Biden strengthens Buy American rules!

[gounion]

So, we'll see what our righties, Joe, Glenn and Green Grass have to say to attack Biden on this, because we know they will:

President Joe Biden on Friday announced his administration finalized a new Buy American rule aimed at helping to boost US domestic manufacturing, an increasingly important effort as the country strives to compete with China and create more resilient domestic supply chains.
The Buy American rule change, which was first announced in July 2021, will require any goods purchased with taxpayer money to contain 75% US-made content, up from the current 55% requirement.

In remarks from the White House, the President also touted an announcement from Siemens USA that it will expand its domestic manufacturing of electrical equipment, like circuit boards for EV chargers, with a new $54 million investment that it says will create 300 jobs.

When we've tried to put in higher US content for even military procurement, the GOP has fought it tooth and nail. Again, why? Care to answer, righties?

[ZoWie]

The model of economics that took hold in the Ray Gun dark age is just as unsustainable now as it was then, and still based on bad research that has since had its conclusions revised. Supply side economics are balderdash. It's all based on equations churned by academic types, and it turns out that some of the math was even done wrong. Biden has come right out and called the whole thing a bunch of the familiar brown substance, which is one more reason I like him.

World trade as currently envisioned is not trade at all. It's a nicer word for outsourcing and offshoring to lower labor costs by compromising national resilience.

Obviously, we've had the inevitable rude awakening, and most countries including this one are giving domestic sourcing a second look. That's no cure-all either, but it finally restores a modicum of capability when international trade is disrupted, as it inevitably will be on occasion. It also rewards actual making instead of moving capital around.

Thanks for small favors.

[Libertas]

Good. Patriotic.

[Motor City]

But much of the American employers are hostile and abusive towards workers. Record greed and contempt for workers along with a perversely taxpayer funded business community has created a hostile abusive community highly invested in making themselves secure from the natural consequences of such actions and provided them with an ever-growing pot of idle money to attack the workers and
democracy with.

[ZoWie]

Indeed, American employers, like employers everywhere, love to lower the cost of labor. Exploitation, unfortunately, is good business, and the privileged class doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. This is hardly new. We thought we were finally moving beyond class struggle and all that moldy 20th century economic philosophy, but corporate consolidation and offshoring/outsourcing seem to have put us right back there. Worse, we have those same very old and nasty racial issues as part of the problem. Not a good look for us.

[JoeMemphis]

Indeed, American employers, like employers everywhere, love to lower the cost of labor. Exploitation, unfortunately, is good business, and the privileged class doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. This is hardly new. We thought we were finally moving beyond class struggle and all that moldy 20th century economic philosophy, but corporate consolidation and offshoring/outsourcing seem to have put us right back there. Worse, we have those same very old and nasty racial issues as part of the problem. Not a good look for us.

Lowering the cost of production isn’t necessarily exploration.

[Libertas]

Indeed, American employers, like employers everywhere, love to lower the cost of labor. Exploitation, unfortunately, is good business, and the privileged class doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. This is hardly new. We thought we were finally moving beyond class struggle and all that moldy 20th century economic philosophy, but corporate consolidation and offshoring/outsourcing seem to have put us right back there. Worse, we have those same very old and nasty racial issues as part of the problem. Not a good look for us.

Stupid greedy fucks, eventually nobody will be able to buy the products.

[Bludogdem]

“ Two conditions must be present for the Buy American Act to apply: (1) the procurement must be intended for public use within the United States; and (2) the items to be procured or the materials from which they are manufactured must be present in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities of a satisfactory quality. The provisions of the act may be waived if the head of the procuring agency determines the act to be inconsistent with the public interest or the cost of acquiring the domestic product is unreasonable. Contracts awarded by State and local authorities under Federal grant programs are not covered by the act unless authorizing statutes explicitly provide for application of the act. Problems in administering the act involve definitions of "substantially all" of the components and definitions of "manufactured in the United States."

https://www.gao.gov/products/105519

Executive Order without teeth.

[Motor City]

Lowering the cost of production isn’t necessarily exploration.

yea its way past mere exploitation and as we have seen during the pandemic costs a whole lot more to do things this way to underpay overwork terrorize and worry workers to death.

[JoeMemphis]

yea its way past mere exploitation and as we have seen during the pandemic costs a whole lot more to do things this way to underpay overwork terrorize and worry workers to death.

So do you think that state and local governments should have fired workers who didn’t comply with vaccine mandates. Many of those folks were considered essential workers in the first year of the pandemic. Do you think the government should encourage private business to force employees to get vaccinated at risk of losing their job? I’m all for vaccinations. I am just not for forcing employees to make those types of decisions at risk of their jobs. Isn’t that a form of terrorism of employees?

Now that according to the President we ought to see Covid for what it is and stop playing politics. Now that he wants to return to normal and everyone go back to work, do you think he should call upon these businesses to rehire those workers? I mean if we all want to get back to work and play nice, wouldn’t that be a good start?

[gounion]

“ Two conditions must be present for the Buy American Act to apply: (1) the procurement must be intended for public use within the United States; and (2) the items to be procured or the materials from which they are manufactured must be present in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities of a satisfactory quality. The provisions of the act may be waived if the head of the procuring agency determines the act to be inconsistent with the public interest or the cost of acquiring the domestic product is unreasonable. Contracts awarded by State and local authorities under Federal grant programs are not covered by the act unless authorizing statutes explicitly provide for application of the act. Problems in administering the act involve definitions of "substantially all" of the components and definitions of "manufactured in the United States."

https://www.gao.gov/products/105519

Executive Order without teeth.

So your saying you want for us to continue to outsource our production, right?

Why do you want that?

And if we didn't have Republicans always blocking such legislation that's for the good of the American people, then would could have laws with real teeth. We can see which side you're on.

[gounion]

Lowering the cost of production isn’t necessarily exploration.

You make no sense whatsoever, as usual.

But it sounds like you're against American manufacturing. As usual.

[Motor City]

So do you think that state and local governments should have fired workers who didn’t comply with vaccine mandates. Many of those folks were considered essential workers in the first year of the pandemic. Do you think the government should encourage private business to force employees to get vaccinated at risk of losing their job? I’m all for vaccinations. I am just not for forcing employees to make those types of decisions at risk of their jobs. Isn’t that a form of terrorism of employees?

Now that according to the President we ought to see Covid for what it is and stop playing politics. Now that he wants to return to normal and everyone go back to work, do you think he should call upon these businesses to rehire those workers? I mean if we all want to get back to work and play nice, wouldn’t that be a good start?

Sure but its aligned with the toxic employment administrators practices which are the blueprint for most work places today. I dont think it was necessary its just that there is so much shallowness and rigidity governing employment that it is inevitable whether you have conservative democrats or republicans in charge. better would have been to air it out publicly debate it inform the public, but corruption, arrogance and untrustworthiness cant exactly turn on a dime. Cant engage in misinformation and disinformation constantly and then gain peoples trust and confidence a day later. I dont think people should be subjected to dangerous workplace during a pandemic that could kill them or their loved ones from passing it on either. So rather than this system that is built to abuse, exploit, and terrorize workers we need a new that is made with care and dignity and balance that can be relied upon in times like these.

[gounion]

Isn’t that a form of terrorism of employees?

This is why no one buys your bullshit crap about being a reasonable conservative. NO it’s not “terrorism”. Why don’t you look up what terrorism REALLY is.

You guys are such baby snowflakes. You astonish need. Can’t anyone talk about past slavery or Jim Crow, because it might make you feel bad. Of course, you can go after gays or trans people and you don’t give a fuck for their feelings.

Grow the fuck up Joe, and while you’re at it grow a pair. Wearing a mask is not being subject to terrorism.

[ZoWie]

A 100-year pandemic and a major ground war in the same three year period, both unthinkable four years ago, and some people around here still think the economic system is just fine the way it is.

I'm more inclined to believe that we're all experiencing its death trauma. Everywhere you look, something that you were told was the ultimate solution to all the world's problems is malfunctioning. The simple reaction to all this is denial, and that appears to be 90% of what Internet cowboy philosophers want us to believe.

Only one problem with all these conspiratorial complicated explanations of simple issues. That problem is that they won't make it go away. It doesn't help.

[JoeMemphis]

This is why no one buys your bullshit crap about being a reasonable conservative. NO it’s not “terrorism”. Why don’t you look up what terrorism REALLY is.

You guys are such baby snowflakes. You astonish need. Can’t anyone talk about past slavery or Jim Crow, because it might make you feel bad. Of course, you can go after gays or trans people and you don’t give a fuck for their feelings.

Grow the fuck up Joe, and while you’re at it grow a pair. Wearing a mask is not being subject to terrorism.

Learn to read. I did not bring up terrorism. That was the term used by the other poster. Maybe you should direct your lecture about word choice to them.

[JoeMemphis]

Sure but its aligned with the toxic employment administrators practices which are the blueprint for most work places today. I dont think it was necessary its just that there is so much shallowness and rigidity governing employment that it is inevitable whether you have conservative democrats or republicans in charge. better would have been to air it out publicly debate it inform the public, but corruption, arrogance and untrustworthiness cant exactly turn on a dime. Cant engage in misinformation and disinformation constantly and then gain peoples trust and confidence a day later. I dont think people should be subjected to dangerous workplace during a pandemic that could kill them or their loved ones from passing it on either. So rather than this system that is built to abuse, exploit, and terrorize workers we need a new that is made with care and dignity and balance that can be relied upon in times like these.

Well we certainly don’t agree on the toxicity in most workplaces. By that aside, I never had a problem with folks who didn’t feel safe in the workplace working remotely or wearing a mask to protect themselves or getting a vaccination(s) to protect themselves. That always made sense to me. That was their right. But the flip side of that was forcing other workers to get vaccinated at risk of losing their job. I think both you and I agree that it would have been much better to educate and inform rather than mandate.

Now that this is all over and we are in an endemic phase, doesn’t it make sense to give those people their jobs back without loss of seniority. What purpose is served by punishing them for making a decision regarding their own health?

[JoeMemphis]

A 100-year pandemic and a major ground war in the same three year period, both unthinkable four years ago, and some people around here still think the economic system is just fine the way it is.

I'm more inclined to believe that we're all experiencing its death trauma. Everywhere you look, something that you were told was the ultimate solution to all the world's problems is malfunctioning. The simple reaction to all this is denial, and that appears to be 90% of what Internet cowboy philosophers want us to believe.

Only one problem with all these conspiratorial complicated explanations of simple issues. That problem is that they won't make it go away. It doesn't help.

I don’t recall anyone claiming our economic system as the ultimate solution. I think anything done by humans isn’t foolproof or perfect. I just haven’t seen another economic system that works better.

[ProfX]

What Motor is talking about in terms of "terrorizing" employees is other stuff he usually discusses... horrible overwork-scheduling, seizing overtime pay while mandating overtime, poor work safety and conditions, etc.

So, the only thing I will point out; employers have a responsibility to protect their employees. The tricky problem is how to do that when the threat to their health could be other employees, infecting them with an infectious disease - or customers. Most employers (who took measures) told employees get vax'd or agree to be tested regularly and I think that was fair. If they said no to both, they were fired.

MHO: I think now that we are shifting to "endemic" some of those rules should be relaxed. Should they be rehired? Well: as a certain Ikean noted, whether any of us like it or not, this is an at-will employment system. Your employer can fire you because he doesn't like your jokes, or for no reason at all. Do I agree with that, either? No, but I didn't set up that system. I think it sucks. But it was also the reality before COVID.

[gounion]

A 100-year pandemic and a major ground war in the same three year period, both unthinkable four years ago, and some people around here still think the economic system is just fine the way it is.

I'm more inclined to believe that we're all experiencing its death trauma. Everywhere you look, something that you were told was the ultimate solution to all the world's problems is malfunctioning. The simple reaction to all this is denial, and that appears to be 90% of what Internet cowboy philosophers want us to believe.

Only one problem with all these conspiratorial complicated explanations of simple issues. That problem is that they won't make it go away. It doesn't help.

You always blame someone else. I can read fine. I quoted YOU. YOUR WORDS. You asked the question if it was terrorism. Well, Joe, you should know the answer is NO.

And if you go back to the post, he was talking about terrorizing workers. That is not terrorism, dipshit. Although they want to terrorize you, are the makers of scary movies terrorists? You may need to take some bonehead English yourself, Bub.

Take responsibility for yourself, no one made you write that.

You show us that there IS something known as a stupid question.

[carmenjonze]

You show us that there IS something known as a stupid question.

JoeMemphis is the dumbest person on this board, even dumber than Glennfs.

It's always the conservative white males who are the dumbest people in the room, and it's not even a matter of personal intelligence levels. They actively choose this for themselves, which I find really weird, but whatever.

He is dumb enough to believe whatever lies told to him, and then dutifully repeat them in an effort to try and prove this or that. Like the rest of these cons and their fellow travelers around here, they choose to be this dumb. They don't have to be this dumb.

[Number6]

So do you think that state and local governments should have fired workers who didn’t comply with vaccine mandates. Many of those folks were considered essential workers in the first year of the pandemic. Do you think the government should encourage private business to force employees to get vaccinated at risk of losing their job? I’m all for vaccinations. I am just not for forcing employees to make those types of decisions at risk of their jobs. Isn’t that a form of terrorism of employees?

Is it terrorism of employees to require employees to wear respirators in an auto painting facility? Is it terrorism of employees to require them to wear hearing protection in a noisy plant? Is it terrorism of employees to require them to wear protective gloves while handling dangerous chemicals?

Requiring government employees to be vaccinated to protect their health and the health of others around them as well as the public they serve isn't an unreasonable requirement.

[JoeMemphis]

Is it terrorism of employees to require employees to wear respirators in an auto painting facility? Is it terrorism of employees to require them to wear hearing protection in a noisy plant? Is it terrorism of employees to require them to wear protective gloves while handling dangerous chemicals?

Requiring government employees to be vaccinated to protect their health and the health of others around them as well as the public they serve isn't an unreasonable requirement.

It’s a matter of perspective. Typically employees decide on what shots/vaccinations to get. There are some exceptions. But the question was now that the pandemic is ending and we all seek to return to “normal”, why not rehire those workers with no loss of seniority?

[Number6]

JoeMemphis is the dumbest person on this board, even dumber than Glennfs.

I disagree. Joe is smart enough to use more words to say nothing or to be ambiguous so he doesn't have to take a position on an issue. glenn just parrots, without thinking, what he told.

It's always the conservative white males who are the dumbest people in the room, and it's not even a matter of personal intelligence levels. They actively choose this for themselves, which I find really weird, but whatever.

The thing about being the dumbest people in the world the only thing they have in common is being dumb. It's the only time conservative republicans don't discriminate on dumbness and they welcome all dumb people regardless of their race, color, creed, sexual orientation, etc....

He is dumb enough to believe whatever lies told to him, and then dutifully repeat them in an effort to try and prove this or that. Like the rest of these cons and their fellow travelers around here, they choose to be this dumb. They don't have to be this dumb.

He's smart enough to rephrase what he's told but he's dumb because he's bought into what he's told.

[carmenjonze]

So do you think that state and local governments should have fired workers who didn’t comply with vaccine mandates.

State and local governments should can state and local government workers who did not comply with mandates, yes.

Many of those folks were considered essential workers in the first year of the pandemic.

Do you think the government should encourage private business to force employees to get vaccinated at risk of losing their job?

Yes.

As a person who is supposedly a "local control" conservative, you should agree.

You're weasel-wording the government, by the way. If you're talking about federal, state, or local government, you haven't made that clear.

It might also interest you to know that in my city, private businesses are still keeping mask and vaccination mandates in their places of business, and most places you go in the city, people are still masking and social distancing.

It's not not because we're all commies or tree-hugging birkenstock tech bro yuppies, here. It's because this is a city with close to 1 million people in it in a 7 mile by 7 mile radius.

One would think you slavedriving "states rights" advocates would be the first to get this application of "states rights" and private enterprise, but you're still too wrapped up in arguing that it was the Civil War that was about "states rights," I guess.

I’m all for vaccinations. I am just not for forcing employees to make those types of decisions at risk of their jobs. Isn’t that a form of terrorism of employees?

Now that according to the President we ought to see Covid for what it is and stop playing politics. Now that he wants to return to normal and everyone go back to work, do you think he should call upon these businesses to rehire those workers? I mean if we all want to get back to work and play nice, wouldn’t that be a good start?

lmao

You guys are a bunch of wannabe slavedrivers. Since when do cons care about employees or "terrorism" of employees?