Almost Retired wrote:dice wrote:listen to the actual experts who have been studying this for decades, folks. and your doctors. not nearly retired internet warriors desperately sleuthing ANYTHING that seems to dovetail with their warped worldview. who stumble upon a kernel of truth and think they found a tub of popcorn.
because anybody is prone to being misled by people smarter than them with an agenda. particularly when they are eager to be misled. misinformation is a very profitable industry
the right wing has been ALL over the place on the virus. because it's all about what will maximize political division in the moment. we have seen:
-the former president minimize the threat of the virus, refuse to wear a mask, contract it himself and be hospitalized
-the former president taking credit for the production of the vaccine while failing to give full throated support to getting vaccinated
-the former president having supposed immunity due to having been infected, yet still getting vaccinated...but not telling the public
-fox news staff being forced to be vaccinated while railing against vaccine mandates
-large numbers of individuals spouting that masks are a form of government mind control
now breitbart, that bastion of right wing intellectualism, is suggesting that progressives are advocating vaccination in order to kill off conservatives who will reflexively do the opposite:
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/09/18/nolte-anti-vaxxers-hype-benign-transmission-numbers-as-proof-vax-doesnt-work/
Who actually has the agenda, as you call it? The determined minority, willing to buck the overwhelming pressure from the vax proponents even at the risk of careers and livelihoods
much of the "determined minority" are being manipulated for political and financial gain. it's tremendously obvious
.....or our benevolent government that uses pressure within academia, big medicine, and big tech to stifle debate on the subject, censor opposing viewpoints, and punish those that wish to swim against the tide.
the united states government, the most powerful in the world, has done next to nothing to punish people who object to the scientific consensus. certainly far less than many nations. not even a national lockdown! only a year and a half into a once in a century, catastrophic pandemic have they required vaccination OR weekly testing...for federal government employees/contractors only. your rationale is severely lacking. if you consider weekly COVID testing a major imposition, i don't know what to tell you
certain states and many private companies (who the right wing almost never wants to interfere with) are the ones who have been more forceful. and still most do not require vaccination
Going along with conventional wisdom on any subject is the easiest path to take.
it's not conventional wisdom. it's the vast majority of the ****ing scientific community. there is nothing conventional about what we're going through right now. it's a once in a century novel virus
you have not yet lived long enough to realize there is only one political party, the Uniparty. It is a party of the kleptocracy
jesus h christ. do you even pay attention to politics? biden and the democrats already passed one major piece of tranformational legislation benefitting tens of millions of lower and middle class americans, sharply reducing child poverty and helping countless families avoid evictions during a pandemic. they are working on another. obama passed a third. all faced unanimous opposition from the birther party...which, if you'll recall, recently FOMENTED AN INSURRECTION ON THE CAPITAL OF THE NATION!
you apparently have invested an awful lot of time and energy trying to convince yourself of utterly ridiculous theories promoted solely by the right wing. you've spouted them here. only one political party subscribes to them. so don't now try and pretend that you aren't heavily politically influenced in your thinking
First the left one has control, then the right one has control
and this is the problem. when a country is divided, the populace is generally ignorant about politics, easily manipulated and lacks patience/attention span, power tends to ebb and flow and progress is slow. then, of course, there are our anti-democratic institutions and laws: the senate, the filibuster, gerrymandering and the electoral college. when the minority has grossly disproportionate power and doesn't want broad change it's a recipe for stagnance and political apathy
things shift at the periphery but the end result is ALWAYS the same. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer and the Middle class pays for all of it.
obamacare made things better for the poor and middle class. objectively. just not nearly enough. and it wasn't much better strictly because of the absolutely dreadful existences of both the filibuster and the senate itself. and before you or anyone else suggests that the senate was created due to the wisdom of the founding fathers, that's baloney. it, like the electoral college, was an ill-considered political compromise agreed to in order to entice smaller states to sign on. had they known how grossly disproportionate the state populations would become (with most of the smaller states being on the side of one major political party), i can't imagine this ridiculous system would've come to pass
the wealthy/corporations get a tax cut every time republicans are in power and a tax hike most of the time democrats are in power
one side supports unions (though not to the degree they used to), while the other does everything in its power to legislate away the freedom to collectively bargain. THIS is the main reason that the middle class has been stagnant for over 40 years: the decline in union membership. it could not be more clear:
the golden age of unions was from the mid-'30s to the mid-'40s. since then, all that rapid progress has been swept away. it took 75 years, but here we are. and note the steep decline beginning in the late '70s. the start of the era of american middle class stagnancy. it's not a coincidence
seems to me, if you're genuinely interested in the plight of the poor, concerned about the middle class, and disdainful of the wealth of the wealthy, the political choice is obvious
Our standard of living is dropping rapidly now
that's simply false. stagnance is not regression. but when the middle class remains stagnant while the national wealth soars...for DECADES...that's a big problem
...the most basic laws of economics. That you have to produce before you can spend. For money without the production of goods and services leaves too many Dollars chasing too few goods.
none of this applies to federal spending. the united states government is perfectly capable of running a permanent deficit. doesn't mean it's optimal (it surely isn't). the question is how large it can get as a percentage of GDP before it starts causing real damage. that's not something we want to find out. but if the US government credit ratings are any indication, we're not nearly there yet:
AA+ S&P
Aaa Moody's (their highest)
AAA Fitch (ditto)
AAA DBRS (ditto)
But don't worry, the government you appear to worship says inflation is only 6%, and it will be temporary. Take that to the food store with you.
first of all, i'm not sure why you've chosen to fabricate this idea that i worship the government. totally disingenuous debate tactic
secondly, food prices are not the only thing that people purchase. the pandemic has flattened the previously soaring housing rental market, for example. and rent is a far bigger expenditure than food, as i think you'll agree. but i haven't noticed a significant change in food prices either. it's the energy sector that's the main culprit. noticed gas prices lately? can't really blame biden or the dastardly dems for that, can ya?
finally, the chances of us bringing down inflation is linked to getting out of the freaking pandemic!
Do you ever bother to notice how many of the "public servants" who make to to Washington DC end up multi millionaires within 2 decades on salaries of under $200 K a year?
because most of them are either wealthy coming into office and/or become lobbyists after. the latter should be illegal, but the birther party in particular would like it to continue. we currently have a huge number of right wing congresspeople who seem completely uninterested in legislation and entirely interested in self-promotion
Independent of party. I have equal disdain and hatred for Pelosi as I have for Mitch McConnell. So pardon me if I take anything that emanates from Washington with a jaundiced mistrusting eye. It's because I can't remember the last time the Federal Government told the truth ABOUT ANYTHING
they're doing so right now. about a once in a century pandemic. best pay attention
or the last time some big Government policy was actually successful and within budget
successful and within budget:
obamacare has accomplished exactly what it intended to, cutting the uninsured rate nearly in half, eliminating pre-existing conditions restrictions, setting minimum insurance standards, and helping tens of millions with their premiums...without adding to the deficit.
successful, UNnecessary and NOT within budget:
trump's tax cuts also had their desired effects...lining the pockets of the wealthy...while exploding the deficit
successful, necessary and NOT within budget:
pandemic relief. hugely beneficial for tens of millions of people, though that too has added to the deficit...necessarily
So when you respond, if you do, make sure you add your usual snark. I don't know what you do for a living but if Peppermint Patty ever goes back to her old job as a paid shill for groups like the Israeli Secret Service maybe you could replace her as the spokesperson for President "Depends". You could translate his rather poor attempts at reading the teleprompter.
your parroting of right wing talking points about biden are yet more evidence that you're in the tank for a particular political party despite your feeble assertations that both parties are the same. totally transparent
go back to election prognostications. incredibly, you were better at that
