11–20 of 33 posts
The frustrating thing is that there must be so many 'of us' and I can't help but think 'we' should organize. Not sure if this (blog) could be a starting point for that?
As a Western Europe based, peace loving, tolerant, introvert software dev I'm highly worried by what's happening in the world but at the same time feel totally powerless (I admit to be - for now - selfish enough to not be willing to jeopardise my family and career above this worry). The frustrating thing is that there must be so many 'of us' and I can't help but think 'we' should organize. Not sure if this (blog) cou…
I cannot stress this enough: for those of us not in the US, do not get sucked into the circus, focus on addressing the same forces locally where you can more easily make a difference.
I'm not even really seeing the short term gains here. It seems like despite making grandiose claims, the administration and the "broligarchs" are relying on cheap political wins ("owning the libs/woke") to placate their base in place of even pretending to accomplish anything that helps their constituents. This honestly surprised me. I'm not a fan of the MAGA set but I genuinely expected there to be some upsides here…
You don't believe their stated assertions that e.g. they are genuinely disturbed by the size of public borrowing and the growing debt and are taking what they see as desperate measures?
I expect this one to do the same, and expand the deficit to make big tax cuts. The Liz Truss budget.
I'm not even really seeing the short term gains here. It seems like despite making grandiose claims, the administration and the "broligarchs" are relying on cheap political wins ("owning the libs/woke") to placate their base in place of even pretending to accomplish anything that helps their constituents. This honestly surprised me. I'm not a fan of the MAGA set but I genuinely expected there to be some upsides here…
You don't believe their stated assertions that e.g. they are genuinely disturbed by the size of public borrowing and the growing debt and are taking what they see as desperate measures?
Also, even if it was believable, that's not an upside, it's a claim of ideological justification. An upside needs to be an action they've actually done that has actual tangible benefits
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You don't believe their stated assertions that e.g. they are genuinely disturbed by the size of public borrowing and the growing debt and are taking what they see as desperate measures?
All previous R governments have talked the same and increased the debt. I expect this one to do the same, and expand the deficit to make big tax cuts. The Liz Truss budget.
The point is that Congress is the one responsible for indebting the US, and it's both parties that are responsible. The Executive can only do so much to correct this, and even if Musk's claim of saving $2T turns out to be true, that still isn't even nearly enough to stem the tide of spending that has bankrupted the US.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
All previous R governments have talked the same and increased the debt. I expect this one to do the same, and expand the deficit to make big tax cuts. The Liz Truss budget.
And all previous D governments, no? The point is that Congress is the one responsible for indebting the US, and it's both parties that are responsible. The Executive can only do so much to correct this, and even if Musk's claim of saving $2T turns out to be true, that still isn't even nearly enough to stem the tide of spending that has bankrupted the US.
But if we were concerned about the budget, contractors are drastically more expensive than federal agencies and are much more dubious in their value proposition for the state or the public. It's just that the people involved made their fortunes on cushy government contracts and corporate welfare, so they won't go after it. The whole "fiscal conservatism" concept has always been a massive grift and this is the most blatant and obvious it's ever been
And you're absolutely right in saying that the Democrats are on the same grift, as their strategy has shifted to triangulation in the last 40 years, though the economic shocks they tend to produce over this insanity are generally smaller. The fact is, neoliberal economics has failed to produce widespread domestic prosperity, was likely an attempt to loot modern economies for an oligarch class from the beginning, and people keep accepting doubling down on these policies because they've been systematically misinformed about economic cause and effect through trite little analogies
Earlier quoted context omitted.
All previous R governments have talked the same and increased the debt. I expect this one to do the same, and expand the deficit to make big tax cuts. The Liz Truss budget.
And all previous D governments, no? The point is that Congress is the one responsible for indebting the US, and it's both parties that are responsible. The Executive can only do so much to correct this, and even if Musk's claim of saving $2T turns out to be true, that still isn't even nearly enough to stem the tide of spending that has bankrupted the US.
As a Western Europe based, peace loving, tolerant, introvert software dev I'm highly worried by what's happening in the world but at the same time feel totally powerless (I admit to be - for now - selfish enough to not be willing to jeopardise my family and career above this worry). The frustrating thing is that there must be so many 'of us' and I can't help but think 'we' should organize. Not sure if this (blog) cou…
Organize locally. I cannot stress this enough: for those of us not in the US, do not get sucked into the circus, focus on addressing the same forces locally where you can more easily make a difference.
>If we truly are to be a society of people who live on this planet together – a civilization - we must take care of each other.
Sublimated trotskyism on full display.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
And all previous D governments, no? The point is that Congress is the one responsible for indebting the US, and it's both parties that are responsible. The Executive can only do so much to correct this, and even if Musk's claim of saving $2T turns out to be true, that still isn't even nearly enough to stem the tide of spending that has bankrupted the US.
Hardly bankrupt, but: none of this is going to make a difference without cutting into the big pie of military spending which is pork-barreled to individual constituencies. Or the large amount spent on retirees because they're an important class of voters who have no employment income. Or putting up taxes.
https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/feder...