Why is free money a good thing for the children of wealthy white kids but free money to poor people or minorities is a terrible social ill that damages those young people for life?
Bothsidesism is just one more go-to logical fallacy that Republicans (primarily) fall back on when caught in despicable lies, behavior, and attitudes. For example, Trump's poorly concealed racial bigotry above was on full display in his weasel-word response to the disastrous Charlottesville Unite the Right rally.
Economically speaking, bothsidesism is about as far from factual history as is Joe Manchin's delusion of bipartisanship in the real world of Trump's newly-minted fascist party, which is presently blocking every common-sense attempt to end the pandemic, help workers and their families, and save what's left of our dying democracy.
Which party, exactly, is not delivering the results when given the opportunity? Forgotten is who pulled the world out of both the Great [Republican] Depression of 1929 and the Great [Republican] Recession of 2008. Forgotten is who shepherded the nation through WWII and ultimately defeated worldwide fascism -- "Antifa" if you will. (No sniveling crybabies back then -- FDR "mandated" that the economy convert to a war footing, while soldiers' arms became pincushions for their "overseas shots.")
Which party just this year delivered a monumental COVID relief package and 300 bucks a month for kids? Which party just last week delivered a badly-needed bipartisan infrastructure bill that will patch up our crumbling bridges, highways, waterways, railways, sewer and water systems, airports, resources for fighting forest fires, etc., etc., that Republicans failed to deliver after much lip service and bloviating?
Which party, despite very public and lengthy internal squabbling and debating (democracy in action, a good thing), is poised to deliver one of history's greatest, albeit pared down, investments in everyday working American citizens and their families -- common yet extraordinary people who are the backbone of the nation, her greatest asset, and the whole point of government in the first place? (The holes drilled into the original bill can be filled when people elect more Democrats in a better future.)
By contrast, which party delivered massive, unpaid-for, public-debt-spiraling, tax giveaways for the obscenely wealthy, deregulation to the point of destroying the planet, and draconian economic policies that have nearly destroyed the middle class, largely creating the badly polarized political environment of today -- good ol' boy socialism for the well-connected and well-to-do; ruthless capitalism for the unwashed masses?
And, which party delivered the rallying cry (Trump won in 2020) for the nutballs trying to overthrow OUR government, "canceling" democracy in favor of some kind of quasi-theocratic/plutocratic/militaristic Jesusland, where Biblical moral values are mostly for show not for practice, and the underprivileged (heavy with dark skin) are sinners and heathens who must atone through suffering, undeserving of the good life, perhaps the next, as part of God's mysterious plan?
Truth is truth, and lies are lies; there is no such thing as a truth/lie. Ya gotta pick a side.
Thom, you present this dilemma extremely well. Thank you so very much for bringing forth this issue in a very thought provoking narrative. May I suggest that your message could be heard more broadly if you didn't frame it as those Republicans vs the Democrats. Keeping in mind how the Democrats give lots of lip service to your side of the argument, but when given the opportunity they have not delivered the results. BOTH parties are too blame for the lack of a floor and an opportunity for all our people. Respectfully, Michael
Cue: "It's Been A Long Time Coming". One of my favorites from Sam Cooke.
The change has come. ONE of the parties finally got through to a substantial number of people. The Democrats and allies have spent years on this message: the corporations and rich use every resource and piece of infrastructure to make their money, but want the workers and "little people" to foot the bill.
It's Veteran's Day. I paid taxes on a laughable amount of money when I served. Everyone should pay their fair share. This is just simple math and the right thing to do. Thanks Thom, Newt didn't see it coming when you threw that curve-ball.
Life-long Democrat, President Biden, will not receive credit, but he got the developed nations to agree to a minimum corporate tax. He even convinced Ireland, corporate tax-haven of the world!
... "very fine people, on both sides" ...
Bothsidesism is just one more go-to logical fallacy that Republicans (primarily) fall back on when caught in despicable lies, behavior, and attitudes. For example, Trump's poorly concealed racial bigotry above was on full display in his weasel-word response to the disastrous Charlottesville Unite the Right rally.
Economically speaking, bothsidesism is about as far from factual history as is Joe Manchin's delusion of bipartisanship in the real world of Trump's newly-minted fascist party, which is presently blocking every common-sense attempt to end the pandemic, help workers and their families, and save what's left of our dying democracy.
Which party, exactly, is not delivering the results when given the opportunity? Forgotten is who pulled the world out of both the Great [Republican] Depression of 1929 and the Great [Republican] Recession of 2008. Forgotten is who shepherded the nation through WWII and ultimately defeated worldwide fascism -- "Antifa" if you will. (No sniveling crybabies back then -- FDR "mandated" that the economy convert to a war footing, while soldiers' arms became pincushions for their "overseas shots.")
Which party just this year delivered a monumental COVID relief package and 300 bucks a month for kids? Which party just last week delivered a badly-needed bipartisan infrastructure bill that will patch up our crumbling bridges, highways, waterways, railways, sewer and water systems, airports, resources for fighting forest fires, etc., etc., that Republicans failed to deliver after much lip service and bloviating?
Which party, despite very public and lengthy internal squabbling and debating (democracy in action, a good thing), is poised to deliver one of history's greatest, albeit pared down, investments in everyday working American citizens and their families -- common yet extraordinary people who are the backbone of the nation, her greatest asset, and the whole point of government in the first place? (The holes drilled into the original bill can be filled when people elect more Democrats in a better future.)
By contrast, which party delivered massive, unpaid-for, public-debt-spiraling, tax giveaways for the obscenely wealthy, deregulation to the point of destroying the planet, and draconian economic policies that have nearly destroyed the middle class, largely creating the badly polarized political environment of today -- good ol' boy socialism for the well-connected and well-to-do; ruthless capitalism for the unwashed masses?
And, which party delivered the rallying cry (Trump won in 2020) for the nutballs trying to overthrow OUR government, "canceling" democracy in favor of some kind of quasi-theocratic/plutocratic/militaristic Jesusland, where Biblical moral values are mostly for show not for practice, and the underprivileged (heavy with dark skin) are sinners and heathens who must atone through suffering, undeserving of the good life, perhaps the next, as part of God's mysterious plan?
Truth is truth, and lies are lies; there is no such thing as a truth/lie. Ya gotta pick a side.
https://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2008/01/day-life-joe-middle-class-republican
https://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2008/05/day-life-true-conservative
Thom, you present this dilemma extremely well. Thank you so very much for bringing forth this issue in a very thought provoking narrative. May I suggest that your message could be heard more broadly if you didn't frame it as those Republicans vs the Democrats. Keeping in mind how the Democrats give lots of lip service to your side of the argument, but when given the opportunity they have not delivered the results. BOTH parties are too blame for the lack of a floor and an opportunity for all our people. Respectfully, Michael
Cue: "It's Been A Long Time Coming". One of my favorites from Sam Cooke.
The change has come. ONE of the parties finally got through to a substantial number of people. The Democrats and allies have spent years on this message: the corporations and rich use every resource and piece of infrastructure to make their money, but want the workers and "little people" to foot the bill.
It's Veteran's Day. I paid taxes on a laughable amount of money when I served. Everyone should pay their fair share. This is just simple math and the right thing to do. Thanks Thom, Newt didn't see it coming when you threw that curve-ball.
Life-long Democrat, President Biden, will not receive credit, but he got the developed nations to agree to a minimum corporate tax. He even convinced Ireland, corporate tax-haven of the world!