Biden / Harris Focused Discussion

[Themius]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...itarian-crisis



Whoa whoa whoa, what is this? Pro-austerity neoliberal Biden, who loves bombing people is ending US support of the Saudi operations in Yemen? And freezing arm sales to the Saudis?

I feel like we were warned that he was gonna ramp up bombing, this doesn't seem like he's ramping up bombing or supporting bombing in the middle east. What gives?

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5...-new-questions

Never got around to this but it doesn't really look like he is ending support but instead just reframing it around defence in stead of offence which... could lead to exactly nothing changing as he said..

"We are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war on Yemen including relevant arm sales"

Which isn't to say we Arne't arming them... we aren't going to arm them with weapons relevant to offence, but what about defence? Those operations will continue as well as American support of those operations.

When you note that the pentagon already considers most of the action around Saudi Arabia and Yemen to be defensive what changes?

But Biden and other administration officials also stressed the United States would continue defending the Saudis from attacks, as well as continue counterterrorism operations inside Yemen against al Qaeda and ISIS

So the question then is what does Biden think of it and how does Biden view it? If the pentagon views it as defensive and ergo arm Saudis... is that going to happen or will Biden deem it offensive and stop it?

Jake Sullivan also confirmed this will not stop Americans bombing Yemen war on terror and all that.

[postman1782]

https://twitter.com/AndrewSolender/s...20677918543875

I know this won't change any minds, but it may win a few hearts.

Biden plays Mario Kart, yo. Granted it looks to be the Switch version (I think? I only go as far as the N64 version) in an arcade cabinet, but that's probably cooler.

You may hate his policies, but his choice of game is just fine.

I like how all the right wingers are bitching that he is playing Mario Cart, with his first days off since taking the presidency, and didn't say a fucking word when Trump literally took the first weekend off after his inauguration, to go spend millions of dollars at his own fucking golf course, that went directly to him from tax payers.

[Shadowferal]

So now the measuring stick is what the former president did ? Way to set the bar low.

I dare say it was high enough for you a year ago.

[Fugus]

I dare say it was high enough for you a year ago.

We already know what the guy is, even caught where he was trying his stuff in the WoW classic section.

[Breccia]

And, typically, the first reply I see to that is a complaint about how people are dying to COVID

To which the immediate reply is "Trump went golfing"

[Jtbrig7390]

So didn't know where to post this, I figured this was the best place.

Any idea when congress will get off its ass and pass the relief bill?

[Vegas82]

So didn't know where to post this, I figured this was the best place.

Any idea when congress will get off its ass and pass the relief bill?

They’re in the process of reconciliation with the house expected to be done as early as next week. The senate will take a little longer due to the GOP delaying the impeachment trial.

[Jtbrig7390]

They’re in the process of reconciliation with the house expected to be done as early as next week. The senate will take a little longer due to the GOP delaying the impeachment trial.

So we are looking at closer to the start of next month before anything gets done.... Lovely.

[Omega10]

I listened a bit to President Biden's town hall.

Explain to me again how this election was close?

The best answer he gave was to a pro-Trump supporter. The pro-Trump supporter tried to ask his questions in strong emotional terms, and Biden thwarted his attempts by just going into rational logical nerd mode, talking in detail about facts and figures and anecdotal stories. The pro-Trump supporter was not deterred, asked multiple questions all in the same emotional way, and Biden was persistent in maintaining his low keyed nerdy approach. Biden came across as Presidential, the pro-Trump guy came across as petty.

imho, he knocked this event out of the ball park. His demeanor was perfect. He made being nice a positive and something really good, and something that America needs more of. And he did it well.

His well prepared answers and calm demeanor are exactly what this country needs right now. And I loved his detailed answers.

[Breccia]

Biden came across as Presidential, the pro-Trump guy came across as petty.

Sounds about right. He did once say that we didn't have a vaccine when he was elected -- but past that minor slip, he had a realistic time frame.

[Omega10]

Sounds about right. He did once say that we didn't have a vaccine when he was elected -- but past that minor slip, he had a realistic time frame.

This was a chilling statement (from the article you linked).

Biden added that it is "highly unlikely that by the beginning of next year’s traditional school year in September we are not significantly better off than we are today."

Compare this town hall meeting with the Trump press conferences and tweets and comments.

Trump: mostly false (like 90% false), everything said for maximum emotional impact, quite theatrical
President Biden: mostly true (like 90% true), lots of details, downplayed emotional impact, very matter of fact and to the point

Trump: a clown masquerading as the leader of the country
President Biden: a decent President dealing with the cards that he was dealt as best he could, and explaining as many details as he could in the time he had.

President Biden will benefit hugely from being compared to Trump.

[Kallisto]

I listened a bit to President Biden's town hall.

Explain to me again how this election was close?

The best answer he gave was to a pro-Trump supporter. The pro-Trump supporter tried to ask his questions in strong emotional terms, and Biden thwarted his attempts by just going into rational logical nerd mode, talking in detail about facts and figures and anecdotal stories. The pro-Trump supporter was not deterred, asked multiple questions all in the same emotional way, and Biden was persistent in maintaining his low keyed nerdy approach. Biden came across as Presidential, the pro-Trump guy came across as petty.

imho, he knocked this event out of the ball park. His demeanor was perfect. He made being nice a positive and something really good, and something that America needs more of. And he did it well.

His well prepared answers and calm demeanor are exactly what this country needs right now. And I loved his detailed answers.

You answered your own question unfortunately. Too many people are like that trump supporters. Facts don't matter only feels does.

[JohnBrown1917]

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5...-new-questions

Never got around to this but it doesn't really look like he is ending support but instead just reframing it around defence in stead of offence which... could lead to exactly nothing changing as he said..

"We are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war on Yemen including relevant arm sales"

Which isn't to say we Arne't arming them... we aren't going to arm them with weapons relevant to offence, but what about defence? Those operations will continue as well as American support of those operations.

When you note that the pentagon already considers most of the action around Saudi Arabia and Yemen to be defensive what changes?



So the question then is what does Biden think of it and how does Biden view it? If the pentagon views it as defensive and ergo arm Saudis... is that going to happen or will Biden deem it offensive and stop it?

Jake Sullivan also confirmed this will not stop Americans bombing Yemen war on terror and all that.

This comes as no surprise, the military industrial complex has bipartisan support in the US.

[NED funded]

Based Biden dunking on the college students

[Elegiac]

Based Biden dunking on the college students

In a fashion as moronic as suggesting that one favors private helicopters over public roads because a billionaire might drive on the latter, sure.

It was a bad answer from Biden.

[Omega10]

In a fashion as moronic as suggesting that one favors private helicopters over public roads because a billionaire might drive on the latter, sure.

It was a bad answer from Biden.

In my pro-President Biden giddiness, I will concede this point.

Both President Biden, and republicans led my McConnell, are putting forward the point:

We can't do things that help middle class and poor Americans because a small portion of the help might help people that make between 100k and 200k a year. McConnell and the republicans are using it to try to put restrictions on who can get stimulus aid, and now President Biden is using it to justify not forgiving student loan debt.

Republicans started the meme that 100k salaries makes one rich. It does not. Well off yeah, but still working from paycheck to paycheck I'm not sure why President Biden thought it was a good idea to pick up and expand on this idea.

It's clear why republicans are pushing this idea now. In the future, they want to fight back on all of this by saying that democrats like to punish middle class Americans that do reasonably well for themselves. They pushed this idea for a long long time. They are trying to make policies into law now that give them talking points in the future, especially if it hurts America in the meantime. After all, they need something to rage about.

It is not at all clear why President Biden thought it wise to make this a main reason against $50k student loan forgiveness. He is mortified that people will use it that went to Ivy League schools?

[Elegiac]

In my pro-President Biden giddiness, I will concede this point.

Both President Biden, and republicans led my McConnell, are putting forward the point:

We can't do things that help middle class and poor Americans because a small portion of the help might help people that make between 100k and 200k a year. McConnell and the republicans are using it to try to put restrictions on who can get stimulus aid, and now President Biden is using it to justify not forgiving student loan debt.

Republicans started the meme that 100k salaries makes one rich. It does not. Well off yeah, but still working from paycheck to paycheck I'm not sure why President Biden thought it was a good idea to pick up and expand on this idea.

It's clear why republicans are pushing this idea now. In the future, they want to fight back on all of this by saying that democrats like to punish middle class Americans that do reasonably well for themselves. They pushed this idea for a long long time. They are trying to make policies into law now that give them talking points in the future, especially if it hurts America in the meantime. After all, they need something to rage about.

It is not at all clear why President Biden thought it wise to make this a main reason against $50k student loan forgiveness. He is mortified that people will use it that went to Ivy League schools?

It's almost as if crusty old people that haven't ever actually had to take out a student loan themselves might not be very well acquainted with the realities of student debt in the US.

That and this country has a deeply pathological hatred for the "undeserving", a term which does a lot of work regardless of which party utters it.

[Kathandira]

Though i'm happy we havre Biden rather than Trump. I am going to put much more focus on a younger candidate for the next election cycle.

I would like to see someone in office that has a bit better of a grip on the younger generations.

[Elegiac]

Though i'm happy we havre Biden rather than Trump. I am going to put much more focus on a younger candidate for the next election cycle.

I would like to see someone in office that has a bit better of a grip on the younger generations.

Someone who doesn't cling to that reefer madness bullshit still, at least. Lol.

And that's the thing which irks me: "he's a product of his time" isn't really a defensible position when "his time" was one marked by systemic racial injustice over drug enforcement.

[Kathandira]

Someone who doesn't cling to that reefer madness bullshit still, at least. Lol.

And that's the thing which irks me: "he's a product of his time" isn't really a defensible position when "his time" was one marked by systemic racial injustice over drug enforcement.

With all of the access to information in today's world, being a product of one's time is no longer a valid excuse. People learn and grow. If someone stays set in their ways they aren't a product of their time, they are willfully ignorant.

I think Biden has grown a lot over the course of his career. But there are a few areas where he is still out of touch. Next cycle, i'm definitely looking for a younger candidate who hits the markers of the needs of the modern adult.