Listening to NPR and they interviewed some retiree in Montana because his congressman is a freedom caucus member who is taking a hardline on passing a budget. Says the retiree, government must stop spending, they need to change their philosophy about the budget. But they never square the circle by asking why. And that question would lay bare the uselessness of these kinds of interviews. This man could never explain why it’s essential to him that spending is slashed or what’s unnecessary.
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Amadi Lovelace (amaditalks@wandering.shop)'s status on Thursday, 21-Sep-2023 22:51:11 JST Amadi Lovelace -
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Amadi Lovelace (amaditalks@wandering.shop)'s status on Thursday, 21-Sep-2023 23:01:23 JST Amadi Lovelace Any media that resorts to this man on the street reporting on issues that even experts need to spend a full 40 hours a week and then some to understand meaningfully is serving to misinform us. It’s a convenient framing for a short form piece or a three minute radio break when the actual topic requires too much background, and too much explaining to really be discussed meaningfully.
But it hurts us, because it obfuscates the real story.
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Amadi Lovelace (amaditalks@wandering.shop)'s status on Thursday, 21-Sep-2023 23:01:24 JST Amadi Lovelace Should we cut Social Security? No retiree will say yes, a 20 year old might. Should we cut environmental spending? Yes to that is going to come much more readily from a Republican or a senior citizen than any age Democrat, or anyone under 30.
Then get more specific. What percentage of the federal government goes to the Department of energy and how much should? What does the DOE do with that money? How about Transportation? How about Veterans Affairs? Random individuals don’t know. They can’t.
Paul Cantrell repeated this. -
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Amadi Lovelace (amaditalks@wandering.shop)'s status on Thursday, 21-Sep-2023 23:01:25 JST Amadi Lovelace Even Americans who pay close attention to government and what it does typically fail to have a comprehensive and non-political understanding of government spending or the budget. The scope of it is just too broad for people to really understand unless they have to vocationally.
If asked what should be cut, it’s an even money bet that the Republican retired Montanan cop would pinpoint the right’s punching bags, interior, education and energy, and of course, welfare, because screw poor people.
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