• mozz@mbin.grits.dev
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    2 months ago

    In classic Biden/dem fashion, while it’s true he has done something that could lead towards delivering on his campaign promise, it’s comically little and falls far short of his full power.

    This would be completely accurate if you took the “Biden/” part out of it. I know it’s a popular myth that Biden is part of this pattern, but in actuality he did:

    • Pass a climate bill that targets 40% reduction in emissions by 2030
    • Forgave around $144 billion in student loan debt
    • Boosted income for the poorest wage earners by a huge amount (outpacing even the pretty historic inflation of the last couple of years as follow-on effects from Covid took hold)
    • Raised corporate tax significantly to pay for all of the above

    He tried to do more on all fronts, but it’s far from comical and the fact that he got that much done over stiff Republican resistance is to me pretty fuckin impressive. Example – he tried to forgive half a trillion dollars of student loan debt through some direct executive action, and it went to the Supreme Court and they told him no.

    Like I said though, I think marijuana is actually one isolated instance where that criticism that he wasn’t actually trying to support full legalization / wasn’t doing as much as he could to get it done might be halfway warranted. But to me that’s more of an exception to his usual pattern.