Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Moving on.... it's Biden/Harris Administration time (#124)

999 replies

Roussette · 24/01/2021 14:17

Previous thread...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4141906-For-there-is-always-light-Thread-123-is-belong-to-President-Biden?watched=1&msgid=103967923#103967923

OP posts:
Thread gallery
27
DGRossetti · 24/01/2021 14:19

PMK with what I think are fox prints in the snow overnight ..

Moving on.... it's Biden/Harris Administration time (#124)
Shrillharridan · 24/01/2021 14:23

Pmk

Roussette · 24/01/2021 14:27

Awww we have similar amount of snow here! It's very pretty actually...

OP posts:
DGRossetti · 24/01/2021 14:29

About 3" fell on top of the 2" that fell Friday night.

We ain't going nowhere this week.

pointythings · 24/01/2021 14:32

We had pathetic snow, which is nearly gone. But DD2 went for a snowy walk late yesterday afternoon, which was lovely.
In between doing fuck all I am tidying up our crafts and games cupboard, which is very satisfying.

NotaRealLawyer · 24/01/2021 14:35

Many thanks for the new thread. You are all keeping me going in lockdown!

Gingaaarghpussy · 24/01/2021 14:43

What is this snow you speak of?

HoneysuckIejasmine · 24/01/2021 14:45

Thanks Rosette.

We had perfect snowman snow - thick and sticky. Good for rolling up like a carpet. Snowman slowly melting away on our doorstep. Rather glad slrjought it was fun and refreshing to not care how icy the roads are as I've no need to go anywhere anyway (which I know makes me lucky).

PerkingFaintly · 24/01/2021 14:46

You kindly started a new thread while I was wittering to myself! Grin

I bring, Brew and Cake and a sort of accidental manifest for where we might want these threads to go. Everyone will have their own thoughts on this, of course.

So, copied from the last thread:
It's starting to crystallize for me that what I might want from future threads.

I wouldn't usually spend my days following party politics of any country, including the UK, so closely. I usually spend most of my political energy on specific issues I care about, regardless of which party is in power.

I joined these threads because of the obvious threat to the foundations of democracy the US was facing in 2016. We knew the XPUS was a populist demagogue backed by people who consider democracy a useful, temporary tool to get themselves power, but who will happily ditch it as soon as they're there. We didn't know how far he'd go. Turns out the answer was, pretty far.

I wasn't expecting XPUS to demonstrate this quite so clearly, but he's left not a smidgeon of wiggle room to deny his intentions. So in a very horrible way, he's vindicated me spending time on this.

There will always be space for a thread on whichever US government is in. There is also space for partisan threads about particular parties.

The thing that I'm most interested in, though, is the task of keeping our various democracies secure. Of ending the uncivil war. Of not giving authoritarians reign over the US, the UK or (ideally) any other country.

So for me (I'm not trying to speak for others), the raison d'être of these threads has been keeping an eye on the attempt to create an authoritarian state, and the attempt to swing the US to the far-right which is closely bound with that.

These threads have many aspects, but are (for me) essentially single topic – very much like the Westminstenders threads which have primarily been about how the government of the day handles Brexit.

If I got a choice, I think those are the sort of threads I'd like to see going forwards.

Also, I don't think any of us have expressed an interest in a simple cheerleader thread for some glorious leader, just because he's wearing our team strip rather than the other one! I haven't noticed any appetite for merely partisan threads.

I expect to disagree hugely with the new US government on many things. I always do! And the UK govt too – regardless of who's in power. Representing, as they do, a country which is more economically rightwing in general than many others, the Dems are more to the right than a UK moderate lefty like myself. So I would be utterly astonished if I found myself agreeing with them all the time.

So for me at least, I would be interested in these threads continuing around the topic of repairing and maintaining a healthy democracy.

I'm afraid that may mean giving more attention than one might like to the orange attention-thief.grin Because bringing him to book for the ways in which attempted to overthrow democracy, or just plain ol' broke the law in ways which damage the presidency (emoluments clause, I'm looking at you), will be part of that.

For now, though, I think we're absolutely right to give attention to POTUS, President Biden of the United States, and the Vice-President, Kamala Harris, who looks like she's going to part of a collaborative team.

It's important to keep an eye on what President Biden does to repair the damage to the institutions. It's important to make sure there isn't further damage.

And sadly, it will be important to give some attention – some of the time – to the behaviour of Trumpies, particularly the behind the scenes ones.

Mittens030869 · 24/01/2021 14:52

Thank you for the new thread. X

FionaMacCool · 24/01/2021 14:55

PMK

Lweji · 24/01/2021 15:00

Thank you. :)

I think these threads will need to follow the exP until the end of the trial in the Senate at least.
While I'll always be interested in US politics, because they have a wider impact, I'm not sure I'll be interested enough to keep a similar close eye on the Biden Administration. But then, the threads don't need to go at such fast pace.

Roussette · 24/01/2021 15:08

Perking I agree with you and your manifesto Grin Hope I didn't jump the gun starting a thread, just saw the post numbers and went for it.

I think we are all still living in the aftermath of 6th January so for me democracy is at the forefront of everything. Which is why I'm glad I mentioned Navalny and Russia. I would encourage everyone to watch this if you can spare the time. It's sobering as to what might have been.
It is long, the last 12 minutes are particularly shocking. All of Putin's family, girlfriends, children, extended family, .... with a yacht, a private aeroplane, luxury apartments and so on.
Navalny quotes Leo Tolstoy's words...
The villains who robbed the people gathered together, recruited soldiers and judges to guard their orgy, and are feasting

What might have been in the US if Trump had had his way.

I make no apology for linking it again in case anyone missed it on the previous thread.

OP posts:
lifeturnsonadime · 24/01/2021 15:10

I've been reading the last few pages of the last thread but i haven't commented. Can someone please help me understand this?

Biden has put Bernie in charge of the Senate Budget Committee
a really good move
he can absolutely hold the palm greasers to account
and hit the equality and distribution agenda
without impeding Biden
while staying true to his principles
and generally being Bernie

Does this suggest that this somehow moderates the impact of the EO on women's rights? I'm not sure how that can be the case?

I thought that Bernie leant further to the left, as in more pro inclusion of trans at expense of women's spaces, than Biden? How does the appointment of Bernie to this role appease fears?

I may be missing something but I'm not sure.

Women's rights is really complex in the US as trans people do not currently have the same protections as they do here, we have the Equality Act which sets out both Transgender and sex based protections.

Clearly in the US Transgender people must be given the right not to be discriminated against in respect of employment etc. but Bernie Sanders' and Biden's position on this goes further than our legislation.

I have read on Twitter that there will be a women's march on this issue in March this year.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 24/01/2021 15:12

Thank you for the new thread, Roussette.

That manifesto seems to me to make very good sense, Perking, so long as there is also room in the thread for occasional cake, snow, kittens, pictures of strange trees and the like. Occasional.

FATEdestiny · 24/01/2021 15:16

.

PerkingFaintly · 24/01/2021 15:21

Thank you, thank you for starting new thread, Roussette.Smile

I was a bit concerned I was going to hit "post" and find "This thread is not accepting new messages"...Shock

PerkingFaintly · 24/01/2021 15:26

room in the thread for occasional cake, snow, kittens, pictures of strange trees

You mean there are threads that exist without these things?Shock

I clearly never hang out on those.Grin

Zebracat · 24/01/2021 15:50

Thanks so much for the thread., from the snowy Midlands, or as Radio 4 would have it “ the furthest south of the North”. Loved the Putin video, my understanding is that like Trump, Putin does have a devoted following, so they may think such lavishness is appropriate. Although it does seem that the scales are beginning to fall from the eyes of ordinary Americans, from polling his approval rating is now under 30%. I can’t seem to post links today, but that was from the wonderful Heather Cox Richardson, whose daily letter from America in my inbox is another gift from this thread.

FridayNightAtTheBronze · 24/01/2021 15:57

Many thanks for the new thread!

DGRossetti · 24/01/2021 16:16

Hopefully the new president will issue 49 orders to commute existing death penalties to life imprisonment, so any successor has less lives to play with and might have to stick to pulling the legs off flies.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 24/01/2021 16:25

That sounds a very good plan, DGR. Or even fifty, if the appeal someone is making doesn't go through.

Nice round number, fifty.

Cacacoisfarraige · 24/01/2021 16:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DGRossetti · 24/01/2021 16:48

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime

That sounds a very good plan, DGR. Or even fifty, if the appeal someone is making doesn't go through.

Nice round number, fifty.

Commutations are not pardons ...
DuncinToffee · 24/01/2021 16:49

Checking in, we had some decent snow today but it is melting now.

Swipe left for the next trending thread