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Closed Forever
In a sign that the GOP is having a somewhat difficult time coming up with a coherent proposal for a new virus relief package, Senate Republicans were said to consider a "side deal" that would extend extra federal unemployment benefits at risk of lapsing before a bipartisan agreement comes to fruition.
Republicans are working with the White House to hammer out the details of a counteroffer to House Democrats, who passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act months ago.
Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly said Mit
Explain to me why the Democrats are insisting on saving the Republicans from driving the country over the fiscal cliff. If the Republicans think it’s all corporations/the economy or bust and virus be damned, why not let them die with their experiment?
Maybe because the Democrats actually care about people, even if it’s just a little bit, even if it would help the Republicans too? Meanwhile, so many Republicans, conservatives and libertarians subscribe to the “I got mine, fuck you” philosophy. Unless of course you’re a major corporation, many of whom have spent the last 10 years like sailors on shore leave. Sorry to sound so partisan, because there’s plenty of blame to go around on “both sides” (in scare quotes because let’s face it – left wing, right wing, same bird) but $100 a week? That’s just damned heartless. It’s not like 30MM people decided to live off the government tit.
Just spitballing a few related ideas:
1) Maybe Democrats see an opportunity to demonstrate that government intervention has a place, potentially reducing resistance to future policy pitches that involve more government involvement.
2) Maybe this can be seen as an inverse of “starve the beast” (overfeed the beast?) where an increase in government spending will have to be paid for in some way (whether through taxes, inflation, etc), any of which could result in wealth redistribution.
3) Spending money in these situations is generally in line with Democratic objectives. If there is an opportunity to push for an objective with control of only one branch of government (and all the gridlock), maybe you accept the compromise that it could reflect positively on the other party.
Maybe the Democrats want to be seen as Adults.
If poor are not provided with what they need, they will burn American cities and barbecue the rich. When you have nothing, you have nothing to lose.
They have debt. Thats something to lose. Marx may have mentioned debt slavery. I would hate to see Marx proved right.
If they are polite about it, they’ll increase capital gains tax for the super rich and install an inheritance tax on the super rich. If they are not polite about it, they will have a BBQ.
I’m still not sure if our country was looted and abandoned by our elites. Or, looted and they are so out of touch as to seem like they abandoned the country. That said, they will not make concessions willingly. They never do.
Just tossing out ideas for why the Republicans might not fear letting the fiscal stimulus lapse:
1) a perverse belief that markets would see such a move as a genuine effort to control the federal debt and avoid future inflationary etc consequences?
2) a willingness to let the situation devolve to widespread rioting in the streets, with a subsequent declaration of martial law, deployment of Federal troops–er, agents–and a possible suspension of the November election
Party of Bugaloo now? Better go buy Hawaiian shirts and MAGA hats to blend in with the Brown shirts.
BBQ Soylant Green anyone?
It’s like the old Tea Party crowd is coming out of hibernation, stretching their limbs and getting ready to fight President Joe Biden, under the proud banner of fiscal rectitude.
Will we see “rising GOP star” Paul Ryan rolled out again?
“The idea that most jobless Americans would prefer to remain jobless as long as their nominal wage is comparable, ignores all manner of considerations, including health benefits, 401(k) matching, and the loss of dignity that goes along with being unemployed.” Add to this the uncertainty about future jobless benefits, and nobody would reasonably turn down a decent job now in the hope of sitting on the couch for another month. Not to mention that if you have an opportunity to take a decent job now, would you really let it pass by thinking that such an opportunity will always be available when the jobless benefits run out? On the other hand, if you perceive that your job options right now are terrible, or you’re in fear of getting COVID in the workplace, then yeah, I can see how you would try to wait it out. I haven’t done the research, but I wouldn’t be surprised if very few members of the Senate (especially Republican members) have ever really had a conversation with working class people, much less worked alongside them.
What this country (and the entire planet) needs now is job creation……….not just continued unemployment benefits. I suggest that the government give financial incentives to anyone willing to open new factories in the United States (that would create jobs) to manufacture many of the products that were made in China in the last decade. We will have shortages of many of these products soon because these products are not being shipped from China any longer.The government could also start infrastructure projects that are desperately needed in the United States. It is time that we repaired the bridges, highways, dams, levies and airports that are falling apart (that would create jobs). Creating new jobs is a better long term solution than the band aid approach of unemployment benefits.
” band aid approach” is simply emergency treatment; you break your leg skiing, and they put a splint on it while still on the hill…the solution comes later at the hospital. The economy is still lying on the hill.