Coronavirus:

[Neil]

"IMHO, the divisions don’t diminish until economic opportunity returns to the geographic middle of the country, the folks that bore the brunt of the globalization movement. It’s still, first and foremost, about the economy."

I agree that we need a more robust social safety net and policies that emphasize dignity and employment for all who want it. One policy that would reduce the risks of climate change and improve the quality of the air we breathe would be to create jobs that emphasize rural solar, wind and other minimally polluting energy sources. These and a national electrical grid to serve it would create jobs for those whose traditional manufacturing, coal mining, etc jobs have disappeared and provide relatively inexpensive, healthy sources of energy for the nation. Sort of a New Deal, WPA for the rural parts of the nation.

[robert.]

"As a conservative, republican, redneck, hillbilly that lives in a rural Ozark area."

Here's a little lesson you hillbilly nincompoop. Without my urban tax dollars you rednecks wouldn't have roads, airports and hospitals. The tax dollars you whine so piteously about going to the urban poor actually flow from the urban areas to your desolate, if beautiful, rural areas. And the urban violence you pontificate about is at least as common amongst the unfortunate economic underclass that lives in rural areas. Hypocrites, fools and ignoramuses who vote for the Republican candidates who will let them keep their automatic weapons, but would happy to see them starve with no housing nor healthcare. Not to mention being totally lacking in appreciation for my tax dollars that keep them functional.

Without my rural tax dollar city dwellers would not have free bus rides.

[Neil]

"Without my rural tax dollar city dwellers would not have free bus rides."

You miss my point. Net tax dollars flow from the richer, urban areas of the country to the federal government which subsidizes pretty much everything in rural areas, from farming, to roads, to airports to hospitals.

We are one nation and need each other, but the Republican story line is that the urban areas receive the bulk of the dollars. That's true, but that's where almost all the population live. But in general, the urban areas and wealthy population subsidize social services, infrastructure and make rural life better. This fact makes the Republican story line a big fat lie that undermines the unity of the nation.

In general, the Democrats want to bring us together and acknowledge our interdependence. The Republicans want to play on the anxieties of the white majority about people of color, and the anxieties and antipathy towards urban life amongst rural people, as if there was one real nation and it doesn't include NY, Philly, Detroit, LA, etc. This is a strategy that has failed miserably both as policy and in the recent two election cycles. It's a death spiral for the Republican party and potentially for our democracy to follow that path. When a significant minority of Americans think a racist, xenophobic, dishonest dictator wannabe like Trump is the answer to our national needs, we are in big trouble.

[robert.]

I know what your trying to say. Not in southeast PA. Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties. Get financially sucked into Philadelphia.

[Neil]

Robert, are you referring to state tax dollar flow as opposed to federal dollar flow? In NY State, NYC subsidizes the rest of the state, but Upstate is reliably Republican because people are under the mistaken impression that their state tax dollars flow to NYC.

The simple fact is that we need each other. No rural life means no yogurt, wine, hydropower, corn or communing with nature. No cities means no economy . I don't know why this simple fact is so hard for most Americans to appreciate. Eventually, over the next few decades, racial politics hopefully will disappear as there will be no majority group. But how to get rural and urban people to understand their interdependence is a mystery. Rural folk seem to fear and dislike cities and urban folk are arrogant about the superiority of cities. Neither makes any damn sense to me as someone who has lived both in cities and near rural areas. I grew up in NYC but now live next to a corn field 15 minutes from an urban center.

[healey36]

I agree that we need a more robust social safety net and policies that emphasize dignity and employment for all who want it.

The "social safety net" provides the floor for people's economic failure, not economic opportunity. That's not what folks are looking for for the long haul. They are looking for genuine growth of the economy in their region and the chance to participate. It would seem to me that judicious incentivization by the government and engagement by the private sector is the path forward.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

...........judicious incentivization by the government.......

Once upon a time, there was a .............................

[Neil]

"The "social safety net" provides the floor for people's economic failure, not economic opportunity."

While there's a truth to that, universal health care, basic education, housing and food supply make offering jobs a lot less expensive and risky for employers. If employers don't have to worry about providing health insurance, disability insurance and life insurance when creating new jobs, that situation constitutes much less risk to employers, private equity, banks and venture capitalists. Works quite well in most of Western Europe.

[E7]

Here's a little lesson you hillbilly nincompoop. Without my urban tax dollars you rednecks wouldn't have roads, airports and hospitals. The tax dollars you whine so piteously about going to the urban poor actually flow from the urban areas to your desolate, if beautiful, rural areas. And the urban violence you pontificate about is at least as common amongst the unfortunate economic underclass that lives in rural areas. Hypocrites, fools and ignoramuses who vote for the Republican candidates who will let them keep their automatic weapons, but would happy to see them starve with no housing nor healthcare. Not to mention being totally lacking in appreciation for my tax dollars that keep them functional.

Global warming has increased by several degrees after that blast of hot air! You should consider a remedial English course.

Go back under your rock.

[v8vega]

California gave over a million of taxpayer dollars from the unemployment department benefits to prisoners. That's the efficiency of goverment Democrats (Communists) love so much.

[gregj410]

universal health care, basic education, housing and food supply make offering jobs a lot less expensive and risky for employers.

What am I missing here? If the above were provided for a particular individual, what would be the incentive to go to work?

[healey36]

"The "social safety net" provides the floor for people's economic failure, not economic opportunity."

While there's a truth to that, universal health care, basic education, housing and food supply make offering jobs a lot less expensive and risky for employers. If employers don't have to worry about providing health insurance, disability insurance and life insurance when creating new jobs, that situation constitutes much less risk to employers, private equity, banks and venture capitalists. Works quite well in most of Western Europe.

I agree with much of that; there certainly needs to be some sort of basic health-care system in this country that covers everyone. If you want additional coverage/services, you can go buy a supplemental policy. The fact that we rely heavily on a voluntary employer-based (post 65 years of age) system leaves huge swathes of the population uncovered and one illness away from economic devastation. I've heard no compelling argument for continuing the Rube Goldberg system we call the American "best in the world" healthcare system. The problem really needs to be worked from both ends, but the primary problems are the cost and the expectations are too high.

[Neil]

"What am I missing here? If the above were provided for a particular individual, what would be the incentive to go to work?"

Some of this is for disabled people, and is already available in our society. All of it is bare minimum to allow people not to die of starvation, exposure or lack of antibiotics. You go to work to have a purpose in life and to not have to eat Spam and potatoes for every meal. To be able to buy comic books, toy trains and other consumer goods. Subsistence living ain't wonderful and the government isn't going to provide cable, internet and baseball gloves.

[gregj410]

Subsistence living ain't wonderful and the government isn't going to provide cable, internet and baseball gloves.

Pretty sure they are already providing smart phones and internet.

To be able to buy comic books, toy trains and other consumer goods.

I acquired my trains through my white privilege

[healey36]

Are there programs that provide free or subsidized phones and service? I wasn't aware of that...probably explains why I frequently see people that look destitute yet carry phones better than the POS I have