I grew up in a rural community, began my career as an organizer in small towns, and now lead one of the largest efforts to rebuild pro-democracy, pro-worker civic capacity in rural America. So I can speak with some authority when I say that President Biden, somewhat surprisingly, has ushered in a new economic paradigm that can radically transform the lives of rural people and build a more politically and economically secure future for all Americans.
He calls his agenda “Bidenomics,” a term that will be hotly debated in the months ahead. But what does it mean? And what’s its significance for rural people?
In simplest terms, Bidenomics arguably is the most significant departure in 40 years from the “free market revolution” that rose to dominance in the 1980s — a dramatic alteration to our country’s economic trajectory.
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The combination of executive and congressional action since Biden took office — from the American Rescue Plan, to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to the CHIPS Act, Inflation Reduction Act and key executive action promoting competition and protecting workers — presents greater potential for revitalizing rural communities than anything since the New Deal. These were huge steps in the right direction, and yet rural people are still struggling. The updated Rural Policy Action Report offers a continued roadmap for how to help rural communities, protect the environment and core freedoms, and renew shared prosperity across geographic divides.
I think think that’s what this propaganda piece is aiming to accomplish: hopefully it will make them believe it.
Republicans have spent literally decades convincing these people they are the best for them. They have honed that false image and every Republican knows to fall in-line and go after these folks. They hammer that point home every chance they get.
Democrats have a couple of campaign events here or there every couple of years, maybe a couple of articles printed, and then they go back to endlessly pandering to teeny, tiny demographic groups that couldn’t get anyone elected.
The farmer/decentralized tech enthusiast cross section is probably small. Actually, given their hurdles in jailbreaking tractors and right to repair being so important to so many, it could be higher than average. Huh.
