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Republicans Kill Popular FCC Program That Made Broadband Affordable for the Poor

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Re: Republicans Kill Popular FCC Program That Made Broadband Affordable for the Poor

#11

Post by downrightmike »

hilbert42 wrote: post #2

I don't live in the US although I've been there many times and I've even worked there at times yet I still cannot understand why the country is deliberately tearing itself apart on matters like this. If you want to alienate one section of one's community then this is a surefire way of doing it. Why is it that Republicans so despise and revile the poorer sections of their community? Don't they realize the actual damag…

It costs more money to service these customers, not profitable and that is all that matters to the indignant domestic terrorists. It fuels their anger, and all they want to do is be angry and not solve problems, and also to break systems that fix problems. A lot of the problem is that we have too many people that were denied opportunity or services that could have made them not pieces of shit. And now they fight tooth and nail to make sure that the system makes more people that are fucked over just like them. Stockholm syndrome kinda. Also makes sense when you look at whether they can read or not:

Nationwide, on average, 79% of U.S. adults are literate in 2022.

21% of adults in the US are illiterate in 2022.

54% of adults have a literacy below sixth-grade level.

21% of Americans 18 and older are illiterate in 2022.

Low literacy rates end up costing Americans up to $2.2 trillion every year.

https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/research/literacy-statisti....

Re: Republicans Kill Popular FCC Program That Made Broadband Affordable for the Poor

#13

Post by dkjaudyeqooe »

hilbert42 wrote: post #2

I don't live in the US although I've been there many times and I've even worked there at times yet I still cannot understand why the country is deliberately tearing itself apart on matters like this. If you want to alienate one section of one's community then this is a surefire way of doing it. Why is it that Republicans so despise and revile the poorer sections of their community? Don't they realize the actual damag…

Republicans are just ideologues, or for the current crop of MAGA Republicans, nutjobs with no discernable ideology.

You get the same in Europe with the far right parties, it's just that they don't share power.

Re: Republicans Kill Popular FCC Program That Made Broadband Affordable for the Poor

#14

Post by hilbert42 »

bigbillheck wrote: post #4
hilbert42 wrote: post #2

I don't live in the US although I've been there many times and I've even worked there at times yet I still cannot understand why the country is deliberately tearing itself apart on matters like this. If you want to alienate one section of one's community then this is a surefire way of doing it. Why is it that Republicans so despise and revile the poorer sections of their community? Don't they realize the actual damag…

They don't consider themselves to be in community with poor people.

Ha, someone upvoted my comment and then it disappeared in a second. To the outsider this says a lot. :-)

Re: Republicans Kill Popular FCC Program That Made Broadband Affordable for the Poor

#16

Post by matthewaveryusa »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #7
hilbert42 wrote: post #2

I don't live in the US although I've been there many times and I've even worked there at times yet I still cannot understand why the country is deliberately tearing itself apart on matters like this. If you want to alienate one section of one's community then this is a surefire way of doing it. Why is it that Republicans so despise and revile the poorer sections of their community? Don't they realize the actual damag…

There is no way to ask this question here without it devolving deep into politics, but here we go. Republicans don't have policy to run on. They pander to their base, while also laughing behind their back [1]. Their base votes for them because these representatives appeal to their feelings, even though the people they vote for are actively harming them (red states are finally, begrudgingly, adopting Federal Medcaid e…

>Their base votes for them because these Reps appeal to their feelings, even though the people they vote for are actively harming them.

You need to continue the logic here: So the democrats in shining white armor are here to help them out because they know better. This further antagonizes the republican base because worse than being destitute is to be dependent on government handouts.

On the united states being united: We've had a civil war. The big mistake a lot of folks make when looking at the united states is looking at them in a cohesive way. We aren't, we don't share common values, and only share laws that permit a common and efficient market (which includes defense and foreign policy.) Folks mostly choose to live in Missisippi/Texas vs Massachusetts/California. The social benefits and zeitgeist are very different and America is big enough to offer both styles of living.

Re: Republicans Kill Popular FCC Program That Made Broadband Affordable for the Poor

#17

Post by [deleted] »

hilbert42 wrote: post #2

I don't live in the US although I've been there many times and I've even worked there at times yet I still cannot understand why the country is deliberately tearing itself apart on matters like this. If you want to alienate one section of one's community then this is a surefire way of doing it. Why is it that Republicans so despise and revile the poorer sections of their community? Don't they realize the actual damag…

[deleted]

Re: Republicans Kill Popular FCC Program That Made Broadband Affordable for the Poor

#18

Post by sjsdaiuasgdia »

silent_cal wrote: post #8

This program was not for the "poor". I know because I got this discount, and I do not need it at all.

A program can be intended to help the poor and also create situations where people who have less need / no heed for help might be included. The world is complicated and sometimes it's easier and cheaper to allow this versus the kind of investigation, data analysis, and administrative overhead needed to more accurately target the benefit.

Re: Republicans Kill Popular FCC Program That Made Broadband Affordable for the Poor

#19

Post by adderthorn »

hilbert42 wrote: post #2

I don't live in the US although I've been there many times and I've even worked there at times yet I still cannot understand why the country is deliberately tearing itself apart on matters like this. If you want to alienate one section of one's community then this is a surefire way of doing it. Why is it that Republicans so despise and revile the poorer sections of their community? Don't they realize the actual damag…

I can speak as someone who lives in the US and in a state that has a republican super majority in our government. Without making this an issue specific to republicans, the US two-party government often creates an citizenry who views elections as a zero-sum game. One where one side wins and therefore the other must lose. Increasingly, republicans are attempting to foster an environment where the larger, democratic cities are "the problem" and therefore legislate to "punish" them by removing things like broadband for the poor.

Part of this is because the new GOP is mostly rural voters and they generally don't benefit from city investments. But part of it is to make a political point. Again, they only "win" when the other side "loses." Democrat politicians will do this too, but often not as much (in my experience) and often with less punitive motives. For example, killing coal plants wasn't punitive, but it ended up hurting a large section of rural economy that depended on the mining of coal for a living.

Re: Republicans Kill Popular FCC Program That Made Broadband Affordable for the Poor

#20

Post by MR4D »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #7
hilbert42 wrote: post #2

I don't live in the US although I've been there many times and I've even worked there at times yet I still cannot understand why the country is deliberately tearing itself apart on matters like this. If you want to alienate one section of one's community then this is a surefire way of doing it. Why is it that Republicans so despise and revile the poorer sections of their community? Don't they realize the actual damag…

There is no way to ask this question here without it devolving deep into politics, but here we go. Republicans don't have policy to run on. They pander to their base, while also laughing behind their back [1]. Their base votes for them because these representatives appeal to their feelings, even though the people they vote for are actively harming them (red states are finally, begrudgingly, adopting Federal Medcaid e…

A few corrections:

1 - Congress makes laws, not the President (although he signs them).

2 - Congressional members are elected directly, not by the electoral college.

3 - The electoral college is not impacted by whether people are rural or urban. [0]

States can always choose to apply subsidies themselves. They all have different tax rates already [1], so subsidies are easy if they want [1].

[0] - https://www.270towin.com/content/split-electoral-votes-maine...

[1] - https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/wireless-taxes-cell...

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