He signed off on a handful of bills that reinflated a depressed economy one more time, while the quality of life in the US continued to decay. Then he threw vast fortunes away on Silicon Valley boondoggles and foreign military interventions, while climate change ravaged the interior of the country. Finally, he cemented a swath of Trump Era policy on immigration, Latin American foreign policy, abortion, and voting rights through a combination of continued reinforcement and inaction.

And to top it all off, he insisted on running in a virtually uncontested primary, then fumbled the nomination to his woefully unprepared VP a few months before the election.

One final point. If you look at states that have increased their reliance on revenue from fossil fuel extraction and you look at states that trended more conservative during the last eight years, you'll find a troubling trend. O&G money has been powering the GOP since Reagan. But every subsequent Democrat in office has worked to make the industry more lucrative for businesses that conspire towards their ouster. Its been a recipe for defeat for a generation. Also, not terrible good for ecological conditions or foreign policy.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Biden shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline, funded countless green power expansions.

Biden protected forests made vulnerable by the previous Trump admin, protected streams again, and got the EPA back in shape after the previous admin had a Coal Lobbyist running it.

Biden rescheduled Marijuana, pardoned hundreds of nonviolent marijuana convictions.

Biden attempted three different times to cancel all student debts but in the end only managed to get the SAVE plans enacted.

Biden increased access to healthcare.

Biden signed into law a Same Sex marriage bill.

Biden's "inaction" on abortion is actually nothing to do with Biden but the fault of a stacked SCOTUS and deadlocked congress.

Biden did happily endorse a border security bill, but the Biden admin also condemned Texas barbwire fences along the river and instead wants to process immigrants and only persecute criminal immigrants. The previous Trump admin went after everyone, ironically letting the actual criminals run free as resources were wasted elsewhere.

Netanyahu came to Washington DC to beg for more aid because it was drying up. Despite decades of support from Biden, he was very restrained with how much he offered Israel and instead sent Naval vessels to provide aid to Palestinians. He has repeatedly told Netanyahu in public and in private, according to leaks, to end this war.

Under Biden the FTC has given out record breaking fines and prevented massive mergers.

Biden was not a great president but he was a good fucking president.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Biden shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline

Federal data show the Biden administration approved 6,430 permits for oil and gas drilling on public lands in its first two years, outpacing the Trump administration’s 6,172 drilling-permit approvals in its first two years. The Biden administration’s policy of fossil fuel expansion contradicts the clear climate science that fossil fuel growth must be stopped and governments must phase out fossil fuels to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.

Biden protected forests made vulnerable by the previous Trump admin

Biden officials intend to reject a blanket prohibition on old-growth logging that’s long been sought by some environmentalists. Officials concluded that such a sweeping ban would make it harder to thin forests to better protect communities against wildfires that have grown more severe as the planet has warmed.

Biden attempted three different times to cancel all student debts

Joe Biden’s Role in Creating the Student Debt Crisis Stretches Back to the 1970s

Etc.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I can't imagine being pro-wildfire.

Or thinking Biden's actions 50 years ago are a negative mark on his presidency.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I can’t imagine being pro-wildfire.

Then you'll love living in a desert.

Or thinking Biden’s actions 50 years ago are a negative mark on his presidency.

Asking the fox to guard the hen house for the fifth year in a row, hoping for different results.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'd easily give that specific fox 4 more years given the choice we were given, but I'm willing to admit it was a pretty low bar to clear. Are you saying you disagree with the Biden's Green Power expansion, that you disagree with his attempts to end student debts?

Its starting to sound like your policy stances are that of a Trump supporter.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Are you saying you disagree with the Biden’s Green Power expansion

I disagree with his fossil fuel expansion. The green power plan is being promoted, first and foremost, by market dynamics as wind/solar drop below coal/oil and the demand for AI continuous power reignites nuclear.

But our actual carbon emissions aren't falling. We're producing more carbon today than when Biden took office. And the demand for electricity means even more fossil fuel consumption into the future.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Okay but I already said he could have done more with my very first comment, we're not here to talk about the things he didn't do. He at least offered the fewest Offshore Leases of any recent administration and instead the administration invested about 70 Million USD into offshore wind projects, four such commercial projects should be operational sometime next year.

While automakers made a fool of his administrations fuel economy standards by simply making larger vehicles that don't fall under the regulations, his administration did clearly make an attempt to increase fuel economy of gas vehicles. He also provided new tax credits for purchased EVs and made efforts to replace all federal vehicles with electric.

Again, he could have done more. I think a lot of his plans fell short or outright failed. But he was a good president.

[–] MachineFab812@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

No, no he wasn't. If he were a better president, we wouldn't be in this predicament. The best thing he did was drop out of this race, and still, his policies left so much to be desired, that Harris lost the popular vote AND the race.

I voted Harris, by the way.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

We're mostly in this predicament because of propaganda, because the DNC made wealthy people and foreign adversaries their enemies while Trump felated them. The bad things you've heard about Biden were put in front of you by the power of money.

[–] MachineFab812@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Sure, sure. The problem is not enough pandering, handouts and concessions to the ultra-rich and .. checks notes ... foreign enemies?

Okay, I can't even remotely keep a straight face for that non-sense. Whatever's replaced the fentanyl in your dealer's weed supply, I think I might rather be dead than smoke it with you.

Unless maybe you mean China? ... but if so, why repeat the "enemy" narrative?

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I wouldn't call the reasons the problem, per se, I would blame people for being too stupid and falling for it. Still, eliminating Chinese run social media campaigns and psyops, as well as Russian influence including Elon Musk's network, would definitely have changed this election outcome.

[–] MachineFab812@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Same things Hillary's book said. No amount of reduced foreign propoganda will make up for shit policies. If the propoganda against you is spouting as many truths and lies as you are, its your own damn fault.

What Israel is doing in Gaza and the West Bank is genocide. Private Prisons and Deportation Facilities are evil. Private Healthcare is a waste of taxpayer money. Student Loans are an unconscionable trap. All of these are things Biden's party, even Biden himself, foisted on us decades ago and continue to lie about to this day on multiple levels.

Pizza-gate was a quaint joke of a lie by comparison to the shit sandwich the DNC demands we swallow in excange for keeping the oligarchy/fascism we've had all along behind closed doors. So sad for you that our governments rhetoric will now openly boast about the things you've been comfortable with all along.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Hillary blamed misogyny and Bernie Sanders so I wouldn't call that a very good comparison.

EDIT: Also, Clinton actually won the popular vote, unlike Harris.

[–] MachineFab812@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 week ago

The only significant policy change between the two was the legalization of weed. Can't tell me its the weed that made Harris less popular. In the end, she got my vote, where Hillary didn't, and still lost. Decades of conservative-lite policy momentum is a helluva stank, it turns out.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

First of all, it's not your fault. There already is a lot of people on Lemmy trying to blame ourselves for what happened while the R's are legally cheating every which way you turn. We probably don't even know the half of it. It's not our fault, the end. If you voted for Harris, you did well.

Also, stop looking at the big picture and take care of your family and friends while sticking together. Us being in distress is good for them to make democracy end that much easier. Take care of yourself and family, the government will not. I mean it, support each other.

If people are being shitty and wanting us to fight inwards, ignore it, downvote it, and move on. Don't fall for the trap.

Accept that half of our voting population doesn't care about anyone but themselves. Those people, just ignore them. Let them whine and cry when they get shit on too. Keep all of that energy for yourself and the people who you need to support and protect.

You're going to have to consider this a hostile takeover from the far-right, white nationalists, *billionaires, Russia and China. Buckle up.

[–] molten@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

We will be okay. We WILL.

We're going to be fine. Make sure to stay close with any vulnerable friends (lgbtqia+, immigrants, people with darker skin.) And if you fit into any of those categories try to really connect with your community and your neighborhood for safety. Our personal bonds will be very important.

But really, nothing is going to change for a while. The trumpers who voted for him are still going to be working their shitty dead end jobs pretending they saved America with nothing changing or getting better for them. We're still going to be working and worrying and preparing for the worst but things will similarly not change for us. It's mostly going to be the rich getting richer and regulation dying.

There will be deportations. It will mostly be for undocumented people. If you know any undocumented "illegal" immigrants or children of them try to make sure you have a way to contact them because things will be messy for them. There will be hate and more hate crime.

Most of what trump wants is money and praise. He probably doesn't really care about anything else. Those are just voter issues and the people who voted him in come third if at all.

Just stay close to people if you can. Your best safety net is people who can vouch for you and vulnerable peoples best protection is you vouching for them and being there if they need something. W