海角大神

I鈥檝e just returned from three weeks in 鈥渞ed鈥� America.

It was ostensibly a book tour but I wanted to talk with conservative Republicans and Tea Partiers.

I intended to put into practice what I tell my students 鈥� that the best way to learn is to talk with people who disagree you. I wanted to learn from red America, and hoped they鈥檇 also learn a bit from me (and perhaps also buy my book).

But something odd happened. It turned out that many of the conservative Republicans and Tea Partiers I met agreed with much of what I had to say, and I agreed with them.

For example, most condemned what they called 鈥渃rony capitalism,鈥� by which they mean big corporations getting sweetheart deals from the government because of lobbying and campaign contributions.

I met with group of small farmers in Missouri who were livid about growth of 鈥渇actory farms鈥� owned and run by big corporations, that abused land and cattle, damaged the environment, and ultimately harmed consumers.

They claimed giant food processors were using their monopoly power to squeeze the farmers dry, and the government was doing squat about it because of Big Agriculture鈥檚 money.

I met in Cincinnati with Republican small-business owners who are still hurting from the bursting of the housing bubble and the bailout of Wall Street.

鈥淲hy didn鈥檛 underwater homeowners get any help?鈥� one of them asked rhetorically. 鈥淏ecause Wall Street has all the power.鈥� Others nodded in agreement. 聽

Whenever I suggested that big Wall Street banks be busted up 鈥� 鈥渁ny bank that鈥檚 too big to fail is too big, period鈥� 鈥� I got loud applause.

In Kansas City I met with Tea Partiers who were angry that hedge-fund managers had wangled their own special 鈥渃arried interest鈥� tax deal.

鈥淣o reason for it,鈥� said one. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not investing a dime of their own money. But they鈥檝e paid off the politicians.鈥�

In Raleigh, I heard from local bankers who thought Bill Clinton should never have repealed the Glass-Steagall Act. 鈥淐linton was in the pockets of Wall Street just like George W. Bush was,鈥� said one.

Most of the people I met in America鈥檚 heartland want big money out of politics, and think the Supreme Court鈥檚 鈥�Citizens United鈥� decision was shameful.

Most are also dead-set against the Trans Pacific Partnership. In fact, they鈥檙e opposed to trade agreements, including NAFTA, that they believe have made it easier for corporations to outsource American jobs abroad.

A surprising number think the economic system is biased in favor of the rich. (That鈥檚聽consistent with a recent Quinnipiac poll in which聽46 percent聽of Republicans believe 鈥渢he system favors the wealthy.鈥�)

The more conversations I had, the more I understood the connection between their view of 鈥渃rony capitalism鈥� and their dislike of government.

They don鈥檛 oppose government per se. In fact, as the Pew Research Center has聽found, more Republicans favor additional spending on Social Security, Medicare, education, and infrastructure than want to cut those programs.

Rather, they see government as the vehicle for big corporations and Wall Street to exert their power in ways that hurt the little guy. 聽

They call themselves Republicans but many of the inhabitants of America鈥檚 heartland are populists in the tradition of William Jennings Brian.

I also began to understand why many of them are attracted to Donald Trump. I had assumed they were attracted by Trump鈥檚 blunderbuss and his scapegoating of immigrants.

That鈥檚 part of it.聽But mostly, I think, they see Trump as someone who鈥檒l stand up for them 鈥� a countervailing power against the perceived conspiracy of big corporations, Wall Street, and big government.

Trump isn鈥檛 saying what the moneyed interests in the GOP want to hear. He鈥檇 impose tariffs on American companies that send manufacturing overseas, for example.聽

He鈥檇 raise taxes on hedge-fund managers. (鈥淭he hedge-fund guys didn鈥檛 build this country,鈥� Trump聽says.聽鈥淭hey鈥檙e 鈥済etting away with murder.鈥�)

He鈥檇 protect Social Security and Medicare.

I kept hearing 鈥淭rump is so rich he can鈥檛 be bought.鈥�

Heartland Republicans and progressive Democrats remain wide apart on social and cultural issues.聽

But there鈥檚 a聽growing overlap on economics. The populist upsurge is real.

I sincerely hope Donald Trump doesn鈥檛 become president. He鈥檚 a divider and a buffoon.聽

But I do hope the economic populists in both parties come together.

That鈥檚 the only way we鈥檙e going to reform a system that鈥檚 now rigged against most of us. 聽

This article first appeared at聽Robert Reich.