Congress agrees to $900 billion Covid stimulus deal after months of failed negotiations

Fair enough. I appreciate the reply, and don't mind acknowledging that we have different perspectives on the legislation, and that those perspectives are largely informed by our partisan views.

 

Tax cuts are free stuff? I make ten glasses lemonade, a man with a gun takes 5 of them from me, I persuade him to give me one back.... in your reality I just got a free class of lemonade. I am not convinced that's how actual reality works....

 

That's a pretty far-fetched comparison, but, nevertheless, if the "3rd world" wanted to man-up and refuse aid from the "US military", they could certainly do so! But, in that Third World, as well as in many urban areas of the United States, it's just easier to lay around on your ass and let the government give you stuff....

And if you think we're good at leveraging it, you'd be astounded to see how well the CHINESE have developed those techniques throughout the Third World shitholes they're culturing 'partnerships' in, in concert with their highly-successful Chinese 'Belt-and-Road' initiatives....

 

Jesus, the Chinese government is orders of magnitude better at this game than ours. I am starting to think our government is actually their puppet. Did the Chinese come up with the idea of Putin as a mortal enemy or did our own elites come up with that or did they do it in tandem?

In any event, the Chinese government is much more competent and it is implacable in its objective to unseat America as the world hegemon. At this point, all I see from the neocons/neolibs is an ardent desire to aid them in that objective. It shouldn't be too long now, China should surpass America in all the important economic metrics in 10 years or so. They are establishing military bases all around the world at the fastest pace in human history and are surpassing America in IT production as we speak.

 

Ideally, I would just enforce equality under the law for everyone but that's not happening anymore. Justin Amash has recently introduced a Constitutional amendment to Congress calling for just these words to be enshrined.

I definitely am opposed to them getting any aid in this legislation. To me, they are the shining example of inequality under the law, contrary to what the Democrat-aligned factions and interest groups and voters believe. They have become what they claim to be fighting, which is a group that says some people get to break the laws and others don't, and that raw majorities will forgive their behavior via government authority. Even criminals who we have established to be responsible for recent detriments to the country are complaining that the US government will never be big enough or too powerful and their views get echoed all over the news constantly. They get the same benefits of being a good person even though it's not true and then we all complain about the quality of life.

 

Maybe not so farfetched! On China, I've seen it first-hand. Worked in Maputo for a year and saw the way they were developing the country. Saw a guy burn to death in a Radisson hotel construction-site fire and then work continued an hour later like it never happened. Chinese are making inroads by exploitation all over the African coast.

 

It's more like you make 10 glasses of lemonade, you give 5 to the government in exchange of services. You convince government to give you one glass back, but you keep the same services, putting the difference on the national credit card for future generations to deal with. That's how the GOP has always done it, and it is freeloading, because you don't want to pay for the services provided.

 

Great, now explain the people who don't make any lemonade but still get the same services..... or the people who don't make any lemonade and still get the same services AND still want another glass (for free) of the lemonade I made......

@HockeyDad 's example was excellent in its simplicity. If only the Democrats in Congress could understand it.

 

Relax, $600 is a mere pittance at this point! Hell some folks are eight months in the rears for rent, car and house payments.. This is a nothing gesture all thing considered..

What this country really needs is the economy lost to the virus, of which we will not see matched in the next four years under the Democrats.

Be ready for the new-newer norm

 

Tear it up, be proud, don't cave to the almighty dolla!

 

I can't tell anymore to be honest!

 

Very well said, ButterBalls! Six hundred bucks is nothing but 'a fart in a hurricane' at this point. And today was only the first day of winter... but we've got one HELL of a long slog ahead of us before we see the 'happy ending' we're all hoping is coming, at some point.

The "new-newer norm" that's on the horizon may sure be one where ol' Joe seeks to ingratiate himself to the masses of the newly-poor, but, can he coax even the Federal Reserve to 'print' enough more imaginary money to paper-over the agonizing, gut-wrenching period between now and the end of our virus misery...?

. "Better gut-up boys, because winter is HERE!" . -- "And I'm broke!"

 

How has it passed when they have not voted on it yet?

 

That's not true. Many Democrats including Bernie changed tune for the 600 dollar checks. Some Democrats wanted 1,200 dollars like AOC but so did some Republicans such as Josh Hawley and Trump wanted even more.

Your post is biased and one sided.

To be fair there was people on both sides that were the problem. Will you admit that?

 

Why not just solve all economic problems for everyone by giving each person in the world $1 million dollars and a $50,000 a month guaranteed income? Then everyone would be rich, no one would have to work, and no one would have to sneak into our country for free money and all the rest. Why force them to come here to get it? Only cruel people would oppose this.

I guess Jeff Bezo and the WalMart heirs really need another $100+ billion in their pockets and China needs the rest - because that's where the $600 is going. Buying crap made in China.

Hell would freeze over before requiring monetary aid going to paying back rent, utilities or any other actual needs. All for the American and Chinese plutocrats - plus government pension plans of course.

 

good post ... perhaps a few things to keep the kids happy, but any leftover should go towards necessities ... and tattoos aren't necessities as tattoo parlors were packed during the last check dispersal ...

having said that, I'm retired and doing just fine so I'll do whatever the hell I please with my $600 ...

 

That's another annoying thing to be candid. Why are retired people receive aid? They didn't lose $1. Nor did anyone on full disability.

 

Just think of it as a trump pardon. Speaking of human trash.

 

Good question. Why don't you tell us. Also, why don't you tell us why the GOP always gives us a $50 a month tax cut. If $50 a month tax cuts are good, $200 a week tax cut would be better? Heck, why not cut taxes to 0%? That surely should be the best? Let's hear it.

 

You've been brainwashed.
And I doubt you voted to get Sanders as the Dem pres candidate.

So, you will be retired before you get forgiven student loans. And there is no free Healthcare, not even for Seniors.

 

So now you refute your own post and admit Pelosi had a bill that McConnell never brought up for a vote.

 

You are actually cheering on socialism?
My how communist trump voters have become.

 

Never look to me to defend the GOP. I understand most Democrats never, ever, ever dare criticize any Democratic official or the Democratic Party. Republican voters don't have that problem. That's why they threw Jeb Bush to the curb, while Hilary Clinton and then Joe Biden was rammed down Democrat's throats. Democrats don't pick their candidates. The plutocrats do.

 

Every single trump voter is cheering the 3rd socialism package of free money that the grandkids will have to pay.
Never ever do trump voters pay for anything they spend money on. And they are the biggest spenders in the history of the USA.

 

And trump wouldn't go higher.
The obvious number was each give 0.2T and end at 2.0T.