The House is poised to pass Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act as soon as they can iron out the details. Most of the worst parts of this bill are set in stone at this point, so let's break down what's in this nearly 1000 page monster and how it will impact you.I agree with Miller that Republicans are much better at messaging than Democrats, particularly so with Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump and what I called "his feral instincts for self-promotion, dominance, and survival," particularly his talent for self-promotion. That's frustrating, but I chalk the difference up to liberals and progressives being rational while conservatives are irrational. This isn't my take; it's the late Jerry Pournelle's, a conservative. Conservatives' irrationality connects them better to emotions, so the tell more effective stories than liberals, who have better command of facts and reason. Those aren't enough to persuade a consistent majority, so liberals need to get more in touch with voters' emotions to win. This includes better marketing of our ideas.
John Oliver concentrated on the loss of health and food benefits in the video I embedded yesterday, so I'm commenting on the changes in taxes, education, and immigration enforcement. For the bottom 40-60%, the lowered taxes will not offset the loss of benefits, so the majority of Americans will be worse off. On the other hand, the top 40% and especially the top 20% will be better off, at least in terms of lower taxes vs. any lost federal benefits. One of those benefits is education, particularly student loans and other federal aid. This looks like part of the implementation of Project 2025 along with a goal of Curtis "Mencius Moldbug" Yarvin to reduce the power and influence of educated professionals. As I wrote the last time I featured Miller, "That makes his ideas personal to me, as I'm an educated professional."
The Big Brutal Bill's effect on immigration enforcement deserves its own post along with its own version of The tax bill and the U.S. economy in 2018 and beyond. In the meantime, I'm sharing this image Marcy "Emptywheel" Wheeler used to illustrate Stephen Miller’s War on Cancer Cures.
Leeja Miller didn't even mention what the Big Brutal Bill did to science research beyond increased tax benefits to corporations for research and development; I doubt that will make up for loss of federal support to basic research in dollars spent and it will certainly change what research takes place. This image shows where that money is going to, defense and homeland security, especially immigration enforcement. Priorities in action. Speaking of which...
It’s not just that Russ Vought and Stephen Miller are cutting AIDS prevention and cancer research. They’re doing so to pay for Miller’s gulag. Miller is cutting your access to health care and cancer cures to pay to deport your nurse assistant and cancer researchers (and, given the unnecessary bump in DOD spending, to invade Canada to take their health care away too).Given how Canada has responded to Hoover Cleveland's threats, I'd be more worried about Greenland.
I've had enough DOOM for today. Stay tuned for the 4th of July. No Kings!
Read you years ago back when I was still on Blogspot. I still can't figure out why I fell off your wagon. But I am back.
ReplyDeleteThe Archdruid was/is an enigma to me. I still read him over at his new place, but I am now kinda getting tired of the same old drum being pounded. I know that he is right about causes, I am becoming uncertain about his take on effects.
But he is still top notch. And now you are back on my reading list.
John (degringolade)
https://mightaswellliebackandenjoyit.blogspot.com/
https://degringolade.dreamwidth.org/
Welcome back to Crazy Eddie's Motie News! Hope to see you more around here!
DeleteI think you read my blog more when I posted regularly at Greer's and Kunstler's blogs. I post rarely at Greer's blogs the past few years and haven't posted at Kunstler's since Halloween 2019.
I had a lot to say about Greer in I ask The Archdruid and his readers 'Can you show us on the doll exactly where the educated professionals hurt you?' A Festivus airing of grievances, especially in the comments. As for his banging the same old drum, I can relate. On the one hand, he's getting predictable. On the other, I'm older than he is and have been blogging for nearly as long. At some point, it's easier to settle on a set of favorite points and pound them home than it is to come up with something new. I'm starting to do that already.