Incredibly well written summary of the issues we've been facing, and will continue to face in the coming years under a Joe Biden presidency and a barely Democratic Senate.
Looking forward to your next interview, Krystal and Kyle!
Thank you K&K - another good intro to your forthcoming interview - this time with John Nichols. I would also like to call your attention to an important article on Brazil and Lula in today's Glenn Greenwald's substack -- it is of major importance to the situation in our beloved USA...
Below is my comment on GG's article that you may be interested in:
First - congratulations on your courage and major efforts !! Bolsonaro clique is a very dangerous crime family, much adored by right-wing extremists in the US security apparatus. Like you, I am still grieving about horrible assassination of another Brazil's political star, Marielle Franco. Please take care to protect yourself and your family.
Your warnings for the US are very timely. We all know how The Intercept, which you co-founded, silenced you regarding massive corruption in Biden's family. Since that time, despite that Trump defeated himself by his incompetence in virus handling, there has NOT been a peep in the corporate press about that huge and global corruption case.
Biden administration and oligarchs behind it totally control HiTech monopolies (Amazon, Google/YouTube, Facebook, Tweeter, etc.) - all for years deeply integrated into huge US surveillance/"security" apparatus. The recent letter by two California House "lifers" and otherwise for years useless Democrats Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney to CEO's of cable companies are truly unparalleled and represents the rise of fascism in the US -- under a guise of "fighting fascism." All these multiple attacks (note similarities with Brazil) are clearly carefully choreographed and coordinated -- easily predicted and well understood since we should always keep in mind that there is one HUGE elephant in the room:
The scam of the century - the now 5-year long Russia-gate hoax initiated by Obama/Biden administration
The Russia-gate hoax and two-impeachment “entertainments” were concocted by neo-liberals Obama/Hillary/Biden/Pelosi, Schumer, Schiff, Maxine Waters, Jamie Ruskin, etc., etc. -- and their intelligence and DNC executives on behalf of their Wall Street and military and security industry donors, i.e., the War party
By far the absolutely highest need of Biden government and its DNC oligarch cabal is that Russia-gate immense hoax – the scam of the century -- will NOT / will NEVER be exposed.
This represents a new phase of US domestic politics -- on foreign policy oligarchs of both parties are united.
Hence immense obligations to primary corrupt propagandists for their roles, including despicable Kamala Harris (Hillary’s protégé), Neera Tanden, Melissa Hodgman (wife of the Comey’s infamous Peter Strzok), Pete Buttigieg, etc, and media and HiTech executives.
And -- bravo for Lula -- long time ago Business Week quoted his outstanding solution for oil profits when price rises: Sharing between Brazil and oil companies in such profits; so simple and logical... Yet we overturned democratically elected and US educated economist - first president of Iran Mohammad Mossadeq for similar decision -- long forgotten in the US and always fresh in mind of every Persian.
Wishing well to Brazil (and to our beloved USA) with immense thanks, BP
Leftists will never take the win unless full blown communism is imposed upon us. Though I am a republican, I feel for so many who have lost jobs and now are on unemployment rolls. Though I am very much against generous welfare benefits, I see that many of the people who lost their jobs due to no fault of their own and we need to help them.
In California, you would receive unemployment benefits of $650 ( minimum wage workers) a week which is equivalent to working close to 46 hours a week on a 15$ hourly wage job. This combined by childcare credit and stimulus check would lead to a lump sum payment of $9000. So if you factor these in, a single mother with 2 kids would make $42000 a year without working a single hour or a family of two parents and two kids would make $69000 a year which is actually higher than American median family income.We are in a pandemic so probably these generous benefits are justifiable. However, once we are out of pandemic era, these benefits would actively discourage work. It will lead to resentment among people who are working and making way less.
And then the issue of minimum wage is quite moot. California, New York, Illinois will raise minimum wage through state laws. If you want to buy a home in NYC, Chicage, you could never do it if you are a family of minimum wage earners. In the capitol of Wyoming, Cheyenne, you can find a sturdy 3 bedroom home for $100000. Even if as a family husband and wife earn minimum wage($7.25), they can afford to buy this home and have a good life for their children. There is no need for the wage to be increased in Wyoming. Minimum wage should be tied to cost of living, in Wyoming a family making $2500 a month will lead a normal life, it may not be liveable wage for a family in SF, NYC or LA. So championing minimum wage changes does not make sense at federal level.
Really you think the leftists are pushing for communism? smh Giving people healthcare without the fear of bankruptcy, and paying people a livable wage is NOT communism. Why do conservatives like you want your tax dollars used to subsidize the wealthiest corporations on the planet labor force? Why are you OK with 70,000 Americans dying EVERY YEAR because they don't have healthcare?
Amazon and Walmart are the biggest employers in US. They already pay a $15 wage. Increasing minimum wage will decimate small businesses in red states where cost of living is low. In West Virginia the median household income is $44000. So the minimum wage increase would make a family of two parents who work minimum wage job who earn about $30000 to now get $62000 a year. How is that sustainable. In a small town in West Virginia, you can buy a 3 bedroom home for $80000 (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/207-Highland-Ave-Fairmont-WV-26554/22729087_zpid/). So, a $30000 annual income is not bad. Minimum wage must be more localised, not federally set. Look at Florida, they passed referendum to increase it as Florida is a state with higher cost of living.
Secondly, government healthcare plans were setup in UK, Canada when their citizens had no insurance coverage at all. In US 91% of Americans are already insured. Overhauling medicare by forcing everyone to medicare would be a disaster. It would bankrupt private insurance companies and all the employees who work there would lose their jobs. Massachusetts has an uninsured rate of 2% while in Texas it is 17%. So expanding medicare to the poor as with Obamacare works if states actually did it. I am sure most States who did not do so will do it with state referendums and uninsured rate would fall. Medicare for all is a red herring.
There's a reason that we created the Federal Minimum Wage to begin with, it was to keep corporations from forcing our states to compete against each other for the lowest wage. Just look at back our history during the Gilded Age. If we make it stated based, within 10 years our biggest companies would be based in whichever state they could pay people the least. Need more proof just look at our credit card industry. Delaware allowed CC companies to increase their interest rates to 30% and what happened next? EVERY CC company in the country was now based in Delaware.
And to your point about Amazon and Walmart....The largest group of recipients of govt assistance are fully employed workers and the 3 companies whose workers receive the most welfare and food assistance from the government work for Amazon, Walmart and McDonald's. So maybe quit reading press releases and review some actual facts about these companies and what they pay their employees.
Many other countries had private insurance for their healthcare industry and later switched to a single payer system. It's not impossible and if they could do it, certainly the richest country in the history of the world could get it done, But since our entire political system is completely corrupt we have to listen to conservatives and corporate democrats push BS talking points that can be easily debunked with 1 quick web search.
The statement about the cost of living in red states being low is a myth I moved from Chicago to Phoenix and after being here for 2+ years I will tell you that it is more expensive in so many ways.
Just listened to Brie Joy's interview with him on Bad Faith today and he was great. He offered some great insight on the history of left politics in the past few decades. Can't wait to listen to this conversation tonight! :)
Quite well written! Would like to see more of similar bite sized articles. It's always nice and refreshing to see thoughts organized in a written form. Plus I don't always have time to listen to a full podcast but I can always find 5 minutes to read an article.
Kyle and Krystal can i ask this why doesn't those who supposedly agrees with dont come on the platform that got them elected to speak directly with there donors to see what want them to do with our vote on the Covid relief bill? And how come TYT, Secular Talk , and others with large platform dont pressure them to come on talk possible political moves to make? Or maybe even to have all them in 1 video Progressive Town hall to have answer question to the ppl who got them elected
Incredibly well written summary of the issues we've been facing, and will continue to face in the coming years under a Joe Biden presidency and a barely Democratic Senate.
Looking forward to your next interview, Krystal and Kyle!
:-)
Thank you K&K - another good intro to your forthcoming interview - this time with John Nichols. I would also like to call your attention to an important article on Brazil and Lula in today's Glenn Greenwald's substack -- it is of major importance to the situation in our beloved USA...
Below is my comment on GG's article that you may be interested in:
First - congratulations on your courage and major efforts !! Bolsonaro clique is a very dangerous crime family, much adored by right-wing extremists in the US security apparatus. Like you, I am still grieving about horrible assassination of another Brazil's political star, Marielle Franco. Please take care to protect yourself and your family.
Your warnings for the US are very timely. We all know how The Intercept, which you co-founded, silenced you regarding massive corruption in Biden's family. Since that time, despite that Trump defeated himself by his incompetence in virus handling, there has NOT been a peep in the corporate press about that huge and global corruption case.
Biden administration and oligarchs behind it totally control HiTech monopolies (Amazon, Google/YouTube, Facebook, Tweeter, etc.) - all for years deeply integrated into huge US surveillance/"security" apparatus. The recent letter by two California House "lifers" and otherwise for years useless Democrats Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney to CEO's of cable companies are truly unparalleled and represents the rise of fascism in the US -- under a guise of "fighting fascism." All these multiple attacks (note similarities with Brazil) are clearly carefully choreographed and coordinated -- easily predicted and well understood since we should always keep in mind that there is one HUGE elephant in the room:
The scam of the century - the now 5-year long Russia-gate hoax initiated by Obama/Biden administration
The Russia-gate hoax and two-impeachment “entertainments” were concocted by neo-liberals Obama/Hillary/Biden/Pelosi, Schumer, Schiff, Maxine Waters, Jamie Ruskin, etc., etc. -- and their intelligence and DNC executives on behalf of their Wall Street and military and security industry donors, i.e., the War party
By far the absolutely highest need of Biden government and its DNC oligarch cabal is that Russia-gate immense hoax – the scam of the century -- will NOT / will NEVER be exposed.
This represents a new phase of US domestic politics -- on foreign policy oligarchs of both parties are united.
Hence immense obligations to primary corrupt propagandists for their roles, including despicable Kamala Harris (Hillary’s protégé), Neera Tanden, Melissa Hodgman (wife of the Comey’s infamous Peter Strzok), Pete Buttigieg, etc, and media and HiTech executives.
And -- bravo for Lula -- long time ago Business Week quoted his outstanding solution for oil profits when price rises: Sharing between Brazil and oil companies in such profits; so simple and logical... Yet we overturned democratically elected and US educated economist - first president of Iran Mohammad Mossadeq for similar decision -- long forgotten in the US and always fresh in mind of every Persian.
Wishing well to Brazil (and to our beloved USA) with immense thanks, BP
Glenn broke the Lula story and that was admirable but I don't think he's right about a lot of stuff. I was just watching this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nede1l-UpSo&ab_channel=BenBurgis
Ben Addresses the Glenn Greenwald Controversy
If you want to listen to other opinions which scrutinize GG politely, this is for you.
Leftists will never take the win unless full blown communism is imposed upon us. Though I am a republican, I feel for so many who have lost jobs and now are on unemployment rolls. Though I am very much against generous welfare benefits, I see that many of the people who lost their jobs due to no fault of their own and we need to help them.
In California, you would receive unemployment benefits of $650 ( minimum wage workers) a week which is equivalent to working close to 46 hours a week on a 15$ hourly wage job. This combined by childcare credit and stimulus check would lead to a lump sum payment of $9000. So if you factor these in, a single mother with 2 kids would make $42000 a year without working a single hour or a family of two parents and two kids would make $69000 a year which is actually higher than American median family income.We are in a pandemic so probably these generous benefits are justifiable. However, once we are out of pandemic era, these benefits would actively discourage work. It will lead to resentment among people who are working and making way less.
And then the issue of minimum wage is quite moot. California, New York, Illinois will raise minimum wage through state laws. If you want to buy a home in NYC, Chicage, you could never do it if you are a family of minimum wage earners. In the capitol of Wyoming, Cheyenne, you can find a sturdy 3 bedroom home for $100000. Even if as a family husband and wife earn minimum wage($7.25), they can afford to buy this home and have a good life for their children. There is no need for the wage to be increased in Wyoming. Minimum wage should be tied to cost of living, in Wyoming a family making $2500 a month will lead a normal life, it may not be liveable wage for a family in SF, NYC or LA. So championing minimum wage changes does not make sense at federal level.
Really you think the leftists are pushing for communism? smh Giving people healthcare without the fear of bankruptcy, and paying people a livable wage is NOT communism. Why do conservatives like you want your tax dollars used to subsidize the wealthiest corporations on the planet labor force? Why are you OK with 70,000 Americans dying EVERY YEAR because they don't have healthcare?
Amazon and Walmart are the biggest employers in US. They already pay a $15 wage. Increasing minimum wage will decimate small businesses in red states where cost of living is low. In West Virginia the median household income is $44000. So the minimum wage increase would make a family of two parents who work minimum wage job who earn about $30000 to now get $62000 a year. How is that sustainable. In a small town in West Virginia, you can buy a 3 bedroom home for $80000 (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/207-Highland-Ave-Fairmont-WV-26554/22729087_zpid/). So, a $30000 annual income is not bad. Minimum wage must be more localised, not federally set. Look at Florida, they passed referendum to increase it as Florida is a state with higher cost of living.
Secondly, government healthcare plans were setup in UK, Canada when their citizens had no insurance coverage at all. In US 91% of Americans are already insured. Overhauling medicare by forcing everyone to medicare would be a disaster. It would bankrupt private insurance companies and all the employees who work there would lose their jobs. Massachusetts has an uninsured rate of 2% while in Texas it is 17%. So expanding medicare to the poor as with Obamacare works if states actually did it. I am sure most States who did not do so will do it with state referendums and uninsured rate would fall. Medicare for all is a red herring.
There's a reason that we created the Federal Minimum Wage to begin with, it was to keep corporations from forcing our states to compete against each other for the lowest wage. Just look at back our history during the Gilded Age. If we make it stated based, within 10 years our biggest companies would be based in whichever state they could pay people the least. Need more proof just look at our credit card industry. Delaware allowed CC companies to increase their interest rates to 30% and what happened next? EVERY CC company in the country was now based in Delaware.
And to your point about Amazon and Walmart....The largest group of recipients of govt assistance are fully employed workers and the 3 companies whose workers receive the most welfare and food assistance from the government work for Amazon, Walmart and McDonald's. So maybe quit reading press releases and review some actual facts about these companies and what they pay their employees.
Many other countries had private insurance for their healthcare industry and later switched to a single payer system. It's not impossible and if they could do it, certainly the richest country in the history of the world could get it done, But since our entire political system is completely corrupt we have to listen to conservatives and corporate democrats push BS talking points that can be easily debunked with 1 quick web search.
The statement about the cost of living in red states being low is a myth I moved from Chicago to Phoenix and after being here for 2+ years I will tell you that it is more expensive in so many ways.
Just listened to Brie Joy's interview with him on Bad Faith today and he was great. He offered some great insight on the history of left politics in the past few decades. Can't wait to listen to this conversation tonight! :)
(Can't forget Virgil!)
Plus one for getting Adam Curtis on the pod, that would be the shit!
Adam Curtis just released a new documentary and would be an excellent guest for K&K. Please, please, please have this man on.
Quite well written! Would like to see more of similar bite sized articles. It's always nice and refreshing to see thoughts organized in a written form. Plus I don't always have time to listen to a full podcast but I can always find 5 minutes to read an article.
Kyle and Krystal can i ask this why doesn't those who supposedly agrees with dont come on the platform that got them elected to speak directly with there donors to see what want them to do with our vote on the Covid relief bill? And how come TYT, Secular Talk , and others with large platform dont pressure them to come on talk possible political moves to make? Or maybe even to have all them in 1 video Progressive Town hall to have answer question to the ppl who got them elected