Thursday, December 31, 2020

In DC, $2,000 is too much for most Americans. But there's never enough for the rich ones

As Congress debates whether or not to give 90%+ of Americans $2,000 instead of $600 in a time of high unemployment and a record level of death keeping people from wanting to spend, let me remind you that a certain subset of Americans got their bailout from DC 3 years ago. Yeah, how dare we encourage consumers to spend money in an economy that has 2/3 of its activity based on consumer spending! Encouraging rich people to hoard cash and inflate stock market and real estate Bubbles is a MUCH better strategy. (Slams head on desk)

The lack of self-awareness is vomit-inducing. And yet idiots like this guy keep get re-elected (or at least the numbers say so). As a new batch of Americans becomes unemployed after the Holiday season, adding to the 20 million+ that are already receiving benefits, we have a new set of unemployment rules being passed down to states to figure out. And there is little to no guidance (or much money) from DC to help them get this figured out, and to get the extra funds out to those out of work. And watch as Wisconsin Republicans complain about the time it takes to get the new benefits out (no matter how quick it is), while not doing a thing to invest in technology or staff in the upcoming state budget to take care of such problems. Or in removing the red tape WisGOPs put in place to make it tougher for Wisconsinites to get those benefits.

It's also funny how we don't hear a WORD in the national debate over stimulus and the national debt about the easiest way to reduce the deficfit. Reverse the tax cuts for the rich and corporate that went through in 2017. And why haven't the Dems in charge of the House constantly held votes to overturn those giveaways, and why didn't they and Biden openly and forcefully run on that during the election?

It feels like this is coming to a head in 2021, especially as I believe the economy will continue to drag as COVID Winter drags on. And it is well past time to stop pussyfooting around the crippling inequalities that are obvious to anyone who cares to look.

One group of Americans has been able to buy their way out of pain and inconvenience in 2020. And we need to make them start chipping in and being as accountable as the rest of us.

4 comments:

  1. Nice work. But you omit the fact more Democratic senators voted to effectively kill the $2,000 measure than Republican senators. You also admit the fact Tammy Baldwin voted with Mitch McConnell and Ron Johnson to kill the measure. In Georgia, Republican Sens Kelly Loeffler (R) and Sunny Purdue (R), facing elections on Jan 5, are two of eight senators not voting. Democrats are crooks and liars, dude, and you are helping. http://malcontends.blogspot.com/2020/12/mitch-mcconnell-democrats-team-up-to.html

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    1. MAL - You must be drinking too much egg nog. The "measure" that Dems like Baldwin voted against was (predictably) laden with Mitch McConnell poison. Trump wanted the $2000 checks, along with investigations into "voter fraud" and repeal of Section 230, which Trump claims leads to censorship of right-wing crackpottery on Facebook and elsewhere. So McConnell dutifully linked the three in one bill to make sure it wouldn't pass. Do you see why Tammy Baldwin might have voted against it?

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    2. Actually, MAL is more correct on this one. The plan of Bernie Sanders and others who demanded the $2,000/month get a vote was to make sure there wasn't a vote to override Trump's veto of the NDAA. Because the veto override would somehow take up all the Senate's time, or something.

      So instead of calling that bluff, most Dem Senators decided to give the military its money. As the great Charlie Pierce put it.

      "It is important to note that, by the logic of the Senate, the country can afford $15.4 billion for the president*'s idiot Space Force next year, but it simply cannot afford the cost of keeping sick people from starving or being evicted. Dickens died too goddamn soon for these people."

      But no MAL, they are NOT the same. Only one side would willingly give expanded unemployment benefits and large stimulus checks. And only one party in power would make sure that Russian Ron Johnson wouldn't be wasting time on conspiracy theories while covering legitimate issues up as Chair of the Homeland Security Committee.

      Dems have to be better and tougher, but let's not pretend that both parties are the same. That mentality allows the full-scale evil in the GOP to keep winning.

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  2. Generally isn't the NDAA just a way to redistribute wealth? Aren't defense industry stocks a prize amongst the wealthy, guaranteed growth potential under the false flag of patriotism, throw in a never ending war and $$$$$$$.

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