American Politics Thread V: We're Just Biden Our Time ...

[The Reformed American Republic]

We're too left socially

Too left socially, with GOP regularly passing anti-abortion or anti-LGBT bills at state level ? We the south just very recently stopping to praise slaving traitors (aka confederates) ? With children still in cages at the border ? With very punitive view of justice, death penalty or life without paroles existing in so many states ? Racist justice and police ? War on drugs ?

The racist nature of our police is greatly exaggerated at best.

[Vassenor]

Too left socially, with GOP regularly passing anti-abortion or anti-LGBT bills at state level ? We the south just very recently stopping to praise slaving traitors (aka confederates) ? With children still in cages at the border ? With very punitive view of justice, death penalty or life without paroles existing in so many states ? Racist justice and police ? War on drugs ?

The racist nature of our police is greatly exaggerated at best.

Based on what evidence?

[Page]

Horseshoe theory is the idea that the far-left and the far-right are extremely similar. The example here is the democrat presidents who are supposedly left wing pushing right wing ideas.

Such as?

How about Obama with the individual mandate, an idea put forth by Newt Gingrich to punish people for being too poor to afford insurance and enrich the insurance cartels by threatening a penalty more costly than the premiums for garbage coverage?

Clinton and Biden were both huge proponents of mass incarceration. Biden, right at this very moment, is helping police departments all over the country further militarize. Clinton cut welfare. Every single Democratic President has expanded the military budget (yes, even relative to its size). Obama renewed the Patriot Act without even demanding any concessions and implemented unconstitutional mass surveillance. Obama and Biden both shamelessly use the full force of the federal government to persecute whistle-blowers like Edward Snowden and Reality Winner.

Obama increased deportations and not only of violent criminals, he enabled ICE to deport people over a joint or over absolutely no crime at all if they happened to be in the presence of someone else targeted by ICE, which ICE calls "collaterals."

And as one example of the eternal policy of bombing brown people into freedom, Biden put forth Neera Tanden for a cabinet position, a woman who thinks Libyans owe us their oil as thanks for turning their country into a failed state where jihadis and slavers operate openly.

[Kilobugya]

How about Obama with the individual mandate, an idea put forth by Newt Gingrich to punish people for being too poor to afford insurance and enrich the insurance cartels by threatening a penalty more costly than the premiums for garbage coverage?

I disagree with you on that - while the solution is universal healthcare (aka "medicare for all") the individual mandate does much more good than harm, it greatly lowers inequality by protecting the sick and unlucky and making the healthy contribute to the system.

Clinton and Biden were both huge proponents of mass incarceration. Biden, right at this very moment, is helping police departments all over the country further militarize. Clinton cut welfare. Every single Democratic President has expanded the military budget (yes, even relative to its size). Obama renewed the Patriot Act without even demanding any concessions and implemented unconstitutional mass surveillance. Obama and Biden both shamelessly use the full force of the federal government to persecute whistle-blowers like Edward Snowden and Reality Winner.

Obama increased deportations and not only of violent criminals, he enabled ICE to deport people over a joint or over absolutely no crime at all if they happened to be in the presence of someone else targeted by ICE, which ICE calls "collaterals."

And as one example of the eternal policy of bombing brown people into freedom, Biden put forth Neera Tanden for a cabinet position, a woman who thinks Libyans owe us their oil as thanks for turning their country into a failed state where jihadis and slavers operate openly.

On all that I mostly agree with you that democrats, Obama, the Clintons or Biden did/do lots of wrong. But that's not because they are too leftists, but because they are not really leftists. And the republicans are even worse on about all accounts.

[Picairn]

Too left socially, with GOP regularly passing anti-abortion or anti-LGBT bills at state level ? We the south just very recently stopping to praise slaving traitors (aka confederates) ? With children still in cages at the border ? With very punitive view of justice, death penalty or life without paroles existing in so many states? Racist justice and police ? War on drugs ?

The American governments (state and federal) often don't reflect the American people. Americans overwhelmingly support releasing kids from cages, rehabilitation for prisoners, marijuana legalization and oppose anti-trans sports bills.

[Kilobugya]

Too left socially, with GOP regularly passing anti-abortion or anti-LGBT bills at state level ? We the south just very recently stopping to praise slaving traitors (aka confederates) ? With children still in cages at the border ? With very punitive view of justice, death penalty or life without paroles existing in so many states? Racist justice and police ? War on drugs ?

The American governments (state and federal) often don't reflect the American people. Americans overwhelmingly support releasing kids from cages, rehabilitation for prisoners, marijuana legalization and oppose anti-trans sports bills.

Ah yes, sure, I was speaking of the policies implemented not of the general public - but that's also true economically, ie, a majority of US citizen support $15 minimal wage or Medicare for all.

[Alcala-Cordel]

That partly works (espcially for gun control and such) - but in the USA it is mostly the rightshifting of the Overton window.

On economic issues. We're too left socially and too right-wing economically.

too left socially? A lot of Americans refuse to even look at homeless people.

[Alcala-Cordel]

Too left socially, with GOP regularly passing anti-abortion or anti-LGBT bills at state level ? We the south just very recently stopping to praise slaving traitors (aka confederates) ? With children still in cages at the border ? With very punitive view of justice, death penalty or life without paroles existing in so many states? Racist justice and police ? War on drugs ?

The American governments (state and federal) often don't reflect the American people. Americans overwhelmingly support releasing kids from cages, rehabilitation for prisoners, marijuana legalization and oppose anti-trans sports bills.

And that's "too left"?

[Ifreann]

Such as?

How about Obama with the individual mandate, an idea put forth by Newt Gingrich to punish people for being too poor to afford insurance and enrich the insurance cartels by threatening a penalty more costly than the premiums for garbage coverage?

Clinton and Biden were both huge proponents of mass incarceration. Biden, right at this very moment, is helping police departments all over the country further militarize. Clinton cut welfare. Every single Democratic President has expanded the military budget (yes, even relative to its size). Obama renewed the Patriot Act without even demanding any concessions and implemented unconstitutional mass surveillance. Obama and Biden both shamelessly use the full force of the federal government to persecute whistle-blowers like Edward Snowden and Reality Winner.

Obama increased deportations and not only of violent criminals, he enabled ICE to deport people over a joint or over absolutely no crime at all if they happened to be in the presence of someone else targeted by ICE, which ICE calls "collaterals."

And as one example of the eternal policy of bombing brown people into freedom, Biden put forth Neera Tanden for a cabinet position, a woman who thinks Libyans owe us their oil as thanks for turning their country into a failed state where jihadis and slavers operate openly.

A policy position which she shares with, of all fucking people, Donald Trump.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

How about Obama with the individual mandate, an idea put forth by Newt Gingrich to punish people for being too poor to afford insurance and enrich the insurance cartels by threatening a penalty more costly than the premiums for garbage coverage?

Clinton and Biden were both huge proponents of mass incarceration. Biden, right at this very moment, is helping police departments all over the country further militarize. Clinton cut welfare. Every single Democratic President has expanded the military budget (yes, even relative to its size). Obama renewed the Patriot Act without even demanding any concessions and implemented unconstitutional mass surveillance. Obama and Biden both shamelessly use the full force of the federal government to persecute whistle-blowers like Edward Snowden and Reality Winner.

Obama increased deportations and not only of violent criminals, he enabled ICE to deport people over a joint or over absolutely no crime at all if they happened to be in the presence of someone else targeted by ICE, which ICE calls "collaterals."

And as one example of the eternal policy of bombing brown people into freedom, Biden put forth Neera Tanden for a cabinet position, a woman who thinks Libyans owe us their oil as thanks for turning their country into a failed state where jihadis and slavers operate openly.

A policy position which she shares with, of all fucking people, Donald Trump.

Hence why stanning for either party is a waste of time. Dems are not the liberal party, and Republicans are not conservative. Both support whatever big business wants along with some pet issues to distract their voters from what actually matters. Trump is a con artist just like how clinton was (although he's been conning people since like age 10).

[The Reformed American Republic]

The American governments (state and federal) often don't reflect the American people. Americans overwhelmingly support releasing kids from cages, rehabilitation for prisoners, marijuana legalization and oppose anti-trans sports bills.

And that's "too left"?

I was talking about corporate grandstanding and garbage like critical race theory in the mainstream, and the need to punish and cancel those who aren't "with the times" on a certain issue. The GOP is standing in defiance to this, though in the wrong way, and for terrible reasons. And sure, some "left-wing" positions will get support. Even I support marijuana legalization, even though I have strong disagreements with the left on social and cultural issues, and disagree with many elements of the mainstream that agrees with you guys on many cultural and social issues.

[Page]

A policy position which she shares with, of all fucking people, Donald Trump.

Hence why stanning for either party is a waste of time. Dems are not the liberal party, and Republicans are not conservative. Both support whatever big business wants along with some pet issues to distract their voters from what actually matters. Trump is a con artist just like how clinton was (although he's been conning people since like age 10).

Trump never had any sincerely held ideology whatsoever. He would have been a Marxist if the wind was blowing in that direction.

But in terms of Republicans vs. Democrats, while there is no disputing that Republicans are worse and that most Americans' lives are far worse off when Republicans are in power, in a fucked up way I despise Democrats more, because at least some Republicans are honest about their "fuck you, I got mine" ideology, Democrats lie so much about giving a shit that some of them have internalized their own lies at this point. They honestly believe that panting a BLM mural on a city street and then turning around and giving police more military weaponry than ever before is fine. And then you have Kristin Sinema playing Marie Antionette, thinking she's the future because she's bi and wears a ring that says "fuck off" while the only people she's actually telling to fuck off are the minimum wage workers she left to be consumed by the capitalist death machine.

[Ifreann]

And that's "too left"?

I was talking about corporate grandstanding and garbage like critical race theory in the mainstream, and the need to punish and cancel those who aren't "with the times" on a certain issue. The GOP is standing in defiance to this, though in the wrong way, and for terrible reasons. And sure, some "left-wing" positions will get support. Even I support marijuana legalization, even though I have strong disagreements with the left on social and cultural issues, and disagree with many elements of the mainstream that agrees with you guys on many cultural and social issues.

Leftism is when a corporation changes the profile picture on its verified Twitter account to something rainbow-flag themed for pride month.

[Trollzyn the Infinite]

I was talking about corporate grandstanding and garbage like critical race theory in the mainstream, and the need to punish and cancel those who aren't "with the times" on a certain issue. The GOP is standing in defiance to this, though in the wrong way, and for terrible reasons. And sure, some "left-wing" positions will get support. Even I support marijuana legalization, even though I have strong disagreements with the left on social and cultural issues, and disagree with many elements of the mainstream that agrees with you guys on many cultural and social issues.

Leftism is when a corporation changes the profile picture on its verified Twitter account to something rainbow-flag themed for pride month.

And the more rainbow it is, the more Leftist it is!

[Kilobugya]

I was talking about corporate grandstanding and garbage like critical race theory in the mainstream, and the need to punish and cancel those who aren't "with the times" on a certain issue. The GOP is standing in defiance to this, though in the wrong way, and for terrible reasons. And sure, some "left-wing" positions will get support. Even I support marijuana legalization, even though I have strong disagreements with the left on social and cultural issues, and disagree with many elements of the mainstream that agrees with you guys on many cultural and social issues.

Leftism is when a corporation changes the profile picture on its verified Twitter account to something rainbow-flag themed for pride month.

Karl Marx comes back from the dead. He asks:
- So, how is the proletarian revolution going ?
- Well, we went way too far. The big corporation that rule the world, exploit workers, destroy the environment, coup governments, ... have rainbows on their Twitter profiles !
Karl Marx drops dead again.

[Ifreann]

Leftism is when a corporation changes the profile picture on its verified Twitter account to something rainbow-flag themed for pride month.

Karl Marx comes back from the dead. He asks:
- So, how is the proletarian revolution going ?
- Well, we went way too far. The big corporation that rule the world, exploit workers, destroy the environment, coup governments, ... have rainbows on their Twitter profiles !
Karl Marx drops dead again.

"Have the workers seized the means of production?"
"We got a cookie company to say that Black lives matter, does that count?"

[Kowani]

Biden to sign executive order mandating a $15 minimum wage for federal contractors

President Joe Biden is following through on a campaign pledge that’s expected to boost hourly pay for hundreds of thousands of workers.

Senior administration officials said the president plans to sign an executive order Tuesday to increase the minimum wage for workers under federal contracts. That rate is currently $10.95 per hour but will rise to $15 per hour next year under Biden’s plan — the equivalent of a 37% raise at the very bottom of the wage scale. The change would bring a significant pay increase to employees of private firms that hold government contracts for concessions, janitorial work, personal care and other lower-wage services. The wage rate would continue to be tied to an inflation index so that it increases with the cost of living, requiring firms to adjust their minimums each year. “It will improve the economic security of families and make progress toward reversing decades of income inequality,” the White House said in a fact sheet released on the plan. Federal agencies would have to implement the new wage floor in their contracts by March 30, 2022.
[…]
Experts say the government keeps poor data on its large contract workforce, but the Economic Policy Institute recently estimated that such an order would create direct raises for approximately 240,000 workers. Other workers who were already earning around $15 could also see pay increases as firms adjust their pay scales upward.

The costs of those pay increases would likely be absorbed by the federal government rather than by employers since firms would factor the higher wages into their contract bids. But administration officials argued that the costs to the government would be negligible due to the relatively modest number of workers impacted and the benefits it could bring, like lower turnover and a better-trained workforce.

“As a result of raising the minimum wage, the federal government’s work will be done better and faster,” the White House argued.

Biden administration officials described the new order as an update on the Obama-era one.

In addition to instituting a more aggressive pay scale, the Biden order also phases out the so-called tipped minimum wage that allows restaurants and other employers to pay workers a lower base rate before gratuities.

Obama’s order had increased the tipped minimum wage but didn’t get rid of it the way Biden’s plan will.

“This executive order finishes that work and ensures tipped employees working on federal contracts will earn the same minimum wage as other employees on federal contracts,” the White House said.

The Biden order also revokes a carveout implemented by former President Donald Trump that excluded outdoor guides from the minimum wage rules.

[The Reformed American Republic]

Straw-manning about corporate logos is easy.

[Ifreann]

Straw-manning about corporate logos is easy.

You brought up corporate grandstanding, I'm talking about corporate grandstanding, what's the problem?

[Vassenor]

Straw-manning about corporate logos is easy.

So what do you want us to be talking about then?

[The Reformed American Republic]

Straw-manning about corporate logos is easy.

You brought up corporate grandstanding, I'm talking about corporate grandstanding, what's the problem?

I give fuck all about the logos, and was thinking more along the lines of knee jerk firing for something politically incorrect in a person's past and the like.

[Kilobugya]

Straw-manning about corporate logos is easy.

Ok, sorry. But overall those "cancel culture" and "corporate grandstanding" and "woke" are just show, theater. They don't really affect reality. The reality is still that Black people get killed by the police, LGBT people get bullied and discriminated, women are victim of sexual harassment, people are sent in jail for having a bit of cannabis on them, ... and the GOP still pushes laws and policies harming them everywhere it has power. So saying we went "too far on the left" on social issues is really looking at minor details of the packaging, not what happens in reality.

[The Huskar Social Union]

I was talking about corporate grandstanding and garbage like critical race theory in the mainstream, and the need to punish and cancel those who aren't "with the times" on a certain issue. The GOP is standing in defiance to this, though in the wrong way, and for terrible reasons. And sure, some "left-wing" positions will get support. Even I support marijuana legalization, even though I have strong disagreements with the left on social and cultural issues, and disagree with many elements of the mainstream that agrees with you guys on many cultural and social issues.

Leftism is when a corporation changes the profile picture on its verified Twitter account to something rainbow-flag themed for pride month.

Unless its in the middle east or anywhere else they treat LGBT people like dogshit.

[Genivaria]

You brought up corporate grandstanding, I'm talking about corporate grandstanding, what's the problem?

I give fuck all about the logos, and was thinking more along the lines of knee jerk firing for something politically incorrect in a person's past and the like.

Example?

[The Reformed American Republic]

Leftism is when a corporation changes the profile picture on its verified Twitter account to something rainbow-flag themed for pride month.

Unless its in the middle east or anywhere else they treat LGBT people like dogshit.

Logos weren't even what I was talking about.