Biden slams Trump as ‘willing to sacrifice democracy’ in Jan 6 anniversary speech
Mr Biden’s speech is his first major campaign event of the 2024 election season
President Joe Biden marked the third anniversary of the January 6 attack on the Capitol by warning that the issue of American democracy will be “what the 2024 election is all about,” as he runs against former president Donald Trump once more.
Mr Biden, who spoke near the Valley Forge historical site where George Washington and the Continental Army were encamped during the winter of 1777 and 1778, told attendees that they were there “to answer the most important of questions: Is democracy still America’s sacred cause?”
“This isn’t rhetorical, academic, or hypothetical. Whether democracy is still America’s sacred cause is the most urgent question of our time,” he said.
Mr Biden said his speech, his first major event of the 2024 election season, was “deadly serious,” and about a topic that needed to be raised at the outset of his campaign.
With one of the shittier implementations of it in the world, I think it's not. Capitalism seems more sacred to the US, anyway. In a truly democratic system, the US would have a decent and cheaper healthcare system, a sensible way to report taxes, a political class actually responsible to the people, no "political dynasties" etc.
Also, Biden wouldn't be president, or at least he couldn't campaign as a protest candidate against Trump.
Trump is not "willing to sacrifice democracy". He's actively fighting against it. The guy is not behaving like "democracy is important, but me being president is importanter", he's going "I lost because of democracy, so let's get rid of it".
American healthcare system is very good and affordable for a large majority of Americans. Sure it sucks if you're poor, but most Americans are not poor.
Taxes are not that hard to do. The vast majority of people get a single income statement from an employer and use the standard deduction. Could it be better? Sure but it's not bad for most people.
This is just...
My god dude. Try living in another country for a while. You're speaking like an abuse victim who keeps defending their abuser. The US's societal infrastructure, including health care and taxation, are 50 years behind the rest of the developed world. Americans pay top-tier costs for bottom-tier society.
"Sure it sucks if you're poor" is the kinder sibling of saying "Got mine, fuck you!" Being poor sucks everywhere, just by nature, but the entire point of societal programs is to uplift the poorest and make it suck less, not to give handouts to the rich so they can say "Well geez, at least I'm not poor!"
Yes it does suck. I didn't say it was perfect, or that I was a fan.
But our healthcare system works very well for most people. Acting like it doesn't work for some people is just ridiculous.
IDK if this guy is a troll or has never been poor.
I have been very poor. Idk why you guys keep harping on being poor. Most Americans are not poor.
https://www.kff.org/report-section/kff-health-care-debt-survey-main-findings/
So sure, 'most' in the technical sense in that more people are not under medical debt than are. But 'works' is questionable even for those who aren't.
"In a truly democratic system, the US would have a decent and cheaper healthcare system"
I was responding to the OP.
I'll just say it again and leave it at that: you need to spend some time in other countries. Not at a tourist, but as a resident. Your eyes need to be opened.
I have better healthcare than people in the countries I have visited.
This sentence is not accurate for all Americans.
Right. And you are only looking at things vs how they compare specifically to you. Thus, your eyes need to be opened.
Do you think youve in anyway shown we don't live in a democracy?
I think you're replying to the wrong person.
I'm pretty sure I'm not. I followed the thread. Maybe you are
shrug Alright then...
I'm still not convinced that "our healthcare could be better for a minority of people, so we obviously aren't in a democracy"
I still think you're replying to the wrong person.
We're not poor. We're also over $10,000 in medical debt. Anyone can get sick. Sometimes very sick. Even if you say you have a good immune system because you exercise and take care of yourself.
And before you say it, we have good insurance.
I didn't say people don't get sick or don't have medical debt
You said it is "very good and affordable for the vast majority of Americans." I already showed you elsewhere that over 40% of Americans have medical debt. How is a system where 4 out of 10 people go into debt just to get the care they need "very good" or "affordable?"
In a democracy which of those groups would win an election?
You didn't answer my question: How is a system where 4 out of 10 people go into debt just to get the care they need “very good” or “affordable?”
"very good and affordable for the vast majority of Americans"
It's good for the 6 in 10.
You have a very odd definition of 'vast majority.'
60 to 40? you think so? lol
I doubt most people would consider a bit more than half to be 'vast majority,' but you do you.
Fine ill edit my comment to a sizable majority? 60% majority?
You can always say, "it's not that bad" but what I'm saying is that it's worse than in much of the world.
In the places I've lived, if I got sick, especially if I got a long-term sickness, I am not just not paying for it, I get money from my insurance, so my life doesn't go to shit because I can't work. And the healthcare systems here are cheaper. My insurance costs around a grand a month, and there are no copays, maximums, deductibles or other bullshit. I am not bearing the risk of me falling ill. And it costs the state less than the US is paying for what they have, both per capita and in total.
And with taxes. I haven't done my taxes ever. I get a mail saying that my taxes have been done for the year, and I should check it out, I usually have a look if I don't forget. It is also a cheaper system on both my side and the state's.
Do you think that means we are not in a democracy?
Why would I? It's also a stupid and loaded question. Where is the limit for what is a democracy? Sone people may say Russia is a democracy because there are elections. Some other people might say there are no true democracies besides Switzerland with its very common direct votes on issues.
That's what this entire thread is about.