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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/27/2023 in all areas

  1. 1 point
    So in another thread @RLLD listed what he liked best about Trump’s accomplishments while in office. @Strike asked me to do the same for Biden. I’m happy to do so but I can’t do it without listing what I believe are his drawbacks as well. Also keep in mind that I come to this from a centrist/liberal perspective: I reject both the current conservative or “Trumpian” positions on most issues, and the far left attitudes represented by folks like Bernie Sanders and AOC. If you disagree with on my perspective, you’re unlikely to agree with much of my analysis. But here goes anyhow: Note- I decided to start a new thread on this because hopefully we can limit the discussion to policy. The current Joe Biden thread is currently dominated by talk of his supposed corruption, supposed mental deficiencies, and supposed pedophilia. Those are three topics I personally have very little interest in discussing. 1. Upon taking office, Biden was given vaccines for Covid (thanks in large part to Trump’s Warp Speed policy) but with no organization for the distribution of the vaccine. Biden made the vaccine accessible very quickly to millions of Americans and thus saved unknown thousands of lives. 2. Biden’s spending bill in year one, a follow up on Trump’s emergency spending in 2020, probably saved our economy from collapse. On the minus side, worldwide inflation (not Biden’s fault) was made worse temporarily as a result of this spending. But that price had to be paid. 3. Biden’s decision to leave Afghanistan was the correct one. His execution was unfortunately, very poor and disorganized. He can be excused to the extent that there is no historical example of a military pullout that wasn’t a total disaster on the ground, whether or not it’s the US leaving South Vietnam in 1975, the French leaving Algeria in 1960, British leaving India and Palestine in 1948, etc etc. All total fockups. Still, we could have and should have performed better. 3. Biden’s reaction to the invasion of Ukraine is the brightest moment of his Presidency. By taking a stand against aggression and strengthening NATO, Biden acted in the spirit of Harry Truman, Eisenhower, Reagan, and FDR. 4. On the other hand, I do not understand why Biden is continuing Trump’s tariffs against China. The average import tax for most countries is 3%. For China it’s 19%. As a free trader I think this is hurting China’s economy while not helping ours. I don’t see the advantage. 5. The infrastructure bill and the falsely named “Inflation Reduction Act” (neither Biden nor Congress can do anything to lower inflation which is worldwide; it’s going down but Biden doesn’t deserve the credit) are good spending bills which are going to create an economic boom- it’s already started. 6. Biden removed Trump’s cruel and stupid policies at the border. This has created more chaos at the border but I think chaos is preferable to cruelty. What is needed is an overall policy, but at the moment that seems impossible given the sharp disagreement between Democrats and Republicans on this issue. I think overall Biden’s done a pretty good job as President. Not great but not bad either. I don’t mind seeing him in there for another 4 years. I don’t like him much; from what I see he’s a liar and a rotten human being. But for me he’s infinitely preferable to what appears to be the alternative at this time.


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