The Biden Presidency

Even someone purposefully trying to look like an idiot could not succeed so spectacularly.--Percy

Don't you think that I know this? It scares the hell out of me.

You would get more support from fellow church members, if it were a liberal Christian church.The Democrats do try to pass legislation that would be more helpful to you, but it is often blocked or reversed by Republicans. You vote against your own best interests.Your libertarianism is not going to help you.Liberals generally understand that we are all in this together. So we need social support systems. I vote for politicians who understand this. Sometimes their policies will increase my own taxes. But that's okay if they are doing it to better support society as a whole.Just to be clear, I am not a Democrat. I'm an independent. I tend toward being socially liberal and fiscally conservative. I used to think that both parties were similar. But that has changed, particularly with Gingrich. The Republicans today don't seem to care about good policy. They have followed the Gingrich idea of smearing their opponent rather than proposing positivie policies.And yes, Reaganomics has been a disaster. You don't like Biden, but his economic policies have already begun to improve conditions for people like you.

Building on my Message 338, I asked ChatGPT, "Why are the Scandinavian countries described as socialist even though they only have strong social programs, not socialism?" Here's its answer:

ChatGPT:

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The Scandinavian countries are often referred to as socialist because they have implemented extensive social welfare programs, high tax rates, and a strong social safety net. However, it is important to note that the Scandinavian countries are not technically socialist because they are still capitalist economies with a market-based system.

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Instead, the Scandinavian countries are often described as having a "Nordic model" or "welfare state capitalism". This means that they have a mixed economy that combines elements of both capitalism and socialism, with a focus on social welfare and equal distribution of wealth. This system is designed to ensure that everyone has access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and housing.

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The Nordic model is characterized by a high level of government involvement in the economy and a strong commitment to social justice. This includes progressive taxation, where those who earn more pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes, and a focus on providing universal social services such as healthcare, education, and housing.

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Overall, while the Scandinavian countries are not technically socialist, they are often described as such due to their strong social welfare programs and commitment to social justice. The Nordic model has been successful in ensuring a high standard of living and social equality, which is why it is often held up as a model for other countries to follow.

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When you begin seeing Safeways and Exxon stations and Starbucks and banks owned by government, when your paychecks start saying United States Treasury at the top, that's when you'll know you live in a socialist country. Socialism is state ownership of business and industry, not social programs.By the way, ChatGPT is incorrect that the Nordic model combines elements of capitalism and socialism. It is a common misconception plastered all over the Internet, which is why ChatGPT thinks that socialism includes a focus on social welfare and and the equal distribution of wealth. It doesn't. What ChatGPT is describing is much closer to communism.--Percy

It also missed a couple of vital points1. They're full-blooded democracies
2. The the Nordics are happiest people in the worldIf you guys (and us that follow some of your worst traits) want to really 'pursue happiness' forget your American Dreams of religious fundamentalism, right wing politics and unregulated capitalism and get some social justice.

Berner Sanders is the loudest and most prominent advocate in America for social democracy, and he is why Republicans keep accusing Democrats of socialism, unfortunately not entirely inaccurately when it comes to Sanders and a few others.Social democracy has both short and long term goals. In the short term all it advocates is government as an engine for social justice, which means causes like racial and gender equality, LBGTQ rights, a social safety net, and so forth. Who could argue with any of that? And why would anyone call this socialism?lBut the clearly stated long term goal of social democracy is socialism. And that's a big problem. It makes Bernie Sanders, the loudest voice for social justice in this country right now, a socialist.And he's open about it. While he concedes that socialism will not be attained anytime soon, socialism is the direction he wants to go. What do you do about a guy where you agree with everything he says about where he wants to go now but are stricken in your soul about where he wants to go after that. Sanders envisions a utopia, but the reality would be more like where China is right now.Bernie Sanders is the voice of socialism in the Democratic party, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez its most visible icon. As long as they, and a few others, maybe five total between the Senate and House, remain in the Democratic party, the Republicans will be able to successfully brand the Democratic party as socialist.--Percy

It was no secret that the use of Title 42 on the southern border would end when the pandemic emergency ended, so the Biden administration's unpreparedness for the situation is inexcusable. In the months leading up to this day the Biden administration should have been putting in place policies, infrastructure and personnel to handle the expected increase in border crossings.Instead of building more facilities, or at least erecting tent cities, the Biden administration apparently expected that they could release migrants into the country when facilities reached capacity, but U.S. District Judge Kent Wetherell blocked such actions last week. This is no surprise, as he had rejected a similar policy only a couple months ago.That desperation and fear is causing many people to flood our southern border is a very difficult problem. There are no easy solutions and possibly no satisfactory solutions at all, but it isn't possible to refer to the current bungling on the border as the best that we can do. We can and should do better.We already know what Trump would do because he told us at a CNN town hall a couple days ago. His solution is to treat migrants so horribly that they'd cease considering the U.S. as a destination, specifically threatening to break up families if they dare come:

Donald Trump:

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When you say to a family that if you come we’re gong to break you up, they don’t come

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But it remains a simple choice between Biden and whoever the Republicans offer up, likely Trump again. Between adequacy on the one hand and cruelty, delusion, misogyny, racism and sedition on the other, the choice is easy.--Percy

Well, this was unexpected. Title 42 ended and migrant border crossings are down. Administration officials are at a loss for explanations.But I think the reasons are pretty clear. Title 42 allowed border officials to immediately whisk migrants back across the border into Mexico. Migrants could try as often as they liked without penalty.But the expiration of Title 42 brought with it new penalties that aren't really all that new since they're similarly punitive to the Trump-era rules:

• Migrants who cross the border illegally cannot apply for asylum unless they've already applied for asylum in a country they're already passed through, such as Mexico.
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• Such migrants could be subject to a five-year ban from re-entering the U.S.
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• Future attempts to re-enter the country illegally could bring criminal charges.

I think the new rules make it more likely for migrants to wait to see how they actually play out.In related news, on ABC's This Week on Sunday, Republican Representative Michael McCaul, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, characterized the situation in general and migrants specifically in this way:

Representative Micahel McCaul:

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But, yes, the fact is, the last two and a half years speak for themselves. We’ve had five million people enter this country illegally, 1.5 get-a-ways. It’s unsustainable.
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And when they get into the United States, whether they have legitimate claims or not, they’re released into our society. And then you have 5 million people without any legal status. A lot of them go to stash houses. They’re trafficked. They get into criminal enterprises here in the United States.

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This is just scare-mongering pure and simple. Most migrants come here seeking a better life, but the harder that Republicans like McCaul work at placing them in desperate circumstances the worse things will become. The answer to the border problem is not to turn ourselves into Fortress America. The answer is to welcome migrants to America and help them become productive members of our society as quickly as possible.--Percy

The GQP would rather put children to work.