Political Roundtable Part XXX

[dobrojim]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/sen-ted-cruz-shamelessly-mocked-biden-for-going-on-vacation-by-dredging-up-controversial-cancun-trip-which-he-took-during-texas-crisis/ar-AAPlcHk?li=BBnbfcL

We really can't make this stuff up. And by now, we realize this is standard operating procedure for how they make their points. It's literally insane, but they think it's effective with their people. and they may be right.

Does the GOP have an agenda other than "owning the libs"?

Short answer is no they don't.

The scary thing is that in these polarized times, that strategy seems to be working.

[bsilver]

My son, for some reason, asked me what the effect of minimum wage increases are. First of all, prices are higher in urban areas, but the minimum wage is the same. So market clearing wages end up being higher in urban areas, so there are less minimum wage earners in urban areas.

https://www.rural.palegislature.us/documents/reports/Minimum-Wage-2017.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1mExlXmztBf1wUCg65bIGFXdnGRDJdAze9MVQu2xSOXlWd1AqIAEoXvdo

In PA, rural residents are 25% of the population. However, 162k rural workers earn minimum wage, while 280k urban workers earn minimum wage, so rural workers are overrepresented - 36.6% of the total.

So whatever the effect of raising the minimum wage is, it will disproportionately affect rural workers.

What happens when you raise the minimum wage? Either:
1) Nothing, because the market wage is higher than the minimum wage. This is what will happen, mainly, if we raise the minimum wage to $10/hr. Or nothing because you drive workers into the informal economy. More of a factor in low income countries.
2) People earning minimum wage earn more
3) People earning minimum wage get fired

Whether effect 3 is greater than effect 2 is an empirical question that depends on the elasticity of demand for labor. In the United States most empirical studies show that the 2nd effect dominates the third.

It was commonly accepted economic doctrine that raising the minimum wage would reduce employment.

One of the winners of the Nobel prize for economics for this year is David Card. In 1992 he studied employment numbers on the New Jersey Pennsylvania border. New Jersey had just raised their minimum wage, while PA had not not. He found raising the minimum wage did not affect NJ employment rates. This study upended commonly accepted theory.

[Zonkerbl]

My son, for some reason, asked me what the effect of minimum wage increases are. First of all, prices are higher in urban areas, but the minimum wage is the same. So market clearing wages end up being higher in urban areas, so there are less minimum wage earners in urban areas.

https://www.rural.palegislature.us/documents/reports/Minimum-Wage-2017.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1mExlXmztBf1wUCg65bIGFXdnGRDJdAze9MVQu2xSOXlWd1AqIAEoXvdo

In PA, rural residents are 25% of the population. However, 162k rural workers earn minimum wage, while 280k urban workers earn minimum wage, so rural workers are overrepresented - 36.6% of the total.

So whatever the effect of raising the minimum wage is, it will disproportionately affect rural workers.

What happens when you raise the minimum wage? Either:
1) Nothing, because the market wage is higher than the minimum wage. This is what will happen, mainly, if we raise the minimum wage to $10/hr. Or nothing because you drive workers into the informal economy. More of a factor in low income countries.
2) People earning minimum wage earn more
3) People earning minimum wage get fired

Whether effect 3 is greater than effect 2 is an empirical question that depends on the elasticity of demand for labor. In the United States most empirical studies show that the 2nd effect dominates the third.

It was commonly accepted economic doctrine that raising the minimum wage would reduce employment.

One of the winners of the Nobel prize for economics for this year is David Card. In 1992 he studied employment numbers on the New Jersey Pennsylvania border. New Jersey had just raised their minimum wage, while PA had not not. He found raising the minimum wage did not affect NJ employment rates. This study upended commonly accepted theory.

Yeah you always have to include option 1: nothing happens because you're setting the minimum wage less than or equal to the market wage. I.e. you have to account for the political context. Easiest thing to do in US politics is set the minimum wage to some uselessly low number, you get all the credit without any blowback from the business lobby.

[Wizardspride]

Read on Twitter

?t=d7ylwcHhpsikekCBNt1zpQ&s=19

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

This touched me/made my day. From today's WaPo Hints from Heloise.

Dear Heloise, I am 13 years old and attend school in my hometown in Wyoming. Everyone in our class had to do a report on the coronavirus outbreak and its effect on America. I got an A on my report, but in doing research, I wondered why people listen to gossip on the internet instead of listening to the people at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or to the scientists who study this terrible disease. I know it's hard sometimes to tell the difference between what is true and what is not, but it's always best to listen to common sense and read up on everything you can about this disease. I think you'll find that wearing a mask isn't so bad after all. And while I really hate shots, I got vaccinated at the same time my mother was vaccinated, because I would never want to bring home a disease that would harm my 8-year old brother. I love him too much to put him at risk for covid.

Anyway, this is my view of coronavirus, I believe we need to look out for one another, and in doing so, we'll come out of this time of stress and fear a much stronger nation. (signed) Meghan B Wyoming

This kid is so much smarter than many 'grown-ups' it boggles the mind. It's also clear that she has more empathy towards others than we often observe in the behavior of many adults of late. I applaud and congratulate her, her parents and teachers for all of this.

Fake news. This 13 year old is obviously a Democratic plant and crisis writer.

I don't really understand politics and my life is such that I have a lot more on my plate that preoccupies me.

Just a general comment:

In a world full of distrust and media manipulation the concept of fake news intrigues me. There are now Zoom calls that everyone is familiar with since the advent of coronavirus isolation mandates.

It would be nice if three conservatives and three liberals would form a panel to just discuss truth ethics and principle-based logic. No opinions just how news is reported. If we really want the truth what we could start with is just a simple outline of what are facts and what are hearsay and what can we each do to give due diligence to informatiin.

I am 60 years old. I remember Schoolhouse Rock. I took Civics in either the 9th or 10th grade. History has always been biased but in the past there was a lot less edit tutorial ization... I will leave that typographical error in.

[dobrojim]

My brother once said to me quite a few years ago, and in an admiring kind of way, that the internet
was great because arguments could be settled quickly. This might have been more true then but it's
pretty clearly true now that you can find a link that 'proves' almost anything these days, hence
my recent post railing against the idea that folks are entitled to their opinion. Nihilism rules.

And one really has to wonder how the folks that publish shyte like this sleep at night.

http://indepthnh.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/COVID-Report-from-Rep.-Weyler-3.pdf

[Zonkerbl]

Shaking my head at people who think white supremacists will sacrifice power in exchange for reason. Why would they do that?

You can lie to your followers and get whatever the heck you want, or you can agree with your liberal counterpart to rely on reason and lose every election forever after.

They've decided to be the bad guys. We have to treat them as such. Shut them out of all adult conversations and refuse to have anything to do with them until they come begging for forgiveness.

This is a repeated prisoner's dilemma game where the other side has been playing "betray" for the last two or three decades. When are we going to wise up and stop trying to play "cooperate"? It isn't *rational* to keep reaching out to people who are not worthy of trust.

[pancakes3]

While I appreciate the desire to have the media spoonfeed us fair and balanced news and/or debate, there is also nothing the capitalistic world owes to its viewers, or the citizenry at large. The word "duty" carries with it an immense obligation, and when we toss about "civic duty" it is not an abstract, high-minded aphorism. It means that each of us has a duty to the nation, as participants in democracy, to not only educate ourselves, but make sure we are equipped with sufficient tools (critical thinking, math literacy, a working knowledge of civics) to educate ourselves and substantively engage with our government.

The Right keeps standing behind "rights" which require zero work or thought and ignore "duty"

[FAH1223]

This is crazy

Read on Twitter

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[Ruzious]

You thought that was crazy? Try this.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-urges-republicans-to-sit-out-coming-elections/ar-AAPu8iY?li=BBnbfcL

I mean... are you bleeping kidding me? Haaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaaaaaaaa.

[verbal8]

You thought that was crazy? Try this.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-urges-republicans-to-sit-out-coming-elections/ar-AAPu8iY?li=BBnbfcL

I mean... are you bleeping kidding me? Haaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaaaaaaaa.

This is the second worse outcome for the GOP with Trump. The worst would be Trump saying both parties suck and I am starting a new one. Although this could be a step in that direction.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

While I appreciate the desire to have the media spoonfeed us fair and balanced news and/or debate, there is also nothing the capitalistic world owes to its viewers, or the citizenry at large. The word "duty" carries with it an immense obligation, and when we toss about "civic duty" it is not an abstract, high-minded aphorism. It means that each of us has a duty to the nation, as participants in democracy, to not only educate ourselves, but make sure we are equipped with sufficient tools (critical thinking, math literacy, a working knowledge of civics) to educate ourselves and substantively engage with our government.

The Right keeps standing behind "rights" which require zero work or thought and ignore "duty"

You are neither a black man or from the hood. You’re not Hispanic. And I don’t think it come from poor white trash.

I was guessing and I could be wrong on all of the above but I don’t think so.

[Dat2U]

I thought Trump was the worst President of our lifetime. Many people did too. The bar was incredibly low for Biden. A 38% approval rating is telling.

[dckingsfan]

I thought Trump was the worst President of our lifetime. Many people did too. The bar was incredibly low for Biden. A 38% approval rating is telling.

Just curious - what does it tell you?

[Dat2U]

I thought Trump was the worst President of our lifetime. Many people did too. The bar was incredibly low for Biden. A 38% approval rating is telling.

Just curious - what does it tell you?

He's been a disaster. Just in a much more pleasant and professional way than Trump was.

[dckingsfan]

I thought Trump was the worst President of our lifetime. Many people did too. The bar was incredibly low for Biden. A 38% approval rating is telling.

Just curious - what does it tell you?

He's been a disaster. Just in a much more pleasant and professional way than Trump was.

So, he got us out of Afghanistan - okay, ugly but we are out.

He has been implementing vaccine mandates - okay, ugly but we are out.

He has been reimplementing many of the environmental rules that Trump rolled back.

He is trying to do something meaningful with regards to Climate Change.

He is talking about taxing the rich and he is stuck with a Covid economy. Meh.

That means the military industrial complex isn't happy, the fossil fuel complex isn't happy, the anti-vaxxers aren't happy, those that don't give an f about the environment aren't happy and the Wall Street guys that don't want to pay taxes are ticked off.

I am good with that.

Add to that, historically he is still above Trump & Clinton at this time in the presidencies.

Just saying...

[dckingsfan]

You thought that was crazy? Try this.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-urges-republicans-to-sit-out-coming-elections/ar-AAPu8iY?li=BBnbfcL

I mean... are you bleeping kidding me? Haaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaaaaaaaa.

This is the second worse outcome for the GOP with Trump. The worst would be Trump saying both parties suck and I am starting a new one. Although this could be a step in that direction.

That would be frick'in awesome.

[Ruzious]

You thought that was crazy? Try this.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-urges-republicans-to-sit-out-coming-elections/ar-AAPu8iY?li=BBnbfcL

I mean... are you bleeping kidding me? Haaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaaaaaaaa.

This is the second worse outcome for the GOP with Trump. The worst would be Trump saying both parties suck and I am starting a new one. Although this could be a step in that direction.

That would be frick'in awesome.

He could call it the T Party - as opposed to the Tea Party. He'd have even more ways to funnel money in to himself.

[Wizardspride]

I thought Trump was the worst President of our lifetime. Many people did too. The bar was incredibly low for Biden. A 38% approval rating is telling.

Read on Twitter

?t=GU7FBCewXg1PU-sB1Dvp_g&s=19

[Ruzious]

Read on Twitter

So good I had to post it - even if it isn't a hot topic at the moment.