The Biden Observations Thread

[Silent Majority]

The Empire's back, baby! And it's cloaked in its pompous respectability once more.

[Dr. Medulla]

Too soon, man. He'll be disappointing and appalling us soon enough—maybe even surprising once in awhile (I'm a kooky romantic)—so just drink in the removal of a much greater evil.

[Kory]

I might feel more ok about it just as a temporary, this-week-only, let's relax for a sec thing if the internet wasn't completely AWASH in Biden sycophants today. It's already insufferable.

[Mimi]

I don't view him as a savior in any way, but I'm not gonna lie, I'm happy as fuck right now. The past four years aged me and changed me in a lot of ways. I'm ready to move on.

[Dr. Medulla]

I might feel more ok about it just as a temporary, this-week-only, let's relax for a sec thing if the internet wasn't completely AWASH in Biden sycophants today. It's already insufferable.

Ennh, given how nightmarish the last four years have been, I think it's fair to cut people some slack with some naive happiness. When Trudeau's Liberals won in 2015, ending what felt like an eternity of mean-spirited Conservative rule, civil servants here were literally crying with happiness (seriously, actual tears). Everyone forgot that the Liberals are a bunch of looting chiselers, which is why they'd been out of office so long and they'd quickly remind us again. But the Harper years were nasty so I felt good for those people who felt like they could breathe again.

[Flex]

Biden's sort of interesting. Disposition towards centrism and certainly a creature of the system, but he's displayed a certain malleability that may make pressure effective in some instances. The usual suspects are already gushing sycophantic nonsense and sure seems like anyone to the right of like bernie sanders is going to just go lockstep along with dear leader for 4 years, but my hope is Biden will be susceptible to some leftward pressure here and there.

I also think the last four years generally, and the pandemic specifically, illustrate the importance of baseline competence in the position which I'm admittedly relieved to have back.

[Dr. Medulla]

Biden's sort of interesting. Disposition towards centrism and certainly a creature of the system, but he's displayed a certain malleability that may make pressure effective in some instances. The usual suspects are already gushing sycophantic nonsense and sure seems like anyone to the right of like bernie sanders is going to just go lockstep along with dear leader for 4 years, but my hope is Biden will be susceptible to some leftward pressure here and there.

I also think the last four years generally, and the pandemic specifically, illustrate the importance of baseline competence in the position which I'm admittedly relieved to have back.

I'll also repeat what I've said all summer: history demonstrates that we have no way of knowing exactly how someone will govern. Events push leaders rather than the other way around. Nobody could have predicted a charming but kinda dopey rich guy like FDR would initiate a historically momentous transfer of wealth downward and push government to services for the common good. Nobody would have expected Reagan to push for nuclear disarmament with the Soviet Union. Clinton supporters weren't expecting him to confirm so much of Reaganism. The list goes on and on. I'm not predicting Biden to be what Sanders supporters hoped for; I'm not predicting anything. That we default to an assumption that presidents and prime ministers assume the power of god and can bend reality to their will is a false presumption. In practice they behave in ways that surprise and disappoint because social and political conditions demand it.

[BostonBeaneater]

I didn't enjoy Biden winning as much as I enjoyed Trump losing. I'm just glad the Trump years are over. I don't think I will ever really trust my fellow Americans again. We are a walking warning sign for how capitalism perverts the soul. I am happy to not have children.

[Dr. Medulla]

I didn't enjoy Biden winning as much as I enjoyed Trump losing. I'm just glad the Trump years are over. I don't think I will ever really trust my fellow Americans again. We are a walking warning sign for how capitalism perverts the soul. I am happy to not have children.

There's something to what you say that compares to the mindset of many American for decades after the Civil War. Southerners and Northerners alike remaining deeply suspicious of each other, seeing the other as traitor or as victimizer. The conventional account has it that it was the Spanish-American War that reconciled the sections (nothing like killing foreigners to bring Americans together).

[Flex]

I'll also repeat what I've said all summer: history demonstrates that we have no way of knowing exactly how someone will govern. Events push leaders rather than the other way around. Nobody could have predicted a charming but kinda dopey rich guy like FDR would initiate a historically momentous transfer of wealth downward and push government to services for the common good. Nobody would have expected Reagan to push for nuclear disarmament with the Soviet Union. Clinton supporters weren't expecting him to confirm so much of Reaganism. The list goes on and on. I'm not predicting Biden to be what Sanders supporters hoped for; I'm not predicting anything. That we default to an assumption that presidents and prime ministers assume the power of god and can bend reality to their will is a false presumption. In practice they behave in ways that surprise and disappoint because social and political conditions demand it.

I originally had a fairly pessimistic response to this, but I've been trying to remind myself that no one's, like, paying me here to make a bunch of broad, sweeping Takes and Predictions in hour 3 of the Biden presidency. And I certainly agree with the sentiment that we'll see what happens and the future is unwritten, etc. Nothing is lost by not rushing to the most immediately dark and cynical position possible, I suppose. So, you know, we'll see what happens.

[Sparky]

I'm glad he's our new President and I'm hoping & praying that we can unite as a nation and get beyond the BS we've seen these past 4 years. Don't be a party follower, follow your heart, your conscience, what's right for the nation. The party dividing lines have done just that, divided us. I fear that had the previous administration remained in power this country would have been in ruins before the end of term.

[JennyB]

I don't view him as a savior in any way, but I'm not gonna lie, I'm happy as fuck right now. The past four years aged me and changed me in a lot of ways. I'm ready to move on.

I agree with this post.

[Mimi]

I'm glad he's our new President and I'm hoping & praying that we can unite as a nation and get beyond the BS we've seen these past 4 years. Don't be a party follower, follow your heart, your conscience, what's right for the nation. The party dividing lines have done just that, divided us. I fear that had the previous administration remained in power this country would have been in ruins before the end of term.

Hard agree.

[JennyB]

Me being me, I am absolutely thrilled to see a rescue dog in the white house.

[Kory]

I don't like all this unity talk. I prefer harsh deserved consequences talk.