All things political. Coronavirus Edition. (2 Viewers)

[Maxp]

I fear we are really going to be in a bad place due to the obvious cuts to the federal agencies that deal with infectious disease, but also the negative effect the Affordable Care act has had on non urban hospitals. Our front line defenses are ineffectual and our ability to treat the populous is probably at an all time low. Factor in the cost of healthcare and I can see our system crashing. What do you think about the politics of this virus?

 

[JRad]

Sorry if i misunderstood you, but yeah- as someone on SR pointed out, this sounds like a ‘poison pill’ where if the states cant come up with their 25% (an addl $100 per week) then they wont be able to offer the people of their state the addl $300 from the feds... Not sure if that’s true, or not- as i stated, I’m no expert.. I’ll withhold judgement until we get further details.. but it seems that Trump, as usual, has managed to muddle things p even more.

Yea after reading what you posted on SR, I get where you’re coming from.

I think it’s all speculation at this point though. If Congress controls the purse, I’m not sure any of this really matters. It’s all a “look i saved you all” move.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Yea after reading what you posted on SR, I get where you’re coming from.

I think it’s all speculation at this point though. If Congress controls the purse, I’m not sure any of this really matters. It’s all a “look i saved you all” move.

Right, and when Congress comes out and points out the things we’ve all pointed out in this thread- they’ll be painted as ‘obstructors’... I dont know if it’ll work, but with the number of absolute morons in this country, i think it might.. But rest assured, whether that strategy works or not- it will DEFINITELY delay any actual help for Americans in need.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Right, and when Congress comes out and points out the things we’ve all pointed out in this thread- they’ll be painted as ‘obstructors’...

I'm pretty sure that's part of Trump's motivation with all of this.

 

[Richard]

I would like to know how a president can simply appropriate funds from the US Treasury when the Constitution grants those powers to Congress. I am strongly against executive orders circumventing legislative authority. I thought other presidents were just as guilty of using them without justification, but I don’t recall one committing funds without congressional approval.

 

[brandon]

And it literally defunds Socoal Security and Medicare, since they are directly tied to the payroll tax... Not sure how many people will realize that, or care, come Election Day.

Many of the people who are voting for Trump will be the last ones to benefit from SS and Medicare and they probably don't care what happens to it after they're gone.

 

[brandon]

Some long-term considerations:

Yes, this is a payroll tax “deferment” and not a holiday, but it’s potentially going to last for 5 months. Two major issues come into play with it lasting that long.

One, there will be no realistic way to call the debt without crashing the economy all over again. If you let people go five months without paying the tax, it’s not like they’re going to be saving that money. They’re gonna spend it. When it comes time to pay it back, people aren’t going to have it and you’re now saddling the entire US populace with potentially thousands of dollars worth of individual debt in what will likely still be a fragile economy. And you’re not going to be able to get it out of businesses either—they’re going to be in the same boat.

Second, when it comes time for this “deferment” to expire, guess what? People will have gotten plenty used to their newfound “raise”. If Biden is in office and tries to expire it, he’ll be blasted, but it will be the right thing to do

Trump won’t try to expire it—he’ll claim that people need the money now and can’t afford the pay cut. The deferment will be extended indefinitely.

And just like that, SS and Medicare will be dead in a generation.

 

[Eeyore]

I think more nefarious than that.... Trying to break the back of Democrat run states

And rid the land of the combined scourges of social security and Medicare

 

[The moose]

And rid the land of the combined scourges of social security and Medicare

Yep that is the game plan. I am not really worried I know I am working until death some way shape or form I don't really expect to ever draw out what I paid in.

But Jesus is the plan that the virus kills off the old now so it won't be needed?

The real way America was great was when american businesses payed taxes in the fifties and sixties. Like forty percent more than they do now.

Under Ronald Reagan they took the highest tax bracket from 70% to 28%. America was great when wealthy Americans and american corporations paid tax it afforded us capital to invest in the country.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Yep that is the game plan. I am not really worried I know I am working until death some way shape or form I don't really expect to ever draw out what I paid in.

Not me, I’ve long planned to retire early to some foreign country (Belize, Costa Rica, The Phillipines, etc) where you can live really well on an American social security check... I’ve never ‘counted’ on SS being there, but i thought it was more than likely .. Now that Trump is defunding and reconfiguring the postal service to obstruct mail-in voting , and Covid will be out of control even more in Nov making it impossible for lots of folks to vote.. he’ll win reelection, then he’ll stay in power as long as he wants. . SS and Medicare will be quaint notions from the past .. So yeah, i seriously doubt I’ll be retiring either.

 

[Richard]

Not me, I’ve long planned to retire early to some foreign country (Belize, Costa Rica, The Phillipines, etc) where you can live really well on an American social security check... I’ve never ‘counted’ on SS being there, but i thought it was more than likely .. Now that Trump is defunding and reconfiguring the postal service to obstruct mail-in voting , and Covid will be out of control even more in Nov making it impossible for lots of folks to vote.. he’ll win reelection, then he’ll stay in power as long as he wants. . SS and Medicare will be quaint notions from the past .. So yeah, i seriously doubt I’ll be retiring either.

Where would they send your retirement checks if you continue to be between the moon and New York City?

 

[cuddlemonkey]

Where would they send your retirement checks if you continue to be between the moon and New York City?

This is why it's so important to fund NASA.

 

[Eeyore]

Doesn't even hide it.

 

[Eeyore]

So, I'm reading that the fed's share of the unemployment booster is coming from FEMA. During hurricane season. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[efil4]

So, I'm reading that the fed's share of the unemployment booster is coming from FEMA. During hurricane season. What could possibly go wrong?

Think of this as a development that is cash strapped. So you gotta find new investors to pump cash in to pay for work already completed.
The cycle continues until you can't find investors (banks/individual).
At that point, it crumbles.

 

[Lapaz]

Congress has the power of the purse, so I think this is unconstitutional. Besides that, I don’t know how this will be enforced. In Alabama, my wife has been trying to collect unemployment for a couple of months, but the system is impossible to get through. They make it nearly impossible to make contact and throw you off quickly if you deviate. If I wasn’t working, we’d be in big trouble. I don’t know if blue states have better systems.

 

[The moose]

Great read.


It talks about excess deaths. When you count excess deaths the us has over 200k.

True Pandemic Toll in the U.S. Reaches 377,000

Since coronavirus struck, more people have died than usual in every state of the country, with 23 states seeing deaths above normal peaking in the last two months, according to a New York Times analysis.

www.nytimes.com

This is the actual effects of the virus and the death toll.

 

[SFIDC3]

Not me, I’ve long planned to retire early to some foreign country (Belize, Costa Rica, The Phillipines, etc) where you can live really well on an American social security check... I’ve never ‘counted’ on SS being there, but i thought it was more than likely .. Now that Trump is defunding and reconfiguring the postal service to obstruct mail-in voting , and Covid will be out of control even more in Nov making it impossible for lots of folks to vote.. he’ll win reelection, then he’ll stay in power as long as he wants. . SS and Medicare will be quaint notions from the past .. So yeah, i seriously doubt I’ll be retiring either.

Easy fella....I'm not quite this pessimistic....yet....Trump clearly doesn't have the authority to do this, I believe this is a hollow threat meant to rile his base and make him look like some kind of every man "hero". I think we are going to see more desperate attempts like this in the future, I still have to believe we, as a nation, are better than this....

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Easy fella....I'm not quite this pessimistic....yet....Trump clearly doesn't have the authority to do this, I believe this is a hollow threat meant to rile his base and make him look like some kind of every man "hero". I think we are going to see more desperate attempts like this in the future, I still have to believe we, as a nation, are better than this....

Ok.


Geez Louise, i really wish i were one of you guys, the true believers who think that ‘it cant happen here’.. ‘Trump doesnt have the authority blah blah’.. Wake the **** up... IT’S HAPPENING.

As i mentioned before, I’m just thankful that I’m pushing 50 years old so I won’t have to live under this authoritarian regime for more than a couple decades , most likely... But go ahead and tell me how I’m overreacting.