I’ll leave the savvy political analysis to others. I don’t know why Senator Joe Manchin apparently decided to go back on an explicit promise he made to President Biden. Naïvely, I thought that even in this era of norm-breaking, honoring a deal you’ve just made would be one of the last norms to go, since a reputation for keeping your word once given is useful even to highly cynical politicians. I also don’t know what, if anything, can be saved from the Build Back Better framework.
What I do know is that there will be huge human and, yes, economic costs if Biden’s moderate but crucial spending plans fall by the wayside.
Failure to enact a decent social agenda would condemn millions of American children to poor health and low earnings in adulthood — because that’s what growing up in poverty does. It would condemn millions more to inadequate medical care and financial ruin if they got ill, because that’s what happens when people lack adequate health insurance. It […]
Although I could not read the rest of the article without subscribing to the New York Times, I believe the Build Back Better framework, focuses on the well being of the people, planet, and economy, instead of the self interest and success of government representatives, or their political party.
Maybe that has something to do with its popularity. It doesn’t serve enough selfish benefit.
I know what Mr. Krugman means and what it will take for all of us to combat the effects of climate change and the way it will affect our food supply in the near and far future. We will have many changes to make if we are going to survive as a nation and a species. Many species are dying off already, all over the world. We must act now as individuals and together, to make the world a better place.