Yes, I know, you could make a case for Truman, JFK, or perhaps Johnson though for his foreign policy I'd say no to that one, but overall I think Biden might really be the best. He's done fantastically and we've got so much good legislation through, it's been a great few years.
But what do the American people think about this? For his efforts, Biden has gotten terrible approval ratings and tied polls between him and Trump. This despite Trump facing 91 criminal charges and quite possibly being in prison before the next election (here's hoping!). It's incredibly, INCREDIBLY frustrating.
Yes, I get part of it -- there is a housing crisis which is pretty bad thanks to insane prices for buying a home and at the same time a homelessness crisis that surely is partially being caused by the housing crisis, and we had very high inflation last year that has resulted in lasting higher prices for food, but even so, the economy overall is actually doing quite well. Employment is at historic highs, wages are (slowly) going up, there has not been a downturn or crash like many people were predicting... there are issues of course, I mentioned the biggest ones, but on the whole polling is way off on the economy, it's much better off than people seem to think.
And since this is America, nobody cares that we're so much better off than a lot of the rest of the world. A lot of other places HAVE had significant downturns in the past year or two. Our polling on the economy would make you think we have as well, but... we haven't. It's so frustrating.
You know what? To the letter of your initial statement, sure, Biden IS the best president "since" FDR, but absolutely not including FDR. The reasons so many don't approve of him is twofold, depending on which side of the divided aisle you're on. One side hates him because they were told to hate him. I keep getting told in arguments over him that "Hunter Biden" did this or that, and well, I don't know how often I need to tell them that I don't care if Hunter goes to jail. If he broke the law, lock him up, but they'll need an actual crime to investigate. I mean there's that firearm charge. That's probably going to result in some jail time. So be it. Of course, there's nothing at all tying one hunter to the other (which would result in an article titled Hunter x Hunter), but if there WAS? Yes, Joe should see jail too. In any case, the rest is typical blaming him for things that began under Trump, or accusing him of being a socialist or any number of things which he is very decidedly not.
Then there's the attacks coming from the left. These ones are... mostly... legitimate complaints, but I was never under any illusion that Biden was actually going to do anything progressive. He's a neoliberal and promotes neoliberal policies. "Nothing will fundamentally change." That's a direct quote and that was him being completely honest. A lot of people right now are suffering under the current system. Texas is very close to becoming unlivable and in my state we need to be prepared to take on climate refugees in I'd say... a decade or two. We can't take them all, and we'll be next. Don't misunderstand. Biden JUST did something very good by protecting a lot of Alaskan wilderness in a way that will be hard for the next administration to reverse. That's simply a win, but it's also simply insufficient. Cars... were a mistake. Ever since Judge Doom tore down Toon Town to make way for the freeways and dismantled the Red Car trolley line, cities feel "dead", and the suburbs are a blight that both can't sustain itself in an emergency and are a drain on the cities they are attached to, like cancer. (Yes, I watch a lot of "Not Just Bikes" now.) Beyond that, this all affects black people more, because they are still dealing with poverty and disenfranchisement. There are a lot of issues that Biden hasn't pushed for as much as he could have, but we knew what he believes. That was never going to happen. He's a bulwark against fascism, and that's the best we can hope for from him at this juncture, but for many people living month to month, it isn't nearly enough. They cry out for more. Biden may well be the best in pure numerics since FDR, but he is NOT FDR. He doesn't share FDR's politics. FDR was a democratic socialist, and Biden is a neoliberal in the style of Margaret Thatcher, just like Obama and Clinton before him. Bush and Bush Jr. were both war hawks. Reagan was... frankly what killed off the last of FDR's remaining policies. The worst president we ever had... isn't Trump. Don't get me wrong. He's horrible, and probably the most awful human we've ever made president, but he's not the worst president, because Trump even being elected into office can be traced right back to Reagan's policies and his effect on the national attitude. Trump is only a possibility BECAUSE the system is broken beyond repair. The fact that his reelection is a very real possibility isn't Trump's fault, it's the policies put into place over the past 50 years.
So, Biden is Biden. He's done some good, reversed a lot of terrible things Trump did, and that's all I hoped for from him, but he's not enough by far. People didn't vote FOR Biden. They voted AGAINST Trump, and they will again I think, but if the democrats want someone that actually excites the base, they need to promise that "Things will fundamentally change".
It's important to remember that we don't just vote for a president, we vote for his cabinet, his advisors, and ultimately, his appointments. Biden himself is ok. Compared to the other presidents we've had in the last 70 years, he's pretty good (which just goes to show how many awful presidents we've had in that time period), and it may even merely reflect how terrible Trump's administration was, that a functional and competent administration feels almost revelatory afterwards.
Quote:FDR was a democratic socialist
I think FDR was a liberal patrician who understood that the only way that the foundational problems of the 1930s didn't take American down the path of either Germany or the USSR was to choose the third way: capitalism with regulations and (very, very importantly) a strong social safety net. If you can't eliminate poverty altogether, eliminating the desperation of poverty is the next best thing to do. Poor, desperate people are the easiest to radicalize in either direction. Which is just one of many reasons why conservatives have been hell-bent on eliminating safety nets, even for their own people; if you can make everyone's situation worse, you can convince some portion of them that the rest are to blame for it, and then harness that energy towards your own ends.
It's very clear to me that there will be no progress while the Republican Party exists as a major force in our politics, and that the most progressive thing to do is to vote for whichever Democrat will keep a Republican out of office, regardless of the office, regardless of whether the Democrat sucks. GOP delenda est.
Sometimes, I wonder what 2003 Weltall would think of 2023 Weltall. I've always enjoyed getting into vicious, venomous arguments about politics on the internet, and I enjoy seeking out conservatives in online comment sections (especially in their safe spaces), and just
straight up eviscerating them without mercy. I don't debate their policies, I don't debate their issues. To engage in debate regarding their beliefs is to pretend that I believe they have beliefs worthy of debate, and I do not believe that. When it comes to engaging with online conservatives, all I seek to do is to hopefully make them feel bad about themselves as people for having the beliefs they do, because I don't think anything short of serious introspection has a hope of inspiring positive change within themselves. I don't feel bad about it at all.
Well, in your favor Biden's act here truly was incredible. I honestly wouldn't have believed he had it in him. Yes, it was for show, but so is a picket line. The weight of the oval office is a major bit of pressure on these companies to give a favorable deal to the workers. Frankly, this is a major shift from how he handled the rail worker strike (which I still think was poor), and I approve. Good show, Biden!
(7th September 2023, 5:16 PM)A Black Falcon Wrote: [ -> ]Yes, I know, you could make a case for Truman, JFK, or perhaps Johnson though for his foreign policy I'd say no to that one, but overall I think Biden might really be the best. He's done fantastically and we've got so much good legislation through, it's been a great few years.
But what do the American people think about this? For his efforts, Biden has gotten terrible approval ratings and tied polls between him and Trump. This despite Trump facing 91 criminal charges and quite possibly being in prison before the next election (here's hoping!). It's incredibly, INCREDIBLY frustrating.
Yes, I get part of it -- there is a housing crisis which is pretty bad thanks to insane prices for buying a home and at the same time a homelessness crisis that surely is partially being caused by the housing crisis, and we had very high inflation last year that has resulted in lasting higher prices for food, but even so, the economy overall is actually doing quite well. Employment is at historic highs, wages are (slowly) going up, there has not been a downturn or crash like many people were predicting... there are issues of course, I mentioned the biggest ones, but on the whole polling is way off on the economy, it's much better off than people seem to think.
And since this is America, nobody cares that we're so much better off than a lot of the rest of the world. A lot of other places HAVE had significant downturns in the past year or two. Our polling on the economy would make you think we have as well, but... we haven't. It's so frustrating.
Bidens so called "Low approval rating" is a fantasy. Like that thing they said 5 minutes ago about anything.
(27th September 2023, 6:35 PM)Dark Jaguar Wrote: [ -> ]Well, in your favor Biden's act here truly was incredible. I honestly wouldn't have believed he had it in him. Yes, it was for show, but so is a picket line. The weight of the oval office is a major bit of pressure on these companies to give a favorable deal to the workers. Frankly, this is a major shift from how he handled the rail worker strike (which I still think was poor), and I approve. Good show, Biden!
Anyone who thinks biden has metal health issues show stop complaining and starting listening to this rabeling lunatic stable genius..
https://youtu.be/Yq1Nb0L9gyg?si=r67FeGkM6ZicqgVh&t=340