Biden's Infrastructure Week

[Fogdog]

He compares this bill to FDRs bills, which didn't make us Communist. I'm not for a strong central government but it is easy to see how throwing money will lead to much of that money being concentrated at the top, especially if they do not hike the corporate rate.

The whole idea of a system based upon public ownership and communal control seems to me to ignore the fact that people live in society. I don't think we need communism to deal with the problems inherent in capitalism. We do need a healthy democracy and to limit the political power of wealthy people down to "one person, one vote".

 

[Dryxi]

The whole idea of a system based upon public ownership and communal control seems to me to ignore the fact that people live in society. I don't think we need communism to deal with the problems inherent in capitalism. We do need a healthy democracy and to limit the political power of wealthy people down to "one person, one vote".

Right, I'm not advocating Communism or socialism in the slightest. The person speaking, in the context of the 1st 15 minutes of that podcast, where he is talking about the infrastructure bill, has nothing to say about Communism and solely talks about socioeconomic points related to this infrastructure bill.

While I do not agree with what the man says most of the time, doesn't mean he doesn't bring valid points forward that are not strictly related to Marxism or Communism.

I don't normally agree with most of what Robert Richard Wolff has to say, but his latest episode of economic update touches on this bill in the 1st 15 minutes (titled "Workers successfully take over their workplaces" https://www.democracyatwork.info/economicupdate). Thought provoking at the least, only the first 15 minutes are relevant.

basically talking about this bill being a tinkering type thing, not revolutionary or very progressive as FDR was. He then points out his issues with how the goals are being executed, in the sense that corporations are profiting greatly compared to your average person. Really I don't explain it well lol I'm smoking and don't remember everything he said yesterday.

 

[Fogdog]

Right, I'm not advocating Communism or socialism in the slightest. The person speaking, in the context of the 1st 15 minutes of that podcast, where he is talking about the infrastructure bill, has nothing to say about Communism and solely talks about socioeconomic points related to this infrastructure bill.

While I do not agree with what the man says most of the time, doesn't mean he doesn't bring valid points forward that are not strictly related to Marxism or Communism.



basically talking about this bill being a tinkering type thing, not revolutionary or very progressive as FDR was. He then points out his issues with how the goals are being executed, in the sense that corporations are profiting greatly compared to your average person. Really I don't explain it well lol I'm smoking and don't remember everything he said yesterday.

If his point wasn't about how communism "solves" the struggle between the wealthy and labor then I guess I missed what it really was about. If your point is that the infrastructure bill is not as revolutionary as FDR's social security bill then, yeah, totally agree. Biden's infrastructure bill is about repairing the worn out and un-maintained infrastructure of this modern society. Basically honoring the people who have gone before us by maintaining what they left us.

I'll go back and listen to the last five minutes of the first section in the link you posted. By that time I had checked out and wasn't really giving it my attention.

 

[Dryxi]

If his point wasn't about how communism "solves" the struggle between the wealthy and labor then I guess I missed what it really was about. If your point is that the infrastructure bill is not as revolutionary as FDR's social security bill then, yeah, totally agree. Biden's infrastructure bill is about repairing the worn out and un-maintained infrastructure of this modern society. Basically honoring the people who have gone before us by maintaining what they left us.

I'll go back and listen to the last five minutes of the first section in the link you posted. By that time I had checked out and wasn't really giving it my attention.

Should've just posted a transcript or something instead of the link alone. Lol

 

[Fogdog]

Should've just posted a transcript or something instead of the link alone. Lol

nah, it's on me. The video most prominently displayed in the page you linked to was titled "the ongoing relevance of Marxism". I gagged on that. Not your fault. What you referred to was found at the very bottom of the page. It wasn't exactly easy to find but it was there.

OK, so I'm ten minutes in to it and he's saying "Give them a job, Mr Biden, put them to work." Regarding the envrionment, "Do something for the climate that is so urgent, you say ... offsetting the environment degradation" and then: "make it permanent". Also, raise taxes on wealthy. One item that comes up next is a diatribe where he says that giving money to corporations is wasted because "they will just use it for stock buy backs" and waste it.

I don't know, man. It's not that what he says is false but it's not true either. He's leveling these criticisms after the first 100 days of the Biden administration. Biden's priorities have been well documented. First, manage this country through the end days of Trump's epidemic with as few lives lost as possible. Second, recover what was lost in terms of jobs and productivity during the epidemic. If one looks at what Biden is pushing, that's what he's doing. We have so much ground to cover, and Wolf is advocating pie in the sky stuff as if just getting back to where we were last year is already done, when it is not. And finally, what? criticize Biden for being president of a democracy? The reason we aren't passing a minimum wage bill is due Republicans and Manchin, not Biden or most Democrats.

Much of what Wolf said is exactly what Bernie promised and he couldn't win an election for dog catcher outside of his home state. What Wolf is proclaiming as a short fall in Biden's first days in office, I'd say is exactly what Biden should leave for later.

Regarding the infrastructure bill, it is in fact a change in direction for this country. It is not a groundbreaking new initiative. It IS quite radical compared to what has gone on for the past 30 years where in effect we delayed maintenance of our buildings and used the savings to cut taxes. Biden is pushing for a jobs and infrastructure bill, paid in part by raising taxes and, yes, with debt.

I've said it before. This country isn't ready for Ocasio Cortez's New Green Deal. Bernie pushed that idea hard and the voters pushed back. When Progressives start to win in contested districts, then we'll be ready for that kind of thing. Trying to push that deal ahead of the majority in this country will result in backlash that will put Republicans back in control. Given how desperate they are to keep control of this country, it will be the last time we have another contested election.

 

[hanimmal]