As we are now are over four months into the Biden administration, I thought I would briefly update some of my most important political positions and how Biden is doing concerning them.
Actually, I had another topic in mind, but when I woke up this morning, whatever I was thinking the previous day, has fleeted from my mind.
And, yes, I hope to do a more detailed review of one of the most politically significant books I have ever read, Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. However, I am still working on how best to distill it and emphasize its impact.
But I will say this because it influences so much of the rest of my political thinking -
The Republican Party has become exclusively the party of preserving the caste system.
It's why Trumpeteers can become so slippery about traditional Republican dogma. It's why they don't give a rip about free trade, or how much the wealthy are taxed, or the Russians, or government deregulation, or eliminating the minimum wage.
It's why Trumpeteers so easily seem to vote against their self-interest. It's why they'll risk access to heath-care, defunding their schools, crumbling infrastructure, low wages.
It's because their primary interest is to make sure the dominant caste stays in control.
Meanwhile, here are my most important issues:
Mitigating/reversing Global Warming
I understand that 'climate change" is the preferred term. And it makes sense in a way because the extreme weather is not just heat, but increased storms, including snowfall, increasing in frequency and strength. But all the effects stem back to the same thing - the globe's temperature is rising at a dangerous rate, one that will make life challenging, and eventually, unsustainable.
Biden's Grade: B+. His heart is in the right place, and I think he understands the reality of it and what's at stake. Does he go far enough? No, but he goes farther than any other American leader we've had. He has led with rhetoric and executive orders. He has gushed over the Ford F150 Electric Lightning. His proposed American Jobs Act (includes infrastructure) is very green and progressive. As far as passing the legislation, he has the same two problems as everything else I might list - 1) Republican filibuster and 2) Joe Manchin.
Universal Health Care
This has been at the top of my list for decades. As a Christian and as an accountant, Medicare For All or some similar version of true universal healthcare has to be done. It is both the morally correct thing to do, it is also the most economically feasible system we could put in place. It saves money, and it saves lives.
Biden's Grade: C-. He has made noises about preserving Obamacare, maybe even improving it. He wants to do more to control drug prices. But there is little of substance happening here. My major complaint about Biden is his objection to true universal health care.
Economic Justice Issues
We need to have a $15 minimum wage, one that includes tipped workers. We need to reform our tax system - in a way that increases its progressivity. We need to have more and stronger worker's unions.
Biden's Grade: B. He tried to include moving towards a $15 minimum wage in the Covid legislation. He wants to increase the ridiculously low corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%. Many of the things passed in the COVID legislation significantly reduced the tax burden on working-class incomes in ways that I don't think many who will benefit from fully understand yet. He sided with the Amazon workers in Alabama who wanted to form a union (unfortunately, not enough workers voted to side with themselves). In accomplishing this and more, he has some of the same problems as he did with climate change - 1) Republican filibuster and 2) Joe Manchin, and also 3) the Senate Parliamentarian.
Racial Justice Issues
These include, just to name two, voting rights and criminal justice reform.
Biden's Grade: B+. Again, his heart is in the right place. And some version of police reform may pass, thanks in part due to the hard work of Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. He has two great voting rights bills pending in the Senate, but without filibuster reform, nothing will happen. These are tough issues, and I appreciate that Biden is trying to deal with them.
I will also say that on Covid, I give Bident an A+. He has steered us out of this even more quickly than I had hoped for, even in my prayers and dreams. This alone will make him one of the greatest Presidents of modern times.
I have other issues that are important to me. And for those and the ones mentioned here, I am grateful for a President that at least brings these items to the table.
But as long as we have 35 to 40% of Americans* who choose caste over country, we will suffer needlessly in America. The only thing that will end this is for any and all Trumpian candidates to be crushed at the polls in 2022.
Sadly, I am not holding my breath.
*but Tom, you say, 35 to 40% is not a majority. Why are you worried about them? Because so many things put in place to defend the caste system works in their favor. The Electoral College. The Senate, with states like Wyoming having the same number of Senators as California, and the filibuster giving power to McConnell. The Supreme Court and judiciary, which have been packed with right-wing extremists for years now. The gerrymandering of Congressional districts and state legislatures. Lobbyists and donors that buy off politicians. A heavily biased media towards the status quo or who are the outright leading soldiers voicing far-right causes. So, yeah, I'm worried.
Good morning! Very interesting blog. I am so happy that a more thoughtful, kind and honest person is now in charge. That gives me hope. The filibuster has to go...Manchin too! Have a good day!
ReplyDeleteJoe Manchin has reiterated his desire to maintain the filibuster as is, and goes even further by saying he won't vote for the For the People voting rights bill.
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