volkris @volkris@qoto.org
I think the most pressing and fundamental problem of the day is that people lack a practically effective means of sorting out questions of fact in the larger world. We can hardly begin to discuss ways of addressing reality if we can't agree what reality even is, after all.
The institutions that have served this role in the past have dropped the ball, so the next best solution is talking to each other, particularly to those who disagree, to sort out conflicting claims.
Unfortunately, far too many actively oppose this, leaving all opposing claims untested. It's very regressive.
So that's my hobby, striving to understanding the arguments of all sides at least because it's interesting to see how mythologies are formed but also because maybe through that process we can all have our beliefs tested.
But if nothing else, social media platforms like this are chances to vent frustrations that on so many issues both sides are obviously wrong ;)
Joined Dec 2022
What outrage?
The president is seeking more power, and Congress is simply saying, alright, well let's find some agreeable terms for granting it.
The debt ceiling is only an issue here because of a mess of legislation that Biden signed and then his threats to default.
Normally presidents work with Congress to negotiate for borrowing power, but this Dem POTUS seems to prefer the drama.
Same!
I wish you well, and I hope sometime that you might develop in your mathematical skills and understanding of federal budgeting practices!
The Treasury reports suggest that they are generally taking in around three times the revenue that would be needed to service the debt. Does that answer your question as to what plenty means? I don't know why you are so concerned with that, but yeah, it's not even close.
The president is constitutionally obligated to pay this debt service, as per the 14th Amendment. If he doesn't pay it, then he should be impeached as he is actively choosing to violate the Constitution in a really serious way.
How long? Ongoing. The Treasury brings in so much revenue through taxation, not even counting other revenue sources, that it will have enough to service its debts for the foreseeable future.
The rest of it is between the president and the Congress. But the Constitution is clear that these debts must be paid, and they can be paid, so unless Biden wants to be impeached, he must pay them.
I'm just pointing out that according to the Treasury, the Treasury has plenty of revenue with which to service its debts and avoid default.
Make of that what you will.
*I* would be calling politicians out for lying to the public, but whatever.
@MugsysRapSheet @potus
It's funny you say that since Biden has spent a week complaining about the details in the legislation that they passed, but you say there are no details?
But of course there are details. They are posted right there on the official government websites for us all to look up for ourselves if we want to.
But how does Fediverse prevent that?
Seems like their system would be just about as effective here as it vacuums up the content ActivityPub is broadcasting.
@socialmedianews
Well, I always want to highlight the downside of defederation that is removing power from users to make those decisions for themselves.
Whether that trade is bad or good is up to the people involved, but personally I really want to see more empowered users so I'd generally promote defederation as the last option, used only when an instance is posing a threat to the infrastructure.
I think you are looking too deeply into this because the major role of representatives is to represent, regardless of whether their constituents are floating toward one philosophy or another, OR whether the representative job itself is a good idea or a bad idea, given whatever philosophical basis.
These functionaries seem to be doing their job, and it's a separate question weather that's a job that they should be doing.
Ha! Like I said I am trying to get us to laser focus on fixing some bad laws, without being distracted by judicial drama, so I'm kind of laughing that you went right back into judicial drama 🙂
The FDA did some questionable stuff here, and I really wish the president would have the FDA fix their paperwork so this wouldn't even be a threat.
And in the longer term we need to reevaluate whether these safety laws are really necessary because in this case it seems that they were counterproductive.
We have these two other branches of government that are more set up to be accountable to us, so we need to focus on holding them accountable for their errors!
So far it looks like the judges are properly applying the law, but we need to fix the laws!
Well until the term expires or you cross Congress badly enough that they were movie from office.
I mean yes. Head of the executive branch does come with authority over the executive branch.
On the other hand, that does increase load on that site, being almost a form of DoS attack against it.
Well it's not that the court is prepared to limit access. It's that our lawmakers passed a bunch of laws that limited access.
We really need to emphasize that this is all because of laws passed by Congress that probably need to be reformed.
To focus on the court has some nice drama to it, but it lets lawmakers off the hook for the role they played in passing bad laws and the administration off the hook for its part in violating law as the FDA did its thing.
Well right, and Congress has already appropriated it, but more directly, the president HAS TO pay off debts.
The Constitution is specific, there is no choice, the president doesn't get to decide, he has to pay the debts.
I know Biden has spent months threatening not to, as if he has a choice, but he does not, he has to pay them. Or face impeachment.
Yeah but I'm trying to emphasize sort of the next level higher: without an understanding of civics for example it's hard for a person to even know who the powers that be ARE.
If some guy straps on a badge and makes a big show of suggesting what you should do if you don't want something bad to happen, unless you have an understanding of civics, you can't really know whether that guy even has a way of enforcing his "suggestions", Even if we assume he's utterly corrupt.
Is this person part of the powers that be? Does the lady at the DMV with a loud enough actually have a force that might come break your teeth? Or are they just a minor paper pusher? Got to know the civics to know whether they can follow through on threats!
No, the Treasury reports that it has plenty of money to cover the debt, regardless of what the politicians are selling, so Biden just needs, and is constitutionally required to, have the Treasury service its debts as they come due.
The Treasury brings in trillions of dollars but the debt servicing only costs something like $500 million, so it has the money. It just has to pay the debts, as it is constitutionally obligated to do.
This wouldn't even be a discussion except that the president is pushing for more power to borrow.
Firstly, let me emphasize that part of civics is knowing whether or not a police officer can legally detain you. I think that sort of thing is very practical knowledge.
But anyway to your point, there's more to democratic engagement than merely voting. There is the overall discourse, the overall perception of government, and just for example, a protest may have impact even if that impact is not direct and visible.
I would even say that pretty often a protest might fail to have much impact specifically because the asks of the protesters are misguided, based on ignorance of how government actually functions.
Anyway, there are just so many sides to this, so many ways that people interface with government outside of voting, and so many ways that civics education, or lack thereof, does impact people's lives.
@parker For any country that aspires for any sort of democratic engagement they absolutely have a say in, and it's pretty darn important that they know what they are talking about if they are to exercise that say.
We live in a time when people ranging from politicians to TV hosts to social media influencers are vociferously making statements about government, but if the population doesn't know how their government works then they are unprepared to either be one of those speakers or judge whether those speakers are telling them correct things.
That's not to mention giving people the knowledge they need to protect themselves, whether it's knowing whether a parking fine is valid or knowing the limits on how they can be approached by police.
#Civics is so important even practically in any governmental system that goes beyond just telling residents to shut up and let officials do whatever they want. Which is an option, but not one I would go for.
volkris
boosted
Sculptures of Dante and Homer from the front of the former Albany Academy in the Woodlands area of Glasgow. Dating from 1875, the sculptor is unknown.
#glasgow #sculpture #dante #homer #architecture #glasgowarchitecture #glasgowsculpture #stonework
I think the most pressing and fundamental problem of the day is that people lack a practically effective means of sorting out questions of fact in the larger world. We can hardly begin to discuss ways of addressing reality if we can't agree what reality even is, after all.
The institutions that have served this role in the past have dropped the ball, so the next best solution is talking to each other, particularly to those who disagree, to sort out conflicting claims.
Unfortunately, far too many actively oppose this, leaving all opposing claims untested. It's very regressive.
So that's my hobby, striving to understanding the arguments of all sides at least because it's interesting to see how mythologies are formed but also because maybe through that process we can all have our beliefs tested.
But if nothing else, social media platforms like this are chances to vent frustrations that on so many issues both sides are obviously wrong ;)
Joined Dec 2022
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