Trump tweets that intelligent people loved his “performance” at Putin press conference. Treasury moves to protect dark money donors. GOP Rep. Justin Amash opposes Brett Kavanaugh. Alabama man walks 20 miles to work and is given new car. White House deficit projected to top $1 trillion.
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3AM Eastern is 10 AM Moscow time, maybe Trump’s getting poked by the bear to keep stirring the pot.
Countdown to Trump taking credit for the Carr car (from the tax cuts & historic low in black unemployment) in 3, 2, 1………..
Also, I believe the main reason the Trump tax cuts for individuals were not permanent was that the republicans did this under “reconciliation” which has certain caps and limits as to how much can be spent in any given year (“The Byrd Rule” or something like that). Reconciliation allowed them to pass those tax cuts with a simple majority, which they needed because they didn’t have 60 votes. The tax cuts are atrocious either way but my point is they’d have made it ALL permanent at the beginning IF THEY COULD HAVE.
Tax cuts for individuals weren’t permanent so that they’d have an issue to fight for next time.
Tax cuts for highest bracket people were permanent because corporate and donor class overlords.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking they couodnt have made them all permanent. Seeing the republicans as anything but craven sycophants is a mistake.
Thank you slackitude
If you’re looking for the missing link to todays’ first hour: https://tytnetwork.com/2018/07/18/tyt-hour-1-july-18-2018/
TYT going on about “perseverance porn.” I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised but I still am.
We’ve all seen these feel good segments on the local news. The adorable and resourceful seven-year-old in California who’s been recycling cans since he was three and now has $10,000 saved up for college. The Oklahoma community that chipped in to buy a car for a beloved Walmart greeter so she wouldn’t have to walk to work in the bitter cold anymore. The “inspiring teen” who returned to his fast food job soon after being injured in a car accident.
No doubt, these are all heartwarming tales of perseverance in the face of adversity, a testament to the can-do spirit of average citizens––but they’re also something else: ideological agitprop meant to obscure and decontextualize the harsh realities of poverty, the exorbitant cost of higher education and healthcare, and the profound absence of basic social services in the United States.
What are the origins of this ethos? Whom does it benefit and, perhaps most important of all, how does the media consistently work to reinforce this “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mythology?
So sick of this shit. Et tu TYT?
Maleone~ Couldn’t agree more!
It’s a different take on the American Dream, which is another non-existent present day fantasy.
While these stories individually are interesting, may be inspiring, and are definite Brain-Bleach for the neverending flow of depressing news, they also serve another purpose. That are presented as the reason anyone struggles, is because they haven’t worked hard enough! It puts ALL the blame on the individual, and none on their circumstance.
Not only has the Oligarchy rigged the Hunger Games in their favor, but they’ve made the game almost unwinnable! And if you lose, or come up short…well, then you are obviously a lazy idiot!
Because everyone knows, if you are a millionaire/billionaire, you did it on your own (maybe by picking the “right school” or “right degree”), and you are a ruthless super-genius.
You know…Like how Trump became president and a multi-zillionaire (x10 to infinity, no topping) because he’s like a very smart person.
Trump technically claims he misspoke, but he also strongly suggests that everyone else had misheard /misunderstood him. The man is incapable of taking responsibility for his failures and will never apologize sincerely for anything.
Dark Money. Hiding what financial ties or donations corporations–or the gov’t–is doing is anti-democratic and anti-republic. If the Dems had pulled this shit, and they sort of did, the GOP would be livid. But this is yet another example of Francesca’s “It’s OK When I Do It” in the now-defunct Newsbroke.
To hide from the American people what you’re doing is a huge Batman signal of criminality. “Don’t Look Here while we turn our country into a criminal enterprise!” And if they get found out, which they will, they’ll take their money and run. And if we don’t get a Progressive Democratic president, they won’t be punished.
If you are counting on Bernie to legally punish people, don’t hold your breath.
Where is the post game?