“It’s a little too quiet” - US Politics February 2021

Like voting for Biden-Harris - who have announced that they will not override the unelected parliamentarian to include even an insufficient minimum wage increase in the only bill where it would realistically become law.

Oh yeah, I remember when they specifically mentioned they'd do this on the campaign trail. Yes, I realize this isn't your larger point, but your schtick is beyond tired at this point.

Yes, we know Biden largely sucks and his administration has been infuriating on several levels. So while we continue to push for and organize for more progressive candidates at lower levels, we still need to hold his administration's feet to the fire and speak out against the bullshit. I mean, otherwise, what? We just sit on our hands and idly hope for better in a fundamentally flawed system? What are you suggesting is the alternative?

Centrism sucks, but your posts aren't suggesting anything actionable either.

Which is exactly what anyone who understands the dynamics of the current situation and the orientations of the players would have predicted from the beginning.

Everyone here “understood the dynamics of the situation.” $15 is in the COVID bill because it was the best chance to force Sinema and Manchin into supporting it.

Without so much as a two minute press conference reminding us all of the importance of the minimum wage hike, the pragmatic Democratic administration has folded on the issue.

So what, really, is the point of their existence?

So what, really, is the point of their existence?

What's the point of yours?

Centrism sucks, but your posts aren't suggesting anything actionable either.

I’ve never claimed to have ‘actionable’ solutions... because this is a message board.

“Stop posting and divine the solution” is only applicable when criticizing Democrats in power for some reason. It’s weird!

No one at ILX has voted to authorize the bombing of civilians or put someone in prison for a bag of weed, so I’d say everyone at ILX has more innate human value than anyone in the upper echelons of the Biden admin.

It feels like we are all just trying to get to the grocery store in the middle of thunderous downpour, struggling to cover up and make do with shitty umbrellas and newspapers stretched overhead, while milo stands in the nearest doorway shouting at every passerby, "bet you wish we had better weather, don't you!"

I’ve never claimed to have ‘actionable’ solutions... because this is a message board.

and yet...

I r'cd an alert from Fair Fight (Stacey Abrams) asking people to contact their House Reps to support "H.R. 1- For the People Act". Fired off an email. Took about five minutes.

In a world of binaries, if you cannot think of something which is immediately sufficient to change the world in the direction you desire, then there is nothing to be done. Binary thinking is deeply stupid.

You told me it was my duty to vote for the thunderstorm.

Maybe it's just because I've never had a president or congressional representative who did things the way I wanted them to do things, I am utterly unsurprised when they do not. Maybe you have had a different experience, I don't know. The minimum wage fight is still alive, and I'm reasonably confident we will get an increase to at least double-digits (even if it has to be phased in over a few years). That is the point of the existence of a Democratic president and congressional majority. We know for sure a Republican president and congressional majority wouldn't raise it a penny.

Of course, if they don't actually manage to raise it at all, then I will agree with you that it doesn't matter who's in charge. (At least as far as minimum wage goes.)

I never told you what your duty was. But the thunderstorm is marginally preferable to the hurricane, even though it's absolutely bullshit that those were our only two choices. Reminding us of that fact every hour isn't helpful.

This thunderstorm learned the lessons of the last one, it knew that we wanted a refreshing shower and no hail.

man you need a new shtick

But the thunderstorm is marginally preferable to the hurricane, even though it's absolutely bullshit that those were our only two choices.

Trump lost, he hasn’t been governing for months and no longer has any power at all. The House, Senate and White House all belong to the Democrats - how long should ‘the hurricane’ be an excuse?

I don't know how quickly you think the Federal government moves on anything but it's literally been 5 weeks

You are literally complaining that the Biden administration has not fulfilled a progressive utopian vision that wasn't their platform in the first place in the first five weeks they've been in office.

Why on Earth would anyone listen to you or take you seriously?

"months"

The 2009 recovery act was signed into law on Feb. 17th and Joe Biden told me checks would go out “immediately.”

dude

i think u need an internet break

You are literally complaining that the Biden administration has not fulfilled a progressive utopian vision that wasn't their platform in the first place

https://joebiden.com/empowerworkers/

Joe Biden thought the $15 minimum wage was part of his platform.

(stops taking milo seriously) aaaaaaaahhhh! nice!

if you are specifically complaining about the $15/hour promise and not generally whining about people telling you that Democrats are above reproach in the middle of a conversation where people are reproaching Democrats, my response is that the increase is in imminent danger and I don't see they pass it now but I also don't see it as lying to get elected, which is how you want me to see it

Also, Biden's administration doesn't end after the pandemic relief plan passes. Skeptical or no, this is not his one and only chance to raise the minimum wage.

dental plan
lisa needs braces

But at least we dropped a few million dollars in bombs on the other side of the world.

― Joe Biden Stan Account (milo z), Friday, February 26, 2021 2:22 PM (forty-five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Biden as president has broad constitutional authority to launch military strikes. He does not, generally, have the power of the purse, which would allow him to unilaterally raise the minimum wage or issue checks. If he did, they'd have happened already.

he has the authority to sign what's on his desk, granted the D Senate and D House are basing their packages on what he wants, but he can't sign something that isn't there.

I’d love federal law that requires different minimum wages in different parts of the country but it doesn’t seem realistic.

Full provision of social housing would even out a huge proportion of the imbalance inherent here.

xpost Budget Reconciliation moves a shit-ton slower than a regular bill that has bi-partisan support like last year's pseudo-relief bills (which this one doesn't)

Also, Biden's administration doesn't end after the pandemic relief plan passes. Skeptical or no, this is not his one and only chance to raise the minimum wage.

He should launch some military strikes on some Senators

I have a strange feeling that if the only response milo got was "Gee, ain't that the truth!" that milo would soon stop posting.

The covid relief bill should have the minimum wage, universal healthcare, and an infrastructure bill in it too, this is the only legislation that will pass the house and the senate until the GOP takes both back in a couple years

not if they get rid of the filibuster

Or when John Tester mysteriously retires to a very nice new ranch he “inherited”

(I mean, I don't think they are there yet. . . but I could see it happening.)

not if they get rid of the filibuster

people telling you that Democrats are above reproach

Which is not at all what I’ve said, but okay. As covered above, for the Reasonable Pragmatic Adults In The Room, criticism of Democrats is fine if carefully delineated and caveats that one will nevertheless continue voting blue no matter who.

Which is to say that it’s okay to be Very Very Disappointed in Democrats like it’s a party of naughty puppies but if you suggest they’re useless or actively hostile to political goals like increasing wages for the poor, that’s ‘saying Democrats are as bad as Republicans.’

You say it wasn’t “lying to get elected,” but all we have to go on are actions now - Harris could overrule the parliamentarian, Biden could be stumping for $15 and calling out Manchin and Sinema. How invested am I supposed to believe they are in this platform plank?

Is Joe Biden still alive? I never hear about his tweets.

Biden has the power as The Man Who Got The Most Votes In History to set the party agenda. How does anyone even pretend that we have a weak Presidency after the last... seven decades of history.

milo I'm really curious about this magical third party candidate that we were all apparently too stupid to vote for that would have magically fixed everything.

Yeah he definitely said that

This wouldn't have happened in a Jill Stein administration!

I know he didn't say that, I'm just irritated by the constant insinuation that there was a better option that the rest of us were just too gosh darn dumb to pick.

I don't think that's the insinuation! Morbs was the 3rd party voter

They probably won’t do that because good things do not happen.
― Canon in Deez (silby), Friday, February 26, 2021 1:38 PM (seven minutes ago)

in terms of rhetorical grandstanding posts in this thread, this is the most otm.

no, the insinuation is that people are rubes for ever thinking that anything could ever get done in a democratic administration. what can be done about this? he doesn't know, but being as cynical and confrontational as possible is how he's chosen to react to his belief.

I mean I got a few years of the End of History in my earlier childhood and since then it's been 9/11 Patriot Act great recession deportation force forever war Trump blah blah blah

with all the talking past one another and absurd misrepresentation of the views of posters y'all dislike, it's like this thread is modeling itself after the shitty government we are complaining about in this thread ...

but hey, the 2009 recovery act was signed on feb 17th and this bill isn't even getting signed until february damn 27th! please don't point out the fact that the 2009 bill was woefully inadequate.