Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Biden
For those who thought things would calm down again after Trump left office, think again.
Between the stimulus bill, concentration camps for migrant children (aka detention centers), mounting allegations against Cuomo…it still seems like there is a major news story or two every day.
Right now, it’s very confusing trying to figure out where Biden and establishment Dems are, both in terms of messaging and legislating. Are they corporate shills? Has the Biden administration become progressive champions? It’s a constant back and forth, like Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Biden. (Dad joke) Some examples from the COVID relief bill:
Thanks to Democrats, must Americans will be getting $1400 checks, but…
Biden, Harris, and others repeatedly made it clear during the campaign that it would be $2000
Due to means testing, around 10 million fewer people will get these checks than got them under Trump. Even though Democrats could have done a much more generous package through reconciliation (so, no veto threat).
Millions of parents will benefit from essentially a form of UBI every month. The government will do like in a number of other countries: give financial support to families with children. The estimate of ending half of childhood poverty has been bandied about. But…
It only lasts for a year, so it’s not permanent. So Biden wants to eliminate half of childhood poverty, but only for a year, then we should just let kids starve again?
The bringing half of children out of poverty was based on the $15 minimum wage also being passed at the same time. This will help a lot of children and their families, but not nearly as much as is needed for even a year, much less long term.
I could go on, but you get the idea. For everything that sounds great, it turns out it’s usually good but could and should have been much better.
It’s almost as if they’re trying to give people just enough to get good headlines and keep people from mass revolt, but not enough to make long-term systemic changes (like the $15/hr min wage) to actually help people long term.
Even if in some areas Biden’s gone further than we might have expected, I guess “nothing will fundamentally change” is a promise Biden is intent on keeping,
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