American Politics from 2019 on

[Brian Peacock]

You could be right. Well probably see a boom in personal security and protection services too.

Bulletproof Ubers

https://smartcityprestige.com/security- ... ur-service

[Tero]

[Sean Hayden]

An old piece that may still be relevant…

Why Was Paul Krugman So Wrong?

Paul Krugman, the popular columnist and Nobel economist, recently likened himself to heroic dissenters who stood up to the war whoops and opposed the invasion of Iraq. The go-to-war consensus among policy elites overwhelmed skeptics and tragedy ensued. Professor Krugman evidently sees himself playing a similar role on important economic controversies.

“What we should have learned from the Iraq debacle was that you should always be skeptical and that you should never rely on supposed authority,” Krugman wrote in his New York Times column. “If you hear that ‘everyone’ supports a policy, whether it’s a war of choice or fiscal austerity, you should ask whether ‘everyone’ has been defined to exclude anyone expressing a different opinion.”

Good advice and good for Krugman. But there's a peculiar snag in his declaration: Paul Krugman was himself a “supposed authority” who gravely misled the American public on how to think about free-trade globalization. As threatening losses and dislocations accumulated for the US, the celebrated economist was like Voltaire’s Dr. Pangloss, assuring everyone not to worry. Pay no attention to those critics dwelling on the dark side of globalization, he said. Economic theory confirms that free trade is the best of all possible policies in this best of all possible worlds.

A good many Americans did not believe him, mainly working people who saw their jobs and middle-class wages decimated by the processes of globalizing production. Krugman said they didn’t see the big picture.

…continued https://www.thenation.com/article/archi ... -so-wrong/

[Tero]

Who is going to be Trump's Pangloss? Only a Democrat can do that for him.

[Tero]

Trump's top advisor pulls out old Pocahontas theme.

[Sean Hayden]

—some guys get all the luck

[Tero]

Vice President Musk will have to fire Speaker Mike. Perhaps Musk can be speaker?

[Brian Peacock]

If they stymie the legislature what can Trump's selections do with statutory and executive powers alone?

[Tero]

FDR the last charismatic president?



Johnson, JFK and Nixon had good judgement? The video is over 3 hours.
At 1:47 MAGA is a rejection of cultural elitism and immigration.

[Tero]

Trump is president but Musk has already shown that he will be the chaos the first year. He also runs Tesla that way.

[Tero]

https://bsky.app/profile/jctheresistanc ... p7ibsy7c2h
Child president Elon Musk.

[Tero]

https://www.threads.net/@esa55jarvi/pos ... 0qtGPKATNg
There were reasons: Reagan era, housing crises, bank crises, a pandemic. The debt in 2025? One man's personal income tax.

[Tero]

President Trump approved $8.4 trillion of new ten-year borrowing during his full term in office, or $4.8 trillion excluding the CARES Act and other COVID relief.
President Biden, in his first three years and five months in office, approved $4.3 trillion of new ten-year borrowing, or $2.2 trillion excluding the American Rescue Plan.
President Trump approved $8.8 trillion of gross new borrowing and $443 billion of deficit reduction during his full presidential term.
President Biden has so far approved $6.2 trillion of gross new borrowing and $1.9 trillion of deficit reduction.

https://www.crfb.org/papers/trump-and-b ... ional-debt

[Tero]

Musk and Trump and Freedom caucus tried their best. Yet the US continues to spend on losers:

About 8 percent (or $545 billion) of the 2023 federal budget supported programs that provide aid to individuals and families facing hardship. Economic security programs include: the refundable portions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, which assist low- and moderate-income working families; programs that provide cash payments to eligible individuals or households, including unemployment insurance and Supplemental Security Income for low-income people who are over age 65 or disabled; various forms of in-kind assistance for low-income people, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps), school meals, low-income housing assistance, child care assistance, and help meeting home energy bills; and other programs such as aid for abused or neglected children.

Economic security programs keep millions of people above the poverty line each year. They also reduce, but do not eliminate, racial and ethnic differences in poverty rates.

https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-b ... dollars-go

[Tero]

Me: why does Elon Musk need a tax cut?
Copilot: Elon Musk has been advocating for tax cuts, particularly for the ultra-wealthy and corporations. He argues that these tax cuts would stimulate economic growth and innovation1. However, critics point out that the proposed tax cuts could lead to significant reductions in government spending on essential programs like Social Security and Medicare. Musk's stance has been controversial, with some viewing it as a way for the wealthy to benefit at the expense of public services1.

What are your thoughts on this issue?
Me: It does not work. Tricle down never worked. The corporations that get tax cuts do not invest, they buy back stock.
Copilot: You've highlighted a crucial aspect of the debate. The "trickle-down" theory, which posits that benefits for the wealthy will eventually trickle down to everyone else, has been a point of contention for many years. Critics argue that tax cuts for corporations often lead to stock buybacks rather than increased investment in jobs or infrastructure. This practice can boost stock prices and benefit shareholders, but it doesn't necessarily translate into broader economic benefits.

Research and historical data suggest that the effects of trickle-down economics are mixed and often fail to deliver the promised widespread prosperity. This debate underscores the complexity of economic policies and their impacts.
What are your thoughts on how tax policies should be structured to benefit the broader economy?
Me: The huge part of wealth going to the top creates what historians have labeled a failed state. Middle classes need to go up as well. And we have to have the poor at least earn enough for food and rent. With 40 hours, not 80.
Copilot: You've touched on some deeply important issues here. An economy with a robust middle class and adequate support for the lower income brackets tends to be more stable and resilient. When wealth becomes too concentrated at the top, it can lead to social and economic instability, often referred to as the "hollowing out" of the middle class.

Ensuring that everyone earns a living wage for reasonable work hours is essential for maintaining a healthy society. This means addressing systemic issues like income inequality, the rising cost of living, and access to affordable housing, healthcare, and education. Policies aimed at raising the minimum wage, expanding social safety nets, and encouraging corporate responsibility can play significant roles in achieving these goals.

Balancing wealth distribution isn't just about fairness—it's about creating a sustainable and vibrant economy where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. How do you think we can encourage policies that promote a more equitable distribution of wealth?

(I can only stand these for a few minutes. It is as cheerful as C3PO)