Immigration: A Look At How Trump & Biden Handled It

"We’re excited to share the first conversation in our WITHpod 2024: The Stakes series. For the first time since 1892, we have an election in which both candidates have presidential records, which provides a unique opportunity to cut through messaging and rhetoric and culture war flotsam and actually take a hard look at what each man has actually done as president. On The Stakes, WITHPod will choose specific areas of policy -- immigration, taxes, climate -- and talk to an expert about the two candidates' records on the topic. We’re starting with one of the highest salience and most complex policy areas: immigration. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, joins to unpack immigration policies under Trump vs. Biden, border enforcement, the state of the asylum system and more."

I have posted previously about the fact that Immigration is not only good for the USA, but is needed (link). The above series of podcasts begins with the issue that polls show is the number one topic for Republicans. Click on the link below for the stated podcast:

The Stakes of Immigration

No, Only One Major US Political Party Is "Small D" Democratic

"The conservative movement, born in opposition to an overwhelmingly popular New Deal order, has always taken a dim view of popular self-government. But the American right’s latent contempt for democracy has grown more unabashed in recent years. As its white, rural, Christian base has rapidly lost demographic weight; as the GOP has lost the popular vote in seven of eight presidential elections; as conservatives have managed to retain outsize influence over public policy on the strength of their coalition’s overrepresentation in Congress and on the Supreme Court; and, of course, as Donald Trump turned hostility to the peaceful transfer of power into a litmus test for conservative purity, the Republican Party has become a forthrightly anti-democratic political institution."

Click on the link below for a presentation of the history of the Republican and Democratic Parties since the US Depression supporting the claim of this post:

The Democratic Party is America’s only small-d democratic party.

Antisemitism: It's Not Partisan But, - - -

"Concern about antisemitism in the U.S. has grown following recent rises in deadly assaults, vandalism, and harassment. Public accounts of antisemitism have focused on both the ideological right and left, suggesting a “horseshoe theory” in which the far left and the far right hold a common set of anti-Jewish prejudicial attitudes that distinguish them from the ideological center. However, there is little quantitative research evaluating left-wing versus right-wing antisemitism. We conducted several experiments on an original survey of 3500 U.S. adults, including an oversample of young adults. We oversampled young adults because unlike other forms of prejudice that are more common among older people, antisemitism is theorized to be more common among younger people. Contrary to the expectation of horseshoe theory, the data show the epicenter of antisemitic attitudes is young adults on the far right."

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"Right-wing antisemitism and left-wing antisemitism are not identical. In the far-right mentality, Jews are viewed as people pretending to be white—“a faux-white race that has tainted America”13—or disloyal white people—“the ultimate betrayers of the white race” (Weiss, 2019, 68). American Jews are distinctive in that they are high in socioeconomic status and mostly identify as white, but unlike others with those attributes, they are liberal in their social views and supportive of racial equality and immigration (Smith and Schapiro 2019; Smith 2013). Prior work has argued that American Jewish liberalism is not a coincidence, but in fact, a political manifestation of Jewish identity—the distinct history of Jewish oppression may have led to prioritizing equality and support for marginalized groups (Forman 1998; Brodkin 1998). Conservatives might feel negatively towards Jews if they perceive Jewish religious values to be in direct conflict with their preferred conservative policy stances."

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"Research on left-wing antisemitism suggests some commonalities with antisemitism on the right. As mentioned, populism and anti-capitalism may trigger anti-Jewish tropes and scapegoating on the left just as on the right. The political left—typically sympathetic to oppressed minorities—may see Jews not as an oppressed religious group but instead as oppressors due to stereotypes of Jews’ involvement in capitalism or to solidarity with Palestinians in the Israel/Palestine conflict (Lerner 1992)."

Click on the link below for the results of recent research regarding this "othering" thinking and behavior:

Antisemitic Attitudes Across the Ideological Spectrum

Liberal Consensus: What Has Ruled The USA (In Spite Of Conservatives)

"Heather Cox Richardson, a Boston College history professor and author of the 'Letters From An American,' newsletter, joins Preet to discuss her new book, 'Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America.' They discuss the origins of the terms 'liberal' and 'conservative,' a 1937 anti-FDR manifesto that presaged today’s GOP ideology, and the ways in which the nation might move beyond the chaos of the Trump years."

Click on the link below for a history of the battle with conservatives and how the "Liberal Consensus" is still alive:

Democracy Awakened

"Black And White"

The USA is ideologically divided into mainly polar opposites presently and tends to look at the other political party through "black-and-white" opinions: the "Other" is evil and my party is the savior of the world. What is the truth? Where are you looking to find it? What is your thought process in understanding reality? This blog offers a science-based approach to answering these most important questions. If you disagree, please present a better tool, considering the following: 

• The naked human brain's perception of reality is flawed.
• Outside of mathematics and logic, human knowledge is uncertain, thus, we have to turn to what is most probable.
• The Scientific Method is the best humans have to determine what is probable. There is objective evidence of unrivaled historical human progress utilizing its processes to support this claim.

Looking At US History As An Experiment: Progressivism Wins

Throughout US history there has been a tension between Progressivism and Conservatism. After its independence from England, there were several political parties but the main disagreements were around preserving the status quo versus change. The following reveals why progressivism wins:

The Civil War was fought over preserving slavery versus the abolition of such: conservatism lost and progressivism won.

Conservatives resisted entering both World Wars: it lengthened the wars and increased its harmful effects. Rachel Maddow has brilliantly exposed this situation in a series of podcasts. 

It was clearly the progressive ideas and policies of FDR that ended the Great Depression and allowed the democratic allies to win the Second World War. 

The period after the Second World War through the 1960s is widely regarded as the best period in US history (link)(link)(link) due to its application of progressive policies and the willingness of the two major political parties to work together to implement them.

Ever since there has been a gradual erosion of US society BECAUSE of the creeping influence of conservatism through the gradual radicalization of the Republican Party beginning with Nixon. The result is what we have today in the person of Donald Trump. This link puts it in a global perspective.

A Deluded Brain CAN Be Changed!

"Politics isn’t the first to cause structural changes in the brain. More than a decade ago, researchers used brain scans to show that London cab drivers’ gray matter grew larger to help them store a mental map of the city. There more time they spent on the road, the bigger their hippocampi, an area associated with navigation, became.

This implies that despite the political leanings seen through our brains, how we vote—and thus the cause of our political affiliations—may not be set in stone, Schreiber says.

“'If we believe that we’re hardwired for our political views, then it’s really easy for me to discount in you in a conversation. ‘Oh, you’re just a conservative because you have a red brain,’ or ‘Oh, you’re a liberal because you have a blue brain,' Schreiber explains. 'But that’s just not the case. The brain changes. The brain is dynamic.'

Study Predicts Political Beliefs With 83 Percent Accuracy

A Tale Of Two Houses

Once Upon A Time, there were two houses built in a nice neighborhood. They looked alike from the outside but their owners differed in how to manage and improve their homes and neighborhood. One owner (the Arrs) thought that they had all the answers to taking care of their home and didn't care what was happening to the neighborhood at large. They refused the help of neighbors and, when needed, the advice of experts when things broke. The other owner (the Dees) realized that they needed help in maintaining their home. When they needed help, they consulted their neighbors, and experts if such were needed. They also wanted to help the rest of the neighborhood to be as well-maintained as their house. 

As time passed, this is what the two houses looked like:

This lesson is hard to understand if one is not thinking critically, and with empathy.

A Word To The Wise Within The Democratic Party Elite

Click on the link below for a 10-min video exposing the weakness of how the Democratic Party elites communicate with voters. They MUST understand what Beau is saying and change, or nothing will change:

Let's talk about Democratic messaging - - -

The Value Of Reaching Out To The Other Side

In 2020, 31% of voters identified as Democrats, 25% identified as Republicans, and 41% identified as Independents. If you split the Independents down the middle, with 50% voting for either, the Democrats would always win. But that is not what happens. There are more conservatives than progressives in the Independents, thus, the voting is much closer than what would be reflected in a 50 - 50 split. Most rural voters live by progressive economic principles but tend to vote Republican. Why? Could Democrats aren't talking to the rural folks enough and making some wrong assumptions?

Click on this link for a 6-minute video to better understand that the Democrats need to do some serious leg work within the rural communities of the USA to convince that voting segment that the Democratic Party offers more to them. Seems to me that critical thinking skills need to permeate into opinions formed through indoctrination.

Two Opinions On The US Constitution

Republicans persist in defending their view of the US Constitution by claiming that THEY hold to the "Original Intent" of such. Click on the link below for a rebuttal to this view:

Let's talk about original intent and the Constitution

Republicans and Democrats disagree regarding the intent of the Amendments to the US Constitution. Click on the link below for the progressive view of them:

Let's talk about the mythology of amendments

Heros, Empathy, Apathy, And The Brain

"Scott Pelley meets with Carnegie Hero Fund awardees and reports on a possible difference in brain make-up for those who commit heroic acts."

What makes up a hero? Who has what it takes to be one? Are all of us pre-programmed towards empathy or apathy in a life-threatening emergency? Click on the link below for a recent "60 Minutes" segment that presents the latest scientific findings attempting to answer these questions. 

What's in the heads of heroes?

I finish with a serious suggestion for research. Since it is clear to anyone paying attention that there is a huge difference between Democrats and Republicans regarding empathy, select samples of equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans and brain scan them looking for the same findings presented in this "60 Minutes" segment. If there are significant differences, a second/repeat study could be performed on the same subjects after an appropriate educational process of critical thinking and scientific findings regarding the brain and free will.

Universal Basic Income Is A Positive For The Individual And Society

"Sarah Moran joins the program to discuss the benefits of UBI. Universal basic income (UBI) is a cash payment made by the government to all citizens, regardless of income or employment status. One of the key arguments in favor of UBI is that it has a multiplier effect on local economies. When people receive a UBI payment, they are more likely to spend it on goods and services, which in turn boosts demand for those goods and services and leads to increased economic activity. This increased demand can lead to increased production, hiring, and ultimately, economic growth. Additionally, UBI can reduce poverty and income inequality, which can also have positive effects on local economies."

Click on the link before for an enlightening 8-minute video interview regarding this controversial subject:

Why Universal Basic Income Is Great For The Economy Actually

Republican America Is Worse Than Democrat America

Republicans like to lie about the difference between rural Republican areas of the US as compared to the more urban Democratic areas. 

Click on the link below that presents the FACTS that are readily available. Note how they are comparing per capita statistics and not the gross numbers that distort the truth because of the generally less populated areas:

The Truth About Red And Blue USA

The Labor Movement Needs More Support

"Today, we take a look at the labor dispute within our freight rail industry as well as other unionization fights that corporations are vehemently opposing while the Democrats and Biden, the "most pro-labor president ever" are doing precious little to help."

Click on the link below for a podcast presenting the lack of union support from even most Democrats:

The Labor Movement is a Hot Mess

Affirmative Action: The Case for It

"The Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority looks likely to overturn affirmative action -- a significant precedent that for decades allowed universities to consider race in the admissions process. The move would be a disaster, according to two legal scholars and university administrators: Lee Bollinger of Columbia University and Geoffrey Stone of the University of Chicago. They tell Michel Martin why they believe the nation needs more affirmative action, not less."

Click on the link below for an 18-minute video supporting this practice that has been a major reason for less inequality in the US. Please understand that no one I know is talking about admitting non-qualified candidates to elite colleges. Affirmative action is taking many factors into consideration to form a diverse student body in which all can better understand reality.

The End of Affirmative Action Would be a Disaster

Science & The US Major Political Parties

The days of the media being justified in calling for equal coverage of both the Democrats and the Republicans are long gone (if it ever was warranted). Science is the bedrock of societal stability and improvement and only one of these parties respects and promotes it. Below are two links presenting diametrically opposite views on science:

How Trump damaged science — and why it could take decades to recover

The White House on protecting the integrity of government science

Capitalism, Growth, And Human Survival

"Today we take a look at many intertwining economic processes that are permeating society which include but are not limited to the dead-end mentality of infinite growth, the uselessness of growth past a certain point for wellbeing, and the deepening alienation being felt in response to consumerism in place of community."

Poorly regulated capitalism has been the predominant economic force in the developed world since at least the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. A reasonable person presently can look at its results and trend and be alarmed. Click on the link below for a podcast critically looking at economics today and the potentially existential disaster for humanity in the future if the trend does not change:

A Healthier Humanity Through a Wellness Economy

Democrats Have To Expand Their Focus

"Today we take a look at the reasons why Democrats lost rural America and why it's important to make gains outside urban centers through working-class coalitions and a focus on the policy failures of unchecked Republicanism."

It's no secret that over the last few decades the Democrats have been viewed as coastal elites by rural communities. This has to stop if they expect to return as the party of the people. Click on the link below for a podcast episode presenting a very important wake-up call and solutions:

No One Supports the Economic Interests of Rural Americans

Joe Biden: An Interview

 The POTUS is one of the most analyzed individuals in the history of the world. Unfortunately, politics skews the full picture of the person's personality, character, abilities, and motivations. Click on the link below for an excellent interview with Joe Biden. You will know him better after listening to the podcast:

Heather Cox Richardson’s Interview with President Biden