So what form does the resistance take?

The Don said:
What proportion of estates even attract an estate tax ?
(1)
Here in the UK with a much, much lower threshold it's around 5%. Why do the Democrats have to work so hard to protect the interests of the very richest in society at the expense of the vast majority? It's even more iniquitous when you consider that inherited wealth actually worsens income and wealth inequality.
(2)
Click to expand...
(1)completely irrelevant - it's about establishing a principle that there is such a thing as Too Much Wealth, and that money should go to those who have the least.
It's like the Pre/Earlier Reagan income tax rate of 95%: basically no one was paying that because no company would give anyone a salary that high, because there would have been no point.

(2)Basic reason IMO is laziness and desire to belong to a higher peer group: in the US, fundraising for your next election is a constant effort that takes a lot of time - much much easier and quicker to just find a sugar daddy, you might even tell yourself that this way you have more time to deal with the needs of your constituents (after the needs of the sugar daddy are taken care of).
And, as Clarence Thomas so aptly demonstrated, there is the second-hand glow you get when the billionaires let you hang out with them and treat you like you are hot ◊◊◊◊. Much more agreeable than going to workers' meetings and get told that you have not yet done nearly enough.

And then there is a Major US industry of "Think" Tanks, i.e. institutions who launder a hyper-capitalist ideology through some scientific-sounding mumbo-jumbo to create a paper trail of populations that a politician can rely on to back them up when they want to pretend that eliminating Medicare would actually be a good thing.
 
AmyStrange said:
Passive résistance is doing nothing at all and just bending over and getting kicked in the butt again. If that's what you and everyone here wants to do, then to hell with this thread.


-
Click to expand...
Depends on the form of passive resistance. One thing the COVID lockdowns taught us is the Capital Class in the US is frighteningly vulnerable to a General Strike. Imagine if 50 million people just did not go to work for a week...
 
Since the GOP destroyed unions' power in the USA, a general strike will never happen.
 
thaiboxerken said:
Since the GOP destroyed unions' power in the USA, a general strike will never happen.
Click to expand...
The future is not written. After the 2004 election, Bush was easily re-elected, and the GOP increased their majorities in the House and Senate.

Four years later, Americans were ready to vote for a black Democrat whose middle name was Hussein and whose father was a Muslim.
 
Random said:
Depends on the form of passive resistance. One thing the COVID lockdowns taught us is the Capital Class in the US is frighteningly vulnerable to a General Strike. Imagine if 50 million people just did not go to work for a week...
Click to expand...
Or a women's strike, like the ones in Iceland. Although I doubt you'll be able to get over 90% of American women to sign up.
 
Safe-Keeper said:
Or a women's strike, like the ones in Iceland. Although I doubt you'll be able to get over 90% of American women to sign up.
Click to expand...
Won't happen in the USA, until unions become more powerful. In European countries, they can do this because so many people are unionized that a general strike can be organized. The GOP has ensured that such power by working people is diminished.
 
At the state level, resistance by ballot initiative has worked a bit. But lawmakers try to stall and pass laws limiting the ballot measure that just passed. Abortion in Missouri.
Yesterday, I drove to the Missouri Capitol to testify against something that has already been resolved. Abortion.

I thought I would share my testimony to the committee. This was my one thing yesterday. This was my act of defiance and resistance.

Here is my testimony:
Click to expand...

Hello. My name is Jess Piper and I am here to testify against HJR 54. This resolution is an attempt to overturn the will of Missouri voters.

The Republicans who are behind this fake resolution claim to represent rural people. They don’t and I am here to set that record straight.

I am a rural mom to five and grandmother to four. I live in Northwest Missouri and I am angry about the overreach of the Missouri GOP. I am here to testify on the disrespect – the absolute disdain – shown to every Missouri voter by some of the folks in this room.

Amendment 3 passed in Missouri. There is no reason why I had to drive eight hours round trip to testify against an abortion restriction. Why can’t you just accept the will of your constituents?

I collected signatures for Amendment 3 in some of the most rural areas of this state. Brookfield is a town of 4,000 and when I pulled up to set up my table and gather signatures, there were folks in the parking lot waiting. A woman signed her name and then texted her Bible group to remind them to come sign the amendment.
Click to expand...
jesspiper.substack.com

One Thing...

My name is Jess and I was a high school Literature teacher for 16 years until I decided to run as a Democrat in a rural, red district in Missouri. I bring you news and politics from Missouri and beyond from a rural progressive point of view.
jesspiper.substack.com jesspiper.substack.com
 
Last edited:
Ineffectual hair pulling and acting like everything he says or does is as though he had just invaded and ethnically cleansed Gaza.
 
ahhell said:
Ineffectual hair pulling and acting like everything he says or does is as though he had just invaded and ethnically cleansed Gaza.
Click to expand...
In 2016, my partner and I went to a geekdom/fandom convention. We had a great time. Attended some interesting panels, saw some really fun and exciting performances, and met a lot of really great people.

One of the events we attended was essentially a venting/comforting panel about the upcoming election. It looked like Trump might beat Clinton, and a lot of the attendees were understandably stressed about this possibility. Some of the convention speakers took turns giving their messages of hope and encouragement, and attendees were given a chance to voice their fears and receive support from the rest of the audience. It was very moving.

I came to the conclusion that probably the best reason for Trump not to win the election was that if he did, a lot of really nice people were probably going to experience a severe emotional breakdown of some kind, and perhaps not recover. I'd almost rather Hillary win, then see these people suffer any more than they already had.

Nothing I've seen in the years since suggests to me that I was wrong in my assessment.
 
stanfr said:
I'm not at all convinced the economy will go south, in fact that is my greatest fear, as I mentioned in several other posts.
Authoritarian regimes always find a way to artificially boost the economy, often by declaring war to use wartime production and employment to keep things going. In Trump's case I doubt he will declare war (although he probably will make war more likely) but he has already announced his strategy on inflation, and it could work.
Click to expand...
Ummm... Trump has said he is going to impose Tariffs and deport migrant workers. Both of those have the potential of increasing inflation. Any attempts by Trump to control inflation will be overwhelmed.

He will drill, drill, drill every drop of fossil fuel out of the land, including massive drilling on federally protected wilderness areas and even national parks. The sudden influx of fuel will result in lower transport costs and will drive the price of commodities down.
Click to expand...
Ummm... no it won't.

Even if Trump permits drilling for oil on every square inch of US soil:
- Energy is one factor in a product pricing, but it is not the only factor. Labor, other raw materials, corporate profits, etc. all contribute to pricing
- It takes YEARS to explore, locate, drill for oil, build the infrastructure to get it to refineries, etc. Even if the added oil supply somehow drops energy prices, it won't have an effect probably until after Trump has left office
- Fossil fuels are sometimes, but not always, cheaper. But Trump is hostile to renewables, which are dropping in price on a regular basis and could in some cases be cheaper.

And of course that is all assuming the oil companies WANT to expand their drilling. Ultimately they want to maximize profits. Drilling a bunch of oil wells and seeing the price of oil drop might be considered bad business.
 
Segnosaur said:
Ummm... Trump has said he is going to impose Tariffs and deport migrant workers. Both of those have the potential of increasing inflation. Any attempts by Trump to control inflation will be overwhelmed.


Ummm... no it won't.

Even if Trump permits drilling for oil on every square inch of US soil:
- Energy is one factor in a product pricing, but it is not the only factor. Labor, other raw materials, corporate profits, etc. all contribute to pricing
- It takes YEARS to explore, locate, drill for oil, build the infrastructure to get it to refineries, etc. Even if the added oil supply somehow drops energy prices, it won't have an effect probably until after Trump has left office
- Fossil fuels are sometimes, but not always, cheaper. But Trump is hostile to renewables, which are dropping in price on a regular basis and could in some cases be cheaper.

And of course that is all assuming the oil companies WANT to expand their drilling. Ultimately they want to maximize profits. Drilling a bunch of oil wells and seeing the price of oil drop might be considered bad business.
Click to expand...
well I posted that a while ago and as I said I was concerned but not making any predictions. So far it is seeming less likely but it's early in the game...I hope I was wrong!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom