It used to be that the Soviet Union was condemned for only having one party. Now Mr. Reich is bemoaning that the U.S. may have only one party. Other (European) countries regularly have three, four or five parties (at least), and because they use the parliamentary system, those parties may all get some representation. It's about time that the U.S. two-party system was seen for what it is - tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee, two bunches of millionaires representing the same corporate and monied interests. The U.S. could have a Labor Party, a Liberal Party, a Green Party, a Conservative Party, a Tea Party, a Fascist Party and others. The political discourse would be more frank, transparent, and substantive than it is now. What we need more than anything, is a civil movement which has the sustainability to be an alternative to the governing class and the economic class. After all, civil society is the bedrock from which politics and economic emerge. Right now the civil society is the neglected parent who is being cast into the global warming ovens by its too powerful and too rich to care children.

Aren't most rapes (which aren't non-reported/ incestuous in nature) the result of date-rapes, and often accomplished through the administration of date-rape drugs ("roofies") etc? So most women who get raped, don't know it at the time, nor do their bodies have any sort of chance to reject it, either!

What planet are those Romnulans from, anyway?!

;-)

I like Robert Reich. He usually hits the nail on the head, and not his thumb.

But when you have people living in a bubble world created by Faux-News and Talk Radio, they think they're OK and the rest of us are just liberal dupes. Reason would tell us no one with a brain should vote Republican these days, but I am truly concerned that the big money behind Romney-Ryan may just carry away the election. I'm not at all confident that voters will reject these panderers to the rich.

I remember when Bush first started talking about the "dangers of Iraq" while Americans were still in shock about 9/11. It was clear to me what he was doing, and I said, "Whoa, wait a minute, the American people will never go for this BS," but boy was I proven wrong, eh?

So I can't say I think about the upcoming election with any great confidence in the reason or concentration of the American voters (at least, the small percentage that actually votes). I feel only a sense of impending doom. But that doesn't mean I'll give up and refuse to vote. And I will support progressive candidates whenever I can.

I dont like illegal immigration and the problems it creates but most people look away from that law being broken. I dont like redistricting but most look away from that as well. I dont like the way the banks seized power from average citizens but most look away from those crimes as well. I dont like many laws in place that restrict poeple from reaching their true potential but most look away. I dont like being forced feed gmo food either. I only hope that we all force out all incumbents by gunpoint and hope the law looks the other way why not most every thing else gets looked at the other way. Get rid of them all those assholes.

To Hell with political parties!!! It's time for mandatory participation in Democracy. One person, one vote, every body of voting age and capability, must vote.

Mr. Reich I love your articles. You are the voice of truth.

"The capture of one of our great parties by fanatics is nothing to celebrate. A Democracy needs at least two sane political parties."

So when are we going to start the process of installing these two new party's ? Neo-Liberals and Neo-Conservatives, two fanatical groups who stopped serving the interests of the American Public a long time ago. Also. while we are changing things, why do we need to limit our selection to only two candidates ? It takes about the same amount of time to select one candidate from a list of 5 or 6 as it does from a list of two. Besides what's the hurry, have you got something more important to do than electing the country's leadership ?

How is it that these people don't see that they're clones of the people who advocated Hitler's rise to power...ok, forget that analogy. It's overused. Let's use a better example...George W. Bush.
For a hilarious look at Republicanism today, see the VILLAGE VOICE on "How to Speak Republican", and also "Fear and Loathing in Tampa".

I think the Republicans are ideologuing themselves out of any credibility as a party. They don't like women, period, and especially single women it appears, they don't like blacks, hispanics, or other minorities, it appears, even though whites will soon be a minority, they don't like old people or sick people or disabled people . . . the list goes on.

No sane, THINKING, conscious human would join an organization which advocates the mentally ill pursuit of wealth/power concentration beyond one generation's needs, passing vast estates without being earned to offspring and without windfall tax, who rather spend on wars than to shift to peace economy. GOP has become the party of mentally ill and madmen/women without thinking about the consequences of a Darwinist social system. Seems like a bunch of redneck hicks with lots of money.