Biden’s Unity isn’t Coons’ “meet in the middle” Faux Unity
I was buoyed by Biden’s speech. He talked about the importance of “truth” and honor. I hope Coons was listening. Because while Coons figures that bipartisanship means compromising on basic principles – Biden’s view appears to be that truth is more important than meeting in the middle.
I’ve often said that Coon’s version of bipartisanship amounts to “We say 1+1=2, but they say 1+1=4, so the truth must lie in the middle and 1+1=3.
Coons is a slave to a logical fallacy called argument to moderation. Biden basically said “Fuck no. 1+1=2 and let’s get some unity around that simple truth.”
Vladimir Bukovsky maintained that the middle ground between the big lie of Soviet propaganda and the truth was itself a lie, and one should not be looking for a middle ground between information and disinformation. According to him, people from the Western pluralistic civilization are more prone to this fallacy because they are used to resolving problems by making compromises and accepting alternative interpretations
Similarly, Democrats like Coons are more prone to this fallacy, and should be more vigilant when being asked to find the middle ground between the truth and a lie.
I have to admit, Joe Biden was not my favorite Democrat. But the initial signals for his presidency are winning me over.
Biden’s support for repeal of consumer bankruptcy protections convinced me that Joe was not on the side of the little guy. The 2005 bankruptcy bill created today’s student loan debt crisis. Sure Joe is a Democrat, and would support large-scale benefit programs, but only if the wealthy got their cut first (Medicare Part D, Obamacare).
I have ever since put Biden in the class of “centrist moderate” politicians who would always support the wealthy first and secretly craved their favor.
But on his first day, Biden hung a portrait of FDR in the Oval Office. That gives me hope that Joe Biden will be a traitor to his class, and welcome the hatred of the plutocrats.
So when Congress proposes a large relief program that is funnelled through the banks, insurance companies, or pharmaceutical companies, Joe please look up at that portrait of FDR.
The 2005 bankruptcy bill was a parade of horribles for the consumer. But, student debt has been unforgivable since the mid 80’s. The cause of the student debt crisis is the rise in tuition, and dearth of student grants, all caused by declines in government support for higher education. Don’t forget the privatization of student debt.
It is encouraging that Biden’s inaugural address did not contain the word “bipartisan.”