This diary is written as news, meaning: “this is fact that is relevant to your life because it is about the position of a possible future POTUS and I haven’t seen a diary here about it.” I would still support Joe Biden over Trump, though that’s really such a low bar it’s almost an insult to Biden.
On Tuesday, the former VP spoke at a fundraiser in New York for wealthy donors. The race-related aspect of his remarks drew much attention, including here (e.g. www.dailykos.com/...) but he also made comments about income inequality that I haven’t seen mentioned here except in a Victor Laszlo tweet in yesterday’s APB. They’ve been reported and/or opined about in Vanity Fair, Vox, Salon, Huffpo, Common Dreams and the Washington Post.
Per Vox, the exact full quote:
“By the way, you know, remember I got in trouble with some of the people on my team, on the Democratic side, because I said, ‘You know what I’ve found is rich people are just as patriotic as poor people.’ Not a joke. I mean, we may not want to demonize anybody who has made money.”
“The truth of the matter is, you all, you all know, you all know in your gut what has to be done. We can disagree in the margins but the truth of the matter is it’s all within our wheelhouse and nobody has to be punished. No one’s standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally change. Because when we have income inequality as large as we have in the United States today, it brews and ferments political discord and basic revolution. Not a joke. Not a joke. I’m not (inaudible) revolution. But not a joke. It allows demagogues to step in and say the reason where we are is because of the other, the other.
“You’re not the other. I need you very badly. I hope if I win this nomination, I won’t let you down. I promise you. I have a bad reputation, I always say what I mean. The problem is I sometimes say all that I mean.”
Is it just me, or there a mixed message here? In saying that income inequality to the degree presently happening leads to discord and revolution, he is absolutely right. (Oh and by the way — him saying “Not a joke” twice… was that because the well-heeled spectators were laughing?) He’s warning them, “They’ll come for you with torches and pitchforks.” But he already said nothing will fundamentally change. I assume that means, “If I’m elected, the way the government influences the economy will not fundamentally change.”
But the status quo is increasing income inequality, and has been since Reagan, i.e. almost 40 years. Is Biden telling them they can have their cake and eat it too?
At WaPo, Paul Walden identifies Biden’s key premise:
We can all get along if we assume everyone is operating out of good will.
But are they?
Perhaps in a kinder time, such as earlier in his political career. I don’t think a resounding NO to this in 2019 is terribly controversial here on Daily Kos. There is an international conspiracy of fascist mobster 1%ers who want to rule the world by force and whim so they can keep making billions off human misery, and they’ve bought the Republican Party entire via Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. (One reason I would support Biden over Trump: “no fundamental change” is better than that fundamental change. Though ultimately, if allowed unchecked, it would lead to the same destination.)
Walden concludes the topic by asking:
If you’re maintaining good relations with the billionaire class, might that be evidence that you’ve already committed to not changing the status quo?
I can’t think of another way to interpret “No one’s standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally change… You’re not the other. I need you very badly. I hope if I win this nomination, I won’t let you down. I promise you.”
I’ll just leave that there. To be honest, some of what he said me feel outraged, and in my head that emotion is translating into inflammatory words I will keep to myself.
Saturday, Jun 22, 2019 · 2:07:03 AM +00:00 · KM Wehrstein
Silly me, thinking I can head off pie-fights by writing cautiously. (Of course they might have been far worse if I hadn’t.)
Many commenters are accusing me of misinterpreting Biden’s words. This is why I quoted them at length — you can make your own interpretation.
A frequent point: that what he meant by “nobody’s standard of living will change” was actually no rich person’s standard of living will changing enough to notice because you don’t have to take much from the 1% to make a big difference for the 99%.
But that’s not what he said. I’m just going on what he said. “Nobody’s standard of living will change” includes those whose standard of living ought to be made better.
You want accurate messages, quit shooting the messengers.
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