The Biden Presidency

[Lrrr]

That's great news. How will this decision affect Alberta's economy due to the pending unemployment of Keystone workers? Not much?

I don't know the number, but I suspect the number of Keystone workers is fairly small. The bigger picture is the overall economy of the province, which will definitely take a hit. Probably not as big a hit as the price of oil seen in the last few years but still a hit. The current government refuses to diversify the economy away from fossil fuels, which I believe is a mistake. Relying completely on oil and coal is not viable long term unless Alberta can control prices (hint: it cannot).

 

[Paul2]

If Biden comes up with something to address this issue in the coming weeks/months, I will concede I was premature in this criticism.

I very much doubt this is the case.

Despite all the moral outrage during the Trump years, immigration remains a tricky and politically difficult issue. I very much suspect that Biden would rather not wade into the issue and just allow the status quo to continue, more or less, and just hope that it remains out of sight and mind.

Trump made it a hot button issue by being so overtly racist and brutal about it. Without the PR stunts, it can return to being a back burner issue.

The Democrats are very much like the Republicans screeching about Obamacare when it comes to immigration. They talk a big game when they aren't in power, but have no ideas how to deal with the problem once they are in power.

I've heard more than one from the media that Biden wants a new immigration plan/system. He's planning on producing some proposal. It's going to be difficult, sure.

 

[Checkmite]

Yesterday after taking office, Biden requested the resignation of three Trump appointees.

The three ousted appointees are Michael Pack, head of the US Agency for Global Media, who sought to transform the Voice of America into a propaganda outlet and fired journalists who refused to comply; Kathleen Kraninger, installed director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, who rescinded protections against predatory payday lenders and abusive debt collectors; and Peter Robb, general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, who was aggressively anti-union and actively working on restructuring the NLRB in ways that would hinder the agency from functioning effectively.

Of the three only Peter Robb refused to resign on request, and so Biden fired him immediately.

 

[TurkeysGhost]

Yesterday after taking office, Biden requested the resignation of three Trump appointees.

The three ousted appointees are Michael Pack, head of the US Agency for Global Media, who sought to transform the Voice of America into a propaganda outlet and fired journalists who refused to comply; Kathleen Kraninger, installed director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, who rescinded protections against predatory payday lenders and abusive debt collectors; and Peter Robb, general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, who was aggressively anti-union and actively working on restructuring the NLRB in ways that would hinder the agency from functioning effectively.

Of the three only Peter Robb refused to resign on request, and so Biden fired him immediately.

Peter Robb, the NLRB attorney that tried to make it illegal for striking workers to use "Scabby the Rat". Scabby 1, Robb 0.

https://twitter.com/banditelli/status/1352096772265447426

Very pleased to hear this. All this talk of "unity" made me worry that these weasels were going to keep their jobs. Glad that Biden is taking out the Trump trash.

 

[timhau]

Yesterday after taking office, Biden requested the resignation of three Trump appointees.

The three ousted appointees are Michael Pack, head of the US Agency for Global Media, who sought to transform the Voice of America into a propaganda outlet and fired journalists who refused to comply; Kathleen Kraninger, installed director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, who rescinded protections against predatory payday lenders and abusive debt collectors; and Peter Robb, general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, who was aggressively anti-union and actively working on restructuring the NLRB in ways that would hinder the agency from functioning effectively.

Of the three only Peter Robb refused to resign on request, and so Biden fired him immediately.

"I can't quit, you fire me!"

 

[pgwenthold]

So, an experienced liar then. Why not just say so.

Not so much as a liar, but just no principles.

 

[JoeMorgue]

Not so much as a liar, but just no principles.

That's why I have inherent distrust of "debaters" especially people who ever did it in college as an extracurricular or otherwise got deep into the, for lack of a better term, "debating fandom."

Scratch one and nine times out of ten and you'll find someone who has talked themselves into that mindset where if you can argue a falsehood a specific way, it magically turns into a truth and vice-versa.

Like seriously people "I can take something that isn't even true and that I don't even believe and argue it so good you won't know the difference" ISN'T A SKILL YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF.

 

[Mader Levap]

Horseshoe theory says that extremists on opposite sides have more in common with each other than with center. For example farleft- and farrightwing extremists, for all their esoteric ideological differences, are same in that they support violence, authoritarian government and in general are loony nutjobs.

 

[pgwenthold]

That's why I have inherent distrust of "debaters" especially people who ever did it in college as an extracurricular or otherwise got deep into the, for lack of a better term, "debating fandom."

Scratch one and nine times out of ten and you'll find someone who has talked themselves into that mindset where if you can argue a falsehood a specific way, it magically turns into a truth and vice-versa.

Like seriously people "I can take something that isn't even true and that I don't even believe and argue it so good you won't know the difference" ISN'T A SKILL YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF.

Yes, that is all true, but what matters to remember is that this is what Ted Cruz is.

Rhetoric, not principle. There is no reason to think he believes any of it, only that he thinks he convince others by saying it.

 

[JoeMorgue]

ETA: Thread moved faster than I expecting. Adding quote to clarify what point I responding to.

Horseshoe theory says that extremists on opposite sides have more in common with each other than with center. For example farleft- and farrightwing extremists, for all their esoteric ideological differences, are same in that they support violence, authoritarian government and in general are loony nutjobs.

I don't think it's that simple.

In modern parlance, not speaking in any form of "Well technically, ackshually, according to Hoyle" way I think a lot of what we are talking about today when we are talking about "extremism" is conflating passion in how strongly you hold your beliefs with how far from some (often completely arbitrary) norm the opinion is.

If our hypothetical range of opinions can be charged on a scale of 1 to 10 with 5 being some statistical average is the person who strongly, with all his heart, will ride and die for a belief n 5 an extremist over someone who believes 1 or 10 but isn't that ready to die for the cause?

Is the man who bombs a train station because he thinks 2+2=4.000000000001 more or less of an extremist then someone who just talks your ear off about how he thinks 2+2=325?

How extreme the position is in how far it is from societal norms and how extreme the position is based on how seriously you take it are different vectors.

 

[Steve]

So we can no longer question Biden's strategy without being nihilists?
Keeping schools open, keeping shops open, and not giving people cash aid so they can stay home from work is condemning people to die.

Other countries have shown us that it's possible to greatly reduce the spread of covid through these measures. Why isn't Biden doing that?

Are you ok with covid ripping through the country unchecked because you would prefer nobody criticize Biden?

You are not questioning his strategy here. you are questioning his specific actions on day one of his presidency. His strategy is to deal quickly with the immigration actions - children in cages - that you abhor. His strategy re COVID 19 will also be quickly implemented. Are you of a mind that he has to do literally everything you see as priorities on day one?

 

[TurkeysGhost]

You are not questioning his strategy here. you are questioning his specific actions on day one of his presidency. His strategy is to deal quickly with the immigration actions - children in cages - that you abhor. His strategy re COVID 19 will also be quickly implemented. Are you of a mind that he has to do literally everything you see as priorities on day one?

I wish I shared Biden's optimism to reopen schools in 100 days. Unless he has a plan to radically turn around the infection rates in this country, it sounds a lot like he's setting up schools to be super spreader centers.

 

[JoeMorgue]

So we can no longer question Biden's strategy without being nihilists?

No. Nobody is saying that.

We're saying you can't. Nothing he does will ever make you happy, you couldn't make that any clearer without carrying a sign that says that.

We're barely a day into his administration, he's already signed well over a dozen Executive Orders, his Congress hasn't even gone to session yet I think, and you're already doing the "Oh seeeeeeeeeeee! I was right! He's part of the same system!" rant you all but announced you were going to do no matter how his administration worked out.

I don't like making this comparison but you are a Trumper with the nouns swapped out. It's the exact same toxic routine.

 

[Steve]

Not so much as a liar, but just no principles.

"By rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, President Biden indicates he’s more interested in the views of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh."

If he says this knowing it is not true then it is a lie, pure and simple. It has nothing to do with principles or with debate tactics. He is saying it to ignorant Americans who will believe him, and he knows this. He is a liar.

 

[JoeMorgue]

I think the idea that the Right specifically says certains outrageously obviously wrong/inappropriate things as some sort of intentional affect is so obvious as to not be worth debating at this point.

 

[TurkeysGhost]

No. Nobody is saying that.

We're saying you can't. Nothing he does will ever make you happy, you couldn't make that any clearer without carrying a sign that says that.

We're barely a day into his administration, he's already signed well over a dozen Executive Orders, his Congress hasn't even gone to session yet I think, and you're already doing the "Oh seeeeeeeeeeee! I was right! He's part of the same system!" rant you all but announced you were going to do no matter how his administration worked out.

I don't like making this comparison but you are a Trumper with the nouns swapped out. It's the exact same toxic routine.

Fair enough. I'll lay my cards out plainly then.

It will be difficult for Biden to make me happy. I am deeply suspicious of his intentions and capabilities.

There are things he could do that would make me pleased with him. Take covid for example.

If Biden actually does anything substantial to radically reduce the number of covid deaths in this country, I'll be happy. Ecstatic actually, I'd consider it an unqualified success for him, and probably a good enough thing to secure a positive legacy (assuming no other disasters like starting another war or something huge).

But that's not what I expect to happen. I expect he'll do many small, easy things, like ordering a mask mandate or deferring to "science", but nothing significant enough to really drive down deaths. They'll probably be less deaths, but the US will still be outstanding on the national stage for fatalities.

When I see this "schools open in 100 days", that only reinforces my pessimism. It smacks of the strategy of returning to normalcy at all costs.

What would it really take for Biden to get covid deaths under control? Probably dramatic action that we haven't heard suggested by anyone. Declaring a national emergency, closing all non-essential business, income replacement with cash to keep people home, schools closed, shopping closed, mask enforcement, stay at home order enforcement, and so on.

I have no idea if this is even constitutionally possible. Nobody said being President was easy though.

Here's my bet, and you can hold me to it. Biden will do some smallish things, a bunch of symbolic things, and the death rates will probably go down some, but it will still be very high. This will continue until there's finally enough vaccine to end the pandemic. Biden's plan to control the spread without a vaccine will only be marginally better than Trump's.

If I'm wrong about that, I'll be happy to admit it.

 

[Horatius]

I don't know the number, but I suspect the number of Keystone workers is fairly small. The bigger picture is the overall economy of the province, which will definitely take a hit. Probably not as big a hit as the price of oil seen in the last few years but still a hit. The current government refuses to diversify the economy away from fossil fuels, which I believe is a mistake. Relying completely on oil and coal is not viable long term unless Alberta can control prices (hint: it cannot).

I don't think it will shock too many people here to learn that the Albertan Oil Industry is laying people off, despite having received billions in tax cuts from the Albertan government last year so as to avoid this exact problem.

Why anyone thinks that wasting more money and effort on a failing industry is beyond me.

“In March, before COVID, the price for benchmark oil WTI was over $70. By the middle of April, the futures market, Western Canada Select, was trading at -$30 — a $100 decline in oil prices.”

That's right - for a brief moment, the cost of their oil was negative - they actually had to pay people to take their oil.

The price has improved since then, but it's still not profitable. The current price is about $32 per barrel, but:

In their May 2019 comparison of the "cost of supply curve update" in which the Norway-based Rystad Energy—an "independent energy research and consultancy"—ranked the "worlds total recoverable liquid resources by their breakeven price", Rystad reported that the average breakeven price for oil from the oil sands was US$83 in 2019, making it the most expensive to produce, compared to all other "significant oil producing regions" in the world.[64][Notes 1] The International Energy Agency made similar comparisons.[65]

Unless they've made huge strides in reducing the costs of delivering this oil, they're losing money on every barrel they sell.

This made sense 12 years ago when the price of oil jumped to about $200 a barrel, but it's insane now.

 

[smartcooky]

Is the man who bombs a train station because he thinks 2+2=4.000000000001 more or less of an extremist then someone who just talks your ear off about how he thinks 2+2=325?

WTF? You mean 2+2 doesn't equal shoe polish!?

 

[Mader Levap]

It has nothing to do with principles or with debate tactics. He is saying it to ignorant Americans who will believe him, and he knows this. He is a liar.

Lying is debate tactic.

 

[bruto]

You never know, oil may become so overpriced it may again become economically sound to truck in oil sands for oil recovery and refining.
But I hope not.....

If that does ever happen, then it will be an added argument that the pipeline is unnecessary, won't it?