Agree with analysis. Would love to hear your further reflections on the “we” that must act and the sequence of “acts” to get from here to effective local+national+global enactment of community purpose.
I know there’s more to it than “economic hardship” to Trumpism and the rise of worldwide right wing extremism, but those are the pitchforks. Blaming others for problems, succumbing to hate, and ignorant policies are their “solutions.”
No one ever said pitchfork carriers were bright. And moderates don’t carry pitchforks. They just unwittingly move right in order to maintain moderation.
The great breeding ground of inequity is invariably big and growing government.
The greatest growth rates in US and British history occurred during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when government was small and taxes meager.
As we can see from the high rates of inflation and your absurd pronouncements on climate, you have no idea what you are saying or doing. In effect, you are a dunce!
MMT has some insights, but your use of them is truly pathetic.
"Senator Manchin (D-WV) refused to vote for a package that wasn’t “fully paid for,” while Senator Sinema (D-AZ) refused to vote for the sweeping tax hikes that Biden insisted were necessary to “pay for” the spending."
THIS is the "deficit" myth at work!
This is how Democrats excuse themselves from doing what should be done!
One person gets to use the tax increases as an excuse to object to UNRELATED expenditures, and the other person gets to use THE ABSENCE OF the irrelevant taxes as an excuse!
When I say "person" in that sentence, I mean both legislators and regular voters or even pundits, because it naturally pits even people WITHIN the progressive-liberal coalition against each other. There are people who seem to actually think that, for example, student-debt cancelation would somehow "take money from" expanding healthcare access.
I wrote about the deadly myths about inflation here:
Right on! Even if the Democrats sustain a majority, this will overwhelm anything that happen:
There’s a lot we can’t predict in life. But one thing is for sure. Climate change is an accelerant on inequality. Within a few decades, billions of people will be forced to migrate due to extreme weather, rising sea levels, and damaged ecosystems. Fires will continue to ravage communities, rivers will swallow more homes, heat-related deaths will mount, and food shortages will lead to mass starvation. That is not a world in which the pitchforks can be kept at bay.
The ex-middle class and those living in poverty are now the majority. It is time to finish the American revolution. Who is in charge? Professional politicians, part of the elite that Do nothings for the average citizens suffering? We the people have the power to take control. DO WE HAVE THE COURAGE? NO tRumpers allowed. We do not need violence or illegal acts.
Why the focus on taxes? Are you agreeing that the inflation we are seeing now comes from to much liquidity put into the economy from ARP creating demand push inflation (Larry Summers output gap comes to mind)? If not, let’s not focus on ‘distributional conflicts’ for the moment. Better to focus on building the infrastructure, not on who pays for the infrastructure, because as MMT/ JMK taught us, a sovereign fiat currency can always afford what ever it can do. Can we marshall those resources effectively? Can we use fiscal levers of the FederalGovernment to BBB to combat climate crises? Let’s leave the tax issue to when we must mop up excess liquidity to later. This approach might get Senator Sinema vote. Democrats since Jimmy Carter have bought into austerity politics of ‘who pays for it’, it’s the Deficit Myth trap - the truth shall set us free.
The worse thing holding back the middle class is INFLATION! Unfortunately the Biden administration and their “free” spending friends along with tardiness of the Fed to react to rising prices is why we are where we are. Oh and by the way let’s buy more dirty oil from Venezuela and Saudi’s Arabia rather than produce our own cleaner oil. Quit whining about how things are not going the liberal way. You and your Marxist economics is why we are where we are.
Food waste in the US occurs mostly in stores and at home—either because it spoils on the store shelf or before we can eat it. Americans throw away up to 40 percent of the food they buy. We can combat food waste by shopping for what we need, eating leftovers, composting scraps, and donating excess to food banks.
2. Eat Plant-Based
Transitioning to a vegetarian diet can cut your carbon footprint in half, and going vegan, even lower. Even shifting from high to low meat consumption can shrink your footprint by a third. If half of the world’s population reduced meat consumption and avoided the associated deforestation caused by agriculture, we could reduce carbon emissions by 66 gigatons.
3. Use Clean Energy
Ask your representatives to support the bill to make Clean Energy Victory Bonds a reality. Purchase renewable energy from installers such as Blue Pacific Solar and RGS Energy. Plug into renewable utilities with Clean Choice Energy and Arcadia Power, which don’t require you to install any new hardware in your home to get sun- and wind-power.
4. Vote for a climate activist, support comprehensive climate policies, and use your citizen voice to contact legislators when you disagree.
5. Divest
The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels. Divesting means taking your money out of institutions that fund fossil fuel expansion, which could eventually dry up funding to those projects. You can build a fossil-free portfolio with the nationwide network of socially-responsible investing financial advisors which you can find on GreenPages.org.
6. Improve Insulation
Modern insulation reduces the energy needed to heat a home, therefore reducing emissions and saving you money. If even half of existing buildings installed thicker insulation, 8.3 gigatons of emissions could be avoided.
7. Use LED Lighting
LEDs (light-emitting diodes) use 90 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and half as much as compact fluorescents. Switching your home to LED lights will reduce cooling bills. They also last longer, so choosing them will bring long-term savings. Adoption of LEDs could prevent 7.8 gigatons of carbon emissions.
8. Rethink Transportation
Overhauling the world’s transportation systems, both commercial and personal, would save as much CO2 as one billion acres of regenerative agriculture. While individuals can’t revolutionize the shipping, flight, and automobile industries overnight, we can demand they change by voting with our dollars for public transit, using electric or hybrid vehicles, and reducing our total trips taken.
9. Recycle
10. Buy Less
Add “refuse” to the three Rs you’ve already heard of: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. When you don’t buy, you cut down on the amount that you contribute to landfills. Footprintcalculator.org can help you determine your current ecological footprint and offer actionable solutions for change, including buying less.
Excellent, and necessary.
We shall see. November should be revealing.
Agree with analysis. Would love to hear your further reflections on the “we” that must act and the sequence of “acts” to get from here to effective local+national+global enactment of community purpose.
I know there’s more to it than “economic hardship” to Trumpism and the rise of worldwide right wing extremism, but those are the pitchforks. Blaming others for problems, succumbing to hate, and ignorant policies are their “solutions.”
No one ever said pitchfork carriers were bright. And moderates don’t carry pitchforks. They just unwittingly move right in order to maintain moderation.
The great breeding ground of inequity is invariably big and growing government.
The greatest growth rates in US and British history occurred during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when government was small and taxes meager.
As we can see from the high rates of inflation and your absurd pronouncements on climate, you have no idea what you are saying or doing. In effect, you are a dunce!
MMT has some insights, but your use of them is truly pathetic.
THIS PASSAGE RIGHT HERE!:
"Senator Manchin (D-WV) refused to vote for a package that wasn’t “fully paid for,” while Senator Sinema (D-AZ) refused to vote for the sweeping tax hikes that Biden insisted were necessary to “pay for” the spending."
THIS is the "deficit" myth at work!
This is how Democrats excuse themselves from doing what should be done!
One person gets to use the tax increases as an excuse to object to UNRELATED expenditures, and the other person gets to use THE ABSENCE OF the irrelevant taxes as an excuse!
When I say "person" in that sentence, I mean both legislators and regular voters or even pundits, because it naturally pits even people WITHIN the progressive-liberal coalition against each other. There are people who seem to actually think that, for example, student-debt cancelation would somehow "take money from" expanding healthcare access.
I wrote about the deadly myths about inflation here:
https://jamesarobichaux.substack.com/p/the-deadly-duality-of-the-definitions
Right on! Even if the Democrats sustain a majority, this will overwhelm anything that happen:
There’s a lot we can’t predict in life. But one thing is for sure. Climate change is an accelerant on inequality. Within a few decades, billions of people will be forced to migrate due to extreme weather, rising sea levels, and damaged ecosystems. Fires will continue to ravage communities, rivers will swallow more homes, heat-related deaths will mount, and food shortages will lead to mass starvation. That is not a world in which the pitchforks can be kept at bay.
We need to act now!
EQUALITY FOUNDATION !!
1-MEDICARE FOR ALL
2-GOVERNMENT GUARANTEED JOB PROGRAM
The ex-middle class and those living in poverty are now the majority. It is time to finish the American revolution. Who is in charge? Professional politicians, part of the elite that Do nothings for the average citizens suffering? We the people have the power to take control. DO WE HAVE THE COURAGE? NO tRumpers allowed. We do not need violence or illegal acts.
WE ARE THE MAJORITY!. THE TOMATO REVOLUTION...
Will anything convince politicians that axon is necessary? I doubt it. America is a failed state.
Why the focus on taxes? Are you agreeing that the inflation we are seeing now comes from to much liquidity put into the economy from ARP creating demand push inflation (Larry Summers output gap comes to mind)? If not, let’s not focus on ‘distributional conflicts’ for the moment. Better to focus on building the infrastructure, not on who pays for the infrastructure, because as MMT/ JMK taught us, a sovereign fiat currency can always afford what ever it can do. Can we marshall those resources effectively? Can we use fiscal levers of the FederalGovernment to BBB to combat climate crises? Let’s leave the tax issue to when we must mop up excess liquidity to later. This approach might get Senator Sinema vote. Democrats since Jimmy Carter have bought into austerity politics of ‘who pays for it’, it’s the Deficit Myth trap - the truth shall set us free.
Stephanie gets it right one more time. It’s too bad the Democrats can’t organize a two car funeral.
The worse thing holding back the middle class is INFLATION! Unfortunately the Biden administration and their “free” spending friends along with tardiness of the Fed to react to rising prices is why we are where we are. Oh and by the way let’s buy more dirty oil from Venezuela and Saudi’s Arabia rather than produce our own cleaner oil. Quit whining about how things are not going the liberal way. You and your Marxist economics is why we are where we are.
More's the pity ...
What You Can Do About Climate Change:
1. Eliminate Food Waste
Food waste in the US occurs mostly in stores and at home—either because it spoils on the store shelf or before we can eat it. Americans throw away up to 40 percent of the food they buy. We can combat food waste by shopping for what we need, eating leftovers, composting scraps, and donating excess to food banks.
2. Eat Plant-Based
Transitioning to a vegetarian diet can cut your carbon footprint in half, and going vegan, even lower. Even shifting from high to low meat consumption can shrink your footprint by a third. If half of the world’s population reduced meat consumption and avoided the associated deforestation caused by agriculture, we could reduce carbon emissions by 66 gigatons.
3. Use Clean Energy
Ask your representatives to support the bill to make Clean Energy Victory Bonds a reality. Purchase renewable energy from installers such as Blue Pacific Solar and RGS Energy. Plug into renewable utilities with Clean Choice Energy and Arcadia Power, which don’t require you to install any new hardware in your home to get sun- and wind-power.
4. Vote for a climate activist, support comprehensive climate policies, and use your citizen voice to contact legislators when you disagree.
5. Divest
The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels. Divesting means taking your money out of institutions that fund fossil fuel expansion, which could eventually dry up funding to those projects. You can build a fossil-free portfolio with the nationwide network of socially-responsible investing financial advisors which you can find on GreenPages.org.
6. Improve Insulation
Modern insulation reduces the energy needed to heat a home, therefore reducing emissions and saving you money. If even half of existing buildings installed thicker insulation, 8.3 gigatons of emissions could be avoided.
7. Use LED Lighting
LEDs (light-emitting diodes) use 90 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and half as much as compact fluorescents. Switching your home to LED lights will reduce cooling bills. They also last longer, so choosing them will bring long-term savings. Adoption of LEDs could prevent 7.8 gigatons of carbon emissions.
8. Rethink Transportation
Overhauling the world’s transportation systems, both commercial and personal, would save as much CO2 as one billion acres of regenerative agriculture. While individuals can’t revolutionize the shipping, flight, and automobile industries overnight, we can demand they change by voting with our dollars for public transit, using electric or hybrid vehicles, and reducing our total trips taken.
9. Recycle
10. Buy Less
Add “refuse” to the three Rs you’ve already heard of: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. When you don’t buy, you cut down on the amount that you contribute to landfills. Footprintcalculator.org can help you determine your current ecological footprint and offer actionable solutions for change, including buying less.
Never vote for a Republican. If that doesn’t work we can look to building a strong 3rd Party.