Over a million people are out there chasing a solar eclipse, buying airplane tickets, renting hotel rooms at inflated prices and they have the nerve to say the economy is so bad they can't vote for Biden. This is just plain BS. Remember to vote in November! Thank You Robert!
Excuse me, but here in Vermont we are definitely seeing the middle class doing it. They may not all be buying plane tickets, but they’re driving in and filling up the hotels and available rooms … I’m sure some of them are also high-rollers, but loads are just-pain-folks who can afford a little extra this week for a very special event. They’re not throwing dollars out their car windows and buying $400 bottles of wine, but they’re OK with coming to see the event.
Expect gas prices to go up again. Putin & MBS plan on cutting oil & gas production in order to make gasoline prices soar just before the election. They both want Trump to win, as authoritarians everywhere do, & will use their considerable power to achieve this.
I hope there will be very blunt, honest reporting as gas prices go up under the control of Saudi Arabia, the OPEC cartel, Putin, Kushner and other criminal entities determined to get the trump crime organization back in the White House.
I avoid using the expression "back in power" because trump IS in power now; the coup was not an "attempted coup" but was successful in so many ways. trump and his cronies control the United States House of Representatives and to only a slightly lesser extent the U.S. Senate. They still control the U.S. Postal Service with trump minion De(no)Joy in charge, the same reforms needed as were revealed in the LAST two elections (and now comes the November election). They control the media. The appalling and lunatic trump harridan Marjorie Taylor Green is allowed to choose Speakers of the House based on trump's instruction. And so on and so on....
This is not "opposition" party philosophy. This is shadow government, parallel presidency, with NO elected authority to act as they are! Where are the members of the House who will tell Green to represent whatever backwater swamp elects her but that she does not run the country - and stop allowing her, as trump's moll, to do so!
Whatever levers that the criminal oligarchs of the world can pull to get their member in the U.S. back in the White House in November - gas prices, saber rattling, war-mongering, chaos, propaganda - they will pull. We must use our voices to demand that our media act like the "4th estate" again!
To put it all in context. The Saudis own a majority share in Exxon, and own the newest and biggest oil refinery in Texas.
The USA also produces more oil than it consume, yet it imports oil, because in part, the oil we refined is shipped overseas.
This props up OPEC and all administrations are bribed and pushed into permitting more and more oil well drilling
It is the global petroleum trade, that is responsible for the world's misery, all of it. The bright side is that increased usage will lead to the end of the antrhopogene, and that end is fast approaching because humanity is addicted to the stuff. Gaia will shake her head and shake off the lice, she's already doing it, with COVID, other diseases, earthquakes, hurricanes, cyclones, tornadpes. heat domes, polar storms, dying off of corals, and fish stocks, increase in the ozone zone.
We are addicted and can't stop doing what we are doing, despite our claimed concern for the future, collectively all we care about is the here and now.
Jamie, I’ve read that too. As I read your comment it occurred to me that President Biden could tell America ahead of time about Putin & MBS planning to cut oil & gas production just before the election so gas costs a lot more, so everyone knows what’s going on. Is there any downside if he does that?
Thank you! So many voters really DO NOT GRASP that our international economies are intertwined in many critical areas…gas/oil being one and wheat (from the Ukraine)….it would be interesting to see a list of products we count on from other nations and publish it for ALL AMERICANS to see‼️ it might bring an understanding to Americans why the USA is interested in maintaining international relationships in addition to simple politics.
Americans have always given Joe credit for the current health of our economy. It's the Trumpers who have a problem, either they are totally blind, or they just can't see.
Many trumpers are trying to discredit the low unemployment and high job gains on people just returning to their jobs after the pandemic. Also, I have never seen so many cars on the road any time of the day, every day in my 70+ years. Restaurants must be doing well. They are always packed and their prices have skyrocketed.
As noted above, Russia and Saudia Arabia are cutting oil production - again during an election year - to hurt Biden and help Trump. Let's do what we can to raise awareness and keep Biden from getting blamed again for high gas prices. I'm sure the execs responsible for greedflation would love to see Trump back in office, too.
The price of bread, beer, and gasoline seems to have less to do with who’s in the White House and more to do with greedheads producing the goods in question and playing loose and fast with the folderol about supply chains post COVID. Charge the price gouging to the guilty parties and not to the man doing what he can to curb such shameless profiteering.
What a waste though, I hope they all go blind. Seen one eclipse seen them all, it only last a few minutes.
It serves science though, as it gives them time to study the corona.
I even made a parachute jump during the eclipse, jumped at night landed in daylight. Whoopee. The jump wasn't my idea, I was part of a team, and even then thought it was stupid, so did Guiness.
More evidence that hundreds of million lives are banal, or there is scant evidence of human life on earth.
It would seem not. The brother-in-law is hosting a family friend and their family in Indianapolis. It’s the same there as the cat in Vermont described. People don’t drop coin on fuel, food, and lodging to dig a galactic event when they’re hurting.
Maybe the Lincoln Project or Biden's campaign could do a commercial thanking Biden for the great economy that allowed them to party on the eclipse the way they are.
Yeah! I’m 69 years old. This is most likely my last total eclipse. Seeing it with my granddaughter. Seems pretty sweet. Or as the credit card people say, “Priceless.”
Really? Priceless? Really? Igot more of a thrill watching the first Daffodils, Daiseys, and Dandelions rise out of the ground in March. I watch the sun go dark, every night, and the eclipse is only 4 mnutes long, this year,
Spending thousands of dollars, the discomfort of a bag drag, the hassle of driving or airport lines for a 4 minute experience, is not symptomatic of an intelligent life.
Damn William you really are a grumpster. But I love that you get a thrill outta Daffodils and Daisies and Dandelions and Sunsets. Under it all you're a real romantic.
I have not checked lately, but last week, places in Burlington were up to $500-600 for a night.
I don’t know what AirBnBs were doing.
On the news, we heard that wo motels where the state was putting up homeless families had turned the families out so they could rent the room to eclipse viewers.
Those are some of the DOWNside of people having a special experience.
Did the state pay for those families to stay somewhere else then? I'm glad to hear it was covered on the news. The eclipse will be great for businesses in its path - restaurants, AirBnBs, convenience stores, etc. Much of the 100% totality path is in red parts of the country.
I hope the people who live in the eclipse's path recognize that others are able to travel there (and spend money at local businesses) because they have some disposable income.
What do you consider middle class? I’m honestly curious. I feel like the economy is improving. I live in the Midwest, my spouse and I make roughly $140,000/year. We are still paying for our house and we have a car loan. We are driving 8 hours to see the eclipse. We are camping in the back of our truck, but that’s something we do regularly for fun anyway.
...surviving on a little less than that (Social Security) in a city where rents have been skyrocketing and general living costs are high.
Last summer I took one of my first "vacations" in years (only about 110 miles away) at the Long Beach (WA) International Kite Festival (a week long event). I was fortunate to have a retired friend who has a vacation home there so that really saved on costs.
If I did that trip on my own it would have cost close to a couple thousand as room rates were obscene, even trying to book as far in advance as December of the previous year. Before the pandemic I used to be able to find "reasonable" accommodations for the entire week for about 400$ The cheapest advance rate I could find last year was almost 1,300$.
I haven't taken a vacation in forty years. Couldn't afford it. Republicans kept wages low my entire adult working life, so I couldn't save either. I used to think I'd been born at a good time in our history, but it was my parents who enjoyed a wonderful life and a terrific retirement, traveling all over the world on his SS and a pension. I've simply been poor--it feels like forever! I'm so very, very tired of struggling.
I have a 2013 Prius, fully paid for. I almost never drive it. Pretty much only to the grocery and back and brief errands. (There's no public transportation where I live; a car is a necessity.) It has under 50K miles on it, and when I got it used, there was only 34K. I got a few thousand when my mother died, and that's where I put it. I wanted a dependable car with good gas mileage. I kind of wish I'd bought a van instead; imagining living in a tiny Prius makes me feel claustrophobic, and I'm not claustrophobic. ;)
Everybody wants to think they’re in the middle class.
Most of my family are earning under $100,000 annually {some of us, way under}.
I won’t even tell you what I live on — I’m retired, on SS, and still edit books to keep head above water.
My whole point was, SOME people {More these days? I don’t know - it’s hard to speak in generalizations} are able to make a single, special little trip. And we see them showing up …
Yes my dear THAT IS THE MIDDLE CLASS. They spend, spend and spend on those credit cards. Then they bitch that they have no money for food.
The rich do exactly what the want. Million dollar homes, yatchs, private schools, second homes, $100k cars, etc.
The middle class simply charge it, then they struggle with their mortgage. This is why interest rates are high in an attempt to get people to stop spending thousands on basketball trips, concerts, and cruises etc. It is sheer foolishness.
The unfortunate lower class poor are the ones struggling to feed their families, buy gas, and pay for housing. And yet many are still able to get their hair and nails "done" for high prices while ignoring the needs of their children. Oh yes, and now orgs expect us to feed children breakfast and lunch in schools because the parents aren't doing it at home anymore. Not only do we have to pay for their schooling but now we have to FEED them. And then everyone abuses teachers and fights the educators.
Of course the rich want Trump to win it will maintain their riches. And to middle class MAGAS are too uneducated to realize that they are going to be more screwed. The lower class is being removed from the voting roles by the GOP so that the rich will prevail become more viral and in controlling.
Wait until a corporation crosses Trump (if elected) he will take it down and take it over. And Trump will take control of the middle class. Forget about the lower class- they will be absolutely toast.
I agree with the article but basically most Americans are like black ants. They are ignorant and will go for the sugar water with every inch of their being and get
murderously stepped on by Trumps regime along the way.
It all depends how you define the middle class. Look at the Jan 6 conspirators, they were the middle class, all of them From Ashley Babbit to Stewart Rhodes, Ali Akbar, aka Ali Akbar, Nick Fuentes and the entire Jan 6 Choir.
The actual foot soldiers in the Jan 6 insurrection were probably mostly middle class — retired and/or off duty police and military, which includes members of known domestic terrorist groups and unlawful paramilitary grouos like the Proud Boys & Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, Nationalist Socialst Club and others. But many members of Congress also played a role in planning the attack, and Donald Trump himself paid visits to Stop the Steal Rallies via presidential motorcade in Washington and Marine One flyovers. Despite the Capitol attack, 147 Republican members of Congress voted against certifying Biden’s win. With little resistance, this collage of Trump supportets and extremist groups carried out a direct assault against a fundamental pillar of US democracy: the peaceful transition of power crom one administration to the next.
Trump is an Enemy of the American People, of our government and our Constitution. He must never be allowed to hold public office again.
And any ordinary middle class citizen who thinks Trump cares about the lives and well being of the American people is living in a delusion.
Trump cares only about money and power — for himself.
Hey Robert. I’ve always been a big fan of yours. Right now, however there is no way I will support Biden in anything after he has enabled this genocide to take place in Gaza. Unfortunately, he lost my vote. I cannot vote for someone who condone genocide with a clear conscious. Thanks, Pete deWolfe.
Peter - who will you vote for then? a non vote is a vote for drumpf. I don't like biden either, for his long neoliberal, corporate-coddling history. but he's not an overt fascist like drumpf. although, I do consider neoliberals to be proto-fascists. any action that supports corporations over people will ineviteably lead to fascism. that is the nature of capitalism.
anyway, i hope you change your mind before voting time. or maybe drumpf will finally be in prison where he belongs.
Further, when one watches theCon.tv. , we see the white collar criminals running the US in total. We have seen dribs & drabs in the news over decades but to watch this free 5 part series clarifies that the US is run by Wall Street, Banking, Mortgage criminals, including being decriminalized for their actions by Obama. Every President since Reagan is part of this. It is enraging to see it so clearly. And, that it is all still in play. The US is the Soviet Union of Corporate Corruption.
Phyllis, there’s already a huge Russian presence in the U.S. and they’ve bought about a 3rd of the republicans in the Senate and members of the House. Why we aren’t appalled by all of the illegal Russian money being given to republicans and doing something about it is beyond me. It’s documented on the internet for anyone to find.
So far those I can remember off the top of my head who’ve been accepting illegal Russian donations are: Trump of course, Louisiana senator Kennedy, Sen. McConnell, Sen Rand Paul, Sen. Marsha Blackburn & Speaker Mike Johnson (who is 2nd in line to the presidency after VP Harris—let that sink in)
In an article in Newsweek titled “Mike Johnson's Campaign Contributions From Company Tied to Russia,” Johnson's campaign donations from Russia were brought up following his election to House Speaker, a position which, as you know, is second in line to the presidency behind VP Harris. (Newsweek, 10/27/23, by Ewan Palmer)
In a scathing letter, two FEC commissioners, Dems Shana M. Broussard and Ellen L. Weintraub, condemned their Republican colleagues after the agency only fined American Ethane (a shell corp. used by Russians to give money to U.S. Repub.
Senators & members of the House.) a $9,500 civil penalty for donating to GOP candidates.
"Though American Ethane did pay a civil penalty, it was a slap on the wrist that failed to account for a violation of one the most fundamental provisions entrusted to this Commission to enforce," wrote Broussard and Weintraub. “Non-Americans whose money is now finding its way into American campaigns—mostly benefiting Republican candidates—include Russian oligarchs, the Saudi royal family, European financiers, Chinese Corp.
corporate conglomerates & many other people & orgs. that owe their allegiance to powers other than the U.S. Let me make something 100% clear, It is illegal for any person to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election.”
Here’s something else to keep you awake at night:
“Foreign investors now own a whopping 40 % of the shares of American corporations. That's up from just 5 percent in 1982. American corporations are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to influence elections…” (Newsweek, 5/31/22, Robert Reich)
If anyone thinks they’re poor now, it will get much, much worse if Trump wins. Wall St., corporations & private equity will become wealthier too, as long as Trump gets his cut.
Peter, I suggest you get on the internet and look up Project 2025. Although the language in it is sugar-coated, you should be able to read between the lines
to know the true meaning of what’s being said. It’s a document written and endorsed by the republican party. It lays out a plan for completely revamping our government regardless of the Constitution, so that every, single employee who is a civil servant will be fired if they don’t sign a loyalty pledge to Donald Trump.
That means every employee in the State Dept., every attorney working for the Dept. of Justice, every ambassador, every employee in the foreign service, every General, & everyone answering to that general, everyone in the National Guard, every Cabinet member, every federally appointed judge, everyone
on the National Security Council, every employee in the Office of Management and Budget, everyone who works at the EPA, etc. will be loyal to Trump &
no one else.
It means the rights granted to us by the Constitution
will disappear, there will be no freedom of speech,
or the press and no right to peacefully assemble.
We will eventually have a national religion. The right to keep and bear arms will no longer exist. The government will be able to search us, our homes
and our other property at will and seize any of our possessions without a warrant or compensation.
We will be subject to arrest without due process & without knowing what we are being arrested for. We will have no right to a speedy trial and we can be put in prison indefinitely without a right to a public trial. We will have no right to vote. There won’t be a ban on cruel and unusual punishment, meaning American
citizens can be tortured by our government.
It’s likely there won’t be any further elections, ever,
for any office. Donald Trump will appoint whomever
he wants to appoint for every office without the
necessity of confirmation by the Senate or the House. All people born in another country will be
rounded up and put in camps. (Trump has specifically said he will put foreigners in camps.)
Donald Trump will set taxes wherever he wants them to be, without input from Congress. All new laws will be what Trump wants them to be without input from
anyone. All federal & state government employees
and members of the armed services will take an oath to Donald Trump—not to a constitution or a country.
This! This is something that everybody needs to know & understand that it contains their plans for reality in this country if TFG reclaims his seat in the White House! These aren't just idle fantasy threats. They've been planning this for years and they only need Scump to become the president again to bring it all to life!
We need to do everything we can via all available means of communication to spread the word & help educate people with facts instead of fear!
Peter, I’m with you. I cannot support killing these children. Anyone who calls themselves a Christian or spiritual or just a humanist cannot support this.
But, as "a Christian, spiritual, or just a humanist" you can support all that the other guy has done & will continue to do/escalate to inflict pain on the less fortunate for the sake of his own ego & pleasure? 🤔😑
I just saw 37,000 people in Texas at an eclipse festival. Definitely not a crowd of wealthy people. There were two subsections of glamping tents that were pretty pricey—demand was so high the festival expanded the space and crowded more in!
What's really crazy is that the event will show up on Youtube from from every conceivable angle for years to come. They could have spent the money on fixing the roof or something.
Not until that huge segment of people start feeling it in their day to day lives. Rents all time high. Mortgage’s unattainable for sooo many. So many of those jobs that have lowered unemployment have been manufacturing low-paying jobs. Many of those jobs there’s one person working two of them just to make ends meet. Filling up at the gas station every week. Paying the heating bill. Electric companies wanting to increase rates every six months. going to the grocery store and spending $50 and walking out with one bag. Price gouging everywhere. It’s not being felt by the majority of the hard workers. The backbone of America doesn’t feel it. And no one listens.
Hedda, one big reason rent is high because private equity companies (private equity = groups of investors) have been buying up properties & putting them on the market as rentals: In the past decade, private equity-backed firms entered the multifamily apartment market, snapping up rentals by the thousands and became major landlords in American cities, according to ProPublica’s analysis of National Multifamily Housing Council data.
ProPublica found the private equity buying
spree has been fueled in part by Freddie Mac,
the nation’s largest rental housing financier. Affordability is supposed to be central to
Freddie Mac’s mission. To the degree that
they are financing purchases by private equity
firms that then dramatically raise rents, they are
working directly counter to their goal.
Freddie Mac’s affordability mission was created to provide liquidity and stability to housing markets
and is supposed to provide consistent support throughout the market to achieve that goal,” said
a spokesperson, who declined to be named.
During the Great Recession more than 3.7 million households went through foreclosure. Private equity firms then bought up tens of thousands of single-family homes lost to foreclosure and turned them into rentals, and renters said the companies charged exorbitant rents and fees, neglected repairs and bullied tenants. (Pro Publica, 2/7/22, by Heather Vogell)
All of the above is my way of saying, private equity
and corporations have been enabled by republicans
to rip off the middle class and low income families.
It is a terrible situation, combined with the reality that there is a serious shortage of housing. I assume it is these private equity firms - or similar - that buy “starter” homes with cash offers, outbidding middle class people who actually want to live there, and then flip the houses so they’re no longer in the starter home price range. We do not have a level playing field. The scary thing is that people who don’t pay attention blame Biden, because they don’t know what he and progressive legislators want to accomplish and how Repubs+corporate Dems have obstructed progress.
Yes these are all true points- the ones that Robert speaks of that are trends of 40 year systemic problems. Trump benefits from these problems but he has zero solutions. He has promised to cut the taxes for the billionaires more, and round up immigrants in cages but that is all.
Most of current financial issues are related to almost 50 years of republican economic policy These policies have sucked 10s of trillions of dollars from the lower and middle class to the very upper class. Kid yourself not. Trickle down my patoot.
I am lower middle class. My son works paycheck to paycheck. We are a huge segment of the society. I don’t know anyone spending that kind of money chasing the eclipse. Most of us spent six bucks for a pair of glasses so we can stand in the backyard and watch it.
Biden's admin is starting the work to reduce the power of some of the monopolies responsible for our higher prices, lower wages, and limited information. They're suing Amazon, Alphabet (Google/YouTube), Meta (Facebook/Instragam/Whatsapp), and Apple. I believe if Biden wins again and IF we can get a majority of Dems/progressives in the Senate and House of Representatives, they will do more to break up the monopolies that are making our lives harder. I've been very happy to see Biden is listening to Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and has already implremented some of their proposals that will help all of us in the 99%. My state (MN) has a Dem governor and Dem majorities in the senate and house of representatives, and they passed a tax rebate for middle and lower-income people, among many other changes they've made that will help those of us who are not rich.
I don’t follow your logic with the lawsuits you mention. Amazon is usually lowest or close to it with its pricing. Google and Meta are essentially free. Apple is expensive but there are alternatives if you want them and their devices typically last for years.
Honda, Amazon may have started out as the lowest in pricing, but it’s no longer that way:
“A “price floor” After a years-long investigation, the FTC sued Amazon in September, alleging the company used anticompetitive practices to keep its competitors from getting a foothold in the digital retail space.” (Seattle Times, 2/6/24, by Lauren Rosenblatt)
“Today, the Justice Department, along with the Attorneys General of California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia, filed a civil antitrust suit against Google for monopolizing multiple digital advertising technology products in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.”
(U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Public Affairs,
1/24/23)
“Justice Department Sues Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone Markets” “Apple’s Broad-Based, Exclusionary Conduct Makes It Harder for Americans to Switch Smartphones, Undermines Innovation for Apps, Products, and Services, and Imposes Extraordinary Costs on Developers, Businesses, and Consumers” ( U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, 3/21/24)
“The U.S. Department of Justice and Google are awaiting the verdict of a landmark antitrust trial that alleges Google's anti-competitive behavior led to its dominance. And Meta is now the target of state lawsuits, alleging it harmed the mental health of kids and misled the public about online safety.” (PBS. org, 12/26/23, by Stephanie Sy & Shoshana Dubnow)
I agree with you that these companies are all out to dominate and engage in gross anticompetitive behavior but I was referring to their effects on prices for consumers. Google and meta are free to the end user and Amazon has great prices and service. Apple makes excellent products and there are many choices for android phones, windows pc’s, etc.
If you are talking to me, Betty, yes they do. Plain old hardworking folks live around here.
And it’s not my neighborhood I’m talking about. It’s Vermont. A state FULL of plain old hardworking folks, along with those who have a lot more.
I know tons of people with LOTS of money ARE buying plane tickets and going to expensive resorts. And a lot of our hotels here are gouging people for the rooms they’re renting — that is a fact.
But having a ton of money to toss off on a whim wasn't my point. My point is that a LOT of just-plain-folks CAN get in their cars or take a bus or a train and travel a tiny bit to see something special this year.
Our economy HAS improved and is continuing to do so. And a lot of people who work hard for their daily bread are able to make a choice to spend a little bit to have an experience.
That is the idea I am talking about.
It’s always been the case that the very wealthy will complain about the cost of maintaining the society we all share, and then they’ll blow wads of money on their own luxuries. They think that’s they’re due … unaware of how much we ALL contribute toward making sure we have a functioning society that allows people to live their daily lives in relative security …
But I was saying that I see lots of everyday folks able to find the resources to enjoy a little holiday and see this eclipse, and that’s kind of nice.
If our economy is improving, that’s kind of nice, too.
Yes. The economy is improving. The article is about why some people don't feel it is improving. Suddenly it turns into a lot of judgmental holier-than-thou finger wagging and eye-rolling and victim blaming. There are a lot of people who are suffering financial insecurity and whether it is their own fault or not is beside the point. I thought the basic premise of being a liberal was to suspend judgments and just help people who need it.
Mac, you make a good point, but be aware that not all liberals feel that they have to help the poor. As to Robert's article, I do not share his optimism, because housing will remain unaffordable to many, and gas prices are unlikely to go down. Confronted with insurmountable problems, Biden has been unable to inspire hope. Sad to say so, but many of those who support him do so because of their abhorrence of Trump.
As I said, in the second most expensive state, New York, gas prices have FULLY STABILIZED! They'll go up as it gets warmer like every year, but under $3.50 is AMAZING considering we were almost at $6 under Bunkerboy before he surrendered to Covid-19.
I'll explain it to you Miriam. Gas has gone up again over 60 cents here in Indiana. Likely due in part to the fact that Saudi Arabia and Russia have begun their manipulation of oil prices. They want to hurt Biden to help Trump get elected. The possibility of $5-6 a gallon gas prices by November is a very real possibility. Check out Thomas Hartmann here on Substack for more information. He is invaluable.
Not in any way, shape, or form, AK. You have no idea.
I am just reflecting on what is going on in the world. Things are very tough! Way too many people are struggling like crazy. I am struggling like crazy.
But there are small bright spots.
Not nearly ENOUGH of them. If we hold onto a Democrat in the White House, we might see even more improvement. Democrats tend to preside over improving economies {look it up}.
The migration of wealth from labor to oligarch BALOONED since the Reagan years. Mostly because of policies that became popular back then, and have been doubled down on since then. Even Clinton — who balanced our budget! — put too much emphasis on Wall Street and not enough on Main Street.
Joe Biden really does have Main Street in his policies.
If we give him a second term, it will keep showing up.
Yes, Paula. If we hamstring a good president with an obstructive legislature, we are only hurting ourselves. There was a time, when people went to Washington to govern, even if they disagreed with each other from time to time. Now, they go to rule — and don’t nobody stand in their way! It’s a shame how the idea of “governing” has disappeared.
I was VERY surprised when I saw President Biden be THE first president in history to JOIN A PICKET LINE!!! I have started to think this past year that he WAS the right pick over Bernie Sanders. His experience in politics has been a boon to us in the 99%!
I think Bernie would have been terrific, with a decent and active legislature behind him. He needs good idea people with him—but so does every president.
There are areas in which I think Biden has blind spots. But he talks to people and listens and he does learn.
There’s nobody on the horizon who is going to do a better job. No third party person can do more than skew the vote. They can’t influence who gets in, but a third party is NOT going to get elected this year, and wanting that to change is not going to make it OK to let Trump win in November.
I’d love third parties in the mix, too! In Vermont, we actually have them! If we want them countrywide, we have to BUILD that system — and not trash the one we have in the meantime.
If we don’t elect a Democrat this year, we are selling our climate and our democracy down the river.
I thought it was admirable that he was willing to stand by our secretary of defense! His cancer commonly affects the brain. The disrespect there, even though at the time I didn’t care for Joe either, was something that never should’ve happened. To me and far right will scoff but I don’t care—that was an act of God to stand by basically a traitor..
Maybe President Biden needs to come out with the equivalent of Cowboy Ronnie’s goofyass “Breakfast in America” spot. Ah, that’s right, it was “Morning in America”. My bad. It had all the meaningful content of a sugar rich breakfast cereal, and people ate it up even as the watched their wages stagnate and the standard of living drop precipitously. No, what President Biden needs to do is claim and trumpet his efforts and his results. Period.
Indeed. I recall it. ‘Twas part of my adolescent soundtrack. I delivered the morning paper as a lad. Well I knew the real “Morning in America”. I greeted it along with the milkman and folks on their way to good paying jobs with good benefits won by strong unions. Thos days are gone and they aren’t likely to return, but good days needn’t be behind us, things of the past. President Biden is working quietly and diligently to ensure opportunities for renewed and sustainable prosperity are a thing of the present and the future, thereby ensuring the American Dream remains very much alive for all of us and for our issue. This I believe.
Jeff, this economy is not the same for everyone. There are some people who have money to spare and others who do not. You apparently are doing alright but you probably got a good education and a good job as a result. Many rural people people didn’t get a good education and the good paying union jobs went elsewhere cuz the those populations were more than happy to work for wages that wouldn’t put food on the table here. Moreover, the countries where those jobs went didn’t have labor safety and environmental laws which exist here.
Big agricultural corporations bought up the independent farmers and monopolies like Walmart crushed local mom & pop retailers. So young folks headed to urban service jobs or the military where they could get training if they lucky that would get them a living wage when their enlistment was up. I have a brother who found that is a perilous path to a decent income. Your over simplification is just B.S.
Ridiculous bullshit. I think the economy thing is made up by our Trump heavy media. If not out and out Trump humpers it is all about the horse race and forcing the Biden Administration to maintain the policies and drift of Reaganomics.
I will not Vote Biden. NEVER AGAIN.. interesting slogan that applies to the current genocide that Biden is complicit in. NO JOE.. And I'm all of 77 and join MANY seniors not voting Biden. It's not just the YOUTH that are in protest against genocide, but many of us post war baby boomers..
It would be like ‘30’s n ‘40’s Germany. Hoping him , Miller, Bannon, Flynn and the 147 congressional POS are imprisoned. They are treasonous bastards! And there are more.
Duopoly--no primary debates with Biden--dark money--Aipac stranglehold on elections--Trump and Biden same Israel policy--Biden promised Public option during his 2020 run.. lied. He said, I will veto any Medicare for All Bill that crosses my desk. On Biden's watch mass murder in Gaza--sending US bombs to Israel violating Leahy legislation that precludes arms to a country blocking humanitarian aid...Biden stated the UN resolution for Ceasefire during Ramadan is "non binding" when it is binding. Biden admin. vetoed two or three preceding ceasefire resolutions. So I will not vote Biden. Never again... member, Jewish Voices for Peace.
With your experience, you would think you would actuallys ee the value in the Democratic Presidency which has created more jobs, and a strong economy. Yes, the wealthy are getting richer, but the middle class is getting stronger and we are still spending, which is the key. Savers kill economies, spenders grow the economy. Creating 300k jobs each month will create more spenders and that is what the economy needs. Help the young, vote Democrat and spend, like it matters, cause it does.
I grew up in a different time when debt was not fiscally acceptable & led to bad endings for those who wanted to have money for retirement and didn’t. I love the free market, small businesses, the flag, volunteerism, and singing the anthem, legal immigration. Just a different perspective. Biden, or Harris will be leading the country again. No worries for you.
I have heard that assisted living places are charging $5000-$10,000/mo. So we all have to save.
(I don’t know anything about trademarks, but why did Ivanka trump get a trademark for nursing homes? This was back when she got one for caskets too. Maybe before the pandemic?)
Who said I was voting Trump. Will not vote Biden or Trump.. The choice otherwise is mine and I don't need you or others trampling on it.. as Hillary says, GET OVER IT. What's wrong with her? the well known war monger in chief who blames Bernie and everyone else for her loss.
No one said you were voting trump. The implication is that not voting for Biden is like voting for trump.
We just want you to think about the unintended consequences of not voting. It is, of course, your choice while we are still a democracy. Unlike in Russia where the people were made to vote for Putin, trump’s idol.
Speak for yourself, and frankly, I am done responding. Must 1) practice. 2) teach so I can make a living and support myself. The original subject was the economy.. so full circle I have said enough. I wish you well.
Ok, there’s no need to respond Shirley. But I suggest you get on the internet and look up Project 2025. Although the language in it is sugar-coated, you should be able to read between the lines to know the true meaning of what’s being said. It’s a document written and endorsed by the republican party. It lays out a plan for completely revamping our government regardless of the Constitution, so that every, single employee who is a civil servant will be fired if they don’t sign a loyalty pledge to Donald Trump.
That means every employee in the State Dept., every attorney working for the Dept. of Justice, every ambassador, every employee in the foreign service, every General, & everyone answering to that general, everyone in the National Guard, every Cabinet member, every federally appointed judge, everyone
on the National Security Council, every employee in the Office of Management and Budget, everyone who works at the EPA, etc. will be loyal to Trump & no one else.
It means the rights granted to us by the Constitution will disappear, there will be no freedom of speech, or the press and no right to peacefully assemble. We will eventually have a national religion. The right to keep and bear arms will no longer exist. The government will be able to search us, our homes and our other property at will and seize any of our possessions without a warrant or compensation.
We will be subject to arrest without due process & without knowing what we are being arrested for. We will have no right to a speedy trial and we can be put in prison indefinitely without a right to a public trial. We will have no right to vote. There won’t be a ban on cruel and unusual punishment, meaning American
citizens can be tortured by our government.
It’s likely there won’t be any further elections, ever,
for any office. Donald Trump will appoint whomever
he wants to appoint for every office without the
necessity of confirmation by the Senate or the House. All people born in another country will be
rounded up and put in camps. (Trump has specifically said he will put foreigners in camps.)
Donald Trump will set taxes wherever he wants them to be, without input from Congress. All new laws will be what Trump wants them to be without input from anyone. All federal & state government employees and members of the armed services will take an oath to Donald Trump—not to a constitution or a country.
If you don’t have a problem living like that, then by all means don’t vote.
77 years old born a year after WWII ended my Dad was still serving in Germany that year, he enlisted at 15 years old . He was there to help stop Hitlers genocide and keep us free , and let everyone vote as they wish. I think Trump is the second coming of Hitler and he is going to allow genocides to happen around the world without any possibility of a strong U.S. to stop them.But by all means register a protest vote against Joe Biden and enjoy watching the world crumble under Trump ! My Father fought for your right to register that protest vote.When I put flowers on his grave this Memorial Day,I’ll tell him and the other WWII veterans buried around him that You said thanx!
About a year ..maybe about 9 months after ,could he be genetically connected to Hitler himself? Sunderkinden perhaps 🤔? Ya never know! The resemblance in political thought is absolutely amazing !🏴☠️
A DNA sample from a handburder wrapper is needed! Hitlers genes are available,hmmmmm ,…there must be thousands of them,like bread crumbs in Hansel and Gretel ,Fatboy leaves them where ever he goes ! …I wonder?😏🤔
My dad was Army Air Force WWII--under the bombs of the airstrip in England. Both my parents were blacklisted by DEMS and Repugs... ugly period in American history. If my dad were alive today, he would not vote for Biden or Trump. and don't try to convince me otherwise. NO DEMOCRACY in this country. I am looking to emigrate! If Trump is elected you can say Biden and his complicity in genocide handed it to him. Shame on JOE!
If trump wins, it won’t matter where you go. Unless you’re rich enough to rub elbows with the oligarchy. He will join with all the other authoritarians and life will be bleak.
OK, but Biden is not causing the carnage in Palestine, his options are limited. I agree, but Biden is trying to navigate a very difficult issue. One the Jewish influence in America is overwhelming. If we lose the Jews, we lose a lot of votes and money. Its not like Isreal is innocent, but neither is Palestine. Palestinians donot vote and they do not contribute. Its a tuff fight. Old joe is doing what he can, given a very weak hand. He and the Democrats become the best hope of a two state solution and peace, prosperity and security for the middle east, as opposed to the alternative, which will destroy all Palestine and supporting Isreal's continued authoritarian rule over the midddle east. Elect Democrats and keept the pressure on them and peace will prevail.
Biden is complicit in the carnage by sending US bombs, and more to Israel. Our taxes are supporting genocide. I am JEWISH.. both sides Ashkenazic and there are many, many JEWS like me, totally opposed to the US role in these massacres. Totally outraged by US/UN vetoes of Ceasefire Resolutions, and the last vote as abstaining and saying the Ceasefire during Ramadan was NON-BINDING. Totally a lie according to the signees of the Security Council. Same for the ICJ plausible genocide being snickered at by Blinken/Biden. and Haughty Kirby crying for Ukrainian dead kids, and not shedding a tear for Gazan babies. Who are they all kidding? It must end now... Permanent Ceasefire... think about the World Kitchen workers KILLED. some mistake that was .. three different HITS... NEVER AGAIN. No JOE!
I was thinking about posting this also. A threshold crossed when a Republican in his position is saying that Russian propaganda has infected the GOP base.
Trump says to Bibi: “Finish the job”. Biden may be weak on getting him to stop the genocide and while I am against him sending weapons, Trump actually supports fully and believes in what Bibi is doing. I do not understand why you would do an action that results in someone worse for the Palestine people if you honestly care about them. Are you not being selfish with your sense of pure ideology and letting that get in the way of voting practically. People did the same in 2016 with Hilary and Trump. Do you think the world was better because Trump won. All those who stayed home “for their conscience” did not make the world a better place. It only resulted in something worse. Noone applauded their moral aptitude. The primary no confidence vote was clever and sent a message. Electing Trump again and destroying our Democracy will not.
You are way off the mark. The two policies embraced by Trump and Biden are the same. Both are Extreme Zionists.. Yes I said it. Are you aware of the Great March of Return. a nonviolent march where Palestinians were shot at--legs torn off. Are you aware that the six beheaded babies has proven false from Oct. 7th even IDF and Gallant admitted. But Biden kept repeating the lie--saying he saw a video. He lies all the time. Do you recall Biden licking an ice cream cone and saying a Ceasefire would happen in a few days.. solely to depress UNCOMMITTED votes in Michigan.. Sorry Joe, the Arab Americans and others turned out in droves. they are not voting Biden. Are you aware that prior to Oct. 7th, that Israel committed periodic "mowings of the lawn." You know what that means. Both Biden and Trump have the same policies.. but face it, ON BIDEN'S watch there is now disproportionate revenge on a total PEOPLE.. everyone is being punished. It's GENOCIDE. There is ethnic cleansing. And frankly, personalizing against me resorting to your characterization of selfishness seems to be your only arsenal in your post--it belies facts. Reminds me of mainstream media that I do not watch period..... seeing is believing. maimed, starving children--pregnant women who cannot give birth safely.. many who are killed. many under the rubble. that is not being selfish to call a spade a spade. NEVER AGAIN means just that. Now start calling me a self-hating Jew which goes along with your territory.
You seem to think trump would do better? He would recommend nuking Gaza to "get it over with quickly" (his words). Biden has been in ongoing talks for a ceasefire and providing humanitarian care to Gaza. He can't control What Netanyahu does. His own country can't reign him in. We only have so much control what happens on the other side of the world. Perhaps if we were able to flush out the Hamas that would be the most constructive efforts. Why has Gaza been unable to do that? Then you have Trumps son-in-law circling like a vulture to possibly buy up some prime coastal land in Gaza.
Exactly Jeff. And dumping their pets to be killed in shelters while they do these things and spend their money on fast foods, drugs, gambling, and the eclipse.
that I don't understand. There have been eclipses in the past and i don't remember this excitement or hysteria for it. And somehow they all look alike!!!!
People are still suffering from obscene housing costs and food inflation costs. I think those are the main factors dragging down people’s feelings about the economy. Not just the number of jobs which mostly don’t pay a decent liveable wage.
We all know that President Biden has created more jobs than any president in memory. And yes, as long as we are in thrall to capitalism, that is a good thing. It beats high unemployment.
But what the president can't control is the underlying problem that is late stage capitalism. I have written about this a lot.
Unfortunately, as long as the grievance collectors and the press fail to recognize the true culprit causing our pain they will continue to blame the president.
Until predatory capitalism is replaced as the ruling force in the world we will see this sort of wage slavery and exploitation. It is considerably worse in the United States than most other large Western nations, for reasons too complex to get into here.
One is a political system the other an economic system. Capitalism reigns as the global economic system, but not all the countries of the world are fascist. Not even the United States, yet. We are, at this moment, still a representative democracy, even if that status is hanging by a thread.
If we have any hope of changing the economic system, it must remain a democracy.
Gonna start following you! Thank you! I’m just starting to dive into policies and really enjoy different view points to help me make up my own mind. What about Nikki’s plan to reel in Covid money in? I don’t know how that works. Can you explain that to me?
If I might recommend another substack, I think you would enjoy Heather Cox Richardson's musings. Most include a historical context and are VERY interesting.
Bingo, Diane! You just hit the proverbial nail on the head about why people are not giving Biden this enigmatic "credit" for a "great economy" that Robert and the Democrat loyalists in this comments section are insisting he is owed. This "Infrastructure" Bill and "Inflation Reduction" Bill, and these alleged anti-trust laws Robert has previously credited the Biden administration for, has done nothing that the working class actually notices. But it's nice to see a rational thinker who actually speaks like they live in the same country I do in this comments section. Thank you.
I do give Biden credit for what he has done. In our unregulated capitalist economy, he has zero control over food and housing costs. So I was not criticizing either Biden or Robert in my comment. The economy is complicated. My opinion is we need far more socialism to control the cost of necessities. But I doubt that will happen with the uncontrolled influence the corporations have here.
CORPORATE SOCIALISM: The government mostly benefits corporations. Most major industries are privately owned, but still receive substantial tax CRS, bailouts and other benefits at the expense of the taxpayers. It is driven by the corporations’ ability to influence laws with large amounts of money to pay for legislation that favors corporations’ to make even more money. With CORPORATE SOCIALISM, the wealthy become even wealthier At the expense of lower classes. This system is essentially a Plutocracy = rule by the wealthy.
IDK, it seems like it to me. This is from a textbook “Socialism 101”
Yeah, it would be great if we had democratic socialism, but there are many Americans that only see the word “socialism” and think it will take the freedom away. Socialism is the government owns most major industries. A single party or dictator rules the government. The system allows for little personal freedom, and is closely aligned with Authoritarianism.
Trump wants to be a dictator and his base, except for the corporatists, do not realize they will suffer along with the rest of us. It amazes me they don’t realize he couldn’t care less about them, but loves their adoration and money. He is the epitome of a conman/grifter with aspirations of becoming a dictator.
Dianne, the Scandiavian countries are small and the people are very uniform. For instance the 12th largest poultry producer in the US produces about 3% of total Us production. However in one week they produce more chicken than the entire country of Denmark produces in a year.
With a uniform population, with good educations and only small industrial output, the country is easier to manage versus the US with great
Diversity in peoples,
Educations, and extremely large worldwide industrial companies.
Watch. theCon.tv. All 5 free episodes. You have seen bits and pieces in the news over decades but this documents the entirety of the US Corruption from Reagan through Trumpty. White collar criminals run the US now . Worse or as bad as fascism.
No worse will be this corrupt economic system with authoritarian rule. Then we will truly be an authoritarian oligarchic republic. We are still a democratic republic but more and more oligarchic with corporate reign. No way is now worse than it would be under fascism. People have no idea how much freedom they still have that could be lost.
Rebecca, Watch. theCon.tv You have seen snatches of the reporting over decades. But, when you see it in its entirety, free, 5 sessions, you realize how deep into it we are. From Reagan through Trumpty. If Wall Street privatizes social security and the repugnants deconstruct social security like they are doing with the post office, it is over... Time for bloody revolution.
Did I say socialism or Democratic Socialism? There is a pretty big difference.
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM: The government mostly benefits citizens. Major industries can be privately owned (Capitalism) but do not receive handouts from the government At taxpayers expense. The tax burden is shared equally, with wealthy corporations and individuals their fair share to help fund public services like education, healthcare, policemen, firefighters, roads, Libraries, etc. With this system, middle class thrives and poverty decreases. This system most closely aligns with Democracy = rule by people. This is where we should be; however, we are in the corporate socialism stage right now.
Who do you think will pay all this free money you advocate handing out? Not the corporations, those are just legal structures. It's the consumers of the products. If you think the CEO is over paid then ratchet up the tax rates on extreme levels of income, and simplify the tax code, but don't hose the consumers.
We citizens are getting tired of misdirection, propaganda, victimizing our neighbors, and political nonsense.
I you like a program then donate to it. Don't try to force others.
I agree we have had inflation, but the real question is, "Will Trump and the Republicans (if elected) make it any better"? They will cut taxes for the rich, cut social security and medicare/medicaid, lower minimum wages, allow corporate merger (reducing competition), and prevent the IRS from collecting corporate and rich peoples' taxes. I fail to see how any of these will put money in working class pockets, or even reduce inflation. If the Powell and the Fed reduced their balance sheet, it might help inflation, but at the cost of many jobs if done too quickly.
If trump gets into office again, you will not recognize America. The amount of suffering will be enormous for the lower classes. Only the .1% and up will benefit.
If you think things are bad for the 99% now, they will be infinitely worse with a pathological ignoramus who only cares about himself. I will vote for Biden because there is mo other choice (as usual) unfortunately. Is my memory failing me ir didn’t Biden say he would be a one term president the last time?
Things are as bad as they are BECAUSE Republicans have skewed our economy to favor the already-wealthy. They ain’t gonna make it better for the rest of us.
Also, Trump promises to levy a 10% tariff (tax) on all imports, which will drive inflation into the stratosphere. It will also start a trade war, which will adversely impact businesses that export goods. If you think inflation is bad now, if Trump becomes president, you ain't seen nothing yet.
When people invest for retirement, they become part owners of those corporations by owning shares. But most investors don’t pay attention to what those corporations are doing as long as their investment funds go up. Investors need to take more responsibility
Christofer, President Biden's Infrastructure Bill and Inflation Reduction Bill did exactly what they were suppose to do! He still is working on the anti-trust laws. Many people are still struggling because the corporations have not lowered the prices they raised during the pandemic. In fact, many are price gouging which makes it very hard for the working class. That is the oligarchs and the corporations fault not President Biden. They are in it to get as much profit as possible for their shareholders. That is why it is so important to turn our country toward stakeholder capitalism. People are blaming President Biden when, in fact, they should be blaming the richy rich and the corporations!!
Even before the pandemic, TRUMP built a national debt so big it will weigh down the economy for years!
His tax cuts for billionaires alone added $8 TRILLION to the debt.
TRUMP OVERSAW ONE OF THE LARGEST DEFICIT INCREASES OF ANY PRESIDENT WHO WAS NOT A WARTIME POTUS.
FDR added the largest %age increase, pulling the US out of the Great Depression & funding our effort in WWII (791.8%)
Woodrow Wilson ranks second, funding WWI (789.8%)
The next 6 top ranking increasers of the nat’l debt are ALL REPUBLICANS, except for Barack Obama, who signed the ARRA stimulus act to create & recover jobs lost during the great recession.
But most of this might as well have been written in a dead language, like Babylonian, for all it means to the average US voter.
If voters understood even basic economics, they would never have voted for Reagan & his trickle-down economics which involved tax cuts and decreased social spending.
And they would be fleeing Trump like the plague because he has NO REAL POLICIES except to whip up hatred and divisiveness, both nationally and internationally.
Alas, red states have starved public education for decades, and we are now at the point Jefferson warned of: “No democracy can survive without an educated and engaged citizenry. “
You will not see that educated & involved citizenry donning stupid red hats and cheering through hours of rambling nonsense uttered by a barely coherent, bumbling, criminal, rapist, Gold Medalist Liar, cheat, draft-dodging insurrectionist who doesn’t support our Constitution.
So you don’t care about the other countries and that Trump wants to surrender territory to Putin to end the war? Putin is an authoritarian dictator… you don’t care about the ramifications of the United States being in Bed with Putin & ties to China? I think we need to be less selfish as a nation. Could’ve voted Nikki as a middle ground but we didn’t. We CAN all work together and not label one another. It’s a CHOICE that we don’t. A very bad choice
Not US territory! A free country is aggressively being attacked by Putin. If Putin is successful do you think he will stop there! Trump owes Putin big time for bailing him out after the 9th bankruptcy...
I’m not sure what you are talking about being a question. It’s a statement that the ramifications of trumps plan to strike a deal with Putin that would allow him to take territory will end in further warfare. It’s not a question it’s a fact.
Look at a map! Ukraine, which surrendered its large nuclear weapons arsenal decades ago, is a small buffer between Putin’s aggressive moves and the NATO nations which are our closest allies. Trump’s persistent calls for the US to abandon NATO are precisely aligned with his subservience to VLAD. (Watch the cringe-worthy videos of Trump in Helsinki in 2018 if you don’t believe that Don the Con is at best Putin’s “Useful Idiot” — at worst
a willing pawn for Soviet interests.
Doesn’t anyone wonder what Trump planned to do with the Top Secret DOD documents he stole when he left the White House? They have monetary value for anyone who wants to sell them to Russia, China, North Korea, Iran ….
He has publicly says he could end the war in 24 hours and said he chooses not share his plan for various reasons. Sources close to him (on his team) say that his plan is to let his golfing buddy Putin have territory and they are speaking up about it because they’ve the ramifications of being in bed with an Authoritarian Dictator. I’ll look for the article with sources in the Post. I am in the same boat as you. I’ve voted both ways and I vote early for Nikki thinking of inflation but when I read Robert’s writing and a few others about Biden I kind of wish I would have waited. I just didn’t want to vote for either at the time… here’s the article. It was still up in my Washington post app.
Every dollar for weapons for the "other authoritarian dictator" kills people on both sides, by prolonging the war. Good (innocent) people should not have to die for the actions of POS "leaders".
The corporate media spin that the war was unprovoked is not correct, just propaganda.
Please do your own research. Do not just take what the talking heads say as fact. Even in good times, the information is always skewed to one side or the other.
Of course the war was provoked it’s a land battle involving terrorist groups and multiple other organizations with a multitude of reasoning.
Who even said it was unprovoked?
I got a notification so I’m not sure if you’re taking to me or not, but no one ever said that nor does most of the media. That’s a typical Trump thing to say though. Again I could totally be misreading your comment, but Donald Trump is a thug & a crime boss if you ask me.
For Fun: Oxford definition of Thug meets Trump exactly
noun
1.
a violent, aggressive person, especially one who is a criminal.
Whoa! You guys are completely just blinded by hatred for trump, some praise Joe , no person is coming in from government to save us! We need to set aside the differences we have between ourselves to demand the shit we can hopefully agree on , I’m not sure at this point. safety, security is a must in our country! open border shit has to go, when has any country especially as world widely hated as we are….u think we hate each other go to a foreign country as Americans and we will be best friends, we are all we have ppl want to destroy us. Why is up for debate but a multitude of reasons. We need to get out of the world police game. You for defunding police the us military biggest in history our empire has out rivaled the most powerful of those before us! it’s not a world of rainbows and sunshine, leave peoples kids the fuck alone. Are we a constitutional republic if not what then? All bets off, the rights of citizens are not up for debate or translation it is what it says, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed period, does that mean we let violate people run around murdering others or stealing by force from others. If you are that dangerous then we will not allow these people to walk amongst us. Non violent criminals should not lose their rights period. democracies is at risk no,,, the republic is at risk. Democratic Republic all this capitalism isms….ok well we demand transparency we need to know what our government is doing ? If you appear before congress ( who will be of the people not just inside traders that enter a position of service to the people and when they pass cause they don’t get fired or quit, they are significantly financially better off than they were???) but u answer the questions ask if you outright lie like…yeah then you are held accountable. If state’s want to do something that the states don’t agree with, as long as they don’t violate ppls rights do it, the people that are like minded can go or stay. Rasict not to be tolerated by anyone not just white ppl. We take care of those who can’t take care of themselves and the ones that fought for the country, we must agree to protect our self from outsider influences and threats if something happens we can come together and fight! Now I understand that it’s not this easy and there’s so much bull shit to get anything done, we gotta do better but remember NO ONE IS GOING TO SAVE US!! They want us to fight so they have a job! I love you all I hope you are blessed in your life!
Uhmm I don’t think anyone is saying a political figure can save the country. We have to make the best choice regardless and THE PEOPLE—the crux of democracy—are supposed to be involved in shaping decisions of the White House. I voted for Nikki Haley. I kind of wish I would’ve voted Joe but I had my reasons. What you’re saying doesn’t really make sense. It’s very hard to follow like a tangent or rant so I’m not really sure how to respond to that. I don’t hate Trump—I don’t hate anyone. I hate what he represents and I think he is extremely dangerous… I’m not sure if you’re trying to take up for him or what with the rant because I didn’t bring up any of those issues you brought up—maybe you replied to the wrong person?? I pray for Trump at least once a week. I pray for my enemies—I don’t hate them. I have no clue who you were talking to but I never mentioned one thing that your tangent says. We’re supposed to come together as a nation. Trump is the wedge that divides us as a nation and Trump clones (literally they all say the same exact thing—no true thought of their own) will stop at nothing to spin it on democrats and call anyone who disagrees with them ugly names. I had no idea what a RINO even was until I started noticing Trump clones then I realized they literally have no thoughts of their own when it comes to politics and decided to speak up about it. I think you need to find the person that talked about all the things in your tangent and copy paste that because I never mentioned any of those things. I do not like what Trump represents as a human being. That’s it. I think he will turn on the Nation if elected and become a Dictator. Conspiracy theories=brainwashing; yes sometimes they are true, but Trump floods minds with so many lies in such a short time that his followers believe it because before they have time to think about it another lie comes out of his mouth. This is a fact. The Washington post posted an article in 2021 interviewing political fact checkers (yes they are paid to check facts and research all candidates) & in four years he has told approx 30,500 lies. This year is already up to over 1000 source: the slate, politico and various other fact checking sites. My problem with Trump is one of his values not aligning with America’s or with God. Not one of hate. I pray his soul is saved. Anyone who claims to be the Chosen One yet acts satanic as he does is clearly not in their right mind. Same goes for the MAGA clones
If voters fail to understand or even notice the economic impact of the two major Biden Administration bills you denigrate, they — and you, Christopher Nigro, are simply ignorant of basic economics!
An average high school student should know and understand how Trump’s enormous addition to the national debt was in itself a huge inflationary act — followed by a worldwide inflation that had to be managed by the Biden administration ( and which was well done!)
And any voting age adult incapable of using the internet to read about inflationary causes and how they can best be managed is too lazy to be voting.
Trump doesn’t “govern” - he incites people to anger and division by harping on their most objectionable biases.
He speaks less about jobs, food and gas prices & other “kitchen table” issues than he does about illegal immigrants (*) and why we shouldn’t care about Ukraine or NATO.
(*) And what YOU don’t mention is that Trump has purposely kept public angst about the border alive by ordering Speaker Mike Johnson to, at the last minute, deep-six the bi-partisan border bill that had been agreed upon.
Trump did this because the “open border” is one of his strongest appeals to the MAGA base, along with stirring up fear among White Christian Supremacists about “replacement” by people of color and fear and loathing of other minorities, including the LGBTQ+ community, Muslims, Jews, and anyone who looks, thinks, prays, or does anything differently.
Amen!!! Needs nothing else. Thank you for explaining inflationary causes too. I’ve been researching A LOT, but this cliffs-note sums it up nicely! He appeals to the vulnerable. The latest is his third person narrative that “Suburban housewives love Donald Trump.” That’s his way of saying if your husband loves me you will follow, again taking away from women. I realize this is my opinion but I think any one of us can see that’s exactly what he means with his actions and words. No woman who truly respects herself would vote for him. He stands for everything that is wrong with this nation.
The problem is that the stats they broadly parade is those that reveal that the money changers on Wall St. are partying. The "trickle down" hasn't got close enough to give relief or hope to we in the 70 - 78 percent.
You mean the record high stocks then? I’m sorry I’m new to understanding some of the numbers. Are you saying that the trickle down will give enough in the future or that it’s not possible?
Yeah maybe you shouldn’t be on here then. This is for people who care about unity, being proactive and being focused on a solution not placing blame. I don’t know how extreme democrats are because I’ve never met one, but I know as an independent I focus on taking action and being proactive. There are plenty of people on here who are simply interested in what Robert has to say like me. I voted Nikki with concerns of Biden not being proactive at the time and inflation. I am on that side of wanting a new generational leader, but in a race by Trump and Biden. Biden by a landslide for me.
Understandable. I voted early for Nikki because of that, but the economy really is getting better. People should at least give the man a chance to fix it. Plus the grand scheme of things is the Trump boasts he could end the war in 24 hours with plans that his own constituents have come out with saying his plan is to give Putin territory. You have to think about how our decisions affect the Nations of the world not just us. This is why Americans get a bad wrap sometimes… our selfishness. We need a leader that says I’m here. I’m listening. Forget the bullshit and placing blame—this is the problem let’s work together to fix it and worry about blame when the crisis has passed. I’m not saying Biden is the one but I’m saying he’s definitely projecting the unity of decision making TOGETHER how God meant it to be. I could never vote for Trump because of my morals and I honestly don’t know how I feel about my vote anymore. I think some of Biden’s laws are too far left, but isn’t that the entire point of having a team to work with and help you find the middle ground? As a person who is deeply affected by pollution (I had no idea the harm it could cause until I got into this health nightmare) I admire President Biden for many initiatives like his environmental laws but I also do not see how throwing three trillion at it is going to help us either. I also don’t understand why Nikki’s plan wouldn’t help and could be combined with Biden’s. She wants to reel in Covid money and redistribute then give out no additional funding. Her environmental policies were changing constantly so I don’t know where they stood when she dropped out but I think we have to make a moral choice this time so we don’t end up under leadership that does way more than flirt with facism and authoritarian.
Whitney, you are right about America getting a bad rap for selfishness. You are also right that the problem can be worked on together across the aisle to the benefit of everybody. President Biden is the one that strongly believes in unity. Together, not divided. This whole red versus blue is ludicrous. Each party has ideas that when put together could come up with a great plan for our country. Our choice this November is definitely a moral one. We need a president who leads - not one who stokes division, facism, and authoritarianism. Vote Blue, America!!
I think. by saying "throwing three trillion at it" you are referring to Biden's effort to decarbonize and move toward renewable energy sources. For the many folks like you who suffer from pollution, this will make your life far better, because burning fossil fuels is a major source of air pollution. As we transition toward an electric energy economy, pollution levels will drop dramatically; you and millions of others with respiratory issues will breathe more easily. Added benefit: cities will be quieter.
So what about all the electric cars in the cold that mess up? Is it a hybrid initiative? I know I probably sound ridiculous, but the only dumb questions are not asked. I guess my question is why can’t Biden reel in Covid money like Nikki was talking about and redistribute it to environmental law? I get that it might not be enough but wouldn’t it make it less thus not impacting inflation as much? If that’s not possible how will inflation be combatted? I read that he is raising taxes only on households earning more than $400,000k and the “Elite” which I’m with Biden on that it’s about time—is that where the recoup of money would come in to combat inflation?
Whitney: We have lots of Teslas and other electric cars in Minnesota, which run fine in the winter, though range is a bit limited (the heater uses electricity, of course). But this has not been a major problem. The biggest limitation in the outstate area is lack of charging stations, but the state is making a major effort to build more.
I agree with you about the cost of living, which has recently been tacked on. I also realize that those added expenses are created by corporations' increasing their wealth, rather than keeping up with the cost-of-living. The heightened minimum wage was merely an excuse for corporations to take additional money, rather than continuing to invest in development. Corporate America is considerably wealthier now than they were before Covid caused chaos in the supply chain.
Increased corporate wealth has been used to buy-back stock, rather than i
promoting development. This made corporations considerably wealthier than they were before Covid. Following Covid, the federal increase in minimum wage was the next justification for major price increases.
Price gouging by wealthy Corporations is the cause of supposed inflation, but the Press is not reporting this enough so few seem to make the connection......
The wages ARE getting better, in general. But anyone who isn’t in the group that’s going up is going to find little solace in hearing that some people’s wages are going up.
Housing is right now a con-game, being kept high, with high interest to get mortgagees, and super high rental rates, and ThAT certainly keeps people from seeing the economy as “good.”
The tough part is, once a house’s “value” has gone way up — whether in a skewed market or for whatever reason — people strongly resist seeing those valuations go back DOWN. They feel like their net worth has gone up with the value of the house, and if it goes down, they’ve lost money.
If WAGES were to catch up to housing value, so people could afford to buy again, and interest were to come down a bit, so people could get a decent mortgage, everyone would feel better.
But housing has gone up SO MUCH — do wages have to double to catch up to the buying power needed to get into the market? That’s nuts.
Then, there’s the cost of RENTALS that are soaring, and people have little choice but to pay, because buying a house is so far out of the question. And paying super high rents means they can’t save to buy, anyway …
The whole housing situation alone is skewing people’s view of our economy. Corporations buying up residential real estate, ramping up the costs of houses, turning more and more homes into rentals and gouging families — Yeah, housing is out of whack.
I don’t really like the reality of that comment, but it’s true. If prices don’t go down, wages need to SOAR. But something’s gotta give, and we don’t need the Fed to put interest rates through the roof, if wages soar. Even though I’d love for people’s incomes to get better ….
In spite of some improvements during the past few quarters ( rightly
attributed to Biden by some - but not enough of the general population) ;
we have undergone secular stagnation for the bottom 50 - 60
percent of Americans over the past
40 years . Most of the income gains up until this year ( with union’s support ) have only benefited the top
few percent. Consequently it shouldn’t be shocking that most people are unhappy with the state of economic affairs. Unfortunately many of them have turned towards a demagog who gives them false hope that “ he” alone can fix their plight .
We are not going to overcome 40 years of stagnation with a few months of positive macro economic
figures. We need to win back the trust of those we lost to the siren sounds of Trump - I wish I had the answer for that but I don’t.
Spot on Diann. And that segment of society is getting bigger every year. They’re not satisfied with the same old same old. And losing their grip on the American dream. It’s become an American nightmare for so many.
Trump willl bankrupt the country, right after the RNC goes TU! Trump n 147 congressional treasonous bastards belong in prison. With the treasonous bastards already serving time, (not enough time) for insurrection. Don’t stop there. Flynn Bannon all the FALE attorneys! Vote BLUE! Save our country! Down with the CORPORATE GREED! We all know who they are!
When? Easy. Learn how to message. Learn the echo machine that is so effective for Fox. Repeat message every day. Not every month. Learn the fundamentals of a short attention span public. You must use multiple surrogates. Repeat over and over and over again.
In this case, fighting fire with fire is a good thing. Repeating positive thinking is healthier than repeating negative. We become what we think about.
When those with agenda “claim” truth, it’s a matter competition for mind space. Those with an agenda of hope and improvement are in competition with those promoting anger and hatred.
I’m just asking you to explain to me what your issue with the data is. That’s all. I’m an open minded person. If I read something that makes sense I dive in to form my own opinion. I like learning from people with different opinions. So what is it that you dislike about the data? Do you have evidence that shows different data? Do you know factors that could skew this data? That’s all I’m asking. I follow a lot of economists. I love numbers, but that was something I had to work hard to learn so sometimes it helps me to see where other people are coming from.
The thing is….everything is more expensive. I don’t talk about this with my Republican friends but for the average person everything is more expensive than before the pandemic. Services, labor, housing, food, etc is just more. It’s like a 10-15% pay cut. I acknowledge that Biden is doing a very good job, but the reality of the Main Street experience is that a lot of regular people are struggling.
Trumps entire draw is to the mega rich in our country & abroad to become mega+mega rich just like the hitler in the 1930s and got his WW2 underway. My Dad fought in WW1 & stayed on to fight more after being wounded. I was born when he was 40 yrs old and relayed all he remembered of that war as he worked for our government as a professor of engineering from Cornell in the Pentagon during the 2nd go around. Totally agree with you, Susan Beall. & Teaching history to ALL of us is so important to the TRUTH of which drump is lacking.
Biden needs to talk about how to create a trickle UP economy, starting by raising the minimum wage, as everyone benefits. We are reaping the bitter rewards of forty years of being trickled on.
He is talking about a middle-out economic agenda contrasted with trickle up. Focused on supporting workers in many ways and a competitive economy to build from the bottom up and middle out rather than giving breaks to big corporations and high net worth people hoping their profits will trickle down to workers. There will be more on this.
It may be more than 10-15%. Utilities have gone up, in the case of natural gas here, more than doubled since fall of 2021. And getting anything done around the house is expensive. $4500 to have trees trimmed. $680 to have some faucet washers changed (I ended up doing it myself). Even if your healthcare deductibles are low (rare), the things the insurance company doesn’t cover does not count towards your deductible.
Midwest: many items that are over the counter, yet medically necessary are taxed, too. So they are not covered by insurance, with tax added! So I need certain vitamins and eye treatments and dietary things, like pre and pro biotic, that are not cheap, but actually needed and prescribed by my doctors.I have had surgeries (covered ) when the over the counter things were not accessible. Crazy to have to have repeated surgeries! Not the best way to manage a chronic eye condition. But the insurers want to make more money.
I understand. My dr just prescribed something not covered by my insurance. I have to decide if I want another $180/mo cost, do without or find another alternative. Fortunately, it is not life threatening.
Midwest ; The eye treatment that is best for severe dry eye costs $1200, and is not covered by any insurance. The treatment keeps infection away for a year. Without it, cysts can form in the eyelids, which must be surgically removed. I guess the eye surgery is more profitable, and if the patient wants to protect their eyelids from multiple surgeries, they can "save up" and pay the doctor out of pocket, making even more money for them. Eyelids are very thin, like my income. I want to organize others in my position, and find out who sets the insurance codes....
Sorry to hear this about your eyes. I know several people that have dry eye but not as severe. I hope you can find help. Maybe write to the company that provides the treatment and ask if they can offer discounts or something.
Midwest ; Apparently, individual providers ( Ophthalmologist's) are the ones doing these treatments. Actually, the one I received in the ophthalmologist's office , was administered by an optician and another unidentified man who handled billing, with most likely, no medical credentials. I think they would prefer to pocket all the money themselves (minus, the slightly extra pay given to those giving the treatment). I had a generous tax deduction that went directly into the pockets of these people, every cent of the 1,1000, in fact. the main ophthalmologist was not even present, but I bet she got most of that money. The treatment included "Blefex", "Lipiflow," and some kind of light treatment.
Midwest, The next time your methane (natural) gas utility supplier whines with fake reasons of why your methane (natural) gas bill has skyrocketed due to supply chain, supply and demand, shortages, pipeline disruption, just remember that it’s all lies. The United States is the largest producer and the largest exporter of natural gas in the world. Your utility company and their suppliers are more willing to jack up the prices to sell it overseas than to provide you your gas. It doesn’t help the investor owned utility has a monopoly on each location.
Micheal, last winter Spire was still using the 2021 TX storm as the reason for high prices. There is no one protecting consumers from these monopolies.
And insurance! I live in a small coastal town. Homeowners insurance premiums are increasing by 90%. Climate change is probably the driver but this is not a community of millionaires. So when the message to average voters is that the economy is great is sounds crazy. My plan is to help win a democratic congress so we can get the economy working for everyone.
and climate change is also a contrbutor to price increases for many goods. Republicans want to make climate change worse. You might think at some point more voters would draw the logical conclusion for who to vote for, but we have a ways to go on that.
I’m afraid climate change will not get better for some time if at all. Our insurance premiums will continue to rise or coverage will be reduced. There are some areas of the country where some big insurance companies have pulled out completely.
Carolyn, blame it on the corporations who are continuing to price gouge. They don't care about the working class, they only care about the money the working class has! It is greed and power and it MUST be stopped!!
That’s why the issue needs reframing. Right now the sound bite is about corporations paying their fair share. That begs the question. What is a fair share? It’s too squishy. It’s passive.
Instead the message should be that prices went up because of COVID and supply chain issues and while those have eased, corporations have not reduced prices. And with shrinkflation, corporations are giving you less for the same price. That’s your money going to pad the profits of corporations that aren’t giving you anything in return. No jobs, no infrastructure, no relief at all from your economic uncertainty that they create.
Democrats will get that money back with changes in the tax code that will guarantee your money will go to the things you need. Better roads, child care support, help when you’re down and out, etc. The things your money should be used for, not stock buybacks and profit puffing so the C Suite crowd can buy another mansion or yacht with your hard earned money.
Biden will not get credit from the average American. The gross economy statistics don't mean crap to everyday people. Relative reductions in inflation and employment figures that count any work time as being employed obscure what's real for Joe six-pack. Every time he or she goes to the grocery store, makes their car payment, pays their utility bill, tries to pay their rent, they are reminded how much of their paycheck goes to staying afloat. Democrats seem oblivious to this. And it's going to get them beat in November.
Republicans care about no one. Is the MAGA base so stupid they can’t see GOP plans to cut Social security, Medicare, Medicaid & ACA are real, & will be RUINOUS?
And what are Trump’s plans besides bringing Stephen Miller, Steve, Bannon, and Flynn back into the “fascist” fold.. firing everybody that presently works in government jobs and jailing/ or worse to people who did him wrong… I shutter to think that the Executive will be given that much power and not one Republican will stop him ..America will not survive another four years of Trump. I am so thankful ..I have no heirs to see this in the future ..The destruction of America
Break up the monopolies, for starters. Then actually collect taxes from everyone who makes over $400.000 a year. End the cap on Social Security. MediCare for all. Affordable public university education. Nationalize the Port Arthur Refinery. Stop exporting oil. Reform the SCOTUS. There's more, but I'm getting tired. Just Vote.
Support President Biden's budget proposal that taxes the rich and goes after monopolies suing those who break antitrust laws! I found Inequality Media Civics Action on Facebook and made a small donation to send a letter to my two representatives and Senator, telling them that I will look at what they do with this when I make my decision to vote for them!
Perception tends to be most of what people will see. If you went through the late 1970's and remember how Reagan manipulated the numbers--Biden is doing alright with the economy, in a sense better than most Democrats have in a few decades. He is putting unions first, for example. He is not going for short term gains. Food prices are up and staying up--I grew up and still live in the Los Angeles market area, traditionally the big indicator on a lot. They have stayed up since the pandemic. Some things are not right with this economy. Most of the population now has a short term memory of U.S. economic histroy. I don't think Biden does.
I read that 10 companies control over 80% of all the groceries world-wide. So maybe they want trump to win. 4 companies control over 50% of the world’s seeds.
What makes me crazy is that people are focused on issues.
If trump gets back into the white house there will be NO issues except HIS. WE will be a military state where we are the prisoners. People must wake TF up!!!!
I just dropped a stack on political spoilers and the upcoming election. One of the points of this essay is the foolishness of the protest vote. I excoriate those voters who would condemn this country to fascism because they disapprove of the actions of another sovereign nation. The President of the United States does not control Israel or its president. Anyone who thinks he does is a tool.
This is not about Israel or Gaza, but rather it is about the type of person who would attempt to throw our election at a time when representative democracy is hanging on by a thread. This type is generally white and privileged. They will not be hurt if DJT is able to use their "protest" failure to vote, or 3rd Party spoiler vote to sneak back into the White House. They are contemptible.
I hope all of us will be voting to protect our fragile democracy in November. I don't care if you hold your nose. The vote still counts.
BTW, I won't be holding my nose. I will be a proud Biden voter.
👏🏻 you are spot on! Complaining about the economy under Biden and hoping that it will get better under trump is absolute foolishness. We would have not only an even worse economy, but an avalanche of additional nightmares that we will never again be able to crawl out from under.
Most people care about genocide. Anywhere! What they don’t know is how many times Palestinian Arabs turned their backs on border solutions because they wanted to eradicate Israel? Arafat received a Nobel Peace Prize decades ago — but peace never came because Palestinians refused to recognize a Jewish presence in the Levant.
Does anyone care that HAMAS — the terrorist organization that Gaza ELECTED as its government — has as the central point of its charter the extermination of all Jews, EVERYWHERE? Or that no neighboring Arab/Muslim nation will receive refugees from Gaza because they fear the presence of HAMAS terrorists among them?
This terrible conflict and the loss of civilian lives in Gaza can’t be laid solely at the door of Israel or Biden.
Iran’s support for the conflict is intended to destabilize the Middle East and destroy Israel, our only armed, democratic ally in the region.
With Trump in Putin’s pocket, and an ignorant US electorate complaining about support for NATO & Ukraine — and Traitor Trump calling for US to exit NATO — we will soon be involved in two major warfronts — or end up as Orwell pictured the world in 1984. INFORM YOURSELF.
Athena - I think it might be three or more major war fronts. Ukraine will blossom into europe/russia. iran/israel. pakistan or north korea surrepetitiously sends nukes to iran. china takes taiwan. saudi arabia finally comes out of the closet, fully and openly finances and arms ISIS. india will probably side with the west, holding their nose, because they've still got a lot of revenge going on for the destruction of their civilization 1000 years ago by the muslims.. there may be also enough cohesion among the disparate ISIS aligned groups in Africa to really expand their violent influence.
Does anyone care about Ukraine? Not hearing 18 yr olds yelling about those people dying! The arms agreement with Israel was made under the Obama administration and doesn’t expire until 2026. I think Biden knows what he is doing. Netanyahu is the problem. He is the enemy of his own people. NOT BIDEN!
You better worry about our democracy first and saving it - without democracy there won’t be any discussion about Israel or Hamas or where to send money - We the People won’t be deciding anything in an authoritarian Trump government
As regards THIS particular situation, I care about preserving what democracy we have in the United States. This means re-electing President Biden. Full Stop.
What Biden has done by enabling this absolute atrocity in Palestine (sending endless arms with no strings attached) is something everyone should be deeply disturbed by. And if Biden feels compelled to join Iz in fighting Iran when they retaliate for the strike on their embassy, the situation will worsen. On the other hand, the thought of trump/GOP/project 2025 taking over our increasingly fragile democracy is unbearable. In the end I will probably vote for the Democrat just to stop the alternative, but it is very callous of you to describe people who are extremely disturbed by Biden's actions as 'tools." It is truly a hard decision for anyone with a heart who is paying attention to the horrifying cruelty that is actually being wreaked on the Palestinians.
I honestly have no idea how people can call this a good economy. When My husband graduated college in the 90s we could afford a cute little apartment and had decent health insurance on one entry level income (while I finished my degree). My son and all his peers (20-somethings) are all struggling -- food is expensive, apartments are expensive, employers screw entry level employees over re: health insurance... And in our 50s my husband and I are doing well, we finally have some savings, but I don't care how investments are doing because I can't afford to invest because of how expensive medical care is.
Well be thankful your adult children haven’t moved back home with you because they can’t afford to live in Reno Nevada… Seriously Reno Nevada 40 years ago was the armpit of America… The median house price was $80,000 80,000 now it’s over 600,000 ..Rents were $200 now they’re over $3000 for an 850 square-foot studio… It’s the influx of Californians and moving in here (because we have no state tax )buying a property building because they CAN ( and hate the politics in their state… They don’t love Nevada ) and screw over the little guy who has been here for ever
I had no idea Reno had changed like that. No doubt I still think of America as the America I knew growing up.In alot of ways I don't think I really knew America.
I finished grad school and started my first job in 1980. I was curious how my salary then (accounting for inflation) compared with my final salary when I retired. They were the same after working for 40+ years!!!!
I am a native Californian who lived there most of my life and worked as a public servant first the state. After I retired I had the move out of state to afford to live.
Will medical care be cheaper when MAGA Republicans eliminate the ACA, Medicare, & Medicaid? Or when seniors lose Social Security and/or the eligiblr age is raised to 69 ?
Again, nowhere did I say that republicans would be better. But when Democrats tell us voters should credit Biden with a good economy, they are out of touch with working class people, because the economy has not been good for us, not even under Biden.
I don’t want to invest because most of those companies are unethical. Until share holders take responsibility for the companies they own share in, those companies will continue in the same manner.
We also didn’t expect to move out of our parents’ house and start at the same level of having and doing stuff. Priorities vs price? Agree basics are out of control, it’s awful for many, but it is, as has been said, more complicated than sarcastically “thanking Biden” for whatever. (I must say that MAGA gear isn’t cheap, too.)
Dude, nowhere did I say anything sarcastic, nor did I blame the President. I voted for him last time, and if I sit this election out it will be because of Gaza, not because of the economy. But there are a lot of folks saying that Americans should be recognizing Biden for the great economy, and I'm saying that the economy is not great for anyone working class or below and Democrats need to acknowledge that. The young people I know are idealistic, informed, and in despair about the future. They're not expecting to move out of their parents' homes and into their own 3 bedroom houses. They just want to be able to afford to move out at all.
Everything about the economy is great except...WHAT THINGS COST. Food, housing, healthcare and other necessaries are very, very high. We know this is because of corporate greed, but for many people, Biden gets unfairly blamed.
How do we know what they eat or what they owe ? But we can know how they feel because they tell us. So that tells us that we have to change the Biden messaging on the Economy.
You're right, Gloria! I live on a very limited income - social security and a small retirement - but I am comfortable. I shop at Aldi's, Ollie's, Farmer's Markets, Fruit and Vegetable stands, and thrift stores. There is nothing that I am having to do without. The people complaining need to let go of their credit cards and pay them off and start shopping smarter!
There you are! I also own and am retired on a small pension and am comfortable. But I am not blind to the difficulty young people have with today's housing prices. I could not buy my house today. Don't shut yourself off from the realities young people face.
Mac, I in no way have shut myself off from the realities young people face! It is hard. The only thing I have said is that it takes hard work to find ways to make it through. Young people definitely face an uphill battle to find themselves a home but if they learned ways to cut back in other areas they could use what they save to build toward a home purchase. It is a difficult situation which I hope can be lessened if those in the housing market would work at bringing prices down. I am not blind to young people's hardships and I would hope they can find a way to make it through.
He handled Gaza the best way he could.. remember the Palestinians and and the Jews are fighting this war for almost 2000 years… The best ways to have a two states solution so everybody lives in peace… But Netanyahu wants to kill everybody in Gaza, whether they are Palestinian, Jew or people working to give people aid
You have got to be JOKING! The Zionists are of European decent and no they have not been there for 2000 years or have been fighting the Palestinians for that long! It kinda of started late 1800’s and I have Armenian on my fathers side and found out Zionists helped kill them too which again they are now for the Azerbaijani government! Not only that they are going after the Armenian Quarter with their f ing bull dozers. No he did not handle letting closing in on 40 to 50 thousand Palestinians get brutally killed a good job! Including the excruciating and painful deaths of half being children and women! Now they are starving thanks to our not stopping a crazy Zionist cult that wants all Palestinians dead! We are still sending bombs etc there!
Exactly. And now I'm afraid Iran will retaliate against the Iz attack on their embassy in Damascus and Genocide Joe will feel compelled to join Iz in a war with Iran, which for some reason Iz wants.
Are you aware that the Palestinians have been living in an open air prison, especially in Gaza for decades. How many Palestinians, do you think Israel has killed over the last 20 years? A lot more than mass killed in October. While I don’t condone, killing innocent people, the Palestinians have no other way to fight back against Israel. Whenever the Palestinians are not resisting, Israel just builds more settlements stealing more of the Palestinians land in the Westbank.
Biden has funded the entire invasion of Gazza as well as sending the military equipment over to kill the Palestinians. He gives a lot of lip service to Netanyahu saying that he wants to see fire yet. He will not do anything to enforce that. He will not cut off money or military goods to Israel. He has just as guilty of the genocide as Netanyahu is.
Another propaganda ploy by Netanyahu! Read the facts about that whole scenario. How Netanyahu created Hamas for his own purpose. The 1200 killed is not true. They were killed by their own government in Apache Helicopters sent by the USA! Have you read any of the real accounts of Israelis that were there when it happened. How no one was allowed to go in and see if their loved ones were alive or not. I read the accounts of Ex Israeli Generals who went in to get their own families out and what was really going on. The IDF were told to blow up any Kibbutzes that were thought to have Hamas in them regardless of wether or not there were Jews in them! There were no beheaded babies or rape victims it was all made up propaganda from the Zionist Cult. Ben Gvir is a war criminal who has killed many going back to when he was younger! He and his terrorist settlers or squatters as I call them steal housing and farmland from the Palestinians for years! The oppression that has gone one there for over 75 years is alarming and the facts that we have backed and funded it for that amount of time! Palestinians have a right to defend themselves. Hamas went in to get hostages not to kill anyone except if they had to fight with the IDF! Why in Gods name would they do that when they were getting hostages to trade and get the innocent Palestinians out from Israeli jails. If you have any idea of what is going there a majority in jail we’re kids and women! Do your research. The only good to come out of all these deaths was the fact that now the whole world has been woken up to the crimes that have been ongoing for years done by Zionist Cult Leaders that most don’t even practice Judaism! Judaism IS NOT Zionism!
In my opinion, many millions of Americans already credit Biden with the great competence he shows. It’s just that these other Americans haven’t enough sense to notice it and also haven’t enough sense to shut up.
Over a million people are out there chasing a solar eclipse, buying airplane tickets, renting hotel rooms at inflated prices and they have the nerve to say the economy is so bad they can't vote for Biden. This is just plain BS. Remember to vote in November! Thank You Robert!
Yeah - how is it they have $1000 for plane ticket and room and not enough for groceries and rent ?
That’s not the middle class doing that.
Excuse me, but here in Vermont we are definitely seeing the middle class doing it. They may not all be buying plane tickets, but they’re driving in and filling up the hotels and available rooms … I’m sure some of them are also high-rollers, but loads are just-pain-folks who can afford a little extra this week for a very special event. They’re not throwing dollars out their car windows and buying $400 bottles of wine, but they’re OK with coming to see the event.
Guess gas is not too high?
Expect gas prices to go up again. Putin & MBS plan on cutting oil & gas production in order to make gasoline prices soar just before the election. They both want Trump to win, as authoritarians everywhere do, & will use their considerable power to achieve this.
Trump sold a major refinery in Texas to the Saudis when he was busy destroying the US. Count on gas prices going higher , perhaps summer too
I hope there will be very blunt, honest reporting as gas prices go up under the control of Saudi Arabia, the OPEC cartel, Putin, Kushner and other criminal entities determined to get the trump crime organization back in the White House.
I avoid using the expression "back in power" because trump IS in power now; the coup was not an "attempted coup" but was successful in so many ways. trump and his cronies control the United States House of Representatives and to only a slightly lesser extent the U.S. Senate. They still control the U.S. Postal Service with trump minion De(no)Joy in charge, the same reforms needed as were revealed in the LAST two elections (and now comes the November election). They control the media. The appalling and lunatic trump harridan Marjorie Taylor Green is allowed to choose Speakers of the House based on trump's instruction. And so on and so on....
This is not "opposition" party philosophy. This is shadow government, parallel presidency, with NO elected authority to act as they are! Where are the members of the House who will tell Green to represent whatever backwater swamp elects her but that she does not run the country - and stop allowing her, as trump's moll, to do so!
Whatever levers that the criminal oligarchs of the world can pull to get their member in the U.S. back in the White House in November - gas prices, saber rattling, war-mongering, chaos, propaganda - they will pull. We must use our voices to demand that our media act like the "4th estate" again!
To put it all in context. The Saudis own a majority share in Exxon, and own the newest and biggest oil refinery in Texas.
The USA also produces more oil than it consume, yet it imports oil, because in part, the oil we refined is shipped overseas.
This props up OPEC and all administrations are bribed and pushed into permitting more and more oil well drilling
It is the global petroleum trade, that is responsible for the world's misery, all of it. The bright side is that increased usage will lead to the end of the antrhopogene, and that end is fast approaching because humanity is addicted to the stuff. Gaia will shake her head and shake off the lice, she's already doing it, with COVID, other diseases, earthquakes, hurricanes, cyclones, tornadpes. heat domes, polar storms, dying off of corals, and fish stocks, increase in the ozone zone.
We are addicted and can't stop doing what we are doing, despite our claimed concern for the future, collectively all we care about is the here and now.
They will raise the gas prices just as they did on January 20 shortly after Biden was inaugurated— price fixing by the big oil companies.
Jamie, I’ve read that too. As I read your comment it occurred to me that President Biden could tell America ahead of time about Putin & MBS planning to cut oil & gas production just before the election so gas costs a lot more, so everyone knows what’s going on. Is there any downside if he does that?
Thank you! So many voters really DO NOT GRASP that our international economies are intertwined in many critical areas…gas/oil being one and wheat (from the Ukraine)….it would be interesting to see a list of products we count on from other nations and publish it for ALL AMERICANS to see‼️ it might bring an understanding to Americans why the USA is interested in maintaining international relationships in addition to simple politics.
Americans have always given Joe credit for the current health of our economy. It's the Trumpers who have a problem, either they are totally blind, or they just can't see.
Many trumpers are trying to discredit the low unemployment and high job gains on people just returning to their jobs after the pandemic. Also, I have never seen so many cars on the road any time of the day, every day in my 70+ years. Restaurants must be doing well. They are always packed and their prices have skyrocketed.
Totally stupid, actually. Even simpler economic principles evade them.
It's willful ignorance, just like everything else with them.
Sadly, JA, gas IS still high here. It went up fifteen or twenty cents in the past couple of weeks, too.
But it’s a one-time thing for folks. I guess. All relative …
As noted above, Russia and Saudia Arabia are cutting oil production - again during an election year - to hurt Biden and help Trump. Let's do what we can to raise awareness and keep Biden from getting blamed again for high gas prices. I'm sure the execs responsible for greedflation would love to see Trump back in office, too.
high gas prices? It costs $10 per gallon just to suck the CO2 of that gallon out of the air and put it somewhere for a very long time.
The price of bread, beer, and gasoline seems to have less to do with who’s in the White House and more to do with greedheads producing the goods in question and playing loose and fast with the folderol about supply chains post COVID. Charge the price gouging to the guilty parties and not to the man doing what he can to curb such shameless profiteering.
What a waste though, I hope they all go blind. Seen one eclipse seen them all, it only last a few minutes.
It serves science though, as it gives them time to study the corona.
I even made a parachute jump during the eclipse, jumped at night landed in daylight. Whoopee. The jump wasn't my idea, I was part of a team, and even then thought it was stupid, so did Guiness.
More evidence that hundreds of million lives are banal, or there is scant evidence of human life on earth.
Pat, priorities?
It would seem not. The brother-in-law is hosting a family friend and their family in Indianapolis. It’s the same there as the cat in Vermont described. People don’t drop coin on fuel, food, and lodging to dig a galactic event when they’re hurting.
Maybe the Lincoln Project or Biden's campaign could do a commercial thanking Biden for the great economy that allowed them to party on the eclipse the way they are.
Yeah! I’m 69 years old. This is most likely my last total eclipse. Seeing it with my granddaughter. Seems pretty sweet. Or as the credit card people say, “Priceless.”
Really? Priceless? Really? Igot more of a thrill watching the first Daffodils, Daiseys, and Dandelions rise out of the ground in March. I watch the sun go dark, every night, and the eclipse is only 4 mnutes long, this year,
Spending thousands of dollars, the discomfort of a bag drag, the hassle of driving or airport lines for a 4 minute experience, is not symptomatic of an intelligent life.
Damn William you really are a grumpster. But I love that you get a thrill outta Daffodils and Daisies and Dandelions and Sunsets. Under it all you're a real romantic.
Some people don’t like the beach, either.
In the small town where I was raised, in Missouri, the hotels, and motels are charging $800.00 per night for the eclipse.
😢
I have not checked lately, but last week, places in Burlington were up to $500-600 for a night.
I don’t know what AirBnBs were doing.
On the news, we heard that wo motels where the state was putting up homeless families had turned the families out so they could rent the room to eclipse viewers.
Those are some of the DOWNside of people having a special experience.
Did the state pay for those families to stay somewhere else then? I'm glad to hear it was covered on the news. The eclipse will be great for businesses in its path - restaurants, AirBnBs, convenience stores, etc. Much of the 100% totality path is in red parts of the country.
Credit cards?
Maybe …
Excuse you.
Agreed -- that's 1million, out of the other 330million struggling in this economy
What is a constructive action - what vote is most likely to improve their circumstances? I suggest positive activity, better than angry reaction.
I hope the people who live in the eclipse's path recognize that others are able to travel there (and spend money at local businesses) because they have some disposable income.
What do you consider middle class? I’m honestly curious. I feel like the economy is improving. I live in the Midwest, my spouse and I make roughly $140,000/year. We are still paying for our house and we have a car loan. We are driving 8 hours to see the eclipse. We are camping in the back of our truck, but that’s something we do regularly for fun anyway.
I envy you. I'm struggling to survive on $15K a year and not doing great at it. The eclipse is the last thing on my mind right now.
...surviving on a little less than that (Social Security) in a city where rents have been skyrocketing and general living costs are high.
Last summer I took one of my first "vacations" in years (only about 110 miles away) at the Long Beach (WA) International Kite Festival (a week long event). I was fortunate to have a retired friend who has a vacation home there so that really saved on costs.
If I did that trip on my own it would have cost close to a couple thousand as room rates were obscene, even trying to book as far in advance as December of the previous year. Before the pandemic I used to be able to find "reasonable" accommodations for the entire week for about 400$ The cheapest advance rate I could find last year was almost 1,300$.
I haven't taken a vacation in forty years. Couldn't afford it. Republicans kept wages low my entire adult working life, so I couldn't save either. I used to think I'd been born at a good time in our history, but it was my parents who enjoyed a wonderful life and a terrific retirement, traveling all over the world on his SS and a pension. I've simply been poor--it feels like forever! I'm so very, very tired of struggling.
I;m guessing you don;t have a car. Cars are expensive.
I have a 2013 Prius, fully paid for. I almost never drive it. Pretty much only to the grocery and back and brief errands. (There's no public transportation where I live; a car is a necessity.) It has under 50K miles on it, and when I got it used, there was only 34K. I got a few thousand when my mother died, and that's where I put it. I wanted a dependable car with good gas mileage. I kind of wish I'd bought a van instead; imagining living in a tiny Prius makes me feel claustrophobic, and I'm not claustrophobic. ;)
Good for you 🙄. I”ll be eating my pourage and just keep trying to pull up those damn bootstraps.
Yeah, me, too.
Everybody wants to think they’re in the middle class.
Most of my family are earning under $100,000 annually {some of us, way under}.
I won’t even tell you what I live on — I’m retired, on SS, and still edit books to keep head above water.
My whole point was, SOME people {More these days? I don’t know - it’s hard to speak in generalizations} are able to make a single, special little trip. And we see them showing up …
Yes my dear THAT IS THE MIDDLE CLASS. They spend, spend and spend on those credit cards. Then they bitch that they have no money for food.
The rich do exactly what the want. Million dollar homes, yatchs, private schools, second homes, $100k cars, etc.
The middle class simply charge it, then they struggle with their mortgage. This is why interest rates are high in an attempt to get people to stop spending thousands on basketball trips, concerts, and cruises etc. It is sheer foolishness.
The unfortunate lower class poor are the ones struggling to feed their families, buy gas, and pay for housing. And yet many are still able to get their hair and nails "done" for high prices while ignoring the needs of their children. Oh yes, and now orgs expect us to feed children breakfast and lunch in schools because the parents aren't doing it at home anymore. Not only do we have to pay for their schooling but now we have to FEED them. And then everyone abuses teachers and fights the educators.
Of course the rich want Trump to win it will maintain their riches. And to middle class MAGAS are too uneducated to realize that they are going to be more screwed. The lower class is being removed from the voting roles by the GOP so that the rich will prevail become more viral and in controlling.
Wait until a corporation crosses Trump (if elected) he will take it down and take it over. And Trump will take control of the middle class. Forget about the lower class- they will be absolutely toast.
I agree with the article but basically most Americans are like black ants. They are ignorant and will go for the sugar water with every inch of their being and get
murderously stepped on by Trumps regime along the way.
How much of a jerk can you be to not support feeding children?
I guess you agree to children trafficking and killing.
Man, if that isn’t racist a.f., “grits ain’t groceries, eggs ain’t poultry, and Mona Lisa was a man”.
It all depends how you define the middle class. Look at the Jan 6 conspirators, they were the middle class, all of them From Ashley Babbit to Stewart Rhodes, Ali Akbar, aka Ali Akbar, Nick Fuentes and the entire Jan 6 Choir.
The actual foot soldiers in the Jan 6 insurrection were probably mostly middle class — retired and/or off duty police and military, which includes members of known domestic terrorist groups and unlawful paramilitary grouos like the Proud Boys & Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, Nationalist Socialst Club and others. But many members of Congress also played a role in planning the attack, and Donald Trump himself paid visits to Stop the Steal Rallies via presidential motorcade in Washington and Marine One flyovers. Despite the Capitol attack, 147 Republican members of Congress voted against certifying Biden’s win. With little resistance, this collage of Trump supportets and extremist groups carried out a direct assault against a fundamental pillar of US democracy: the peaceful transition of power crom one administration to the next.
Trump is an Enemy of the American People, of our government and our Constitution. He must never be allowed to hold public office again.
And any ordinary middle class citizen who thinks Trump cares about the lives and well being of the American people is living in a delusion.
Trump cares only about money and power — for himself.
Hey Robert. I’ve always been a big fan of yours. Right now, however there is no way I will support Biden in anything after he has enabled this genocide to take place in Gaza. Unfortunately, he lost my vote. I cannot vote for someone who condone genocide with a clear conscious. Thanks, Pete deWolfe.
Peter - who will you vote for then? a non vote is a vote for drumpf. I don't like biden either, for his long neoliberal, corporate-coddling history. but he's not an overt fascist like drumpf. although, I do consider neoliberals to be proto-fascists. any action that supports corporations over people will ineviteably lead to fascism. that is the nature of capitalism.
anyway, i hope you change your mind before voting time. or maybe drumpf will finally be in prison where he belongs.
Further, when one watches theCon.tv. , we see the white collar criminals running the US in total. We have seen dribs & drabs in the news over decades but to watch this free 5 part series clarifies that the US is run by Wall Street, Banking, Mortgage criminals, including being decriminalized for their actions by Obama. Every President since Reagan is part of this. It is enraging to see it so clearly. And, that it is all still in play. The US is the Soviet Union of Corporate Corruption.
Letting Trump win would be worse. He and Bibi are best buds. Not to mention he'd make Ukraine cede their territory to Putin.
Phyllis, there’s already a huge Russian presence in the U.S. and they’ve bought about a 3rd of the republicans in the Senate and members of the House. Why we aren’t appalled by all of the illegal Russian money being given to republicans and doing something about it is beyond me. It’s documented on the internet for anyone to find.
So far those I can remember off the top of my head who’ve been accepting illegal Russian donations are: Trump of course, Louisiana senator Kennedy, Sen. McConnell, Sen Rand Paul, Sen. Marsha Blackburn & Speaker Mike Johnson (who is 2nd in line to the presidency after VP Harris—let that sink in)
In an article in Newsweek titled “Mike Johnson's Campaign Contributions From Company Tied to Russia,” Johnson's campaign donations from Russia were brought up following his election to House Speaker, a position which, as you know, is second in line to the presidency behind VP Harris. (Newsweek, 10/27/23, by Ewan Palmer)
In a scathing letter, two FEC commissioners, Dems Shana M. Broussard and Ellen L. Weintraub, condemned their Republican colleagues after the agency only fined American Ethane (a shell corp. used by Russians to give money to U.S. Repub.
Senators & members of the House.) a $9,500 civil penalty for donating to GOP candidates.
"Though American Ethane did pay a civil penalty, it was a slap on the wrist that failed to account for a violation of one the most fundamental provisions entrusted to this Commission to enforce," wrote Broussard and Weintraub. “Non-Americans whose money is now finding its way into American campaigns—mostly benefiting Republican candidates—include Russian oligarchs, the Saudi royal family, European financiers, Chinese Corp.
corporate conglomerates & many other people & orgs. that owe their allegiance to powers other than the U.S. Let me make something 100% clear, It is illegal for any person to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election.”
Here’s something else to keep you awake at night:
“Foreign investors now own a whopping 40 % of the shares of American corporations. That's up from just 5 percent in 1982. American corporations are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to influence elections…” (Newsweek, 5/31/22, Robert Reich)
If anyone thinks they’re poor now, it will get much, much worse if Trump wins. Wall St., corporations & private equity will become wealthier too, as long as Trump gets his cut.
If you can't vote FOR someone maybe you can vote AGAINST some one.
Peter, I suggest you get on the internet and look up Project 2025. Although the language in it is sugar-coated, you should be able to read between the lines
to know the true meaning of what’s being said. It’s a document written and endorsed by the republican party. It lays out a plan for completely revamping our government regardless of the Constitution, so that every, single employee who is a civil servant will be fired if they don’t sign a loyalty pledge to Donald Trump.
That means every employee in the State Dept., every attorney working for the Dept. of Justice, every ambassador, every employee in the foreign service, every General, & everyone answering to that general, everyone in the National Guard, every Cabinet member, every federally appointed judge, everyone
on the National Security Council, every employee in the Office of Management and Budget, everyone who works at the EPA, etc. will be loyal to Trump &
no one else.
It means the rights granted to us by the Constitution
will disappear, there will be no freedom of speech,
or the press and no right to peacefully assemble.
We will eventually have a national religion. The right to keep and bear arms will no longer exist. The government will be able to search us, our homes
and our other property at will and seize any of our possessions without a warrant or compensation.
We will be subject to arrest without due process & without knowing what we are being arrested for. We will have no right to a speedy trial and we can be put in prison indefinitely without a right to a public trial. We will have no right to vote. There won’t be a ban on cruel and unusual punishment, meaning American
citizens can be tortured by our government.
It’s likely there won’t be any further elections, ever,
for any office. Donald Trump will appoint whomever
he wants to appoint for every office without the
necessity of confirmation by the Senate or the House. All people born in another country will be
rounded up and put in camps. (Trump has specifically said he will put foreigners in camps.)
Donald Trump will set taxes wherever he wants them to be, without input from Congress. All new laws will be what Trump wants them to be without input from
anyone. All federal & state government employees
and members of the armed services will take an oath to Donald Trump—not to a constitution or a country.
This! This is something that everybody needs to know & understand that it contains their plans for reality in this country if TFG reclaims his seat in the White House! These aren't just idle fantasy threats. They've been planning this for years and they only need Scump to become the president again to bring it all to life!
We need to do everything we can via all available means of communication to spread the word & help educate people with facts instead of fear!
Peter, I’m with you. I cannot support killing these children. Anyone who calls themselves a Christian or spiritual or just a humanist cannot support this.
It’s gut wrenching.
But, as "a Christian, spiritual, or just a humanist" you can support all that the other guy has done & will continue to do/escalate to inflict pain on the less fortunate for the sake of his own ego & pleasure? 🤔😑
Who is it, then? The poor? The homeless? The American Oligarchs? What sort of racket are you running, sister?
I just saw 37,000 people in Texas at an eclipse festival. Definitely not a crowd of wealthy people. There were two subsections of glamping tents that were pretty pricey—demand was so high the festival expanded the space and crowded more in!
Yes it is
Exactly. I think the problem is with the other 339 million people.
In Tennessee they are too!
Certainly not me. (Not even close to middle class)
Not the same people
Because Citi gives them a credit card with a $25,000.00 limit?
Heard of credit cards?
What's really crazy is that the event will show up on Youtube from from every conceivable angle for years to come. They could have spent the money on fixing the roof or something.
Seriously? Ya think this us the minimum wage folks? I assume you are in the top 10%....
yup
I only know 4 of those people but they are not only voting for Biden, they are donating a lot of money and working hard to help Democrats get elected.
That is good
Good for them. 🙄
Why are you rolling your eyes? Are you a Insurrectionist trolling us Americans instead of volunteering to help others?
I don’t place myself in boxes as I’m not a simpleton. I’m independent. Red and blue are
just the same. Old sold out
peddlers
Not even close to the same.
https://substack.com/@starfirecodes/note/c-53382695?r=1nk1rp&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
Not until that huge segment of people start feeling it in their day to day lives. Rents all time high. Mortgage’s unattainable for sooo many. So many of those jobs that have lowered unemployment have been manufacturing low-paying jobs. Many of those jobs there’s one person working two of them just to make ends meet. Filling up at the gas station every week. Paying the heating bill. Electric companies wanting to increase rates every six months. going to the grocery store and spending $50 and walking out with one bag. Price gouging everywhere. It’s not being felt by the majority of the hard workers. The backbone of America doesn’t feel it. And no one listens.
Hedda, one big reason rent is high because private equity companies (private equity = groups of investors) have been buying up properties & putting them on the market as rentals: In the past decade, private equity-backed firms entered the multifamily apartment market, snapping up rentals by the thousands and became major landlords in American cities, according to ProPublica’s analysis of National Multifamily Housing Council data.
ProPublica found the private equity buying
spree has been fueled in part by Freddie Mac,
the nation’s largest rental housing financier. Affordability is supposed to be central to
Freddie Mac’s mission. To the degree that
they are financing purchases by private equity
firms that then dramatically raise rents, they are
working directly counter to their goal.
Freddie Mac’s affordability mission was created to provide liquidity and stability to housing markets
and is supposed to provide consistent support throughout the market to achieve that goal,” said
a spokesperson, who declined to be named.
During the Great Recession more than 3.7 million households went through foreclosure. Private equity firms then bought up tens of thousands of single-family homes lost to foreclosure and turned them into rentals, and renters said the companies charged exorbitant rents and fees, neglected repairs and bullied tenants. (Pro Publica, 2/7/22, by Heather Vogell)
All of the above is my way of saying, private equity
and corporations have been enabled by republicans
to rip off the middle class and low income families.
The way to take back power is via regulations and
a new and improved tax code for corporations and
big businesses.
It is a terrible situation, combined with the reality that there is a serious shortage of housing. I assume it is these private equity firms - or similar - that buy “starter” homes with cash offers, outbidding middle class people who actually want to live there, and then flip the houses so they’re no longer in the starter home price range. We do not have a level playing field. The scary thing is that people who don’t pay attention blame Biden, because they don’t know what he and progressive legislators want to accomplish and how Repubs+corporate Dems have obstructed progress.
Thank you.
Yes these are all true points- the ones that Robert speaks of that are trends of 40 year systemic problems. Trump benefits from these problems but he has zero solutions. He has promised to cut the taxes for the billionaires more, and round up immigrants in cages but that is all.
as though T cared about solutions. He is here to grift.
You forgot that he wants to throw all his enemies in jail
I think cleaning out the swamp is his key pledge to citizens.
Most of current financial issues are related to almost 50 years of republican economic policy These policies have sucked 10s of trillions of dollars from the lower and middle class to the very upper class. Kid yourself not. Trickle down my patoot.
To be fair, in NEW YORK, gas prices are STILL falling! They're not as long as under Trump's Pandemic, but how could they be?
I am lower middle class. My son works paycheck to paycheck. We are a huge segment of the society. I don’t know anyone spending that kind of money chasing the eclipse. Most of us spent six bucks for a pair of glasses so we can stand in the backyard and watch it.
Biden's admin is starting the work to reduce the power of some of the monopolies responsible for our higher prices, lower wages, and limited information. They're suing Amazon, Alphabet (Google/YouTube), Meta (Facebook/Instragam/Whatsapp), and Apple. I believe if Biden wins again and IF we can get a majority of Dems/progressives in the Senate and House of Representatives, they will do more to break up the monopolies that are making our lives harder. I've been very happy to see Biden is listening to Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and has already implremented some of their proposals that will help all of us in the 99%. My state (MN) has a Dem governor and Dem majorities in the senate and house of representatives, and they passed a tax rebate for middle and lower-income people, among many other changes they've made that will help those of us who are not rich.
People have not realized that Biden has been bold. You might like this site.
https://winningjobsnarrative.org/c3/
But many don't understand how monopolies hurt them.
I don’t follow your logic with the lawsuits you mention. Amazon is usually lowest or close to it with its pricing. Google and Meta are essentially free. Apple is expensive but there are alternatives if you want them and their devices typically last for years.
Honda, Amazon may have started out as the lowest in pricing, but it’s no longer that way:
“A “price floor” After a years-long investigation, the FTC sued Amazon in September, alleging the company used anticompetitive practices to keep its competitors from getting a foothold in the digital retail space.” (Seattle Times, 2/6/24, by Lauren Rosenblatt)
“Today, the Justice Department, along with the Attorneys General of California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia, filed a civil antitrust suit against Google for monopolizing multiple digital advertising technology products in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.”
(U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Public Affairs,
1/24/23)
“Justice Department Sues Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone Markets” “Apple’s Broad-Based, Exclusionary Conduct Makes It Harder for Americans to Switch Smartphones, Undermines Innovation for Apps, Products, and Services, and Imposes Extraordinary Costs on Developers, Businesses, and Consumers” ( U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, 3/21/24)
“The U.S. Department of Justice and Google are awaiting the verdict of a landmark antitrust trial that alleges Google's anti-competitive behavior led to its dominance. And Meta is now the target of state lawsuits, alleging it harmed the mental health of kids and misled the public about online safety.” (PBS. org, 12/26/23, by Stephanie Sy & Shoshana Dubnow)
I agree with you that these companies are all out to dominate and engage in gross anticompetitive behavior but I was referring to their effects on prices for consumers. Google and meta are free to the end user and Amazon has great prices and service. Apple makes excellent products and there are many choices for android phones, windows pc’s, etc.
Anti-competitive behavior leads to and enables higher prices. The main purpose of antitrust legislation is to protect the economic freedom
of the consumer and ensure/promote market competition—because market competition is what keeps prices reasonable for consumers.
For example, Apple has monopolized the smartphone market and that makes it difficult for consumers to switch to a different smartphone
that may have apps a consumer wants. It also
allows Apple to raise prices for for their products & services, knowing the user can’t easily get out of their contract with Apple.
Masses of middle-America's Faux News Fools chasing the latest and literal "shiny object".
And if their venue is cloudy, "Biden did that!".
Obviously those of us that can’t afford those kind of luxuries don’t live in your neighborhood.
If you are talking to me, Betty, yes they do. Plain old hardworking folks live around here.
And it’s not my neighborhood I’m talking about. It’s Vermont. A state FULL of plain old hardworking folks, along with those who have a lot more.
I know tons of people with LOTS of money ARE buying plane tickets and going to expensive resorts. And a lot of our hotels here are gouging people for the rooms they’re renting — that is a fact.
But having a ton of money to toss off on a whim wasn't my point. My point is that a LOT of just-plain-folks CAN get in their cars or take a bus or a train and travel a tiny bit to see something special this year.
Our economy HAS improved and is continuing to do so. And a lot of people who work hard for their daily bread are able to make a choice to spend a little bit to have an experience.
That is the idea I am talking about.
It’s always been the case that the very wealthy will complain about the cost of maintaining the society we all share, and then they’ll blow wads of money on their own luxuries. They think that’s they’re due … unaware of how much we ALL contribute toward making sure we have a functioning society that allows people to live their daily lives in relative security …
But I was saying that I see lots of everyday folks able to find the resources to enjoy a little holiday and see this eclipse, and that’s kind of nice.
If our economy is improving, that’s kind of nice, too.
Yes. The economy is improving. The article is about why some people don't feel it is improving. Suddenly it turns into a lot of judgmental holier-than-thou finger wagging and eye-rolling and victim blaming. There are a lot of people who are suffering financial insecurity and whether it is their own fault or not is beside the point. I thought the basic premise of being a liberal was to suspend judgments and just help people who need it.
Mac, you make a good point, but be aware that not all liberals feel that they have to help the poor. As to Robert's article, I do not share his optimism, because housing will remain unaffordable to many, and gas prices are unlikely to go down. Confronted with insurmountable problems, Biden has been unable to inspire hope. Sad to say so, but many of those who support him do so because of their abhorrence of Trump.
Why is gas going up again? We don't buy it from Russia ..
As I said, in the second most expensive state, New York, gas prices have FULLY STABILIZED! They'll go up as it gets warmer like every year, but under $3.50 is AMAZING considering we were almost at $6 under Bunkerboy before he surrendered to Covid-19.
I'll explain it to you Miriam. Gas has gone up again over 60 cents here in Indiana. Likely due in part to the fact that Saudi Arabia and Russia have begun their manipulation of oil prices. They want to hurt Biden to help Trump get elected. The possibility of $5-6 a gallon gas prices by November is a very real possibility. Check out Thomas Hartmann here on Substack for more information. He is invaluable.
Research it and get back to us. I could tell people, as I have on this substack, but why not find out on your own?
Yes, that is so.
A good reminder.
You must live in a rainbow bubble.
Not in any way, shape, or form, AK. You have no idea.
I am just reflecting on what is going on in the world. Things are very tough! Way too many people are struggling like crazy. I am struggling like crazy.
But there are small bright spots.
Not nearly ENOUGH of them. If we hold onto a Democrat in the White House, we might see even more improvement. Democrats tend to preside over improving economies {look it up}.
The migration of wealth from labor to oligarch BALOONED since the Reagan years. Mostly because of policies that became popular back then, and have been doubled down on since then. Even Clinton — who balanced our budget! — put too much emphasis on Wall Street and not enough on Main Street.
Joe Biden really does have Main Street in his policies.
If we give him a second term, it will keep showing up.
Not just the White House but also the Senate and the House. We must take back the legislature.
Yes, Paula. If we hamstring a good president with an obstructive legislature, we are only hurting ourselves. There was a time, when people went to Washington to govern, even if they disagreed with each other from time to time. Now, they go to rule — and don’t nobody stand in their way! It’s a shame how the idea of “governing” has disappeared.
I was VERY surprised when I saw President Biden be THE first president in history to JOIN A PICKET LINE!!! I have started to think this past year that he WAS the right pick over Bernie Sanders. His experience in politics has been a boon to us in the 99%!
I think Bernie would have been terrific, with a decent and active legislature behind him. He needs good idea people with him—but so does every president.
There are areas in which I think Biden has blind spots. But he talks to people and listens and he does learn.
There’s nobody on the horizon who is going to do a better job. No third party person can do more than skew the vote. They can’t influence who gets in, but a third party is NOT going to get elected this year, and wanting that to change is not going to make it OK to let Trump win in November.
I’d love third parties in the mix, too! In Vermont, we actually have them! If we want them countrywide, we have to BUILD that system — and not trash the one we have in the meantime.
If we don’t elect a Democrat this year, we are selling our climate and our democracy down the river.
I thought it was admirable that he was willing to stand by our secretary of defense! His cancer commonly affects the brain. The disrespect there, even though at the time I didn’t care for Joe either, was something that never should’ve happened. To me and far right will scoff but I don’t care—that was an act of God to stand by basically a traitor..
Excellent point.
Maybe President Biden needs to come out with the equivalent of Cowboy Ronnie’s goofyass “Breakfast in America” spot. Ah, that’s right, it was “Morning in America”. My bad. It had all the meaningful content of a sugar rich breakfast cereal, and people ate it up even as the watched their wages stagnate and the standard of living drop precipitously. No, what President Biden needs to do is claim and trumpet his efforts and his results. Period.
Breakfast in America was an album by Supertramp. A very good one, too.
Indeed. I recall it. ‘Twas part of my adolescent soundtrack. I delivered the morning paper as a lad. Well I knew the real “Morning in America”. I greeted it along with the milkman and folks on their way to good paying jobs with good benefits won by strong unions. Thos days are gone and they aren’t likely to return, but good days needn’t be behind us, things of the past. President Biden is working quietly and diligently to ensure opportunities for renewed and sustainable prosperity are a thing of the present and the future, thereby ensuring the American Dream remains very much alive for all of us and for our issue. This I believe.
Jeff L. Here on earth, we need to expand our base. Register Democrats to save democracy.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/mission
🇺🇸💙🇺🇸💙 Life IS much better than it was 4 years ago! Too many thick headed numbskull neanderthals just refuse to admit they're wrong.
Jeff, this economy is not the same for everyone. There are some people who have money to spare and others who do not. You apparently are doing alright but you probably got a good education and a good job as a result. Many rural people people didn’t get a good education and the good paying union jobs went elsewhere cuz the those populations were more than happy to work for wages that wouldn’t put food on the table here. Moreover, the countries where those jobs went didn’t have labor safety and environmental laws which exist here.
Big agricultural corporations bought up the independent farmers and monopolies like Walmart crushed local mom & pop retailers. So young folks headed to urban service jobs or the military where they could get training if they lucky that would get them a living wage when their enlistment was up. I have a brother who found that is a perilous path to a decent income. Your over simplification is just B.S.
Ridiculous bullshit. I think the economy thing is made up by our Trump heavy media. If not out and out Trump humpers it is all about the horse race and forcing the Biden Administration to maintain the policies and drift of Reaganomics.
I will not Vote Biden. NEVER AGAIN.. interesting slogan that applies to the current genocide that Biden is complicit in. NO JOE.. And I'm all of 77 and join MANY seniors not voting Biden. It's not just the YOUTH that are in protest against genocide, but many of us post war baby boomers..
If you don’t vote Biden, and trump wins, how will you feel? Will you be happy living under a trump regime? Do you understand what it will be like?
Apparently Shirley will be happier with trump.
She must not mind seeing death camps here then.
Maybe she believes that this may be her last election, anyway, so why not make it the last election for everybody?
It would be like ‘30’s n ‘40’s Germany. Hoping him , Miller, Bannon, Flynn and the 147 congressional POS are imprisoned. They are treasonous bastards! And there are more.
Duopoly--no primary debates with Biden--dark money--Aipac stranglehold on elections--Trump and Biden same Israel policy--Biden promised Public option during his 2020 run.. lied. He said, I will veto any Medicare for All Bill that crosses my desk. On Biden's watch mass murder in Gaza--sending US bombs to Israel violating Leahy legislation that precludes arms to a country blocking humanitarian aid...Biden stated the UN resolution for Ceasefire during Ramadan is "non binding" when it is binding. Biden admin. vetoed two or three preceding ceasefire resolutions. So I will not vote Biden. Never again... member, Jewish Voices for Peace.
77 here too. He's a mess. I think that he'll(Biden/Harris) be reelected however. The Emperor’s New Clothes have come off. I love America. 🇺🇸
With your experience, you would think you would actuallys ee the value in the Democratic Presidency which has created more jobs, and a strong economy. Yes, the wealthy are getting richer, but the middle class is getting stronger and we are still spending, which is the key. Savers kill economies, spenders grow the economy. Creating 300k jobs each month will create more spenders and that is what the economy needs. Help the young, vote Democrat and spend, like it matters, cause it does.
I grew up in a different time when debt was not fiscally acceptable & led to bad endings for those who wanted to have money for retirement and didn’t. I love the free market, small businesses, the flag, volunteerism, and singing the anthem, legal immigration. Just a different perspective. Biden, or Harris will be leading the country again. No worries for you.
I have heard that assisted living places are charging $5000-$10,000/mo. So we all have to save.
(I don’t know anything about trademarks, but why did Ivanka trump get a trademark for nursing homes? This was back when she got one for caskets too. Maybe before the pandemic?)
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/gop-rep-mike-turner-russian-propaganda-uttered-house-floor-rcna146760
And the Rethuglikkkans n rethuglirussians are still at it!
Vote for Joe!
Who said I was voting Trump. Will not vote Biden or Trump.. The choice otherwise is mine and I don't need you or others trampling on it.. as Hillary says, GET OVER IT. What's wrong with her? the well known war monger in chief who blames Bernie and everyone else for her loss.
No one said you were voting trump. The implication is that not voting for Biden is like voting for trump.
We just want you to think about the unintended consequences of not voting. It is, of course, your choice while we are still a democracy. Unlike in Russia where the people were made to vote for Putin, trump’s idol.
Speak for yourself, and frankly, I am done responding. Must 1) practice. 2) teach so I can make a living and support myself. The original subject was the economy.. so full circle I have said enough. I wish you well.
Ok, there’s no need to respond Shirley. But I suggest you get on the internet and look up Project 2025. Although the language in it is sugar-coated, you should be able to read between the lines to know the true meaning of what’s being said. It’s a document written and endorsed by the republican party. It lays out a plan for completely revamping our government regardless of the Constitution, so that every, single employee who is a civil servant will be fired if they don’t sign a loyalty pledge to Donald Trump.
That means every employee in the State Dept., every attorney working for the Dept. of Justice, every ambassador, every employee in the foreign service, every General, & everyone answering to that general, everyone in the National Guard, every Cabinet member, every federally appointed judge, everyone
on the National Security Council, every employee in the Office of Management and Budget, everyone who works at the EPA, etc. will be loyal to Trump & no one else.
It means the rights granted to us by the Constitution will disappear, there will be no freedom of speech, or the press and no right to peacefully assemble. We will eventually have a national religion. The right to keep and bear arms will no longer exist. The government will be able to search us, our homes and our other property at will and seize any of our possessions without a warrant or compensation.
We will be subject to arrest without due process & without knowing what we are being arrested for. We will have no right to a speedy trial and we can be put in prison indefinitely without a right to a public trial. We will have no right to vote. There won’t be a ban on cruel and unusual punishment, meaning American
citizens can be tortured by our government.
It’s likely there won’t be any further elections, ever,
for any office. Donald Trump will appoint whomever
he wants to appoint for every office without the
necessity of confirmation by the Senate or the House. All people born in another country will be
rounded up and put in camps. (Trump has specifically said he will put foreigners in camps.)
Donald Trump will set taxes wherever he wants them to be, without input from Congress. All new laws will be what Trump wants them to be without input from anyone. All federal & state government employees and members of the armed services will take an oath to Donald Trump—not to a constitution or a country.
If you don’t have a problem living like that, then by all means don’t vote.
77 years old born a year after WWII ended my Dad was still serving in Germany that year, he enlisted at 15 years old . He was there to help stop Hitlers genocide and keep us free , and let everyone vote as they wish. I think Trump is the second coming of Hitler and he is going to allow genocides to happen around the world without any possibility of a strong U.S. to stop them.But by all means register a protest vote against Joe Biden and enjoy watching the world crumble under Trump ! My Father fought for your right to register that protest vote.When I put flowers on his grave this Memorial Day,I’ll tell him and the other WWII veterans buried around him that You said thanx!
Interestingly, Trump was born about a year after Hitler died. He is genetically connected to Germany.
About a year ..maybe about 9 months after ,could he be genetically connected to Hitler himself? Sunderkinden perhaps 🤔? Ya never know! The resemblance in political thought is absolutely amazing !🏴☠️
Those thoughts crossed my mind!
A DNA sample from a handburder wrapper is needed! Hitlers genes are available,hmmmmm ,…there must be thousands of them,like bread crumbs in Hansel and Gretel ,Fatboy leaves them where ever he goes ! …I wonder?😏🤔
My dad was Army Air Force WWII--under the bombs of the airstrip in England. Both my parents were blacklisted by DEMS and Repugs... ugly period in American history. If my dad were alive today, he would not vote for Biden or Trump. and don't try to convince me otherwise. NO DEMOCRACY in this country. I am looking to emigrate! If Trump is elected you can say Biden and his complicity in genocide handed it to him. Shame on JOE!
If trump wins, it won’t matter where you go. Unless you’re rich enough to rub elbows with the oligarchy. He will join with all the other authoritarians and life will be bleak.
OK, but Biden is not causing the carnage in Palestine, his options are limited. I agree, but Biden is trying to navigate a very difficult issue. One the Jewish influence in America is overwhelming. If we lose the Jews, we lose a lot of votes and money. Its not like Isreal is innocent, but neither is Palestine. Palestinians donot vote and they do not contribute. Its a tuff fight. Old joe is doing what he can, given a very weak hand. He and the Democrats become the best hope of a two state solution and peace, prosperity and security for the middle east, as opposed to the alternative, which will destroy all Palestine and supporting Isreal's continued authoritarian rule over the midddle east. Elect Democrats and keept the pressure on them and peace will prevail.
Biden is complicit in the carnage by sending US bombs, and more to Israel. Our taxes are supporting genocide. I am JEWISH.. both sides Ashkenazic and there are many, many JEWS like me, totally opposed to the US role in these massacres. Totally outraged by US/UN vetoes of Ceasefire Resolutions, and the last vote as abstaining and saying the Ceasefire during Ramadan was NON-BINDING. Totally a lie according to the signees of the Security Council. Same for the ICJ plausible genocide being snickered at by Blinken/Biden. and Haughty Kirby crying for Ukrainian dead kids, and not shedding a tear for Gazan babies. Who are they all kidding? It must end now... Permanent Ceasefire... think about the World Kitchen workers KILLED. some mistake that was .. three different HITS... NEVER AGAIN. No JOE!
You want to live under a Hitler wannabe? Stephen Miller runs the show and he is a Nazi! Go for Joe!🙏🙏Save America!
So don't vote for Biden and live with what might be elected by your ilk.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/gop-rep-mike-turner-russian-propaganda-uttered-house-floor-rcna146760
Just vote Joe!
I was thinking about posting this also. A threshold crossed when a Republican in his position is saying that Russian propaganda has infected the GOP base.
Trump says to Bibi: “Finish the job”. Biden may be weak on getting him to stop the genocide and while I am against him sending weapons, Trump actually supports fully and believes in what Bibi is doing. I do not understand why you would do an action that results in someone worse for the Palestine people if you honestly care about them. Are you not being selfish with your sense of pure ideology and letting that get in the way of voting practically. People did the same in 2016 with Hilary and Trump. Do you think the world was better because Trump won. All those who stayed home “for their conscience” did not make the world a better place. It only resulted in something worse. Noone applauded their moral aptitude. The primary no confidence vote was clever and sent a message. Electing Trump again and destroying our Democracy will not.
You are way off the mark. The two policies embraced by Trump and Biden are the same. Both are Extreme Zionists.. Yes I said it. Are you aware of the Great March of Return. a nonviolent march where Palestinians were shot at--legs torn off. Are you aware that the six beheaded babies has proven false from Oct. 7th even IDF and Gallant admitted. But Biden kept repeating the lie--saying he saw a video. He lies all the time. Do you recall Biden licking an ice cream cone and saying a Ceasefire would happen in a few days.. solely to depress UNCOMMITTED votes in Michigan.. Sorry Joe, the Arab Americans and others turned out in droves. they are not voting Biden. Are you aware that prior to Oct. 7th, that Israel committed periodic "mowings of the lawn." You know what that means. Both Biden and Trump have the same policies.. but face it, ON BIDEN'S watch there is now disproportionate revenge on a total PEOPLE.. everyone is being punished. It's GENOCIDE. There is ethnic cleansing. And frankly, personalizing against me resorting to your characterization of selfishness seems to be your only arsenal in your post--it belies facts. Reminds me of mainstream media that I do not watch period..... seeing is believing. maimed, starving children--pregnant women who cannot give birth safely.. many who are killed. many under the rubble. that is not being selfish to call a spade a spade. NEVER AGAIN means just that. Now start calling me a self-hating Jew which goes along with your territory.
You seem to think trump would do better? He would recommend nuking Gaza to "get it over with quickly" (his words). Biden has been in ongoing talks for a ceasefire and providing humanitarian care to Gaza. He can't control What Netanyahu does. His own country can't reign him in. We only have so much control what happens on the other side of the world. Perhaps if we were able to flush out the Hamas that would be the most constructive efforts. Why has Gaza been unable to do that? Then you have Trumps son-in-law circling like a vulture to possibly buy up some prime coastal land in Gaza.
And they want the gas rights off the coast.
Excellent point! Can I screenshot this for Facebook?
Exactly Jeff. And dumping their pets to be killed in shelters while they do these things and spend their money on fast foods, drugs, gambling, and the eclipse.
that I don't understand. There have been eclipses in the past and i don't remember this excitement or hysteria for it. And somehow they all look alike!!!!
People are still suffering from obscene housing costs and food inflation costs. I think those are the main factors dragging down people’s feelings about the economy. Not just the number of jobs which mostly don’t pay a decent liveable wage.
This is objectively true, but requires nuance.
We all know that President Biden has created more jobs than any president in memory. And yes, as long as we are in thrall to capitalism, that is a good thing. It beats high unemployment.
But what the president can't control is the underlying problem that is late stage capitalism. I have written about this a lot.
Unfortunately, as long as the grievance collectors and the press fail to recognize the true culprit causing our pain they will continue to blame the president.
Until predatory capitalism is replaced as the ruling force in the world we will see this sort of wage slavery and exploitation. It is considerably worse in the United States than most other large Western nations, for reasons too complex to get into here.
Yes! I agree. See my comment.
Hmmm.... What's the difference between "predatory capitalism" and "fascism?
One is a political system the other an economic system. Capitalism reigns as the global economic system, but not all the countries of the world are fascist. Not even the United States, yet. We are, at this moment, still a representative democracy, even if that status is hanging by a thread.
If we have any hope of changing the economic system, it must remain a democracy.
Re-elect Joe Biden this November!
Not much, just saying.
Not a lot
Gonna start following you! Thank you! I’m just starting to dive into policies and really enjoy different view points to help me make up my own mind. What about Nikki’s plan to reel in Covid money in? I don’t know how that works. Can you explain that to me?
If I might recommend another substack, I think you would enjoy Heather Cox Richardson's musings. Most include a historical context and are VERY interesting.
Yes thank you for the recommendation!
Bingo, Diane! You just hit the proverbial nail on the head about why people are not giving Biden this enigmatic "credit" for a "great economy" that Robert and the Democrat loyalists in this comments section are insisting he is owed. This "Infrastructure" Bill and "Inflation Reduction" Bill, and these alleged anti-trust laws Robert has previously credited the Biden administration for, has done nothing that the working class actually notices. But it's nice to see a rational thinker who actually speaks like they live in the same country I do in this comments section. Thank you.
I do give Biden credit for what he has done. In our unregulated capitalist economy, he has zero control over food and housing costs. So I was not criticizing either Biden or Robert in my comment. The economy is complicated. My opinion is we need far more socialism to control the cost of necessities. But I doubt that will happen with the uncontrolled influence the corporations have here.
I think it is called…
CORPORATE SOCIALISM: The government mostly benefits corporations. Most major industries are privately owned, but still receive substantial tax CRS, bailouts and other benefits at the expense of the taxpayers. It is driven by the corporations’ ability to influence laws with large amounts of money to pay for legislation that favors corporations’ to make even more money. With CORPORATE SOCIALISM, the wealthy become even wealthier At the expense of lower classes. This system is essentially a Plutocracy = rule by the wealthy.
IDK, it seems like it to me. This is from a textbook “Socialism 101”
True but not the socialism I was referring to. I meant democratic socialism like in the Scandinavian countries.
Yeah, it would be great if we had democratic socialism, but there are many Americans that only see the word “socialism” and think it will take the freedom away. Socialism is the government owns most major industries. A single party or dictator rules the government. The system allows for little personal freedom, and is closely aligned with Authoritarianism.
Trump wants to be a dictator and his base, except for the corporatists, do not realize they will suffer along with the rest of us. It amazes me they don’t realize he couldn’t care less about them, but loves their adoration and money. He is the epitome of a conman/grifter with aspirations of becoming a dictator.
Dianne, the Scandiavian countries are small and the people are very uniform. For instance the 12th largest poultry producer in the US produces about 3% of total Us production. However in one week they produce more chicken than the entire country of Denmark produces in a year.
With a uniform population, with good educations and only small industrial output, the country is easier to manage versus the US with great
Diversity in peoples,
Educations, and extremely large worldwide industrial companies.
It’s pretty easy (where I live anyway) buy food at farmers markets and support local small businesses.
We have a corptocracy
I agree.
Watch. theCon.tv. All 5 free episodes. You have seen bits and pieces in the news over decades but this documents the entirety of the US Corruption from Reagan through Trumpty. White collar criminals run the US now . Worse or as bad as fascism.
No worse will be this corrupt economic system with authoritarian rule. Then we will truly be an authoritarian oligarchic republic. We are still a democratic republic but more and more oligarchic with corporate reign. No way is now worse than it would be under fascism. People have no idea how much freedom they still have that could be lost.
Rebecca, Watch. theCon.tv You have seen snatches of the reporting over decades. But, when you see it in its entirety, free, 5 sessions, you realize how deep into it we are. From Reagan through Trumpty. If Wall Street privatizes social security and the repugnants deconstruct social security like they are doing with the post office, it is over... Time for bloody revolution.
Socialism is one of the most evil systems in existence!
Did I say socialism or Democratic Socialism? There is a pretty big difference.
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM: The government mostly benefits citizens. Major industries can be privately owned (Capitalism) but do not receive handouts from the government At taxpayers expense. The tax burden is shared equally, with wealthy corporations and individuals their fair share to help fund public services like education, healthcare, policemen, firefighters, roads, Libraries, etc. With this system, middle class thrives and poverty decreases. This system most closely aligns with Democracy = rule by people. This is where we should be; however, we are in the corporate socialism stage right now.
ALL Socialism is bad.
Who do you think will pay all this free money you advocate handing out? Not the corporations, those are just legal structures. It's the consumers of the products. If you think the CEO is over paid then ratchet up the tax rates on extreme levels of income, and simplify the tax code, but don't hose the consumers.
We citizens are getting tired of misdirection, propaganda, victimizing our neighbors, and political nonsense.
I you like a program then donate to it. Don't try to force others.
I agree we have had inflation, but the real question is, "Will Trump and the Republicans (if elected) make it any better"? They will cut taxes for the rich, cut social security and medicare/medicaid, lower minimum wages, allow corporate merger (reducing competition), and prevent the IRS from collecting corporate and rich peoples' taxes. I fail to see how any of these will put money in working class pockets, or even reduce inflation. If the Powell and the Fed reduced their balance sheet, it might help inflation, but at the cost of many jobs if done too quickly.
If trump gets into office again, you will not recognize America. The amount of suffering will be enormous for the lower classes. Only the .1% and up will benefit.
If you think things are bad for the 99% now, they will be infinitely worse with a pathological ignoramus who only cares about himself. I will vote for Biden because there is mo other choice (as usual) unfortunately. Is my memory failing me ir didn’t Biden say he would be a one term president the last time?
Things are as bad as they are BECAUSE Republicans have skewed our economy to favor the already-wealthy. They ain’t gonna make it better for the rest of us.
No, I don’t believe he said that. Nor should he be one. Among most important and consequential presidents in a very long time. None are perfect.
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/11/biden-single-term-082129
No. Some media personality suggested it and it was hooted down immediately.
He was a bridge. Decided to make the bridge longer.
Also, Trump promises to levy a 10% tariff (tax) on all imports, which will drive inflation into the stratosphere. It will also start a trade war, which will adversely impact businesses that export goods. If you think inflation is bad now, if Trump becomes president, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Too many monopolies out of control. Thanks to the people who didn’t want any control over banks, businesses, etc.
When people invest for retirement, they become part owners of those corporations by owning shares. But most investors don’t pay attention to what those corporations are doing as long as their investment funds go up. Investors need to take more responsibility
Christofer, President Biden's Infrastructure Bill and Inflation Reduction Bill did exactly what they were suppose to do! He still is working on the anti-trust laws. Many people are still struggling because the corporations have not lowered the prices they raised during the pandemic. In fact, many are price gouging which makes it very hard for the working class. That is the oligarchs and the corporations fault not President Biden. They are in it to get as much profit as possible for their shareholders. That is why it is so important to turn our country toward stakeholder capitalism. People are blaming President Biden when, in fact, they should be blaming the richy rich and the corporations!!
AND THEY SHOULD BE BLAMING TRUMP!!!!!
Even before the pandemic, TRUMP built a national debt so big it will weigh down the economy for years!
His tax cuts for billionaires alone added $8 TRILLION to the debt.
TRUMP OVERSAW ONE OF THE LARGEST DEFICIT INCREASES OF ANY PRESIDENT WHO WAS NOT A WARTIME POTUS.
FDR added the largest %age increase, pulling the US out of the Great Depression & funding our effort in WWII (791.8%)
Woodrow Wilson ranks second, funding WWI (789.8%)
The next 6 top ranking increasers of the nat’l debt are ALL REPUBLICANS, except for Barack Obama, who signed the ARRA stimulus act to create & recover jobs lost during the great recession.
See Investopedia.com/us-debt-by-president-dollar-and-percentage-
7371225#toc-top-5-presidents-who-added-to-national-debt-by-percentage
But most of this might as well have been written in a dead language, like Babylonian, for all it means to the average US voter.
If voters understood even basic economics, they would never have voted for Reagan & his trickle-down economics which involved tax cuts and decreased social spending.
And they would be fleeing Trump like the plague because he has NO REAL POLICIES except to whip up hatred and divisiveness, both nationally and internationally.
Alas, red states have starved public education for decades, and we are now at the point Jefferson warned of: “No democracy can survive without an educated and engaged citizenry. “
You will not see that educated & involved citizenry donning stupid red hats and cheering through hours of rambling nonsense uttered by a barely coherent, bumbling, criminal, rapist, Gold Medalist Liar, cheat, draft-dodging insurrectionist who doesn’t support our Constitution.
So you don’t care about the other countries and that Trump wants to surrender territory to Putin to end the war? Putin is an authoritarian dictator… you don’t care about the ramifications of the United States being in Bed with Putin & ties to China? I think we need to be less selfish as a nation. Could’ve voted Nikki as a middle ground but we didn’t. We CAN all work together and not label one another. It’s a CHOICE that we don’t. A very bad choice
Trump is definitely NO friend of Ukraine! Could he find it on a map?
No more than he can find his brain inside his skull
Independent here, use to be a Dem and a Rep before that... how is Trump surrendering US territory to Putin?
Not US territory! A free country is aggressively being attacked by Putin. If Putin is successful do you think he will stop there! Trump owes Putin big time for bailing him out after the 9th bankruptcy...
I’m not sure what you are talking about being a question. It’s a statement that the ramifications of trumps plan to strike a deal with Putin that would allow him to take territory will end in further warfare. It’s not a question it’s a fact.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/05/trump-ukraine-secret-plan/
I think I misread your comment. I’m so sorry!
I totally understand😋
Look at a map! Ukraine, which surrendered its large nuclear weapons arsenal decades ago, is a small buffer between Putin’s aggressive moves and the NATO nations which are our closest allies. Trump’s persistent calls for the US to abandon NATO are precisely aligned with his subservience to VLAD. (Watch the cringe-worthy videos of Trump in Helsinki in 2018 if you don’t believe that Don the Con is at best Putin’s “Useful Idiot” — at worst
a willing pawn for Soviet interests.
Doesn’t anyone wonder what Trump planned to do with the Top Secret DOD documents he stole when he left the White House? They have monetary value for anyone who wants to sell them to Russia, China, North Korea, Iran ….
He has publicly says he could end the war in 24 hours and said he chooses not share his plan for various reasons. Sources close to him (on his team) say that his plan is to let his golfing buddy Putin have territory and they are speaking up about it because they’ve the ramifications of being in bed with an Authoritarian Dictator. I’ll look for the article with sources in the Post. I am in the same boat as you. I’ve voted both ways and I vote early for Nikki thinking of inflation but when I read Robert’s writing and a few others about Biden I kind of wish I would have waited. I just didn’t want to vote for either at the time… here’s the article. It was still up in my Washington post app.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/05/trump-ukraine-secret-plan/
Is this a serious question?
Every dollar for weapons for the "other authoritarian dictator" kills people on both sides, by prolonging the war. Good (innocent) people should not have to die for the actions of POS "leaders".
The corporate media spin that the war was unprovoked is not correct, just propaganda.
Please do your own research. Do not just take what the talking heads say as fact. Even in good times, the information is always skewed to one side or the other.
Who are you talking to???
Of course the war was provoked it’s a land battle involving terrorist groups and multiple other organizations with a multitude of reasoning.
Who even said it was unprovoked?
I got a notification so I’m not sure if you’re taking to me or not, but no one ever said that nor does most of the media. That’s a typical Trump thing to say though. Again I could totally be misreading your comment, but Donald Trump is a thug & a crime boss if you ask me.
For Fun: Oxford definition of Thug meets Trump exactly
noun
1.
a violent, aggressive person, especially one who is a criminal.
Whoa! You guys are completely just blinded by hatred for trump, some praise Joe , no person is coming in from government to save us! We need to set aside the differences we have between ourselves to demand the shit we can hopefully agree on , I’m not sure at this point. safety, security is a must in our country! open border shit has to go, when has any country especially as world widely hated as we are….u think we hate each other go to a foreign country as Americans and we will be best friends, we are all we have ppl want to destroy us. Why is up for debate but a multitude of reasons. We need to get out of the world police game. You for defunding police the us military biggest in history our empire has out rivaled the most powerful of those before us! it’s not a world of rainbows and sunshine, leave peoples kids the fuck alone. Are we a constitutional republic if not what then? All bets off, the rights of citizens are not up for debate or translation it is what it says, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed period, does that mean we let violate people run around murdering others or stealing by force from others. If you are that dangerous then we will not allow these people to walk amongst us. Non violent criminals should not lose their rights period. democracies is at risk no,,, the republic is at risk. Democratic Republic all this capitalism isms….ok well we demand transparency we need to know what our government is doing ? If you appear before congress ( who will be of the people not just inside traders that enter a position of service to the people and when they pass cause they don’t get fired or quit, they are significantly financially better off than they were???) but u answer the questions ask if you outright lie like…yeah then you are held accountable. If state’s want to do something that the states don’t agree with, as long as they don’t violate ppls rights do it, the people that are like minded can go or stay. Rasict not to be tolerated by anyone not just white ppl. We take care of those who can’t take care of themselves and the ones that fought for the country, we must agree to protect our self from outsider influences and threats if something happens we can come together and fight! Now I understand that it’s not this easy and there’s so much bull shit to get anything done, we gotta do better but remember NO ONE IS GOING TO SAVE US!! They want us to fight so they have a job! I love you all I hope you are blessed in your life!
Uhmm I don’t think anyone is saying a political figure can save the country. We have to make the best choice regardless and THE PEOPLE—the crux of democracy—are supposed to be involved in shaping decisions of the White House. I voted for Nikki Haley. I kind of wish I would’ve voted Joe but I had my reasons. What you’re saying doesn’t really make sense. It’s very hard to follow like a tangent or rant so I’m not really sure how to respond to that. I don’t hate Trump—I don’t hate anyone. I hate what he represents and I think he is extremely dangerous… I’m not sure if you’re trying to take up for him or what with the rant because I didn’t bring up any of those issues you brought up—maybe you replied to the wrong person?? I pray for Trump at least once a week. I pray for my enemies—I don’t hate them. I have no clue who you were talking to but I never mentioned one thing that your tangent says. We’re supposed to come together as a nation. Trump is the wedge that divides us as a nation and Trump clones (literally they all say the same exact thing—no true thought of their own) will stop at nothing to spin it on democrats and call anyone who disagrees with them ugly names. I had no idea what a RINO even was until I started noticing Trump clones then I realized they literally have no thoughts of their own when it comes to politics and decided to speak up about it. I think you need to find the person that talked about all the things in your tangent and copy paste that because I never mentioned any of those things. I do not like what Trump represents as a human being. That’s it. I think he will turn on the Nation if elected and become a Dictator. Conspiracy theories=brainwashing; yes sometimes they are true, but Trump floods minds with so many lies in such a short time that his followers believe it because before they have time to think about it another lie comes out of his mouth. This is a fact. The Washington post posted an article in 2021 interviewing political fact checkers (yes they are paid to check facts and research all candidates) & in four years he has told approx 30,500 lies. This year is already up to over 1000 source: the slate, politico and various other fact checking sites. My problem with Trump is one of his values not aligning with America’s or with God. Not one of hate. I pray his soul is saved. Anyone who claims to be the Chosen One yet acts satanic as he does is clearly not in their right mind. Same goes for the MAGA clones
If voters fail to understand or even notice the economic impact of the two major Biden Administration bills you denigrate, they — and you, Christopher Nigro, are simply ignorant of basic economics!
An average high school student should know and understand how Trump’s enormous addition to the national debt was in itself a huge inflationary act — followed by a worldwide inflation that had to be managed by the Biden administration ( and which was well done!)
And any voting age adult incapable of using the internet to read about inflationary causes and how they can best be managed is too lazy to be voting.
Trump doesn’t “govern” - he incites people to anger and division by harping on their most objectionable biases.
He speaks less about jobs, food and gas prices & other “kitchen table” issues than he does about illegal immigrants (*) and why we shouldn’t care about Ukraine or NATO.
(*) And what YOU don’t mention is that Trump has purposely kept public angst about the border alive by ordering Speaker Mike Johnson to, at the last minute, deep-six the bi-partisan border bill that had been agreed upon.
Trump did this because the “open border” is one of his strongest appeals to the MAGA base, along with stirring up fear among White Christian Supremacists about “replacement” by people of color and fear and loathing of other minorities, including the LGBTQ+ community, Muslims, Jews, and anyone who looks, thinks, prays, or does anything differently.
Amen!!! Needs nothing else. Thank you for explaining inflationary causes too. I’ve been researching A LOT, but this cliffs-note sums it up nicely! He appeals to the vulnerable. The latest is his third person narrative that “Suburban housewives love Donald Trump.” That’s his way of saying if your husband loves me you will follow, again taking away from women. I realize this is my opinion but I think any one of us can see that’s exactly what he means with his actions and words. No woman who truly respects herself would vote for him. He stands for everything that is wrong with this nation.
Thank you!!!! Thank God for all of you. I’m actually not alone.
The problem is that the stats they broadly parade is those that reveal that the money changers on Wall St. are partying. The "trickle down" hasn't got close enough to give relief or hope to we in the 70 - 78 percent.
You mean the record high stocks then? I’m sorry I’m new to understanding some of the numbers. Are you saying that the trickle down will give enough in the future or that it’s not possible?
Yeah maybe you shouldn’t be on here then. This is for people who care about unity, being proactive and being focused on a solution not placing blame. I don’t know how extreme democrats are because I’ve never met one, but I know as an independent I focus on taking action and being proactive. There are plenty of people on here who are simply interested in what Robert has to say like me. I voted Nikki with concerns of Biden not being proactive at the time and inflation. I am on that side of wanting a new generational leader, but in a race by Trump and Biden. Biden by a landslide for me.
Chris, do you think all the people who took Cruises during Covid paid in cash?
Understandable. I voted early for Nikki because of that, but the economy really is getting better. People should at least give the man a chance to fix it. Plus the grand scheme of things is the Trump boasts he could end the war in 24 hours with plans that his own constituents have come out with saying his plan is to give Putin territory. You have to think about how our decisions affect the Nations of the world not just us. This is why Americans get a bad wrap sometimes… our selfishness. We need a leader that says I’m here. I’m listening. Forget the bullshit and placing blame—this is the problem let’s work together to fix it and worry about blame when the crisis has passed. I’m not saying Biden is the one but I’m saying he’s definitely projecting the unity of decision making TOGETHER how God meant it to be. I could never vote for Trump because of my morals and I honestly don’t know how I feel about my vote anymore. I think some of Biden’s laws are too far left, but isn’t that the entire point of having a team to work with and help you find the middle ground? As a person who is deeply affected by pollution (I had no idea the harm it could cause until I got into this health nightmare) I admire President Biden for many initiatives like his environmental laws but I also do not see how throwing three trillion at it is going to help us either. I also don’t understand why Nikki’s plan wouldn’t help and could be combined with Biden’s. She wants to reel in Covid money and redistribute then give out no additional funding. Her environmental policies were changing constantly so I don’t know where they stood when she dropped out but I think we have to make a moral choice this time so we don’t end up under leadership that does way more than flirt with facism and authoritarian.
Whitney, you are right about America getting a bad rap for selfishness. You are also right that the problem can be worked on together across the aisle to the benefit of everybody. President Biden is the one that strongly believes in unity. Together, not divided. This whole red versus blue is ludicrous. Each party has ideas that when put together could come up with a great plan for our country. Our choice this November is definitely a moral one. We need a president who leads - not one who stokes division, facism, and authoritarianism. Vote Blue, America!!
Exactly. When is the last time we had a true Leader who just took responsibility and said let’s fix this & worry about culprits later?
I think. by saying "throwing three trillion at it" you are referring to Biden's effort to decarbonize and move toward renewable energy sources. For the many folks like you who suffer from pollution, this will make your life far better, because burning fossil fuels is a major source of air pollution. As we transition toward an electric energy economy, pollution levels will drop dramatically; you and millions of others with respiratory issues will breathe more easily. Added benefit: cities will be quieter.
So what about all the electric cars in the cold that mess up? Is it a hybrid initiative? I know I probably sound ridiculous, but the only dumb questions are not asked. I guess my question is why can’t Biden reel in Covid money like Nikki was talking about and redistribute it to environmental law? I get that it might not be enough but wouldn’t it make it less thus not impacting inflation as much? If that’s not possible how will inflation be combatted? I read that he is raising taxes only on households earning more than $400,000k and the “Elite” which I’m with Biden on that it’s about time—is that where the recoup of money would come in to combat inflation?
Whitney: We have lots of Teslas and other electric cars in Minnesota, which run fine in the winter, though range is a bit limited (the heater uses electricity, of course). But this has not been a major problem. The biggest limitation in the outstate area is lack of charging stations, but the state is making a major effort to build more.
Tennessee just got 15 electric buses is Maynardville. Obviously people like Joe a lot more than the far right want people to think!
I agree with you about the cost of living, which has recently been tacked on. I also realize that those added expenses are created by corporations' increasing their wealth, rather than keeping up with the cost-of-living. The heightened minimum wage was merely an excuse for corporations to take additional money, rather than continuing to invest in development. Corporate America is considerably wealthier now than they were before Covid caused chaos in the supply chain.
Increased corporate wealth has been used to buy-back stock, rather than i
promoting development. This made corporations considerably wealthier than they were before Covid. Following Covid, the federal increase in minimum wage was the next justification for major price increases.
Corporations never let a crisis go to waste.
Price gouging by wealthy Corporations is the cause of supposed inflation, but the Press is not reporting this enough so few seem to make the connection......
The wages ARE getting better, in general. But anyone who isn’t in the group that’s going up is going to find little solace in hearing that some people’s wages are going up.
Housing is right now a con-game, being kept high, with high interest to get mortgagees, and super high rental rates, and ThAT certainly keeps people from seeing the economy as “good.”
The tough part is, once a house’s “value” has gone way up — whether in a skewed market or for whatever reason — people strongly resist seeing those valuations go back DOWN. They feel like their net worth has gone up with the value of the house, and if it goes down, they’ve lost money.
If WAGES were to catch up to housing value, so people could afford to buy again, and interest were to come down a bit, so people could get a decent mortgage, everyone would feel better.
But housing has gone up SO MUCH — do wages have to double to catch up to the buying power needed to get into the market? That’s nuts.
Then, there’s the cost of RENTALS that are soaring, and people have little choice but to pay, because buying a house is so far out of the question. And paying super high rents means they can’t save to buy, anyway …
The whole housing situation alone is skewing people’s view of our economy. Corporations buying up residential real estate, ramping up the costs of houses, turning more and more homes into rentals and gouging families — Yeah, housing is out of whack.
The housing market is going to have to go down. People are choosing to rent instead of Buy. They won’t have a choice.
I don’t really like the reality of that comment, but it’s true. If prices don’t go down, wages need to SOAR. But something’s gotta give, and we don’t need the Fed to put interest rates through the roof, if wages soar. Even though I’d love for people’s incomes to get better ….
In spite of some improvements during the past few quarters ( rightly
attributed to Biden by some - but not enough of the general population) ;
we have undergone secular stagnation for the bottom 50 - 60
percent of Americans over the past
40 years . Most of the income gains up until this year ( with union’s support ) have only benefited the top
few percent. Consequently it shouldn’t be shocking that most people are unhappy with the state of economic affairs. Unfortunately many of them have turned towards a demagog who gives them false hope that “ he” alone can fix their plight .
We are not going to overcome 40 years of stagnation with a few months of positive macro economic
figures. We need to win back the trust of those we lost to the siren sounds of Trump - I wish I had the answer for that but I don’t.
Well said
Take care of yourself first - try to keep
positive and as the ole’ spiritual says
“ don’t you let nobody turn you
round’
Thank you!! I’m so sick of these people who speak that everything is peachy!!!! My world is f-Ed due to mass layoffs!!!
Spot on Diann. And that segment of society is getting bigger every year. They’re not satisfied with the same old same old. And losing their grip on the American dream. It’s become an American nightmare for so many.
And the outrageous cost of childcare? Healthcare bankruptcies. The stats of the economy are great. But the facts of modern life suck.
Of course, none of that is Bidens fault. But such reasoning requires critical thinking....
Trump willl bankrupt the country, right after the RNC goes TU! Trump n 147 congressional treasonous bastards belong in prison. With the treasonous bastards already serving time, (not enough time) for insurrection. Don’t stop there. Flynn Bannon all the FALE attorneys! Vote BLUE! Save our country! Down with the CORPORATE GREED! We all know who they are!
Not to mention the high prices on new cars and the cost of fuel to run them!
When? Easy. Learn how to message. Learn the echo machine that is so effective for Fox. Repeat message every day. Not every month. Learn the fundamentals of a short attention span public. You must use multiple surrogates. Repeat over and over and over again.
This sounds like propaganda is it not? Repeat and repeat over again so it becomes etched in their minds. That's what the MK Ultra experiments of the 60s showed us: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/the-success-of-mk-ultra#details
In this case, fighting fire with fire is a good thing. Repeating positive thinking is healthier than repeating negative. We become what we think about.
Good point
How can speaking the truth be propaganda?
When those with agenda “claim” truth, it’s a matter competition for mind space. Those with an agenda of hope and improvement are in competition with those promoting anger and hatred.
Did I say that? Nope. Carry on.
It’s an illusion! Just like inception. All this bs.
What ya gonna do, lie down and let them roll over you?
Good propaganda. Not all propaganda is bad. Repeating the good message is good.
You think that sharing economical trends is propaganda? Data is finite… not propaganda
I guess I need to add Robert to my unfollow list. What a disappointment.
I’m just asking you to explain to me what your issue with the data is. That’s all. I’m an open minded person. If I read something that makes sense I dive in to form my own opinion. I like learning from people with different opinions. So what is it that you dislike about the data? Do you have evidence that shows different data? Do you know factors that could skew this data? That’s all I’m asking. I follow a lot of economists. I love numbers, but that was something I had to work hard to learn so sometimes it helps me to see where other people are coming from.
Sounds a little like brainwashing, which is diametrically opposed to critical thinking skills. 🤔😬😏
The thing is….everything is more expensive. I don’t talk about this with my Republican friends but for the average person everything is more expensive than before the pandemic. Services, labor, housing, food, etc is just more. It’s like a 10-15% pay cut. I acknowledge that Biden is doing a very good job, but the reality of the Main Street experience is that a lot of regular people are struggling.
Thanks to big corp GREED- they could have lowered the prices after pandemic but they like those inflated stock prices
Trumps entire draw is to the mega rich in our country & abroad to become mega+mega rich just like the hitler in the 1930s and got his WW2 underway. My Dad fought in WW1 & stayed on to fight more after being wounded. I was born when he was 40 yrs old and relayed all he remembered of that war as he worked for our government as a professor of engineering from Cornell in the Pentagon during the 2nd go around. Totally agree with you, Susan Beall. & Teaching history to ALL of us is so important to the TRUTH of which drump is lacking.
Most of Trump's attraction is cultural and most MAGATS vote against their own economic and physical health.
Absolutely…I call them “stoopid hoomins.”!
His is the power and the glory, and he will deliver them from evil.
Biden needs to talk about how to create a trickle UP economy, starting by raising the minimum wage, as everyone benefits. We are reaping the bitter rewards of forty years of being trickled on.
He is talking about a middle-out economic agenda contrasted with trickle up. Focused on supporting workers in many ways and a competitive economy to build from the bottom up and middle out rather than giving breaks to big corporations and high net worth people hoping their profits will trickle down to workers. There will be more on this.
It may be more than 10-15%. Utilities have gone up, in the case of natural gas here, more than doubled since fall of 2021. And getting anything done around the house is expensive. $4500 to have trees trimmed. $680 to have some faucet washers changed (I ended up doing it myself). Even if your healthcare deductibles are low (rare), the things the insurance company doesn’t cover does not count towards your deductible.
@Midwest. Congress refused to give Biden authority to sue for price fixing and price gouging.
Midwest: many items that are over the counter, yet medically necessary are taxed, too. So they are not covered by insurance, with tax added! So I need certain vitamins and eye treatments and dietary things, like pre and pro biotic, that are not cheap, but actually needed and prescribed by my doctors.I have had surgeries (covered ) when the over the counter things were not accessible. Crazy to have to have repeated surgeries! Not the best way to manage a chronic eye condition. But the insurers want to make more money.
I understand. My dr just prescribed something not covered by my insurance. I have to decide if I want another $180/mo cost, do without or find another alternative. Fortunately, it is not life threatening.
Midwest ; The eye treatment that is best for severe dry eye costs $1200, and is not covered by any insurance. The treatment keeps infection away for a year. Without it, cysts can form in the eyelids, which must be surgically removed. I guess the eye surgery is more profitable, and if the patient wants to protect their eyelids from multiple surgeries, they can "save up" and pay the doctor out of pocket, making even more money for them. Eyelids are very thin, like my income. I want to organize others in my position, and find out who sets the insurance codes....
Sorry to hear this about your eyes. I know several people that have dry eye but not as severe. I hope you can find help. Maybe write to the company that provides the treatment and ask if they can offer discounts or something.
Midwest ; Apparently, individual providers ( Ophthalmologist's) are the ones doing these treatments. Actually, the one I received in the ophthalmologist's office , was administered by an optician and another unidentified man who handled billing, with most likely, no medical credentials. I think they would prefer to pocket all the money themselves (minus, the slightly extra pay given to those giving the treatment). I had a generous tax deduction that went directly into the pockets of these people, every cent of the 1,1000, in fact. the main ophthalmologist was not even present, but I bet she got most of that money. The treatment included "Blefex", "Lipiflow," and some kind of light treatment.
Midwest, The next time your methane (natural) gas utility supplier whines with fake reasons of why your methane (natural) gas bill has skyrocketed due to supply chain, supply and demand, shortages, pipeline disruption, just remember that it’s all lies. The United States is the largest producer and the largest exporter of natural gas in the world. Your utility company and their suppliers are more willing to jack up the prices to sell it overseas than to provide you your gas. It doesn’t help the investor owned utility has a monopoly on each location.
Micheal, last winter Spire was still using the 2021 TX storm as the reason for high prices. There is no one protecting consumers from these monopolies.
After food, gas, and housing, utilities are 4th in priority of cost concerns to voters. Followed by healthcare.
And insurance! I live in a small coastal town. Homeowners insurance premiums are increasing by 90%. Climate change is probably the driver but this is not a community of millionaires. So when the message to average voters is that the economy is great is sounds crazy. My plan is to help win a democratic congress so we can get the economy working for everyone.
and climate change is also a contrbutor to price increases for many goods. Republicans want to make climate change worse. You might think at some point more voters would draw the logical conclusion for who to vote for, but we have a ways to go on that.
I’m afraid climate change will not get better for some time if at all. Our insurance premiums will continue to rise or coverage will be reduced. There are some areas of the country where some big insurance companies have pulled out completely.
Carolyn, blame it on the corporations who are continuing to price gouge. They don't care about the working class, they only care about the money the working class has! It is greed and power and it MUST be stopped!!
@ Carolyn Wright. That's because Congress refused to give Biden authority to sue for price fixing and price gouging.
That’s why the issue needs reframing. Right now the sound bite is about corporations paying their fair share. That begs the question. What is a fair share? It’s too squishy. It’s passive.
Instead the message should be that prices went up because of COVID and supply chain issues and while those have eased, corporations have not reduced prices. And with shrinkflation, corporations are giving you less for the same price. That’s your money going to pad the profits of corporations that aren’t giving you anything in return. No jobs, no infrastructure, no relief at all from your economic uncertainty that they create.
Democrats will get that money back with changes in the tax code that will guarantee your money will go to the things you need. Better roads, child care support, help when you’re down and out, etc. The things your money should be used for, not stock buybacks and profit puffing so the C Suite crowd can buy another mansion or yacht with your hard earned money.
also Dems will make markets more competitive to reduce prices.
Biden will not get credit from the average American. The gross economy statistics don't mean crap to everyday people. Relative reductions in inflation and employment figures that count any work time as being employed obscure what's real for Joe six-pack. Every time he or she goes to the grocery store, makes their car payment, pays their utility bill, tries to pay their rent, they are reminded how much of their paycheck goes to staying afloat. Democrats seem oblivious to this. And it's going to get them beat in November.
Republicans care about no one. Is the MAGA base so stupid they can’t see GOP plans to cut Social security, Medicare, Medicaid & ACA are real, & will be RUINOUS?
In answer to your question “Is the MAGA base so stupid…?”
Yes.
And what are Trump’s plans besides bringing Stephen Miller, Steve, Bannon, and Flynn back into the “fascist” fold.. firing everybody that presently works in government jobs and jailing/ or worse to people who did him wrong… I shutter to think that the Executive will be given that much power and not one Republican will stop him ..America will not survive another four years of Trump. I am so thankful ..I have no heirs to see this in the future ..The destruction of America
Dems are not oblivious to this.
Control price gouging.
How?
Break up the monopolies, for starters. Then actually collect taxes from everyone who makes over $400.000 a year. End the cap on Social Security. MediCare for all. Affordable public university education. Nationalize the Port Arthur Refinery. Stop exporting oil. Reform the SCOTUS. There's more, but I'm getting tired. Just Vote.
Support President Biden's budget proposal that taxes the rich and goes after monopolies suing those who break antitrust laws! I found Inequality Media Civics Action on Facebook and made a small donation to send a letter to my two representatives and Senator, telling them that I will look at what they do with this when I make my decision to vote for them!
The first 2 yrs at a public college should be paid for just like K-12.
Send in the gouging nomes?
It drives me crazy that he is so ignored. Can’t house Dems say good things like Pelosi and Schumer
Perception tends to be most of what people will see. If you went through the late 1970's and remember how Reagan manipulated the numbers--Biden is doing alright with the economy, in a sense better than most Democrats have in a few decades. He is putting unions first, for example. He is not going for short term gains. Food prices are up and staying up--I grew up and still live in the Los Angeles market area, traditionally the big indicator on a lot. They have stayed up since the pandemic. Some things are not right with this economy. Most of the population now has a short term memory of U.S. economic histroy. I don't think Biden does.
I read that 10 companies control over 80% of all the groceries world-wide. So maybe they want trump to win. 4 companies control over 50% of the world’s seeds.
Great article!!
What makes me crazy is that people are focused on issues.
If trump gets back into the white house there will be NO issues except HIS. WE will be a military state where we are the prisoners. People must wake TF up!!!!
I just dropped a stack on political spoilers and the upcoming election. One of the points of this essay is the foolishness of the protest vote. I excoriate those voters who would condemn this country to fascism because they disapprove of the actions of another sovereign nation. The President of the United States does not control Israel or its president. Anyone who thinks he does is a tool.
This is not about Israel or Gaza, but rather it is about the type of person who would attempt to throw our election at a time when representative democracy is hanging on by a thread. This type is generally white and privileged. They will not be hurt if DJT is able to use their "protest" failure to vote, or 3rd Party spoiler vote to sneak back into the White House. They are contemptible.
I hope all of us will be voting to protect our fragile democracy in November. I don't care if you hold your nose. The vote still counts.
BTW, I won't be holding my nose. I will be a proud Biden voter.
👏🏻 you are spot on! Complaining about the economy under Biden and hoping that it will get better under trump is absolute foolishness. We would have not only an even worse economy, but an avalanche of additional nightmares that we will never again be able to crawl out from under.
Agree.
Me too
Annabel your words here are EVERYTHING
THANK YOU
That US supplies the weapons to Israel, all of the weapons and now wants you to add fighter planes! Does anyone care about genocide?
Most people care about genocide. Anywhere! What they don’t know is how many times Palestinian Arabs turned their backs on border solutions because they wanted to eradicate Israel? Arafat received a Nobel Peace Prize decades ago — but peace never came because Palestinians refused to recognize a Jewish presence in the Levant.
Does anyone care that HAMAS — the terrorist organization that Gaza ELECTED as its government — has as the central point of its charter the extermination of all Jews, EVERYWHERE? Or that no neighboring Arab/Muslim nation will receive refugees from Gaza because they fear the presence of HAMAS terrorists among them?
This terrible conflict and the loss of civilian lives in Gaza can’t be laid solely at the door of Israel or Biden.
Iran’s support for the conflict is intended to destabilize the Middle East and destroy Israel, our only armed, democratic ally in the region.
With Trump in Putin’s pocket, and an ignorant US electorate complaining about support for NATO & Ukraine — and Traitor Trump calling for US to exit NATO — we will soon be involved in two major warfronts — or end up as Orwell pictured the world in 1984. INFORM YOURSELF.
Athena - I think it might be three or more major war fronts. Ukraine will blossom into europe/russia. iran/israel. pakistan or north korea surrepetitiously sends nukes to iran. china takes taiwan. saudi arabia finally comes out of the closet, fully and openly finances and arms ISIS. india will probably side with the west, holding their nose, because they've still got a lot of revenge going on for the destruction of their civilization 1000 years ago by the muslims.. there may be also enough cohesion among the disparate ISIS aligned groups in Africa to really expand their violent influence.
Does anyone care about Ukraine? Not hearing 18 yr olds yelling about those people dying! The arms agreement with Israel was made under the Obama administration and doesn’t expire until 2026. I think Biden knows what he is doing. Netanyahu is the problem. He is the enemy of his own people. NOT BIDEN!
Biden is circumventing Congress to send 2000 lb bombs etc.. with no conditions attached. They couldn't destroy Palestine without as, as they've said.
Agree
You better worry about our democracy first and saving it - without democracy there won’t be any discussion about Israel or Hamas or where to send money - We the People won’t be deciding anything in an authoritarian Trump government
As regards THIS particular situation, I care about preserving what democracy we have in the United States. This means re-electing President Biden. Full Stop.
Yes!
What Biden has done by enabling this absolute atrocity in Palestine (sending endless arms with no strings attached) is something everyone should be deeply disturbed by. And if Biden feels compelled to join Iz in fighting Iran when they retaliate for the strike on their embassy, the situation will worsen. On the other hand, the thought of trump/GOP/project 2025 taking over our increasingly fragile democracy is unbearable. In the end I will probably vote for the Democrat just to stop the alternative, but it is very callous of you to describe people who are extremely disturbed by Biden's actions as 'tools." It is truly a hard decision for anyone with a heart who is paying attention to the horrifying cruelty that is actually being wreaked on the Palestinians.
I honestly have no idea how people can call this a good economy. When My husband graduated college in the 90s we could afford a cute little apartment and had decent health insurance on one entry level income (while I finished my degree). My son and all his peers (20-somethings) are all struggling -- food is expensive, apartments are expensive, employers screw entry level employees over re: health insurance... And in our 50s my husband and I are doing well, we finally have some savings, but I don't care how investments are doing because I can't afford to invest because of how expensive medical care is.
Well be thankful your adult children haven’t moved back home with you because they can’t afford to live in Reno Nevada… Seriously Reno Nevada 40 years ago was the armpit of America… The median house price was $80,000 80,000 now it’s over 600,000 ..Rents were $200 now they’re over $3000 for an 850 square-foot studio… It’s the influx of Californians and moving in here (because we have no state tax )buying a property building because they CAN ( and hate the politics in their state… They don’t love Nevada ) and screw over the little guy who has been here for ever
I had no idea Reno had changed like that. No doubt I still think of America as the America I knew growing up.In alot of ways I don't think I really knew America.
America is huge, diverse, complicated.
I finished grad school and started my first job in 1980. I was curious how my salary then (accounting for inflation) compared with my final salary when I retired. They were the same after working for 40+ years!!!!
I am a native Californian who lived there most of my life and worked as a public servant first the state. After I retired I had the move out of state to afford to live.
The economy is not great for me.
Will medical care be cheaper when MAGA Republicans eliminate the ACA, Medicare, & Medicaid? Or when seniors lose Social Security and/or the eligiblr age is raised to 69 ?
Again, nowhere did I say that republicans would be better. But when Democrats tell us voters should credit Biden with a good economy, they are out of touch with working class people, because the economy has not been good for us, not even under Biden.
I don’t want to invest because most of those companies are unethical. Until share holders take responsibility for the companies they own share in, those companies will continue in the same manner.
Invest. There are plenty of companies that are ethical. Choose ones that meet ESG standards if you want.
We also didn’t expect to move out of our parents’ house and start at the same level of having and doing stuff. Priorities vs price? Agree basics are out of control, it’s awful for many, but it is, as has been said, more complicated than sarcastically “thanking Biden” for whatever. (I must say that MAGA gear isn’t cheap, too.)
Dude, nowhere did I say anything sarcastic, nor did I blame the President. I voted for him last time, and if I sit this election out it will be because of Gaza, not because of the economy. But there are a lot of folks saying that Americans should be recognizing Biden for the great economy, and I'm saying that the economy is not great for anyone working class or below and Democrats need to acknowledge that. The young people I know are idealistic, informed, and in despair about the future. They're not expecting to move out of their parents' homes and into their own 3 bedroom houses. They just want to be able to afford to move out at all.
I was referencing the stupid “thank Biden” stickers that were all over the gas pumps etc at the start of Biden’s administration.
Everything about the economy is great except...WHAT THINGS COST. Food, housing, healthcare and other necessaries are very, very high. We know this is because of corporate greed, but for many people, Biden gets unfairly blamed.
The people who complain the most eat tons of meat and processed food. They also have credit card debt. They don't see the good economy.
How do we know what they eat or what they owe ? But we can know how they feel because they tell us. So that tells us that we have to change the Biden messaging on the Economy.
These are only my observations but you are right about the message.
You're right, Gloria! I live on a very limited income - social security and a small retirement - but I am comfortable. I shop at Aldi's, Ollie's, Farmer's Markets, Fruit and Vegetable stands, and thrift stores. There is nothing that I am having to do without. The people complaining need to let go of their credit cards and pay them off and start shopping smarter!
Do you rent or own?
I own.
There you are! I also own and am retired on a small pension and am comfortable. But I am not blind to the difficulty young people have with today's housing prices. I could not buy my house today. Don't shut yourself off from the realities young people face.
Mac, I in no way have shut myself off from the realities young people face! It is hard. The only thing I have said is that it takes hard work to find ways to make it through. Young people definitely face an uphill battle to find themselves a home but if they learned ways to cut back in other areas they could use what they save to build toward a home purchase. It is a difficult situation which I hope can be lessened if those in the housing market would work at bringing prices down. I am not blind to young people's hardships and I would hope they can find a way to make it through.
100%
How he didn’t handle GAZA has hurt him immensely.
He handled Gaza the best way he could.. remember the Palestinians and and the Jews are fighting this war for almost 2000 years… The best ways to have a two states solution so everybody lives in peace… But Netanyahu wants to kill everybody in Gaza, whether they are Palestinian, Jew or people working to give people aid
You have got to be JOKING! The Zionists are of European decent and no they have not been there for 2000 years or have been fighting the Palestinians for that long! It kinda of started late 1800’s and I have Armenian on my fathers side and found out Zionists helped kill them too which again they are now for the Azerbaijani government! Not only that they are going after the Armenian Quarter with their f ing bull dozers. No he did not handle letting closing in on 40 to 50 thousand Palestinians get brutally killed a good job! Including the excruciating and painful deaths of half being children and women! Now they are starving thanks to our not stopping a crazy Zionist cult that wants all Palestinians dead! We are still sending bombs etc there!
And just how would we ( USA) have told Netanyahu to not go after the terrorists that kidnapped 300 of his people after murdering 1200?
We could cut off the money and arms sent to Israel. We could also stop the vetoing every resolution at the UN against Israel.
Exactly. And now I'm afraid Iran will retaliate against the Iz attack on their embassy in Damascus and Genocide Joe will feel compelled to join Iz in a war with Iran, which for some reason Iz wants.
Are you aware that the Palestinians have been living in an open air prison, especially in Gaza for decades. How many Palestinians, do you think Israel has killed over the last 20 years? A lot more than mass killed in October. While I don’t condone, killing innocent people, the Palestinians have no other way to fight back against Israel. Whenever the Palestinians are not resisting, Israel just builds more settlements stealing more of the Palestinians land in the Westbank.
Biden has funded the entire invasion of Gazza as well as sending the military equipment over to kill the Palestinians. He gives a lot of lip service to Netanyahu saying that he wants to see fire yet. He will not do anything to enforce that. He will not cut off money or military goods to Israel. He has just as guilty of the genocide as Netanyahu is.
Another propaganda ploy by Netanyahu! Read the facts about that whole scenario. How Netanyahu created Hamas for his own purpose. The 1200 killed is not true. They were killed by their own government in Apache Helicopters sent by the USA! Have you read any of the real accounts of Israelis that were there when it happened. How no one was allowed to go in and see if their loved ones were alive or not. I read the accounts of Ex Israeli Generals who went in to get their own families out and what was really going on. The IDF were told to blow up any Kibbutzes that were thought to have Hamas in them regardless of wether or not there were Jews in them! There were no beheaded babies or rape victims it was all made up propaganda from the Zionist Cult. Ben Gvir is a war criminal who has killed many going back to when he was younger! He and his terrorist settlers or squatters as I call them steal housing and farmland from the Palestinians for years! The oppression that has gone one there for over 75 years is alarming and the facts that we have backed and funded it for that amount of time! Palestinians have a right to defend themselves. Hamas went in to get hostages not to kill anyone except if they had to fight with the IDF! Why in Gods name would they do that when they were getting hostages to trade and get the innocent Palestinians out from Israeli jails. If you have any idea of what is going there a majority in jail we’re kids and women! Do your research. The only good to come out of all these deaths was the fact that now the whole world has been woken up to the crimes that have been ongoing for years done by Zionist Cult Leaders that most don’t even practice Judaism! Judaism IS NOT Zionism!
In my opinion, many millions of Americans already credit Biden with the great competence he shows. It’s just that these other Americans haven’t enough sense to notice it and also haven’t enough sense to shut up.
When the media stops telling them how bad the economy is! They can’t think for themselves. Ignorant!