Build Back Maybe
An Ink retrospective
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Will we squander the moment again?
As Washington toys with our collective future this week, I wanted to send out a package of The Ink’s and my coverage of the Biden era and some of its big questions.
This was the hope of an erstwhile skeptic.
This was Senator Chuck Schumer’s promise that the Democrats had really changed, really, truly changed, that they got it now.
Here, in Mariana Mazzucato and in Stephanie Kelton, was some of the new economic thinking guiding the new administration. Here were new ideas on the rise.
Here, in my last conversation with the late Richard Trumka, was the feeling that maybe, just maybe, the Reagan consensus was breaking.
Here were warnings that, if progress were to come to America, the Senate would have to change — and promises, maybe, kind of, sort of, to change it.
Here were discussions about how our movements need to talk to people if they are to have a chance at transformational change.
Here was a historic proposal to bring billionaires into the taxation system, and a plea by its architect for basic fairness in America.
And here was a heartfelt reminder of the stakes.
The nicest thing I can think of to say about the Biden Presidency. I think he is often confused.
Even though President Reagan had Alzheimer’s during his Presidency he had “people” around him to uphold the agenda of his party. The fact that the Democratic’s have no cohesive agenda leaves us flailing, in this lawless, divided country 😬
Democracy is only as good as the voters. In this case, the voters of Arizona elected Krysten Sinema, and the voters of West Virginia elected Joe Manchin. The country is stuck with them until their voters replace them, and there is little hope that their replacements will be more progressive. That's why democracy is all about compromise. We need to stop crying about what we wish for and either move to one of these states or figure out how to persuade their voters to make different choices. Criticizing Biden, Schumer, or others does not make anything change. They can't force Manchin or Sinema to vote with the Party. Like it or not, the power lies with those who cast ballots in specific jurisdictions.