What We Must Do Now: Robert Reich’s Fiery Call to Action at Berkeley
The sun dipped behind the Campanile as thousands gathered on Sproul Plaza, their voices merging into a chorus of anticipation. On April 17, 2025, former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich took the stage at UC Berkeley—a campus steeped in activism—to deliver a speech that would resonate far beyond the Bay Area. In his trademark blend of wit, urgency, and moral clarity, Reich didn’t just diagnose America’s crises; he issued a roadmap for reclaiming democracy itself.
The Unfinished Revolution
Reich opened with a reminder: The fight for economic justice is older than any living activist. “From the New Deal to the Civil Rights Movement, progress has always been a battle between concentrated power and the common good,” he declared. But today, he argued, the stakes are higher. A toxic cocktail of corporate greed, political corruption, and technological disruption has left millions behind. “We’re living through the greatest concentration of wealth since the Gilded Age,” Reich noted, “while half of Americans can’t afford a $400 emergency.”
The former Clinton administration official turned progressive firebrand didn’t mince words about Washington’s failures. “Our democracy isn’t broken—it’s been hacked,” he said, pointing to dark money in elections and lobbyists writing legislation. Yet Reich’s tone wasn’t defeatist. “Every crisis contains opportunity. What we do in the next five years will define the next fifty.”
Three Pillars of Reform
Reich distilled his vision into three interconnected priorities:
1. Rewriting the Rules of Capitalism
“Trickle-down economics was always a con,” Reich stated, drawing cheers. He called for sweeping antitrust enforcement to break up tech and pharmaceutical monopolies, a wealth tax targeting billionaires, and a federal jobs guarantee. “When Jeff Bezos’s wealth jumps $70 billion in a pandemic while workers fight for $15/hour, that’s not a market—that’s feudality.”
His boldest proposal? Democratizing corporate power. “Workers should elect 40% of corporate boards,” Reich argued, citing Germany’s co-determination model. “If you create the wealth, you should share in governing it.”
2. Saving Democracy from Itself
Reich turned somber discussing January 6th and voter suppression laws. “Autocracy doesn’t always arrive in tanks. Sometimes it comes wearing a suit and holding a spreadsheet.” His prescription: Abolish the Electoral College, pass a new Voting Rights Act, and publicly fund elections. “No more billionaires buying senators like they’re NFTs.”
He saved special scorn for social media algorithms. “Platforms that profit from outrage are dismantling truth. Break them up, tax their data mining, and make them liable for lies they amplify.”
3. The Youth Imperative
Gesturing to students in the crowd, Reich pivoted to hope. “You’ve inherited a world of wildfires, student debt, and AI taking jobs. But you’re also the most diverse, connected generation ever. Use that power.”
He urged support for campus unions, climate strikes, and digital activism. “Your generation isn’t asking for a seat at the table—you’re building a new table. And I’ll be right there with you.”
Beyond Hashtags: The Work Ahead
Reich closed with a challenge: “Movements aren’t Twitter trends. They’re knocking on doors in Ohio. They’re occupying boardrooms. They’re staying hungry when others grow comfortable.”
He invoked Berkeley’s legacy—the Free Speech Movement, the disability rights protests. “This plaza has always been where America confronts its conscience. Today, we’re not just speaking truth to power. We’re building power to speak truths.”
As the crowd erupted, Reich left them with words from his 2023 book The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It: “Hope isn’t passive. It’s a verb. It’s what we do when we refuse to accept the unacceptable.”
The Morning After
In the days following the speech, reactions poured in. Conservative pundits dismissed Reich as a “socialist relic.” Progressive groups hailed it as a manifesto for 2028. But for many students, the takeaway was simpler. “He didn’t just tell us what’s wrong,” said Aisha Morales, a Berkeley junior. “He showed us how to fix it—and that starts today.”
Reich’s message cuts through the noise of an election cycle: The future isn’t something we enter. It’s something we create. And in 2025, the work can’t wait.
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