People don't really care if "the economy" is healthy if they personally can't afford rent and groceries, and telling them to feel otherwise is just a way of reminding them they don't matter to the people in charge.
@CosmicTrigger@gwynnion But my understanding is that many people are having no financial problems as individuals and yet still think the economy is bad (based on media they consume, I guess)
@tdietterich@CosmicTrigger@gwynnion I volunteer at a foodbank and have looked at our numbers for the last 3 years. Donations (money and food) are down, recipients way up. This is more than just anecdotal or Fox f'ing News. I understand why "things are better than ever" is the narrative but it's not a comprehensive view.
@veirling@CosmicTrigger@gwynnion The top 80% can be doing well and yet the bottom 20% can be experiencing a catastrophe. What is the "comprehensive view" in this case? The majority of people are doing well, but we need to do so much more to raise up the bottom 20%. Housing, money, services! Tax the rich and help the poor. The GOP won't do that!
If you think the top 80% are doing well, you haven't been paying attention. More than half the US population can't scrape together $600 for an emergency. Life expectancy is DROPPING, and suicide rates are accelerating.
Watch this. It shows exactly how wrong our assumptions tend to be about where we stand.
....Then try imagining how much worse it's gotten since the video was made, 11 years ago...
Pretty sure you answered that question yourself, but I will be sure to share your optimism with the food bank constituents. In the meantime, here's some data on voting participation vs. economic status.
A liberal would see that chart and say "we need to convince all the poor people we can to vote!" and not "we should elect someone like Bernie Sanders who might actually help poor."
@CosmicTrigger@veirling This liberal says we need to put policies in place to address the factors that prevent these folks from voting (Child Tax Credit, minimum wage, more housing, etc.). Bernie was able to get many of his policies implemented by Biden. If we had elected Bernie, would anything have gotten passed? It would have been hard, because he is a lightning rod for the Right.
@tdietterich@veirling uh . . . Bernie has held two town hall meetings on Fox News to standing ovations. Same for at Liberty University. The worst thing even Trump will say about Bernie is calling him "crazy Bernie."
Liberals and CNN and MSNBC are the ones who have done more to torpedo his presidential elections than any right winger
But it boils down to this and ignore it at your own peril:
Joe Biden will lose to Trump. And he will lose badly. Guaranteed. No amount of magical thinking can change this. Only demanding your party have him step down can change that outcome.
Nothing because I'm not particularly frightened of a Trump presidency. In fact, I think a 2nd Trump presidency might be the tipping point that breaks the Democratic party and forces them to take a hard look at themselves.
@tdietterich@CosmicTrigger@gwynnion your understanding is correct ONLY if by "many people" you mean "privileged White Liberals" and not "literally any marginalized person".
@gwynnion this is what I’m screaming internally whenever someone tries to talk to me about the stock market being up or down - I know that I was paying 4.99 for certain grocery staples that now this year cost 7.99 and idgaf about some billionaire’s capital gains or losses
@gwynnion@orangelantern We only matter when we grow knives and get stabby. Otherwise we’re just prole trash. I’m really digging pay-per-view guillotines mashed up with head-based bowling and Fanduel bookies fielding the betting. Yeah, it’s rude, gory, and gross. Just like the life they’ve forced us to endure.
@gwynnion pI wish I could boost this 1000 times. Sadly, the diet fascists who sit ensconced in their personal privilege will never understand this. Then they'll try to shame you into voting for their decrepit, genocidal leader "because the other guy is worse".
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