Inflation is very much a product of the logistics issues, which is stemming from having tripped over our own shoelaces with the pandemic response. So lets go through this list and you tell me what you want the government to do.
Debt: Describe an actual problem instead of just saying "debt" and hoping the rest of the Dave Ramsey fanbase has a Pavlovian response. Has the US undertaken debt that we can't service?
Yes, I believe we have too much debt. In the last 20 yrs all we've done is pile up debt and we just keep spending like drunk sailors. Even in good years, when we have a good economy, we don't pay down any debt. There's always a "crisis" that needs to be addressed. We're really screwing our kids IMO. I believe we spent too much on COVID - they did this purposely because they thought we underspent in the 2008 crash so they were trying to "correct" that mistake. But even with the overspending, the current admin is trying to spend another 6+ Trillion. WTF? They can see how inflation is wreaking havoc already, but they want to spend trillions more??
Logistics: What do you want the federal government to do about the logistics problem? Deploy the NG to start driving trucks and unloading trains? If you want to nationalize our trucking and multimodal transit industries you're gonna get called a commie. Or are we proposing legal action to end JIT log trains? Tell me what you think should be done that isn't and also isn't gross government overreach?
I'm not blaming the current admin for all of the logistics issues, but they certainly didn't seem to have their eye on the crisis. I'm all for parents spending time with their kids, but as Trans Sec you can't be spending 2 months at home with your new kid. You have a really important position given the crisis, you're new to your position (so there's a lot you need to learn) and you need to be present to understand the problems and provide leadership - that's your job. And repeatedly saying that the infrastructure bill will solve the problem is complete BS.
1. It'll take years to get stuff built (crisis should over by then)
2. The current ports were working before COVID so we're just going to throw money at a temporary crisis (but good for unions probably.)
As I understand, trucks/truck drivers are where the problem lies so cut any restrictions that are hindering them, provide a temporary incentive if needed, are there other ports we can utilize, railroads?? There's a lot they can't do, but they don't seem to be helping - just blaming and whining about their liberal agenda being stalled.
"Payments to illegals for their hardships" show me. I've been hearing for 30 years how everyone except the poor put upon middle class is living high on the hog but it never comes through. Or the migrant caravan that was going to murder us all 5 years running.
I was referring to the $450,000 Biden was planning to give to separated migrants.
Afghanistan: you mean the withdrawal date set by Trump? Did you want us to stay longer and spend a few trillion more?
Yes, a withdrawal date Biden could easily have changed; Trump changed it 2x and the world didn't end. I was happy to get out of AF, but after listening to experts, it seems that leaving 2500 troops would have been the smarter choice and it wasn't costing much. Regardless, the planning was pathetic and that's all Biden.
Oil imports: what about them? We're importing oil because that's what the market supports. Domestic producers are pretty happy with prices right now. Or did you want the federal government to raise the cost of oil more by barring imports or levying a tariff?
Biden shutdown a lot of domestic oil production and killed the XL pipeline. Self-made problem he is solely responsible for. Now we have to import more, from our enemies, at a higher cost.
Strategic deterrence: Same question. What aren't we doing that we should be?Cuz I remember Trump cutting a bunch of deals to get his daughter some exclusive patents, then losing a tariff war (no worries, increased federal subsidies to farms so farmers didn't feel the sting!) but I don't know what we think he was doing to strategically deter China.
Biden's AF debacle showed the world he's weak so China and Russia are emboldened.
I saw the info about Ivanka, but the level of shadiness isn't clear. Even if Trump wasn't president, it's likely she would have still gotten her patents. Did they get fast-tracked b/c he was president - yeah, probably. Not saying it's right or excusing it, but this happens in everyday life for all of us. If your friend gets you a deal at the store he works at, are you going to refuse b/c it's unfair?
From what I read, Ivanka was selling legit products and running a business, but probably got preferential treatment. Hunter was getting billions $$$ simply cause he had a last name. One is preferential treatment, the other is straight corruption IMO.
I see a lot of calls for the federal government becoming more intertwined in the economy and spending more money on a cold war. And let's be honest, I don't trust border hawks for a single second. Between deporting US citizens and expanding the "you have less rights here" zone to cover 2/3 of the US population I only see the border "crisis" as an excuse to further expand federal control. Give it time, they'll include 100 miles from airports too, and we'll see more ICE troopers walking around demanding to see papers. No historical parallels to see there. But as long as the GOP and half the democrats can say "But we need to spend a few billion a year on this otherwise the illegals might take your job!" half the country will be like "yeah actually having a paramilitary force with a growing authority to snatch people off the street is a good thing."
If you think we need to be worried about a military invasion by China of US land you're not living in reality.
I don't think China is going to invade, but they're certainly going to grab Taiwan unless we (and the world) stop them. Taiwan's semiconductor industry is huge.
But I think that's sort of the core of the problem. Republicans don't have to do anything. They can run on repealing the ACA and replacing it with something better but can't even get their own party to act on that. Run on ending the war in Afghanistan in a year, then punt the withdrawal out to the next administration after years of no progress. Talk about making America great only to cut taxes and refuse to spend a dime rebuilding any of the infrastructure that lets our economy work. All they have to do is revive the Satanic Panic or try to start a new cold war or tell you Joe Biden is going to personally steal your lightbulbs and make you a vegetarian and they'll get votes.
Perfect example: since 2004? Maybe earlier, but in my memory since 2004 I've heard from Hannity how Democrats always cheat and rig elections, and since 2016 we've heard how the election was rigged every two years, but they're still out there telling you to vote. They don't believe it, they just need an excuse for why they lose so they can pretend that secretly they represent "real" Americans. You know they don't believe it, because they still run for office and raise money. If you really believed that the elections were rigged and someone could just cram more ballots in to fudge the numbers, then asking people to donate money to your campaign is just stealing from them for your own vanity.
I hate the Democrats, by and large. They're weak and only remember to care about labor or conservation when they're getting spanked in the polls and they've completely written off most of the US as lost forever. They're by and large too busy sniffing their own bellybuttons and trying to centralize power and someone needs to go through and replace the whole party with a few hundred people who've worked with their hands and shot an animal for food. The GOP could stand to be entirely replaced by people who have read a history book and at least one civics book. They're especially bad about spending 4 years bragging about how they will refuse to even vote on bills but then as soon as they lose control it's "but why can't we work together." Corruption is bipartisan and the inability to criticize your team just lets it run rampant.
Both parties are guilty of playing party politics at the expense of the American people.