channels with your program. 7. Perform periodic tests on gow aware the voters are od your program - determine efficiency of current messaging. ^ Basis. Start building on that. Noticably, it comes down to reconnecting with voter base first and foremost, and updating how you think about voter groups. I recognize the above is a big simplification and devil is in the details, but, as I said, Im not being paid in YT comment section. Major challenge is performing the above while maintaining funding from big lobby groups - that problem will eventually require some hard choices Im not competent enough to speak on that subject. Most importantly - prioritize understanding voter, abandon the insane notion that you can shape the voter - thats possible to a limited extent, but cannot be the base for a wimning strategy For context: Im not American, so I observe American politics with detachment. I observe American politics since it affects my life and because I view it as the proverbial mining canary for the overall Western culture sphere. I'm curiois about your feedback - is what I write concise?

[@laza8675]

@@jakuboledzki6499 i half agree

[@jakuboledzki6499]

@@laza8675 Please elaborate.

[@emilyb.8222]

This guy is on the biggest, tallest, highest high-horse I have ever seen. Past the clouds. Must be fucking nice.

[@Baphomets_Kid]

He also gets the wrong solution. John Fetterman is the right look? But literally EVERYTHING ELSE about him sucks.

[@heather1506]

I know people who went to college and are not doing well financially. This isn’t about academics it’s about a broken system

[@DC-uc4sh]

There would be no meritocratic problem, in which employment is too tightly tied to higher ed credentials, if our economic system enabled those with a high school degree to secure socioeconomic dignity for themselves , support a family, and to participate in broad-based prosperity.

[@YukonBloamie]

Is it just me or does capitalism just find a new way to say "class divide" every few years for the last few hundred years? There is practically For Sale sign out in front of the White House and it's still "class divide" we're talking about... for the last few hundred years.

[@a.champagne6238]

Ralph Nader had it right in 2000 and y'all still blaming him.

[@Hirnlego999]

Him being in the race should be a teaching moment to the US left as this gave us Bush Junior.

[@a.champagne6238]

@Hirnlego999 Democrats still blaming Nader for Bush becoming president while boasting about endorsements from former Bush officials including Dick Cheney.

[@michaeldelgiudice1057]

poor ignored ralph nader. clear logical ideas don't seem to be interesting to american elite (i use the word for want of a better).

[@henryhoran3100]

NOT John Fetterman. Bernie showed us that we don’t need someone who’s socially middle-of-the-road, we just need someone who’s economically populist. Bernie is one of the most socially progressive politicians, but Joe Rogan still liked him.

[@DTAL953]

I laughed out loud when he said that. Clearly this dude still doesn't understand.

[@jaymacpherson8167]

Basic point is realistic, and I agree with Mr. Brooks. The path to that point is heavily tainted by bias. I personally am angry with the Democratic Party, and I am furious with the Republican Party. What of the college educated Republicans and “conservatives” who have enabled our current situation? That is a shame.

[@threeofeight197]

Better late than never I guess. Turns out ppl don’t like having a lower life expectancy just because they’re poor. Turns out they don’t like not having access to good paying jobs or education.

[@benjaminstock5334]

The question is, when they discover that Trump can’t give them what they want… what are they going to do then?

[@DjeauxSheaux]

They're gonna blame the Democrats.

[@HerrPoopschitz]

Blame ‘liberals’

[@JennyPost]

@@benjaminstock5334 but the dem party won't be. imo, dem elites would rather have fascism than actual economic policy that helps people. All they care about is keeping capital flowing. The party won't be allowed to embrace any positions that threaten elite wealth. Period. They will never name "the enemy" (corporate greed, monopolies, wallstreet corruption, etc) because the enemy is them (or at least their buddies). I am done trying to remain hopeful that this historic failure of a party will finally see the writing on the wall and make needed changes. What will the working class do indeed..... :-(

[@msolomonii9825]

They'll spin like dervishes to find people to blame, the "enemies" within and anyone not xristian and white.

[@JohnLemieux]

Amazing to title the video this way but then still completely ignore or misunderstand what Bernie sanders has actually been saying for 50 years

[@jeffreyd1156]

Question, how does ubiquitous tariffs, tax breaks for large corporations and the upper 10 percent , running up the national debt similar to his first term, Mass deportations causing labor shortages in the construction, agriculture think picking fruits and vegetables, actually help the working class? All of these are generally viewed as inflationary which means the cost of everything is going to increase along with the cost of money interest rates Etc. Homes won't be cheaper goods and services won't be cheaper . The stock market will do well because of the tax breaks for the upper echelon and corporations and that will help those in the market. But again how is Trump's policy helping the working class? Remember last time he had to bail out the farmers because of the tariffs and he promised West Virginia coal jobs and how did all of that work out?

[@JohnnyJNewt]

My political and cultural values have always lined up pretty close to David Brooks which is why I have followed him closely for several years now. As a Christian, the one thing with Trump that I cannot reconcile is his use of religion as a major part of his strategy to be in power. His behavior and rhetoric runs contrary to everything that I know and love about the teachings of Christ.

[@JStankXPlays]

NYT is why we can't have nice things

[@laza8675]

they buried sanders during the primaries

[@JStankXPlays]

@laza8675 oh I remember

[@louisbifano142]

When I grew up, churches preached the sermon on the mount, and now they preach the book of revelations

[@laza8675]

is that true?? that says it all

[@RationalAUS]

Of course Bernie's right. Talk about out of touch.

[@Grandtheatrix]

REALLY DAVID BROOKS REALLY YOU'RE SAYING YOUR WHOLE CAREER AS A RIGHT WING APOLOGIST HAS BEEN WORTHLESS AND PROGRESSIVES HAVE BEEN RIGHT ALL ALONG GEE HOW INTERESTING

[@mmzero406]

There is a large issue with this opinion, college educated does not equal affluent. In this man’s generation, maybe it did, but his generation was the last. College education is now associated with high debt, at best, and debt coupled with ridicule (if your degree was a liberal arts degree) at worst. Biden’s focus on forgiving student debt is proof of that. College graduates have debt, live with parents, and have trouble landing jobs just like our fellow blue collar workers. This college educated vs high school educated is mostly bull crap (mostly). Maybe this just applies if you are an Ivy League educated NYT writer?

[@Pinkydoodle2_]

John feterman is a joke and not a populist. How can you say Bernie was right and then propose someone who is opposite of Bernie

[@laza8675]

Listening to this guy think, I see many covert hints that he wants to use the respect for the working class idea as a manipulative strategy, like learning to profit off people's ignorance, instead of also adressing the issue they have to be helped to have better access to education, and more protection against the occult forces of disinformation who manipulate them. But David probably likes the idea to manipulate these working class people, lest they could get the idea to fairly tax his rich friends. When Bernie speaks, I dont get this vibe. Anything a good man says can be deformed into something dangerous by a bad man, because the bad man won't even understand the initial goodness that was spoken. It flies above his head. Here David heart seems to be closed still. The fact he says he still doesnt think any disruption is useful when people cant buy a home and cant afford healthy food is giving it off.

[@aeroslythe6881]

I’m thinking more and more about how little “character” is talked about through the media. Even Trump… the *character* or bottom-line-this-is-what-this-person-is conversation is just totally absent and I think that’s horrible

[@sens36]

You can say it: that manufacturing DID NOT outsource for jobs of the Information Age but because of padding the bottom-line and personal greed.

[@Alarik52]

It's class. It's been class. |Will Rogers (Nov. 27, 1932): “The money was all appropriated for the top in the hopes that it would trickle down to the needy.” Will continues, “Mr. Hoover was an engineer. He knew that water trickled down. Put it uphill and let it go and it will reach the driest little spot. But he didn’t know that money trickled up. Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellow’s hands.”

[@propadanda]

Democratic Message in 2024: "Screw your feelings, look at this chart: The Economy is actually fine and you should be grateful. Believe us, we know better. See, everything is great, wages are great. Also, here's Liz Cheney."

[@crisisactor420]

You know it's funny, I drove from Philly to Buffalo over the weekend and decided to take a more scenic route. Driving through the dilapidated small towns that make up northern, central PA and central, western NY I couldnt help but think, I would love to take some of these liberal elites around these endless stretches of poverty and say "GET IT?". "DO YOU GET IT NOW?". But they will never see these areas, theyll never see the displaced masses of people hooked on drugs or trying to scrape together a couple bucks just for something hot to eat, while bills are piling up. They might as well be living in a different planet, let alone country

[@JC-justchillin]

they see enough to hurl epitaphs (deplorables) and through the thick filtered lenses of a political animal.

[@Abby-xv7pz]

You're getting warmer....

[@william38022]

Of course Bernie is right he’s always been right👍😊🌻✌️

[@ronwidelec7258]

It's so funny to hear David Brooks get so close to saying really interesting things and then hear him say that the next person should be John fetterman. That's a freaking joke

[@louisemilone3522]

Your problem is you continue to live in your head. You look down on the people you are claiming to come to understand. The majority of Americans live with constant fear of economic disaster. A another Econ crash, a pandemic, a car accident, a serious illness that takes them out of work for months or years. Bernie is, was, and will always be right about what Americans want. They want a modicum of what you have, economic security - a home, food, clothing, and some good times however defined.

[@olgadebartolome1332]

About damn time, which is too late

[@bernardzsikla5640]

Interestingly, the speaker failed to mention how both parties, outsourced our manufacturing base from what is now, Trumpland. Those people were as likely to find a white collar position, as most of the over educated were able to fix their own refrigerator. The average higher income classes are 20% higher I.Q., on average than a working class individual. The problem is, they need to be 3x smarter to solve the problems of the modern age. Both parties have taken their constituent base for granted, for decades. What would anyone expect???

[@kyleolson9636]

Trump didn't win the low-education vote by actually helping them. He won it through rhetoric. 92% of the white non-college educated swing towards Republicans happened in 2016 and after. Republicans haven't actually helped these individuals through their policy, Trump made them feel better about themselves and gave them a way to "win" in society. It isn't an economic win for them, but I'm sure it still feels good to be on the winning side of something for a change.

[@philipmoss4027]

He mentioned it at 1:37 - 1:42.

[@bernardzsikla5640]

@philipmoss4027 Wow, how did I miss that, thank you for correcting me. I do remember not hearing about the NAFA trade agreements, and is what I should have mentioned, instead of the general comment I did make. (That was signed into law by Clinton, but negotiated mostly by Bush Sr, I believe.)

[@Michael62nyc]

Lmfao- Brooks doesn’t want to offend the racists and misogynists.

[@laza8675]

Still, let's not be too hard on David. It is a small step towards the light, and baby steps have to be ackowledged. Continue like this David, you might eventually reach the light.

[@rrregis]

1. He hasn't taken any steps, he's speaking more gobbledegook. 2. He should have done something when Trump won in 2016, but instead he feigned ignorance--"I had no idea he could win".

[@glum_hippo]

David Brooks: behind the curve since God knows when.

[@andreszydlowski5546]

It should have been Bernie, man.

[@brandon8667]

The off-ramp to the Trump era was Bernie 2016

[@williamdavis2054]

"I'm a college-educated affluent person, who, unlike nearly all other college educated people, understands those who aren't...."

[@audradaniels4161]

I found it so interesting that you never said "we need to care more about the working class because they're human beings who do essential and valuable labor which keeps this country humming along. They matter." But instead you kept saying "we need to appeal to the working class to get votes and win elections." 🙄 I appreciate your attempt to inject some humility into this conversation, but you're still dripping condescension with every word. I can't help but wonder if The Democratic Party is even capable of being liberal again

[@willeel3750]

Yup. What he is really saying is that we need to figure out how to con low income people to keep voting against their best interest by voting for either of the two established parties that have crapped on them for the last 40+ years.

[@economicsandguitarsandsome1722]

Let's get real here. There's legions of well-educated folks out there that have little to no economic power and few if any connections to those in political power. This is about the 'race to the top' that has occurred over the last 20 or so years. If you're not from a top 25 grad school -- forget it. If you weren't in a top 25 undergrad program -- forget about those grad programs, if you weren't in an elite HS -- forget about those undergrad programs. If you didn't have semi-elite parents to bring you up 'right' -- forget about those HS. To some extent, this is the 'normal' state of human society. It is exactly this equilibrium that gets (and is getting) disrupted. Of course, the end result won't be a diversity of power -- it'll be the chaos that always occurs throughout history in the wake of these periods.

[@marymuhly9173]

Couldn't agree more! Some of us have multiple master's degrees but still work for pennies and pay a disproportionate amount of our income in taxes. Educated and working class are not mutually exclusive, but if Trump gets his way it will be. Access to education will be an exclusive right of the wealthy.