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hepakrese t1_iuriwz3 wrote

This is insane! We have energy companies posting record profits - why is our government bailing them out by proxy?! This is a corporate grift.

Our government should stop providing tax incentives to such companies, and create regulation that prevents utilities from unnecessarily boosting prices to consumers (as it only lines their own pockets).

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zzyul t1_ius7rzw wrote

Because we have separation of powers. The White House is just the Executive Branch, controlled by Democrats. Removing tax incentives or adding a windfall tax requires changing or creating new laws, that is handled by the Legislative Branch, so the House and Senate. Currently Democrats don’t have enough votes in the Senate to pass any laws that will increase corporate taxes on energy producing companies.

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Elcor05 t1_iutcpwm wrote

Dems would need to have like 70 seats to pass anything like this anyway.

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Logtastic t1_iutn4d0 wrote

If only there were an upcoming election where the Dems could use the results of votes to show that Republican are actively working against public interest.

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usrevenge t1_iutu715 wrote

Too bad that is unlikely.

If Democrats kept the house and won 10 seats in the Senate the country would be transformed very quickly due to no filibuster.

We would see

  1. Codified roe v Wade

  2. Enshrined into law the right to birth control

  3. More taxes on the rich

  4. Forgiven student loans

  5. Likely massive changes to medicare or even Medicare for all.

All probably in 2023 alone.

But Republicans rather vote against their own interest

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OseanFederation t1_iuu3k5p wrote

As a Christian Conservative with no student debt, I think I’d rather vote against all of that as none of that is in my interest.

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tcmart14 t1_iuu6e5v wrote

As an atheist engineer with no student loan debt, I think I would vote for all of that because the well being of those around me is in my personal interest.

I guess you could say, I try to love my neighbor like I love myself.

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OseanFederation t1_iuu8grh wrote

I give 10% of my income to charity as I believe charities will always be more effective than the government. Murdering unborn children is hardly an act of love to thy neighbor. I personally am against birth control, but I don't think it should be banned. More taxes have never solved anything as it only leads to more government spending. People took their loans, they should pay them back. It is not greedy of me to want to keep the money I worked for but it definitely is greedy for people to expect me to bail them out of their shitty life choices. Blame the government for getting involved in the first place.

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Conscious_Figure_554 t1_iuuknq8 wrote

You are entitled to your opinion. I do suggest look up the word empathy because claiming to be a CHRISTIAN is antithetical to what you believe in. “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). in case you were wondering what the Bible says

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OseanFederation t1_iuuqf8w wrote

I mourn the loss of each and every one of Gods children murdered by abortion. I am troubled by the people that are crippled by student debt. I am empathetic towards the plight of others. Tell me how the government taking my money that I worked for will fix the problem.

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tearsaresweat t1_iuw9rod wrote

A self-serving Christian that goes against the teachings of the Bible and Jesus. Call me shocked.

Mark 10:21

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

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lvlint67 t1_iuuq7og wrote

This is the general difference between conservatives and progressives..

One will selfishly vote in self interest. The other will vote in the interest of everyone....

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OseanFederation t1_iuut63p wrote

Ah yes. I’m so selfish for giving away 10% of my income to the less fortunate and impoverished. I’m so selfish for volunteering my time to help others.

The difference between a conservative and a progressive. One will go out and help those in need. The other demands the government take it from others and do it for them.

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lvlint67 t1_iuvvjgv wrote

> I’d rather vote against all of that as none of that is in my interest

If you won't vote outside of self-interest, you are voting selfishly. You can give to a church or some other shit and still do selfish things...

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OseanFederation t1_iuw21du wrote

So selfish of me not to support the wholesome murder of unborn children. How selfish of me to want to keep the fruits of my labor even after donating a considerable sum to charity.

I’m not selfish or greedy. You are for feeling entitled to my money via the government taking it from me.

0

Spritely_lad t1_iuyut6a wrote

>So selfish of me not to support the wholesome murder of unborn children.

Are you willing (to pay higher taxes) to care for pregnant women and (children after they are born)?

If so, why not go vote for politicians who support expanding government assistance to pregnant women and needy families, since children are already going hungry and facing education access issues across the country?

>How selfish of me to want to keep the fruits of my labor even after donating a considerable sum to charity

Very introspective, not many people can honestly admit their own shortcomings like that. Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) agrees that this is selfish, saying:

>Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Also in Luke 21:1-4 (NIV)

>As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Now to address this: >I’m not selfish or greedy. You are for feeling entitled to my money via the government taking it from me

Jesus instructed to both give to God what is God's (i.e., a 10% tithe if possible) in addition to giving to the government what is theirs, which explicitly included taxes.

From Mark 12:14-17 (NIV) >They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

> But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

> “Caesar’s,” they replied.

> Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

> And they were amazed at him.

So, just to clarify, are you aware you are going directly against what Jesus instructed?

Edit: minor grammar edit and a link

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[deleted] t1_iut9vzm wrote

[removed]

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Corgi_Koala t1_iutgx03 wrote

They have 50 seats plus the tiebreaker from the vice president. But the current filibuster rules mean they essentially can't do anything of substance even if they have all 50 Democrat senators on board. I mean you sit here and nitpick but you ignore the political realities that their extremely small majority is not powerful enough to do things like major tax reform. It sucks but that's just the truth.

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hazelnut_coffay t1_iutebam wrote

this is part of the problem. just because you’ve got a (D) next to your name doesn’t mean you agree with every single thing the party does, nor should you. as representatives, they should vote for what their constituents want (ie Manchin)

edit: same for (R)

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AngelComa t1_iusl8rv wrote

This has been going on forever. It's the two party system that doesn't work anymore. We are fucked sadly.

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cote112 t1_iusj24v wrote

The utility companies treat it like insurance claims to try and get rebates too.

Delays and run around.

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felldestroyed t1_ius2zzc wrote

"LOL, no" --American Petroleum Institute lobbyists controlling more than half of our congress and a lot of conservative media.

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Synensys t1_iusu63w wrote

Absolutely. We need a broad windfall profits tax. Not just for energy companies, but for all companies.

The American government, in an attempt to stave off a slow recovery during COVID poured way too much money into the economy, particularly to middle class and rich people who didn't need it. You can argue about the wisdom of this (I think it was probably a good idea, after we underspent post-2008 to be less cautious and its helped - we have super low unemployment and relatively fast rising wages, but even at the time lots of people were saying it was too much or too indiscriminate).

Those people couldn't spend it right away because of the pandemic but are now spending it like crazy. The increase in demand in turn allows companies to raise their profits without having to increase production costs - i.e. they get huge profits.

Unfortunately this is really hurting poor Americans, who while they too got extra money in the pandemic, probably spent it on necessities long ago. So it does make sense for the government to give them some assistance.

But eventually that extra money has to be taken out of the system. When it does, inflation will calm down.

But ultimately rather than letting the profits accrue in the accounts of corporate stock holders and executives, propping up the luxury markets and equities (essentially taking it out of the normal economy), they should tax windfall profits and essentially take back the excess money they doled out in 2020-21.

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TheBadGuyBelow t1_iusu1mn wrote

Well if they do that, then where do they turn to for campaign donations? The gouging could be stopped so easily if they were not afraid of where the money is going to come from come election time.

1

[deleted] t1_iuuqop3 wrote

Last-ditch effort to hold the Senate during midterms would be my guess.

Democrats have been losing ground for weeks. Inflation and increased cost of living are the major Republican talking points. This makes it look like Dems are doing something to address it as people go to the polls.

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SexyOldHobo t1_iurvzpg wrote

Literally all our government does is reap the profits from stolen land and siphon it off to the wealthy.

Edit: Sorry, we also try to bomb poor people to pieces, sometimes that doesn’t work though

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Rambos_Beard t1_iursztx wrote

Or they could, you know, get these energy companies to unfuck themselves so we don't have to use taxpayer dollars to pick up the tab.

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MedicineConscious728 t1_iusci8j wrote

PG&E burned down my entire town and you want to bet who picked up the tab for 50000 displaced people???? Not the privatized power company and their precious shareholders.

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Bloorajah t1_iut9uld wrote

Absolutely everyone in Northern California has an almost vitriolic hatred of PG&E.

Myself included.

Just let the fed buy them and let’s have public utilities already ffs.

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Gnd_flpd t1_iuslexq wrote

Damn, I heard all about that, wtf!!!! But it's too much for them to just simply bury the damn wires and avoid potential future occurrences like that again. SMDH!!!!

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barrinmw t1_iusmxg3 wrote

Find 10 republicans in the senate willing to do that and it will happen.

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dzastrus t1_iur6gw8 wrote

Energy is pretty important. That's what I've determined. Maybe leaving something so important to the motivations of shareholders and corporations who need to please them isn't the best way we could manage it.

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PeteButtiCIAg t1_iur71ai wrote

I wonder how many wind turbines we could've built with this 13B. I'm not against giving it to people, of course, but why not both? How many solar panels could we have built with the money we sent to Ukraine? How far could we have pushed tidal power generation with the ridiculous amount of money going to the CHIPS act?

And that's all before we talk about my actual proposals, like nationalizing the oil companies and abolishing capitalism. But hey, we could've started small. Instead we get this bullshit and told to like it.

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SsurebreC t1_iuri76x wrote

Hmm yes I wonder how many wind turbines we could have built instead of helping families. Or how many solar panels we could have built instead of military aid being sent to a country being invaded by our opponents. I kind of agree more with you on the CHIPS act though a lot of our shortages are due to a semiconductor shortage. I.e. by shifting the silicon chip production more to the US, it'll reduce these shortages which result in higher inventory, decreased prices, and therefore lower inflation. ... but I digress.

How about we cut the military by, say, 10% to fund it all. Maybe 20%? How about pre-two-wars-at-the-same-time and hey, I'll give and unlike the Federal minimum wage, let's do inflation adjustments. So the US military budget in 2000 - before the wars - was about $300b. With inflation, that's $525b. You know what, we could have some legacy costs after the wars - paying for all those injured veterans and all - so let's round it up to $600b.

So that's a cut of $150b or 20%.

Now... how many wind turbines, solar panels, and tidal power generation could we build with this $150b. And that's every year, mind you.

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PeteButtiCIAg t1_iurk045 wrote

I agree. We should have done literally all of those things.

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dzastrus t1_iur7w59 wrote

I'd like a heat pump and solar in my New England home now that oil just kills the planet faster and there isn't enough forest for everyone to heat with wood. Our methane-based electrical generation isn't going so well, either. $35-45k is a lot of money but with the right incentives it would make more sense.

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PeteButtiCIAg t1_iurfv2g wrote

I totally agree. And it would've made a lot of sense to subsidize those things at any point in the last 40 years. Now we're doing the good ol neoliberal "well we defunded it and now it doesn't work, we gotta privatize it, waddaya want from us" complaint. But this time with respect to the continuation of human civilization.

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mrnotoriousman t1_iutl6kw wrote

We just passed a bill that gives billions to green energy tho

1

alien_from_Europa t1_iur4nyk wrote

I predict Republicans will simultaneously rally against it and take credit for it. As is tradition.

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sanash t1_iur7oab wrote

They'll also throw in some smear about a random Democratic party member and one of their nuts will show up at their house and try to kill them. Then they'll feign ignorance.

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[deleted] t1_iura9d5 wrote

Hey, they ain't gettin' bribed to help the public.

0

chernobyl169 t1_iurx4u8 wrote

Currently starting a round of popcorn for the Governors of red states to start refusing this money just in time for their state infrastructures to fail, while said Governors blame the Democrats for not doing anything to prevent it in their solidly red state.

0

richincleve t1_ius3vbo wrote

Well SOMEONE watched the South Park Royal Canadian Wedding!

−4

Dariaskehl t1_iurb2h3 wrote

Let me guess: make within thirty cents of the lowest unemployment rate in the country and you’re not eligible.

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Talentless-Horton-T t1_iur70cx wrote

they should take the money by taxing oil companies profit

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RnDanger t1_iurafpx wrote

I would also accept rescinding all tax incentives that are specifically created for oil companies

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zzyul t1_ius88hh wrote

The President wants to, the Senate does not. The President can’t sign a bill into law unless the Senate passes one.

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Gnd_flpd t1_iuslmoa wrote

And too many members of the Senate are in the pockets of big oil, so that's not going to happen. Biden needs to get strategically sneaky and do something!!!!!

3

zzyul t1_iusnued wrote

We’re 6 days away from finding out how the American people really feel about this. I have a bad feeling that too many will either be supportive of what these big energy companies are doing or they won’t care enough to make their voices herd.

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jupiterkansas t1_iuuuw7o wrote

>Biden needs to get strategically sneaky and do something!!!!!

He is. He's giving $13.5 billion to help households with energy bills.

It's the idiot voters that need to do something.

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OttoPike t1_iurscqm wrote

Apparently, $4.5 billion will go towards help with fuel costs...the remaining $9 billion will be spent on upgrades to home energy efficiency. Here is a link to a yahoo version of the story for anyone else who hit a paywall: https://news.yahoo.com/white-house-announces-13-5-094242314.html

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RuggedAmerican t1_iurgw77 wrote

that's great and all, but in the end this money is going to the energy companies that are profiting off their 'shortages' - it would be nice to take the profit motive out of utilities.

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HighDesert4Banger t1_iusfmxb wrote

Headlines in 6 months - Rich People Somehow Got All the Money - Rents hiked for working poor.

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Such-Wrongdoer-2198 t1_iurik13 wrote

That's bound to help with inflation.

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maralagosinkhole t1_iurn6vu wrote

You're right. We should pass a bill to investigate and punish oil companies for price gouging.

Oh, wait, Republicans blocked that bill from being discussed in the Senate....

1

Gaff1515 t1_ius4pnf wrote

When will we pass a bill to stop tech companies from price gouging? Record profits year at year…

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Coker6303 t1_iur5fau wrote

Haven’t they learned their lesson about throwing money in the mix??

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Celcius_87 t1_iurab0o wrote

Does this mean printing more money?

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valleyman02 t1_iurjon1 wrote

Our nation increases in value every year we should print a little more money every year?

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ethicslobo98 t1_iurqu6k wrote

Don't you love it when these articles tell you no idea how or when to access these funds? Great journalism.

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CarbonPhoto t1_ius07c3 wrote

Uhh I think this will the opposite effect of what the Biden administration thinks it will do at the polls.

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taez555 t1_iurafa2 wrote

So let's see. $13.5 Billion divided by 335 million people in the is USA is........$40.30 per person.

I paid $60 last weekend for 10 gallons of home heating oil that'll last maybe a week if I'm lucky.

Hmm... So are they gonna be mailing the checks?

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Starbuckz8 t1_iurcex3 wrote

It's only open to low income households.

Unfortunately, the number of households that need this will be more than just what the government considers low income.

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Solkre t1_iusexmx wrote

Are you low income? Remember it's low income, not low money after bills :P

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Elliott2 t1_iuskqgp wrote

i filled my tank for 1200$. ill be lucky if it lasts a month and a half <3.

&#x200B;

itll probably be closer to 2k at peak winter T_T.

&#x200B;

also where can you get such low amounts?

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BlackmouthProjekt t1_ius5fc0 wrote

Sounds like more money being given the the richest most powerful companies while not solving any problems.

2

2020willyb2020 t1_iut9q41 wrote

California- PGE my bill went from 220 to 600+ due to their tiered billing structure and the first 120$ is just fees - we are using way less power and gas- but they rigged the usage time - fuckin disgusting- Gavin newsom sucks

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Gustopherus-the-2nd t1_iuuiez8 wrote

Damn that’s horrible. My rates are pretty bad here in VA but usually don’t increase in huge increments like that.

2

TheBaron801 t1_iutman9 wrote

I live paycheck to paycheck more or less but I bet I make just enough to not qualify for this.

2

Matty-Ice-Outdoors t1_iusgyuk wrote

So the gov is setting up a program to help low income housing afford energy this winter? And even provide funds to upgrade older appliances? Seems reasonable to me granted they provide for middle income as well. I feel like we just get shit on for everything

1

rollercoaster_5 t1_iussia4 wrote

Not so Sneaky way to transfer wealth from the poor (taxes) to the rich (oil companies)

1

brendanjeffrey t1_iut1qg3 wrote

But we definitely can't allow college loan forgiveness, can keep bailing out three greedy companies though, makes total sense.

1

JoeBuyer t1_iut2mk0 wrote

LIHEAP is already a thing, so is this just announcing the current budgeting for it, or is it extra funding going into it?

1

ExPatWharfRat t1_iut4a9l wrote

How about you go after the multi billion dollar profits these corporations are raking in quarter after quarter?

You know, as opposed to taking tax dollars and handing them to the aforementioned corporate rapists?

FFS, this is just absurd.

1

Swagaru t1_iut9uu8 wrote

I’m in the wrong business.

1

DiscipleOfBlasphemy t1_iuthaov wrote

The vast majority of us won't get any help from this. 4 billion to the poor to help offset heating costs (funneling money to corperations) and 9 billion to homeowners to upgrade their house to make it more energy efficient (ie tax breaks for the wealthy).

1

[deleted] t1_iurm12g wrote

[deleted]

0

Re-AnImAt0r t1_ius03q9 wrote

>ome.familt

wtf?

>nude that

ok, I at least understand why your autofill jumps to that word...

1

SOUTHPAWMIKE t1_iusjfpr wrote

Looking forward to seeing if Republicans block this because it might benefit somebody who didn't donate to the right election campaigns or with too much melanin, or try to ram it through under-the-table because it creates socialized profit for their corporate puppetmasters.

/S for anyone too dumb to get the joke, like any conservative voters that scroll this far down.

0

WirelessBCupSupport t1_ius2tfb wrote

Energy Companies slide around on their anal glands in glee!

−2

red_sutter t1_iurlt9e wrote

Wonder if the Republicans will pay off some judge to indefinitely delay this like they did with student loans

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xavis t1_ius9kcg wrote

Republicans won't delay giving money to corperations.

1

[deleted] t1_iurkmig wrote

Does anyone else feel oddly uncomfortable seeing things being done by an administration to help average everyday people? Like you see this headline, aknowledge that it is a positive gesture, but still walk away a bit uneasy? Like when an abusive narcissist is suddenly gentle and kind, and you want to accept it but just can't seem to get there?

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Gnd_flpd t1_iusmmyd wrote

Yeah, you're being down voted and all, but I've often felt dealing with the dems is well, they'll slap your face, but the repubs will hit your face with a closed fist real, real hard.

0

[deleted] t1_iuswa7x wrote

This statement wasn't intended to be party specific. It just seems like for most of my life every government gesture has been given to everything but people. Ive come to see the government as that narcissist I mentioned. Suddenly the current admin is trying to help with student loans, forgiving bullshit marijuana charges, and now this. It would almost start to change my mind if I didn't know we were just a bit of misinformation and misinterpretation away from heading back the other way.

1

justforthearticles20 t1_iurxhli wrote

Republicans shit themselves, and demand it be given to the poor struggling Billionaires.

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[deleted] t1_iur4tv9 wrote

[deleted]

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steroboros t1_iur5r5s wrote

How would sending surplus javelins to middle class families help them?

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LemonFreshenedBorax- t1_iurcns3 wrote

Turn every middle class family into a military-hardware dropshipper. Ukraine gets their shit (for a modest fee rather than for free which ensures that they use it wisely), American children learn about entrepreneurship and get to play with the unsold merchandise, and the federal budget looks largely the same as it did before. Everyone wins. (This is what Lord of War was hinting at, right?)

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maralagosinkhole t1_iurmv82 wrote

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the greatest geopolitical crisis since the Vietnam war. We are right to send Ukraine the equipment and expertise that they need to defend themselves.

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LewisEFurr t1_iurnz9m wrote

You know, this would be an opportunity for Republicans to step up and help Americans by saying no to this, and providing their own relief plan that addresses the fact that households are struggling while corporations are posting record profits!

oh wait....

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Re-AnImAt0r t1_iurzso0 wrote

Republicans in shambles. That's $13 billion that could go to wealthy people instead of helping hard working poor Americans!

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