Hi Ranty Nation!  Ranty McRantyson har agin!

Well, in Part 1, we’all dun talked bout how Pres Biden can take two roads wit the current COVID-19/economical crisis.  He can either take after Pres FDR or Pres Hoover.  Also, in Part 1 we’all took a look at whut happened with Pres Hoover an Pres FDR an The Great Depression.

In this Part 2, ah’ll take a look at the differnces tween Pres Trump an whut we know bout the Pres Biden COVID-19 plan an which of the “Depression Presidents” they’all take after.  An ah’ll talk bout a bit bout how the COVID-19 pandemic might hurt the USofA like The Great Depression did.  Finally, in Part 3, ah’ll talk a bit bout whut Pres Biden says his plan is… an how likely he is to actually do it… an whether or not he’ll be #46FDRorHoover.

Pres Trump vs Pres Biden

They’s an old sayin that goes sumthin like this:

“Them folk who ignore the mistakes of history dun be doomed to repeat them”.  — George Santayana [Editor’s note: as Ranty says it]

Well, wit that quote, we’all’ve made it up to modern times.  It’s time to draw us sum parallels tween Presidents Hoover an FDR, an Trump an Biden.  Ah figure that Pres Trump dun be a spot on ringer fur a modern day Pres Hoover.  But time will tell if’n Pres Biden’s gonna be a Pres Hoover or a Pres FDR.  Unfurtunately, it looks like Pres Biden’s leanin kinda toward Pres Hoover.  😒  But let’s take a closer look at the two an see up close who’s who.

  Pres Trump

Like in his Presidency, ol Pres Trump dun bounced around in his positions as much befur he became President as after.  An the stupidity wuz ever bit as glarin, tho it wuz dressed up in purttier wurds. Frankly, ah don’t wanna lower mah IQ by recountin all of it, so ah’m only gonna focus on his term as President.

As ah said above, ah thunk Pres Trump’s a Pres Hoover style President.  Aside frum his many other faults (an theys a BUNCH of them), Pres Trump’s flat out the wrong man fur the job durin any kinda crisis.  Much less a crisis like COVID-19.  It wuz bad enuf that he didn’t seem to care much bout how his actions affected either the USofA or “We, the People”.  But it got downright negligent the way he “tried” to “handle” COVID-19!

Ah did a t-shirt design that showed jus how bad Pres Trump wuz handlin COVID-19 vs the scientific community (thru August 2020) here.  While ah didn’t thunk it’d be possible fur him to mess thangs up wurse than at that point.  Pres Trump dun proved me wrong!

Befur the 2020 Presidential Lection

At least at furst Pres Trump decided to “try” to stop the spread of COVID-19.  He decided to follow the CDC guidelines and shutdown most “non-essential” businesses/activities to try to stop the spread of COVID-19.  Unfurtunately, the one thang that scientists an they’s research showed wuz that wearin masks wud save lives.  Sad thang wuz that Pres Trump decided to ignore that advice an wudn’t say Mericans shud wear a mask.  Can you imagine that?  Even to this day Pres Trump dun be sayin that, an after gittin COVID-19 himself!

Ah figure at least 1/3 (possibly as much as 2/3) of the 520,000+ Merican lives lost’re cuz he wudn’t recommend wearin masks (as of this date).  That’s more than the number of Mericans who dun lost theys lives in WWII (492,000)!

Pres Trump an Pres Hoover’re Kinda Alike!

To make matters wurse, just like Pres Hoover, Pres Trump tried to make the States responsible fur takin care of the citizens.  Pres Trump flat out said that it wuzn’t the federal guvmints job to help.  Well, that jus didn’t make no sense!

Furst, States can’t “print money” an deficit spend like the federal guvmint can.  Secund, the federal guvmint literally has departments fur problems like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  An COVID-19 wuz, fur shure, an emergency!

The Big Lie

In September, Pres Trump really got into tellin whut we now call “The Big Lie”.  You know, bout how the only way he cud lose the election wuz if’n the Democrats stole it frum him.  Course it cudn’t be cuz he wuz lettin Merican’s die frum COVID-19 like he didn’t care.  An he’s still tellin that lie even now.  In so many ways, that jus don’t make no sense!

As Pres Trump told Bob Woodward on Mar 19, 2020, “I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down…”  An, as he got more an more behind in the pollin, he kept “playin down” the numbers.  It wuz like he thunked that if’n he either lied bout the numbers or ignored them, folk’d furget that thousands of folk were dyin ever day cuz of COVID-19.

After the 2020 Presidential Lection

To make matters wurse, once he dun lost the lection, he jus quit even tryin to stop COVID-19 frum spreadin.  It almost seemed like he wuz actually tryin to make shure more folk wud die frum COVID-19 jus outta spite.  Cuz he lost the lection by over 7 million votes an in a “landslide” in the Electoral College.

Even durin the holidays, he wudn’t tell folk to stay at home an wear masks (much less the other 3 of the 4Ws).  So whut happened?  A buncha folk went out, many witout masks an over 150,000 folk died in just two months.

The Bottom Line (Trump Edition)

As ah said above, theys a whole bunch of thangs that Pres Trump did that’s caused “We, the People” a lotta problems.  But the COVID-19 pandemic an how he (didn’t) handle it is the biggest problem he dun left us wit.

The bottom line is Pres Trump wuz jus the wrong man, at the wrong time fur the COVID-19 crisis.  (Heck, jus bout any time wudda bin the wrong time wit him!)  An like Pres Hoover, the crisis wuz too big fur a man of such limited abilities.

  Pres Biden

Whut ain’t bin written yet is whut direction Pres Biden is gonna try to lead the country.  Pres Biden dun be brand new as President.  Heck an tarnation, he probly still got movin boxes to unpack!

So how’s we’all gonna tell whut kinda job he gonna do?  Well, furtunately (kinda), he dun bin Vice President fur 8 years under Pres Obama an in the US Senate fur 36 years befur that!  So whut’s that gonna tell us?

Pres Biden’s Senate Years

Pres Biden won his furst term in the US Senate in 1973 an held that office till 2009, when he became Pres Obama’s Vice President.  Cuz of this, we have a long history of whut kinda person Joe Biden will be as Pres Biden.  Let’s take a look at his major policy pushes an why he might of made them.  Ah’ll start wit the Bad an then move on to the Gud.

The Bad

Ah don’t know of many folk who ain’t dun sumthin theys didn’t regretted later.  In mah experience, mosta whut folk do is outta ignorance, they’all jus didn’t know better.  Unfurtunately, then there’s the stuff that, especially in hindsight, we’all jus shudda known better.  Fur this har section of whut ah thunk of whut Pres Biden’s dun.

1. Busing (1970s)

   Like mosta his state of Delaware, he thunk that busin wuz fine fur them Southern States.  That since the North wuz the ones that won the Civil War an freed the slaves, they already dun what’s “right”.

2. Compreshensive Crime Control Act (aka The Crime Bill, 1984)

   Then Sen. Biden pushed fur this bill, but later said he dun made a mistake doin that.  While they wuz sum gud parts of the bill they’s also sum bad.  But the parts dealin wit sentencing (the “three strikes rule”, etc.) an expandin the federal death sentence an “gang crime” went on to be abused an led to much harsher sentencin that most commonly went against folks of color. — https://bit.ly/3eyhEJh

3. Defense of Marriage Act (1996)

   This wuz one of them “culture war” issues Republicans like to hammer, bout how “marriage” cud only be tween one man an one woman.  Heck, even in the Old Testament of the Bible, theys talked bout marriages tween a man an multiple wives.  So Sen. Biden’s vote fur this bill jus didn’t make no sense other than on religious grounds.  He dun believe differnt now.

4. (The Secund) Iraq War (2002)

   In 1991, then Sen. Biden voted fur NOT gittin involved wit The Furst Iraq War.  But he bought into the whole WMD line of BS bout how Saddam Hussein wuz a big threat to the US an voted fur The Secund Iraq War.  I guess cuz he wuz so friendly wit them Republicans.

5. Bankruptcy Act (aka The Bankruptcy Bill, 2005)

   Other than “The Crime Bill”, this wuz one of the wurst votes he dun made.  Basically it dun made it harder fur workin folk to declare bankruptcy, but easier fur businesses.  It even made it impossible fur students to declare bankruptcy on student education loans.  At the time he wuz known as the “Senator frum MBNA” (a bank) cuz he received so much money frum banks.

6. Trans Pacific Partnership (aka “TPP”, 2016)

   Then VP Biden was a strong supporter of the TPP even though it contained many flaws that would hurt US business and worker competitiveness.

7. Overly Fond of “Working wit Republicans” (forgetting to work with Democrats) – (1970s-Present)

   Ah’m conflicted on this one.  While ah like the idea of wurkin wit folks, Pres Biden still appears to thunk it’s a gud idea to wurk wit Republicans.  Problem is today’s Republicans ain’t folk who negotiate in gud faith.  Ah say that cuz they’s already said they’s ain’t gonna let him have any “legislative wins”.  Republican’s brag they’s the party of obstruction.  That ain’t honest negotiation an that ain’t gud fur the Merican people.

The Gud

Now Pres Biden ain’t all bad, jus like he ain’t all gud.  In fact, he dun way more gud than bad.  In mah opinion, that’s why he wun the 2020 Presidential Lection!  So har are a few of the best thangs Pres Biden’s dun.

1. SALT II an Arms Control (1980s)

   Way back when the Soviet Union wuz still kickin round, we had the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties (1 & 2).  Then Sen Biden wuz all fur the US signin the SALT II treaty, but it didn’t pass Congress, so we wuz stuck with SALT I only.  He wuz, in mah opinion, smart in that he wanted the SALT I treaty enforced strictly by the rules.  Unfurtunately, the Reagan administration didn’t agree an proceeded wit the Strategic Defense Initiative (the “Star Wars” program(s)).

2. Opposition to Apartheid in South Africa (1986)

   Ah’m jus gonna say that apartheid is a stain on humanity, jus like slavery.  Especially how it wuz practiced in South Africa.  An, to quote Forrest Gump, “That’s all I have to say bout that!” — https://bit.ly/3c5MaHg

3. Croatian Genocide (1991)

   Then Sen Biden believed the attempted genocide (killin all folks of a kind) of the Croatian people wuz wrong.  An he thunked that the US shud protect the Croatians frum Serbs an they’s leader Milosevic.  He thunk that Milosevic wuz a war criminal an said so to his face.

4. Assault Weapon Ban (1994)

   While it wuz included in “The Crime Bill”, it wuz, in mah opinion, a step in the right direction.  Ah mean high capacity weapons’re only meant fur one thang, killin folk.  Cuz if’n y’all need more than jus a few bullets to kill a dear, y’all need to spend more time on the target range befur y’all go huntin!

5. Violence Against Women Act (1994)

   Anutter part of “The Crime Bill”, this part tried to make shure that folk who dun violence aginst they’s partner didn’t git away wit it.  It’s bin renewed many times an in 2012, wuz expanded to include same sex couples.

6. Aginst Iraq Troop Surge (2006)

   By 2006, then Sen Biden wuz beginnin to realize he’d bin lied to bout the WMDs in Iraq an thunk the US shud git outta there.

7. Affordable Care Act (2010)

   This wuz the main thang that the Obama administration got passed in they’s furst term.  An then VP Biden wuz one of the main reasons it dun got passed.

8. Oversaw the Draw Down of Troops in Afghanistan (2011)

   The last US troops dun left Iraq in December, 2011, about 6 months after the death of Osama bin Laden.  Then VP Biden wuz the White House contact durin the withdrawal.

9. Fur Same Sex Marriage (2012)

   While sum folk still thunk this be a big deal, the way ah look at it, if’n folks can find a way to be happy wit each other an make that kind of commitment, then why not?  It don’t hurt me or my marriage, or anyone else’s fur that matter.

10. Started US Anti-ISIS Policy (2014)

    Then VP Biden said, in Sept 2014, that the US would follow ISIL (aka ISIS), “to the gates of hell”.

11. American Rescue Plan (2021)

    Pres Biden dun signed this stimulus bill on Mar 11, 2021.  Tho it passed Congress, witout even one Republican vote, Pres Biden didn’t worry bout that.  He dun tried to git Republicans to go along wit his versions.  Thems Republicans “compromise” wuz a bill that only had bout 40% the funding fur the relief Mericans need durin this COVID-19 pandemic.  Ah figured he’d learned his lesson after tryin to “wurk” wit Republicans on the 2009 “Great Recession” stimulus plan.  Where the Obama administration dun changed a lot fur the Republicans, but didn’t git even one Republican to vote fur it.

Changing Over Time

Still, wit all ah talked bout above, ah thunk Pres Biden’s a durned sight better’n Pres Trump… by a country mile!  While they be a lotta stuff to criticize Pres Biden bout in his past, they’s a lot more to praise.

Ah hope that the American Rescue Plan bill he jus signed is a sign of thangs to come.  While ah wudda liked it if’n he’d fought harder fur the $15/hr minimum wage increase, they’s no doubt it’s a step in the right direction.

How much of a step?  Well, even though not one Republican voted fur it, they’s a number of Republicans trying to take credit fur “the gud parts”.  Yep, they’s definitly have a lotta gall to pull that kinda trick.  The sad thang is they’s voters’ll probly thunk, “Yep, look whut the Republicans did fur us!”  UGH!

On to the Conclusion of This Series

Well, we’all’ve jus bout reached the end of this har series of talks bout #46FDRorHoover.  In Part 3, we’all’ll finish up an talk a bit bout whether or not Pres Biden’ll be more like a Pres Hoover (like Pres Trump wuz) or Pres FDR.

Fur now…

Ranty McRantyson signin off!