thinking about how bad the base "Big Beautiful Bill" fucking sucks

it'd:

- sell national park lands
- raise debt ceiling $5T
- raise energy costs in all states
- ax billions from hospitals
- destroy clean energy jobs
- transfer wealth from youth to the old/wealthy

Orwellian

at least a shred of common decency has prevailed for now

at least a shred of common decency has prevailed for now
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5375473-senate-removes-provision-that-would-sell-off-public-lands-from-megabill/amp/

“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”
—Calvin Coolidge

Justin Amash

https://x.com/justinamash/status/1939160427088486489?t=bHjoGhK2bJG_pE8gDwCiTA&s=19

https://x.com/wmpeaster/status/1939178781941600415?t=rFmKJgRYCFIfpevD4s8iSA&s=19

ironically the prior quote is wise from Coolidge, who many historians regard as one of the worst presidents ever

... which the vast majority of Americans don't know cuz they don't study history

... and that's a nontrivial part, though one part of many, that paved the way for truly insane bills like this to enter Congress

and i'm not some elitist ivory tower expert. i've read history since i was a kid, i'm passionate and studious about it as a layman

that said, i see and face clearly where America has failed, and at the same time i've fallen in love with what the US has strived for and achieved

that's why i feel totally comfortable, but sad, saying this as an informed citizen: this bill is trash, irredeemable, and unprecedented in its biting graft

who's this for?

only a very small subset of the population would benefit here, the ultra wealthy

that's not populist sloganizing, that's literally the heart of the bill, up down left and right

and you might ask, why are these awful ideas in play? oligarchy! it's the point!