Originally published at http://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/31/critics-warn-biden-infrastructure-plan-falls-woefully-short-climate-crisis
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Biden’s campaign slogan should have been, “Eh, I guess, if my donors are okay with it: Solve no problems, propose no solutions, nothing changes.”
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40 years of neoliberalism, tax cuts and privatization making the ability to keep up with infrastructure needs impossible while lining the pockets of the wealth and 2 trillion is not enough? No shite.
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I’m sure he’ll still be able to use that in '24
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Hi Joan Robinson:
Maybe Joe should read US history and see what FDR did.
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“Biden’s industry-friendly infrastructure plan squanders one of our last, best chances to stop the climate emergency.”
Industry has no intention of stopping the climate emergency. They intend to profit from it, and will risk all our lives to do so.
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Nothing will fundamentally change.
Biden is completely incapable of seeing it. If our problems can’t be fixed within the Capitalist construct, it’s not worth fixing. Joe isn’t going to hire workers to fix America’s infrastructure. He’s going to incentivize private industry to fix things, and if they happen to hire a few new people and offer them crappy benefits, well that’s a win-win for ol Joe.
Get ready for it folks. More socialism for the rich, more dog eat dog libertarianism for the rest of us.
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Interestingly, the New Deal cost was about $6000 per person in today’s money which for our sized population would be about 2 trillion which is what Biden is spending. The New Deal was also about 40% of GNP at the time which today would be around 8 trillion. So the size of the programs is about the same on a per capita basis - but the New Deal was much larger as a share of the economy. Of course, I’m sure your post was talking more about the degree to which the programs actually addressed the key problems of their day. That requires considerations outside of money and more at making fundamental changes in the system in which case the New Deal was orders of magnitude better than Biden’s program.
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The Chamber of Commerce wants a gas tax and not the tax hike on corporations------Union members of oil are upset that they are not included----talking points from fox------they are also saying that Biden is a bigger spender than FDR----I don’t think they add in inflation—still waiting for Trumps plan???
This is over 8 years so it should be big----10 Trillion over eight years should not be hard-----and we should have a commitment that all lead pipes will be replaced in this country.
How much goes to support Tech-------why do I pay these outragous fee’s for internet when it seems the gov or we the people foot the bill. Stop the theft. Also are there funds to boost diverless cars-----why are my tax dollars being used to destroy good decent jobs for hard working Americans.
So I hope we have a REAL discusion on all the issues. But just look how long it has taken to do anything-----This in itself is an argument to go big. And in real dollars what is the actual cost-------so sad Trrump did not start this with these low interest rates-----now is the time to build.
And we need to stop this BS about people who are HOMELESS—WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!!! I read about a homeless camp in Tenn being flooded---------homeless camp in Tenn-???----isn’t this a Calif liberal problem-------isn’t this the narrative----no there are homeless camps all over America. If the private sector won’t build affordable housing we need a public works progam-----And there should be some kind of program for homeless people to play a role in building their own homes.--------lets think outside the box.
SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM–SUPPORT THE COMMONS!
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Hi dpearl:
When I lived in Southern CA, I was amazed with how many 1930s style parks and recreation areas, and buildings used the area’s rocks in their designs. And too, how creatively they used Nature, including how many unemployed were employed in building and in artistic areas, including the many murals —plus the use of radio and film. It was a time when many human arts were able to create so much and supply so many jobs.
I even found a 1930s book on CA and this listed happened in each city during this mass hiring of Americans. LIFE was better and more creative without all the corporate GARBAGE----and people got more for their money back then too. : )
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Better for some
Hi m_adir:
But that kind of thinking is true for just about everything in life! How many people today are regretting going into debt for college, when they will never pay off some of these loans. : (
Remember FDR said his greatest accomplishment was saving capitalism. There was the USSR across the pond as an example. There was a radical labor movement forcing concessions. The capitalists have the smartest best analysts on their team. China is the new example using capitalist techniques to out compete the US & EU. China is spending billions of interest free govt. issued money to create an impressive infrastructure that is reaching all corners of the globe. If US capitalism does not build an infrastructure domestically so it can produce domestically it is quickly reaching a dead end. They know it and are responding. Biden is not doing it for the 99%. His masters are of the .00001% but as a result there will be fewer homeless and hungry children. I am for that.
As for global warming the people can do that by eating organic and grass fed. See the Netflix movies; “Kiss the Ground” and the “The Biggest Little Farm”
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I think Biden is building on the New Deal, or hopes to, which is well in the vein of most Democratic presidents. And we should be honest about Roosevelt himself, he faced the exact same criticism from the left as nearly every other Democratic president has, including from members of his own staff. As Jerome Frank put it during Roosevelt’s second term, “The president won’t spend any money. Nobody on the outside will believe the trouble we have with him. Yet they call him a big spender.”
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Hi Antisandman:
But-- capitalism in FDR’s day was different than what we have today. Today we have many kinds of corporate kings in banking , investing, and those never ending legions of military people who create war after war-----and the People lose more and more.It’s easy to be irritable when people are feeing so serf-like. : (
They do add in inflation - but don’t adjust for size of population or size of the economy or size of the problems being addressed
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But it was all the war spending that really got the economy going----so how about doing the spending on something for life—like the homeless crisis. So will those million dollar reporters ask the question???
Mr. President what are you doing about the homeless camps across America??? just practice it at home you millionaire reporters I know you can do it.
Then these millionaire reporters might ask why we have the balls to wall sanctions on the brown people of Venezuela?? Causing migration and destabilizing of the region??? I know it is hard—just practice it at home.
Then of course the question of the moment being ignored by our millionaire press----will the people of the world get the right to take a vaccine if they so chose??? This is a hard one-----the overlords are watching-------you might lose that big house.
We live in a CORPORATE MILITARY POLICE STATE!
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If you’re taking the subway to work, remember to grab your mask on your way out the door, and your scuba gear. In general, subways will stay ahead of ocean rise until they fail one by one and then afterward politicians will play the blame game. That will be equally true of the entire West burning down.
If we wanted a failure such as Vietnam we would have voted for a failure, and we have been given ample chances to vote for failure and rare chances if any to vote not for failure. Now we can have a possible failure of human civilization.
Sorry to puncture your bubble, President Biden, but do you think that we voted for you as a person or that we actually voted against the massive failure?
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I agree. That is what has made capitalism last. It is malleable but what is constant is the banksters are in charge. Nothing gives them greater nightmares than the 99% waking. In the meantime enough of the 99% must be committed to capitalism for them to stay in control. China along with Russia and Iran are no longer cooperating as much. They are setting up an alternative to the Bank of International Settlements, a privately owned central bank of central banks. All money from international transactions goes through the BIS. That is how the US can impose sanctions. If the BIS did not agree it would not happen, but they want to maintain control. There are a few central banks that are publicly owned. China, Syria, North Korea, Cuba, Iran. The last to leave that club were Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Notice anything in common?
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I do believe the skim off the top, before benefits reach working people will be a much greater percentage of the democrats proposal than 80 years ago. FDR’s democrats installed protections along with spending, the current Democratic leadership removed those protections two recessions ago and are still heading in the wrong direction with TPP advocacy, and starving the people of America to field an imperialist war machine to terrorize the World.
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