Astroturf group begging for a chance to spread the virus

photo by @joshuabickel

Billionaires have bailed themselves out. Now they want us back at work. They organized astroturf groups to beg for death. But there are people are really suffering. The money handed to the banks and hedge funds should have been used to make healthcare, education, and public transit free. In addition, everyone should be guaranteed housing.

#Autosprawl #Meltdown

Two iconic photos taken today. The first, cars lined up at the @safoodbank. The second, a mass grave being filled in NYC’s Hart Island park. pic.twitter.com/H8suMFgeLd

— Scott Gilmore (@Scott_Gilmore) April 10, 2020

The corona virus has exposed for all to see that the US system is unsustainable. People have cars, but cannot afford food. According to engineers the US sprawl infrastructure needs $3T in maintenance and repair just to make it safe. The #autosprawl system has been a misallocation of resources. It was already crumbling and now its fragility is obvious.

This is why helicopter money will not work -- #autosprawlmeltdown

Hundreds of cars wait to receive food from the Greater Community Food Bank in Duquesne. Collection begins at noon. @PghFoodBank @PittsburghPG pic.twitter.com/94YFaO7dqX

— Andrew Rush (@andrewrush) March 30, 2020

Free public transit now in 17 US metro areas due to corona virus

The US count of free public transit in response to Corona virus is now 17 metro areas. This will take pressure off people who need to get to essential jobs. Healthcare, cleaning, trash pickup, power supply, food transport, food delivery... there are many just to keep the basics working.

The US Congress is actually discussing handing over trillions of dollars to billionaires. This money would be better spent on free services.

Instead of bailing out hedge funds, why not have universal free healthcare, free public transit, free education, and guaranteed housing.

Don't drop money from the sky, make public services free

“Lo que tengamos que hacer de modificaciones normativas lo hacemos, pero en ese mes vamos a suspender el pago de servicios públicos. No podemos exigir pago si la gente no está recibiendo ingresos. Del 20 de marzo al 20 de abril Bogotá no cobrará servicios públicos domiciliarios” pic.twitter.com/ePhV74bDmb

— Alcaldía de Bogotá (@Bogota) March 21, 2020

This is what to do. Make public services free.

El Presidente de El Salvador 🇸🇻 suspende pagos de la gente en servicios públicos #Covid19 pic.twitter.com/0HAONTA16n

— Javier López Díaz Personal (@RedLopezDiaz) March 22, 2020

Suddenly lots of money available, but natural limits must be considered

Human growth has pushed back the habitat of wild nature. This has led to disease epidemics.

It's time to degrow.

Printing money to hand out and stimulate the same old system that caused the problem is not a good idea. First of all, that money is no longer backed by cheap energy, so this type of stimulus will fail.

The best route is to make public services free. healthcare, education, public transportation, guaranteed housing, and such.

Don't tolerate trolls spreading division

Trolls are spreading blame-the-victim, blame-the-boomer, #racism, and other various divisive propaganda.

Capitalist leadership, and the capitalist system are not equipped to face society-wide problems. We will have to pull ourselves out of this.

It only takes a small budget to unleashed thousands of trolls on social media. Don't be overwhelmed, just mute or block them and call on others to do so.

We provide ways to identify them, and we are open to more suggestions.

Helicopter money and why it won't work

By now, all economists know that creating more billionaires with QE doesn't accomplish anything for the real economy. So we will hear more about pushing money to main street.

They are trying to solve financial debt. If they use printed money to do this, it is really just more of the same. The correct way to solve debt is default, but the bankers and billionaires will try to avoid this as much as possible.

What is not being discussed is the debt to the biosphere. The world has copied the US system of autos and sprawl. This is a subsidized, unsustainable system. Even if oil price goes to zero, the system draws most of its subsidy from the destruction of the biosphere. This cannot be paid with money, printed or otherwise.

Regardless of price, oil costs more joules to get a joule every day. The only way to address this is by degrowth. We are already in degrowth, the question is, will we fight it to save the rich, or will we work with it to save the biosphere.

Head of US CDC has declared that there is no charge for corona virus tests or isolation

I did the math: a full battery of coronavirus testing costs at minimum $1,331.

I also did the legal research: the Administration has the authority to make testing free for every American TODAY.

I secured a commitment from a high-level Trump official that they’d actually do it. pic.twitter.com/RmolCtmNbG

— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) March 12, 2020