Five Orders

 Don't feel sorry for me at all. I missed getting screwed by this by a whopping $0.67.

There were four "executive orders" signed by Trump over the weekend. Well, actually three were only memos and the one that actually is an executive order doesn't put money in anyone's pocket (and in fact makes it worse).

Actually, there were FIVE orders, but one of them only became public today. I'll get to that in a moment.

The one everyone is talking about is of course the addition of $400 to the unemployment benefits everyone gets, provided that the states pay for it up front, congress agrees to reimburse the states, and the money comes from FEMA just as Hurricane Season starts up. That one was a memo, by the way.

The other one everyone is talking about is the temporary stoppage of the payroll tax - for which I make $0.67 per week too much to qualify for. That's okay by me. The tax is only deferred - it's still going to be due by April 15, 2021. The difference is that I'm still (maybe) going to get a refund. Everyone still working who makes less than I do probably won't. Oh, and if it becomes permanent,. as Trump suggested, Social Security ends almost immediately, because that's how it's funded. This one was also a memo.

He ordered Student Loan Payments suspended until January. That's all fine and dandy, but the money is still owed. Oh, and you also have to apply for it, and show hardship. This one is ALSO a memo.

The executive order: You should read it. He spends the entire first paragraph bashing the Chinese. It states that it shall be the U.S. policy to try to prevent evictions. To consider halting them on a case-by-case basis. No evictions have as of yet been halted. And on those case by case basis the first consideration is to CONSIDER financial aid, not halt evictions. While it is an executive order, it doesn't actually DO anything.

And I held this one off until last, the 5th "order" was to tell states that they are to resume "normal" operations regarding SNAP (what we used to call food stamps). A general waiver/expansion was granted to give states flexibility on who qualifies for SNAP, and as a result the number of people in the country who use the program increased 17%. 6 Million People who now had access to food they had lost due to the pandemic. The states have been ordered to go back to a pre-COVID-19 footing by September 1, 2020.

So what is the end result of Trump's orders? The removal of tax relief in 2021, evictions, an increase in Student Debt, a racist screed against China, and soon to follow, BREAD LINES. It's been 100 years since we've really seen those on a massive scale. We're about to again, unless Congress acts - which they probably won't.

Allow me to amend that: The Senate probably won't. The House passed their part of the bill back in April.

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On another front.

I have no room in my life for mean people. Angry, sure. Committed, certainly. Opposed to my own ideas, of course. But not mean. This is just mean.

If you still can find yourself supporting this administration, kindly fuck off. You've killed this country, and I want no part of you.

When I was a child we were proud try at least claim to be the greatest nation on Earth. We're not anymore. We don't even break the top 50. And it's their fucking fault. We are an empire in decline, and our current Nero will be remembered as the capstone that brought it to an end. Our 40 year decline is nearly complete.

I don't know how to teach any of you not to be a dick. I've tried, and have changed not a single thing. The dicks are still dicks, and the good people are still good. I have not one person in my life who is middle ground, regardless of political affiliation. I have Republican friends, believe it or not.

But at this point we are no longer trying to prevent the destruction of the American way of life; that's already come and gone. Everyone says that they would stand up and prevent this country becoming Fascist. Instead, we all just watched and it slid into our pockets.

We need to make a decision on what AMERICA will be NEXT.

Because if this continues, I want no part of that either. There are plenty of better places to live.

And because I love you, this: