What are Democrats doing?

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Matt Stoller just put out this tweet a few minutes ago, as he summarizes the current "debate" over the rescue package bill in the Senate:

https://twitter.com/matthewstoller/stat ... 2218155009

Why are Democrats so willing to sheepishly work with a party that routinely calls them traitors?

The Republicans are trying to pass a rescue package for a country going through its greatest crisis in at least 75 years and arguably 100. There might be some elements to that rescue package that you (generally) object to but it is extremely difficult to properly frame those objections without making it look like you object to the concept of the rescue package, or you’re only objecting to the specific package for partisan reasons, etc.

People’s lives are at stake, not just from the virus but from the collapse of the world economy. You can’t refuse to do something about it because someone called you a name. Electorally that just won’t fly.

What I think it means is that Republicans are the de facto rulers of the country, and get to set the tone for discussion. If they can just flippantly call what is supposed to be an equal opposition party "traitors" for expressing their concerns and proposing alternatives, while no way, the Democrats can never do that, then the Republicans are the ones in charge de facto.

And if you think about it, they've been like that for a long while. The Democrats tried to strike back with Russiagate and pointing out what is possibly actual treason, but it didn't really work and fizzled out. And the Democrats are weak when it comes to policies that Republicans oppose, like fighting climate change. The Paris Accords, for example, were weak and probably would have had little to no significant effect on the course of climate change. And yet, that was the best the US can do.

Because of Republicans' de facto rule regardless of election results, I fail to see what difference voting for one party can make over another. We tried it with Bernie, but Bernie was too weak, and not willing enough to attack Biden and the other Democrats.

To fight climate change, we need a world revolution. The United States is unfit to lead the world against climate change. Europe and other polities should begin the process of dumping the dollar, stop using it as a reserve currency, and create international agreements for the purpose of marginalizing the United States if they're really serious about fighting climate change. It will be a long time before the US is serious enough to do it.

Pelosi has failed to really push an alternative herself. She came out with a bill days late, basically shuttered the house to any vote unless it's by unanimous consent, and is basically conceding to the Republicans. The bill in question would implement a temporary UBI. Whereas the Senate bill, of course, creates a slush fund for big corporations for the Trump Administration to in effect hand out as it pleases.

This is basically a coup by the Republicans.

https://promarket.org/economics-and-fin ... porations/

The economic slowdown due to coronavirus has caused a massive drop in carbon emissions. If the Republicans are just going to end up propping up the same industries that would bring carbon emissions back up, IMO, it's better to stand strong and let the whole thing burn down. Support people, not big corporations.

I have heard there close to a deal but it's still tentative at this point.

Bailing out Wall Street won't save lives. Creating a slush fund for the Trump Administration to hand out as it pleases will not save lives. What saves lives is supporting hospitals, getting tests out, and supporting people as they isolate at home.

Adam Levitin of Georgetown University says the GOP Senate bill's slush fund is theft of the taxpayers, robbing the poor to pay the rich, a kind of bizarro Robin Hood.

https://www.creditslips.org/creditslips ... -rich.html

the thing congress seems to always do wrong is "legislative bundling". they bundle two or more things together so they can get others to vote for things they would not vote for. and many times they do the opposite, putting in things that are very bad just to get others to vote against the whole thing.

what i suggest is to unbundle the bill and have a vote on each part, separately. let them negotiate each part under the understanding of separate voting to come.

i am all for the UBI ... 1,500 monthly forever. UBI keeps economies more stable because people won't tend to stop spending when there is a small downturn in the economy. otherwise, that makes the downturn worse. UBI helps avoid that and flattens the economic curve.

That"s why the president should have the "line item veto",to take the teeth out of the bundling technique.

This is the end game.

We cannot borrow these kinds of numbers.

Stimulus 2 trillion, Fed purchases 3 trillion, national deficit 1 trillion, 1 trillion for money markets, ... 7 trillion of newly created money this year.

Who will loan to us at near 0 percent rates when they can see that we're printing gazillions?

The game is to print, print, print.

The Republicans aren't the de facto rulers of the federal government, they have de jure control over two of the three elected "bodies" and can stop a supermajority in the other. Pelosi and Schumer have to work with them.

I disagree that the Republicans rule the country regardless of who is in power. If Hillary Clinton was president, you would still be in the Paris Agreement, you wouldn't have your stupid record-breaking shutdown last year over a border wall, you would be respected on the international stage. There would be peace with Iran and no threat of nuclear war with North Korea. Congress would probably be blocking progress on healthcare, college reform, and other issues, but they'd have to justify it to their constituents rather than ignoring it completely. You'd have six Supreme Court judges who think the constitution prevents discrimination and allows for abortion. In other words, it would be like the Obama years (but with a stronger Supreme Court). If you want to stop feeling like you live in a country ruled by Republicans, put a Democrat in the White House and shore up their ranks in Congress.

I can understand why you'd have been sceptical about Paris at the time - I certainly was - but it has genuinely had an impact that Kyoto did not. Even without the US federal government on board, many of the key US states are prepared to take the necessary steps, and private companies are taking things into their own hands. And in other countries, we are seeing the necessary steps being taken. Yes, if America completely ignored Paris then it would be another Copenhagen and we'd be completely screwed, but the chances are that in November, if you and people like you work for it, President Elect Biden will announce that one of his first priorities will be to rejoin the agreement. Maybe Elizabeth Warren becomes Secretary of the Treasury, and Stacey Abrams becomes VP and, after two years, the most left-wing President since Roosevelt.

If on the other hand you decide that your only hope is if your former allies turn against you in a serious way, then Mr Trump will win another term, he will probably appoint replacements for RBG and Breyer who make Clarence Thomas look like Anthony Kennedy, maybe China follows your lead in pulling out of Paris, maybe Roe vs Wade gets overturned, maybe the fascists marching on your streets take over a state. Certainly say goodbye to better gender recognition or free healthcare.

I can tell you now, the US matters too much for the rest of us to screw you over. Lots of politicians who hate Trump have been smiling through gritted teeth with him because they can't afford to piss you off. Any gamble they took to strongarm you into action would fail due to the prisoner's dilemma and because their opponents would campaign against it.

Revolution is not possible. A better world is possible if you make it happen. Do not give up.

Democrats also need to focus on getting checks to Americans ASAP, and not try to do useless things like making carbon emissions slightly stricter. Pelosi's bill doesn't keep it simple, and gives the GOP an excuse to ignore it. But if Pelosi put forth a bill that puts checks in the hands of Americans and it passes the House, that would give Democrats leverage over the GOP in the Senate.

It looks like another day until an agreement ,they may add 200 per month to SS checks but of coarse that has to pass first.

it's settled .. $1200 per individual based on 2018 or 2019 adjusted gross income (NOT Modified adjusted gross income)

What the GOP is Doing While You Struggle to Breathe
by Jim Sorensen

Source: The Nib, 2020-03-25