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Celebrated author and thinker Frances Moore Lappé returns to talk about a range of issues related to democracy and addressing economic inequality.Lappé, better known as “Frankie”, offers smart and inspiring comments from the intersection of democratic activism and economic justice. We discuss a number of recent commentaries and blog posts she’s written, found here.
We open with gentle criticism of Sens. Warren and Sanders for the way they define their economic positions. Warren recently declared, “I’m a capitalist”, prompting aninstructive post from Lappé. PBC adds criticism of Sanders, who fumbled his answer to a question about socialism in a recent Fox town hall, and suggests that he define socialist policies as an antidote to the negative impacts of unregulated capitalism.
We discuss the post-WWII arc of income growth in the US, and note that since 1974, most of the gains have gone to those who are already wealthy. And we talk about the Green New Deal and how corporate interests have helped block meaningful responses to human-caused warming.
And Frankie shares some of her remarks to college graduates at the commencement at the University of San Francisco, which awarded her an honorary degree.