So can someone remind me again why voting is important ?
The Biden Presidency
- Thread starter Raoul
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That's really the insanity of the success of the GOP narrative in a nutshell. You'd expect people in that situation to vote left, where you can expect a better welfare state, and for the group that looks at new technologies, cause coals is no way coming back. Instead, they vote for the party that promises more of the same and that hard work brings prosperity to all - as if that'll change their station.
voting for democrats doesn't change anything either!
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Neither does voting for nobody hoping for a perfect candidate.
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Oh this actually sounds like something I can get behind. Maybe the Biden presidency won't be a Neolib, identity politics hellscape after al-
And there it is.
The mailed fist of austerity is cloaked in the velvet glove of pandering.
Surely even the most ardent lib sees how divisive this is?
Imagine all the socially alienated, economically insecure, working class white men... the small business that they've invested years into, every penny into, is suddenly struggling...bills are mounting - then they hear this and experience the gutpunch realisation that they're basically the only group excluded from the 'priority help list'. It's the fastest ticket ever to far-right radicalisation.
At this point, I truly believe the identity politic rhetoric from both sides is intentional, and it's done to divide the working class. Unfortunately it works very well. It's resulted in both 'sides' absolutely despising each other and believing the other side is stupid/evil/hypocritical/hates them based on their race or identity. What's worst is that, thanks to idpol, they both have good examples of each of these things being true.
The only way out of this dystopia is to get people thinking about the class struggle again. The day the working class start to see things through the lens of class instead of identity, is the day the idpol tricks used by the corporate centre-right and centre-left stop working.
how about $2000 for pell grant recipients who start a business that operates for three years in disadvantaged communities and $1400 for everyone else
Oh, I know! As I've said elsewhere, I don't get why there aren't more parties that are properly and unashamedly economically leftist. At least half the population would clearly benefit from their policies, and I don't get why so few tap into that political potential. But all the same, the GOP is still worse than the Dems in that regard.
Oh sweet child. This is America, where your patriotic duty is to vote against your own best interest.
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Tbh, I always assumed the $2000 included the $600 already disbursed. Admittedly didn't pay much attention to it.
Thought this got lost in the wind last night because of squabbling over the 2000 dollar cheques.
I've long argued that the tip system in the USA is a disgrace. Hopefully this goes someway to rectify it
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I've long argued that the tip system in the USA is a disgrace. Hopefully this goes someway to rectify it
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I know - that's what I mentioned (kinda) in my initial post.
Working class is an identity in itself ... and a pretty blurry one at that. At what income level for work done you do you cease to be "working class". Does it exclude the self-employed? Are you working class if you are unemployed and not actually working?
And you talk about "socially alienated, economically insecure, working class white men" - is that not an identity, a label either self-chosen or conferred?
I'm not sure what you mean by the 'mailed fist of austerity' in the context of a promise of providing support? Where are the cuts?
Apart from that: it's a fact that non-whites and non-males (and the intersection of those) do worse in US society. Consequently, equal support would not be equitable support, as it would reinforce the inequitable status quo. It makes sense, therefore, that policies take that into account - including COVID-19 economic recovery policies. (No reason why they would be exempted from that.) I see what you mean with male whites feeling disadvantaged, but that's a question of messaging. Maybe this wasn't phrased well, and it should just have said that recovery will come to all, and will play its part in righting historic equity wrongs - or something like that. (I.e., hide the specifics in general language and government lingo.) After all, if these people don't recognize how they are systematically advantaged through the preceding centuries (literally) of policies that were in their favour, then that's a matter of messaging and education, not of continuing the policies to appease their feelings.
Or what would be your suggestion for Biden?
But hey, there is no difference between Republicans and Democrats, and voting does not matter. For what is worth, this makes the US the country with the highest defined minimum wage. The current top 10 is:
- Luxembourg ($13.78)
- Australia ($12.14)
- France ($11.66)
- New Zealand ($11.20)
- Germany ($10.87)
- Netherlands ($10.44)
- Belgium ($10.38)
- United Kingdom ($10.34)
- Ireland ($9.62)
- Canada ($9.52)
Always sounded to me like he was calling for $2k cheques instead of $600. That was the debate from the get-go. If the $600 hadn't gone out yet it'd be $2k cheques, they have though so its $1.4k cheques.
Outraged people will be outraged.
Outraged people will be outraged.
Yes, I've voted Dem every time. But sometimes your needs are secondary to the greater good.
If it was full $2K then it would be "but why isn't it 5K?"
Yup. No one has ever mentioned the 2.6k check. The Dems (Schumer especially, though it was Bernie who first mentioned it) asked for 2k checks, McConnell was like 'feck no, 600 or bust'. So Dems accepted it, with the hope that if they win the elections, they'll increase it to 2k.
Moaners gonna moan.
Absolutely.
Money also grows in trees.
It always was 2k dollar cheques in total . The outrage is quite interesting but not surprising to say the least. I wish i had that kinda money on the horizon. Our government gave out the equivalent of 80 bucks And thoughts and prayers while our entire tourism industry which we are dependent on has been butt fecked.
Sometimes you dont get what you want need to realise how better off you may be than others
Actually huge.
The comments on helping minority owned small businesses will just send white small business owners to the right. We need to unite, not divide.
That's a good thing, definitely - but that list seems wrong. Just from countries I know, in the Netherlands it's currently €9.70, which amounts to US$11.79 right now. And Canada's minimum wages are set provincially and territorially. For example, it's CA$14.25 = US$11.28 in Ontario. Minimum wages anyway cannot be compared like that, but should be linked to something like a price index.
Still, that doesn't change that this would be a great thing for the US and put them ahead of the pack though.
The minimum wage in the service industry won't really be a thing anyway as it's mostly based on tipping and Americans right now sure love to tip big! However it will be good for BOH staff like dishwashers and the like who don't get tipped out but for servers or me bartenders you actually stand to make way more money than the minimum wage, legally atm I get a $15 payout at the end of the night but by then I've already made $300 on a semi goodish night.
However what this will probably lead to is some devious restaurant owners taking away more tips from the servers into their own pockets, luckily my bar owner isn't like that.
However what this will probably lead to is some devious restaurant owners taking away more tips from the servers into their own pockets, luckily my bar owner isn't like that.
I believe the same can be done in the US, pretty sure that some states have a higher minimum wage than the federal one (which is set to 7.5USD).
It is a good step in the right direction, no doubt about it. And it is clear that Bernie is gonna have a say in Biden's economic policies.
Look here man, gotta get those folks out but hey folks it'll be here 
Also he tagged the wrong Kamala Harris account it seems? https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?s=09
Also he tagged the wrong Kamala Harris account it seems? https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?s=09
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Surely doubling the minimum wage would cripple a lot of the small businesses that he wants to help, or is the devil going to be in detail with this one with it rising incrementally over a number of years?
No, it wasn't. The $600 stimulus was passed on December 29th. So when the president elect says, "$2000 checks will go out the door immediately" a week AFTER that, it means $2000 checks better be going out the door.
I don't see a $1400 check in this image.
No shit. It should be $2000 every month retroactive to the start of the pandemic.
This is such a stupid own goal by the democrats, as usual because they are fecking losers. What is the difference between $1400 and $2000 to them? Nothing. What is the difference between $1400 and $2000 to people who are struggling? Everything. They campaigned on a specific policy and won two big victories based on that and immediately backtracked on it. They are pathetic fecking losers and they deserve no one's vote.
There's no way Manchin is going to approve $2000 over $1400 which will still be a stretch for him also to add to own goals, for months the Democrats talked about upping $600 for unemployment and then somehow boom $400 instead, that's a stupid particular own goal right there.
Where does that money come from?
Should it go to everyone or only to people who lost their jobs?
a duhhhhh the money tree a duhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I never understood this emphasis Americans seem to have with the first lady.Look here man, gotta get those folks out but hey folks it'll be here
Also he tagged the wrong Kamala Harris account it seems? https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?s=09
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I mean, his official account is asking people to follow his wife. As I understood it, Melania also had people working for her in her capacity as flotus. Is there any other country where a president’s spouse matter like that?
i've not read too much about the new plan, seems decent, but this is the proposal, not the result, and there's manchin, sinema, and kelly who can be counted on to stop stuff, and the people making the proposals know that.
the 1400 thing though ... yes you can interpret their 2000 promise that way, but WHY. such a stupid own-goal in terms of optics and politics. give the extra 600. even then it will amount to 3800 since March, not some exorbitant amount.
the 1400 thing though ... yes you can interpret their 2000 promise that way, but WHY. such a stupid own-goal in terms of optics and politics. give the extra 600. even then it will amount to 3800 since March, not some exorbitant amount.
Reknowned neo-lib Warren likes what she's seen so far:
@SenWarren
I carefully read President-elect Biden’s America Rescue Plan. It’s full of many things I’ve been fighting for: Hazard pay. Rent and utility assistance. An eviction moratorium. Extended and expanded unemployment. Paid leave. A $15 minimum wage. An OSHA ETS. And lots, lots more.
I’ll work with President-elect Biden to strengthen and pass this package immediately. But let’s be clear: if the Republicans want to drag their feet while working families struggle, the Democratic majority should use every legislative tool available to pass it.
@SenWarren
I carefully read President-elect Biden’s America Rescue Plan. It’s full of many things I’ve been fighting for: Hazard pay. Rent and utility assistance. An eviction moratorium. Extended and expanded unemployment. Paid leave. A $15 minimum wage. An OSHA ETS. And lots, lots more.
I’ll work with President-elect Biden to strengthen and pass this package immediately. But let’s be clear: if the Republicans want to drag their feet while working families struggle, the Democratic majority should use every legislative tool available to pass it.
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Or you can try once in your life to actually have a serious discussion and explain, where would the money come from to retroactively pay 2000USD for everyone since the start of covid.
you and i both know the answer to that so im not responding to your bad faith arguments
I don't know the answer to that. You are avoiding a direct question as usual.