It's the economy, stupid.

[Vrede too]

Joe six pack and his pickup trucks is what makes our country function.

So why is MAGA in thrall to billionaires while screwing Joe Six Pack with inflation, environmental decline, making his family's health insurance unaffordable and a War of Choice?

[O Really]

Joe six pack and his pickup trucks is what makes our country function.

Used to, sure, back when ol' Joe had a secure union job in a factory or worked in skilled trades. The "working class" people who actually kept the economy going. They bought cars, houses, worked for the same company until they retired. Along with the middle class, ol' Joe has faded a lot. He's now more likely to have that six pack during the day while he can't find a job that pays enough to feed his little Joes.

[supesalemgr2]

Joe six pack and his pickup trucks is what makes our country function.

So why is MAGA in thrall to billionaires while screwing Joe Six Pack with inflation, environmental decline, making his family's health insurance unaffordable and a War of Choice?

Because most of them understand inflation is a function of oil prices right now. Also, they don't buy the evironmental hand wringers. You should know health insurance is a result of the overall cost of medical care which is a very complicated issue. The next time you are in a medical office, check all the "stuff" there. It is not cheap.

[Vrede too]

Joe six pack and his pickup trucks is what makes our country function.

So why is MAGA in thrall to billionaires while screwing Joe Six Pack with inflation, environmental decline, making his family's health insurance unaffordable and a War of Choice?

Because most of them understand inflation is a function of oil prices right now. Also, they don't buy the evironmental hand wringers. You should know health insurance is a result of the overall cost of medical care which is a very complicated issue. The next time you are in a medical office, check all the "stuff" there. It is not cheap.

Wow.

Oil prices are tied to the War of Choice, duh. Dementia Don's tariffs also contribute massively to inflation. Hadn't you heard?

"evironmental hand wringers":
viewtopic.php?t=21
viewtopic.php?t=368
Read and learn, then get back to us.

Yes, US healthcare is pricey, but Dozy Don has made it far worse. Hadn't you heard?

[supesalemgr2]

Joe six pack and his pickup trucks is what makes our country function.

So why is MAGA in thrall to billionaires while screwing Joe Six Pack with inflation, environmental decline, making his family's health insurance unaffordable and a War of Choice?

Because most of them understand inflation is a function of oil prices right now. Also, they don't buy the evironmental hand wringers. You should know health insurance is a result of the overall cost of medical care which is a very complicated issue. The next time you are in a medical office, check all the "stuff" there. It is not cheap.

Wow.

Oil prices are tied to the War of Choice, duh. Dementia Don's tariffs also contribute massively to inflation. Hadn't you heard?

"evironmental hand wringers":
viewtopic.php?t=21
viewtopic.php?t=368
Read and learn, then get back to us.

Yes, US healthcare is pricey, but Dozy Don has made it far worse. Hadn't you heard?

I did not expect you to agree about the environment post. When have I stated the war with Iran has not affected oil prices? It has.

[Vrede too]

Wow.

Oil prices are tied to the War of Choice, duh. Dementia Don's tariffs also contribute massively to inflation. Hadn't you heard?

"evironmental hand wringers":
viewtopic.php?t=21
viewtopic.php?t=368
Read and learn, then get back to us.

Yes, US healthcare is pricey, but Dozy Don has made it far worse. Hadn't you heard?

I did not expect you to agree about the environment post. When have I stated the war with Iran has not affected oil prices? It has.

Whoosh x 2. Don't read = Won't learn

[neoplacebo]

Yeah, it's amazing that during the time when the US was at its zenith (1945 -1970) millionaires and corporations paid their fair share of tax. What's even more amazing is the continued belief by Republicans that cutting taxes creates more wealth; it does, but only for the ones who already have more wealth. For fifty years I've been unable to figure out why this is not more openly discussed. Hell, the facts and statistics are available and they are not in any way ambiguous. damn

What makes you think they don't know? Seems to me they know exactly what effect they'll get from tax cuts. All the rest of the yammer about how it's good for everyone is just gas-lit smoke screen.

Yeah, the way it's presented is how they keep being able to do it. That, and the general ignorance of the electorate. Hell, Joe Six Pack will ALWAYS vote to give himself a two hundred dollar tax cut (temporarily) but Joe has no concept of how the fat cats may get a two million dollar tax cut in that same deal. They only show you the parts they want you to notice, and that applies at both ends of the equation. Joe SIx Pack only sees one side of it....the side he wants to see.

Joe six pack and his pickup trucks is what makes our country function.

And as long as Joe tells himself he's satisfied with crumbs while the CEO of the truck factory and the CEO of the six pack factory receive tens or hundreds of thousands in tax cuts, Joe will keep on voting against his own best interests, not knowing enough to not do so. He will never see that neither his pickup truck or his six pack got better or cheaper as a result of the big tax cuts the big boys got in the same deal where he got a tax cut of maybe two hundred and fifty bucks in a year. It's the same logic the right uses to trick voters into voting against their own interests.....like how they present the estate tax as a "death tax", thus getting low wit voters to vote for greater exemptions for the rich (the estate tax only applied to estates valued over five million; now it only applies to estates valued over fifteen million) but the working poor ignorantly vote for this tex break for the rich, thinking that they're getting rid of a "death tax." Same with "right to work" laws.....totally anti worker but given a misleading name.

[Vrede too]

Yeah, the way it's presented is how they keep being able to do it. That, and the general ignorance of the electorate. Hell, Joe Six Pack will ALWAYS vote to give himself a two hundred dollar taxAnd as long as Joe tells himself he's satisfied with crumbs while the CEO of the truck factory and the CEO of the six pack factory receive tens or hundreds of thousands in tax cuts, Joe will keep on voting against his own best interests, not knowing enough to not do so. He will never see that neither his pickup truck or his six pack got better or cheaper as a result of the big tax cuts the big boys got in the same deal where he got a tax cut of maybe two hundred and fifty bucks in a year. It's the same logic the right uses to trick voters into voting against their own interests.....like how they present the estate tax as a "death tax", thus getting low wit voters to vote for greater exemptions for the rich (the estate tax only applied to estates valued over five million; now it only applies to estates valued over fifteen million) but the working poor ignorantly vote for this tex break for the rich, thinking that they're getting rid of a "death tax." Same with "right to work" laws.....totally anti worker but given a misleading name.

Two hundred and fifty bucks won't fill up the gas tanks of some pickups, worse if they're diesel. Opps.

[supesalemgr2]

The left's disregard for blue collar folks is noted by them. That is why they support the GOP. I am not a cultist, but I am glad to support MAGA and what is stands for.

[O Really]

The left's disregard for blue collar folks is noted by them. That is why they support the GOP. I am not a cultist, but I am glad to support MAGA and what is stands for.

If you want to say the the Dems for some reason started taking labor for granted or ignored the blue collar folks, I'd agree (mostly) with you. And I'd certainly say that wasn't very bright. But if you want to say that Republicans have done anything - anything - for that demographic, I'd really like to know what it is. Republicans as a group are very anti-labor, anti-workers rights, anti-living wage, anti-safety standards, anti-nondiscrimination law, yada ad infinitum.

[O Really]

... but I am glad to support MAGA and what is stands for.

Well whatever your definition of Make American Great Again might be, wouldn't you rather have had somebody who wasn't a malignant incompetent, and who appointed capable people?

[supesalemgr2]

The left's disregard for blue collar folks is noted by them. That is why they support the GOP. I am not a cultist, but I am glad to support MAGA and what is stands for.

If you want to say the the Dems for some reason started taking labor for granted or ignored the blue collar folks, I'd agree (mostly) with you. And I'd certainly say that wasn't very bright. But if you want to say that Republicans have done anything - anything - for that demographic, I'd really like to know what it is. Republicans as a group are very anti-labor, anti-workers rights, anti-living wage, anti-safety standards, anti-nondiscrimination law, yada ad infinitum.

The GOP did not have to do anything as the dem party left them. The "anti" allegations are questionable.

[O Really]

The left's disregard for blue collar folks is noted by them. That is why they support the GOP. I am not a cultist, but I am glad to support MAGA and what is stands for.

If you want to say the the Dems for some reason started taking labor for granted or ignored the blue collar folks, I'd agree (mostly) with you. And I'd certainly say that wasn't very bright. But if you want to say that Republicans have done anything - anything - for that demographic, I'd really like to know what it is. Republicans as a group are very anti-labor, anti-workers rights, anti-living wage, anti-safety standards, anti-nondiscrimination law, yada ad infinitum.

The GOP did not have to do anything as the dem party left them. The "anti" allegations are questionable.

You probably forgot that a huge number of the blue collar demographic left the Dems in droves following the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

The "anti" is questionable? You must believe that despite what they say, and despite how they vote, and despite how they propose or fight legislation, that there's some secret support for that stuff among Republicans. And example would be nice.

[supesalemgr2]

The left's disregard for blue collar folks is noted by them. That is why they support the GOP. I am not a cultist, but I am glad to support MAGA and what is stands for.

If you want to say the the Dems for some reason started taking labor for granted or ignored the blue collar folks, I'd agree (mostly) with you. And I'd certainly say that wasn't very bright. But if you want to say that Republicans have done anything - anything - for that demographic, I'd really like to know what it is. Republicans as a group are very anti-labor, anti-workers rights, anti-living wage, anti-safety standards, anti-nondiscrimination law, yada ad infinitum.

The GOP did not have to do anything as the dem party left them. The "anti" allegations are questionable.

You probably forgot that a huge number of the blue collar demographic left the Dems in droves following the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

The "anti" is questionable? You must believe that despite what they say, and despite how they vote, and despite how they propose or fight legislation, that there's some secret support for that stuff among Republicans. And example would be nice.

I think your thoughts are loaded with generalities. Using "some" might be more descriptive.

[O Really]

Sure there may be exceptions, name one if you like, but those antis have been a fundamental part of Republican policy for decades.

[neoplacebo]

Sure there may be exceptions, name one if you like, but those antis have been a fundamental part of Republican policy for decades.

Republicans think no tax on tips or overtime is pro labor. Maybe the overtime part is (because of the actual progressive tax system labor must conform to while the six or seven figure guy gets infinite loopholes, deductions, writeoffs, etc) but no tax on tips should have been policy all along. From what I understand those people aren't even paid minimum wage and mostly rely on tips. A billionaire sitting back profiting from stocks or bonds pays little or even no tax on that income. If Republicans were pro labor, they'd advocate for a progressive tax system, one in which all income is counted as income.

[Vrede too]

Republicans think no tax on tips or overtime is pro labor. Maybe the overtime part is (because of the actual progressive tax system labor must conform to while the six or seven figure guy gets infinite loopholes, deductions, writeoffs, etc) but no tax on tips should have been policy all along. From what I understand those people aren't even paid minimum wage and mostly rely on tips. A billionaire sitting back profiting from stocks or bonds pays little or even no tax on that income. If Republicans were pro labor, they'd advocate for a progressive tax system, one in which all income is counted as income.

Even the markets are scheming against Dozy Don and the GQP:

Stock market today: Dow rallies 1,500 points, S&P 500 and Nasdaq gain after Democrats win control of Congress

Rage post to follow.


Fatcat O Really let us down:

California's billionaire tax on track for defeat as the state continues to count votes

[O Really]

Fatcat O Really and Lady O both voted for it. I think the reason it is apparently going down is that the anti side focused heavily on one somewhat distorted point. Ads ran incessantly claiming that although presented as a "one time tax", that a "loophole" in the proposal allowed such a tax to be levied on everybody. Not at all what the proposal said, but truth usually takes a beating in political campaigns, especially those on tax issues.

[Vrede too]

Fatcat O Really and Lady O both voted for it. I think the reason it is apparently going down is that the anti side focused heavily on one somewhat distorted point. Ads ran incessantly claiming that although presented as a "one time tax", that a "loophole" in the proposal allowed such a tax to be levied on everybody. Not at all what the proposal said, but truth usually takes a beating in political campaigns, especially those on tax issues.

That's sad.

I teased my middle class CA brother the same way. His reply:
"Thankfully I don’t have to hide my wealth in another state now. In CA’s favor we have our first elected Latino governor!"

and yay! Congrats, O Really.

A democratic socialist may oust Mayor Bass in LA. Wow. Your opinion on the race?