Thinking Progressive with Ron Rivers

In this week's Thinking Progressive Progress Report we discuss:

• Ukrainian diplomat William Taylor’s recent testimony

Identity politics have become central to the politics of both liberal and conservatives here in the United States, and the nation is worse off for it. That's because identity politics are tribalism under another name, ultimately serving to divide us. In bringing expanded structure to our movement, progressives should reject identity politics in favor of a more unifying effort to build a majority focused on systemic reform.

In this episode, we'll explore Senator Ron Wyden's newest bill proposal to combat big tech - the Mind Your Business Act, Facebook's latest position on handling propaganda on that platform, and breakthroughs in genetics technologies that matter to progressives.

Universal Basic Income as proposed today is a bad policy that will hurt the poor. We'll explore why that is and what alternatives exist for progressives seeking to transform society.

In this episode, we'll explore China's influence on American corporations. The past two weeks have seen three instances where U.S. companies were threatened by China - but it's just the tip of the iceberg. What are the cultural impacts of the disturbing trend of American companies bending the knee? What responsibility do organizations operating internationally have to American values? These are questions progressives need to grapple with today to be prepared for tomorrow.

Uber is synonymous with easy and convenient travel. It's a service that we love but a company that struggles with finding a pathway to financial viability. In this episode, we'll explore reasons why a for-profit Uber model may be destined to fail and how socializing the company may lead to profound benefits for both society and Uber's existing workforce.

In this episode, we discuss the recently reported IRS revelations, the growing armed militia movement being fueled by Donald Trump's tweets, Mark Zuckerberg's lastest rejection of social responsibility, and what NASA's latest goal might mean for society as a whole.

Donald Trump's world seems to be closing in on him from all sides with the threat of impeachment and he's responded by ramping up the rhetoric. Today we'll explore the hidden meaning behind Donald Trump's strategy, the real and present threat of violence, and what progressives can do to help mend the wounds caused by Donald Trump after his reign is over.

This week we dive deep into policy exploring plans and philosophy behind the proposals. We'll review Senator Bernie Sanders recently proposed Wealth Tax and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "A Just Society. Exploring what these plans mean for the future of the progressive movement.

It's no secret that the Founding Fathers were flawed human beings whose actions do not accurately reflect the consciousness of today.   But if we take a step back and think about it we'll realize that the Founders were in fact progressives.  In this episode I'll talk about why that's true and what progressives gain by embracing it.