dcjohnson

dcjohnson, 12 days ago to random

Countries that spent a lot on things for the public, and countries that had austerity, both had high inflation.

But the countries that spent on the public are now booming, the austerity countries are struggling.

#inflation

dcjohnson, 13 days ago to random

Governments allow people with money to set up corporations, in order to accomplish things the public want done. Why ELSE would a democracy do this?

(Executives of) Corporations treat rules & regulations that protect the public as an annoyance. They look for ways around those rules.

One of the ways around those rules & regulations is paying politicians to change or ignore the rules, resulting in harm to the public.

The US doesn't ban this. The UK doesn't ban this.

#corporations #corruption

dcjohnson, 13 days ago to Polls

The reason many people in the US felt better about the economy in the past is they were getting checks from the government. Now they're not.

It really is simple. Stimulus checks. Child tax credit checks. People loved that.

#polls #economy

dcjohnson, 1 month ago to random

It's weird to move to the UK at a time when every single thing seems to be collapsing. NHS, water systems, road repair, poverty increase, corruption...

And there's no system in place for demanding an election to change leadership! Everyone just has to put up with it!

#Tories

dcjohnson, 1 month ago to random

Actually governing is hard work. Instead of governing, why not simply “unleash” the “market” to do everything. Then you can just go on vacation.

https://governmentcheese.co.uk/easier-than-governing/

#governing

dcjohnson, 1 month ago to random

Why does EVERY discussion with someone who claims to be a "libertarian" quickly feel like you are trying to talk to a teenager who didn't learn the basics of what government even is? Or what "responsibility" is. Never mind basic terms like "rules".

And especially the idea that there are "other people' on the planet besides themselves?

#libertarians

dcjohnson, 1 month ago to random

Here's an idea why people don't like Biden and think he made the economy worse.

Americans got stimulus, child & other checks from the govt. Then under Biden they weren't.

Never mind Biden gave the checks & Republicans stopped them. THAT is a lot to expect voters to understand.

Dems should have continued the checks because they made people's lives better.

Biden should campaign on starting them back up.

#Biden #stimulus

dcjohnson, 1 month ago to random

1. When people say the US/UK won't be able to "pay off" debt, what do they think those debts have to be paid off WITH? Gold bars?

Govts stopped hoarding and borrowing gold long go - economics textbooks haven't figured that out.

2. When people say govts need "revenue" before they can build roads, provide health care or bombs etc, ask them where they think banks get the money they loan out?

Hint: banks get the money out of thin air. That's what "modern money" is.

#MMT #modernmonetarytheory

dcjohnson, 2 months ago to Futurology

This should be obvious.

Privately-managed giant corporations are very bad for society. Such giant entities should not be managed by a few people, for the benefit of a few people, because they affect everyone.

They should be managed by society, for the good of society.

#society #corporations

dcjohnson, 2 months ago to random

Create chaos (or use propaganda to make people believe there is chaos) and then put forward a strongman "law and order" leader is an old game. That's what's happening now financed by billionaires.

"Migrants," "rapists," "crime rate," etc being pushed by the right-wing information apparatus is ALL ABOUT getting people to accept billionaire-owned fascism.

#fascism #migrants #crime

dcjohnson, 2 months ago to uk

It looks like the UK "Conservatives" are delaying the UK election until October because that way many students will not be able to vote!

Like voter-ID, this is American Republican-style voter-suppression tactics.

‘Left without a voice’: October general election could leave students in UK unable to vote
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/mar/23/left-without-a-voice-october-general-election-could-leave-students-in-uk-unable-to-vote

#UK #election #conservatives #tories

dcjohnson, 2 months ago to random

Each person forced to "go private" is a revenue stream for the healthcare interests who give big money to the Tories.

The destruction of the NHS is by design - it was done for the money.

#NHS

dcjohnson, 2 months ago to random

If you allow money to influence your political system at all, the system soon will only respond to money.

If you allow corruption in any system, the corrupt gain advantage, soon only the corrupt remain.

And here we are.

#corruption

dcjohnson, 2 months ago to random

In the UK the Tories are being paid by private healthcare interests to kill off (privatize) the NHS. Defunding is a privatization strategy.

It's what is happening. Just say it.

#nhs #privatization

dcjohnson, 2 months ago to random

I'm so old I remember Republicans pushing out a completely made-up story about pres Clinton holding up air traffic at LAX so he could get a $500 haircut and the media fell for it and much of the public still believes it was true.

That's how smears work.

#republicans #smears #clinton

dcjohnson, 2 months ago to random

Tax cuts for the rich and their corporations do not "grow the economy." They just make the rich richer.

And the politicians who vote for them get paid off after they leave "public service."

#taxvuts

dcjohnson, 2 months ago to random

My introduction to "conservative" grievance propaganda was seeing an article titled "Christian arrested for praying" and finding out he was arrested because he was in the middle of a busy intersection screaming about the Bible, blocking traffic.

#grievance #propaganda #conservatives

dcjohnson, 2 months ago to random

"We dropped the Gold Standard some time ago and don’t have to round up gold to pay for things anymore. Hence the “Modern” in Modern Monetary Theory. MMT just explains how money works in a modern economy."

See Simple Explanation of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT)
https://seeingtheforest.com/simple-explanation-of-modern-monetary-theory-mmt/

#MMT

dcjohnson, 3 months ago to random

Time to admit it, US deregulation didn't work. It was a huge mistake.

Not only because it didn't deliver anything promised - lower prices, etc, but because it misled the public into thinking government has no business telling companies what to do.

#deregulation

dcjohnson, 3 months ago to random

People really don't know where banks get the money from, to make loans.

This keeps them susceptible to belief that governments have to "raise revenue" to "pay for" things, and "kitchen table budget" thinking. This limits the ability for governments to make people's lives better.

Hint: Governments (and banks) CREATE money. They don't have to round up gold anymore.

See https://wecanhavenicethings.com/2024/02/23/simple-explanation-of-modern-monetary-theory-mmt/

#MMT

dcjohnson, 3 months ago to climate

If countries moved to renewable energy, people's energy bills would drop dramatically and their economies would be much, much more efficient.

NO WONDER oil & coal companies are spreading propaganda about the "cost" of fighting the climate crisis!!!

#GreenNewDeal #ClimateCrisis

dcjohnson, 3 months ago to random

Every time a "conservative" says there is "no money" to make people's lives better the proper response is to thank them for calling for restoring pre-Reagan/Thatcher tax rates!

(Yes MMT, but we do need those high top tax rates to fight inequality and outsized political influence.)

#MMT #inequality #taxes

dcjohnson, 3 months ago to random

Conservatives have a strong belief that government should not help people or work to make people's lives better.

#government #conservatives

dcjohnson, 3 months ago to random

What happens to people's energy bills if solar and wind energy become the biggest source of electricity?

#climateecrisis #GreenNewDeal