Robert Reich puts the GOP Strategy into Perspective

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Reich views the attack on public employee unions as a strategy to divide middle and lower class Americans against each other and to distract them from what's really happening in an economy in which most of the gain in income is concentrated in the top 1% of income earners. Its an effective strategy of divide and conquer. Many Americans have been led to believe that public employees have better compensation than private employees. The recession has amplified the concerns of many American's and it has given the GOP an opportunity to use the Reagan playbook that was used to break the Air Traffic Controller union.

The GOP also has a plan to cut the federal budget deficit by reducing spending on programs like family planning that provides red meat for their base. They understand that the budget plan proposed by the house has no chance of becoming law but that does not matter. They want to show the Tea Partiers that voted them into office that they are on their side. Efforts to organize the Tea Partiers into a more cohesive and active political organization are encouraged by the House's passage of a bill that will not survive. For some strange reason, the GOP has convinced their base that cutting government spending will create jobs. In fact, the danger is that it will prolong the downturn.

The GOP plan against Medicare and Social Security is also a divide and conquer plan. They hope to divide the young against the old. Many young people have been led to believe that Medicare and Social Security will not be there for them when they need it. This undermines support for these essential programs among the young.

Reich also goes after the Supreme Court which is the most partisan court that we have had in recent experience. There is not much that can be done about this since the partisans on the court will be there for a long time.