The Academy Award-winning director expressed some criticisms of the Inflation Reduction Act on Twitter last week. The resulting brouhaha was characteristically unilluminating, so he and I thought it would be fun to do a follow-up pod to hash through his reservations in a more civilized setting. Pour a drink and join us.
Great discussion David. I think you pushed back appropriately when Adam made comments that were politically naive and not well-informed. I think Adam is a good example of a well-intentioned celebrity who doesn't understand the details enough to form the strong opinions that he does, and who simply fails to recognize the incredible constraints of US politics and how dramatically to the left the Democratic Party HAS moved in the last decade--in a good way!!!
David, one of your pet peeves is the left not having a media machine like the right has. Here you have an example. As Will Rogers said, "I'm not a member of an organized political party, I'm a democrat." Or something to that effect. That makes someone like Adam McKay part of the left's media. But he attacks the democrats for "giving in" to the parliamentarian on insulin. Instead he should be blasting the republicans for for opposing insulin pricing reform. Too many on the left attack the democrats for not doing better at doing good, where they should be basting republicans for opposing everything good.
Thanks, David! We have entered the Twilight Zone of batshit crazy and I'm amazed & heartened that we were able to pass ANYTHING helpful in saving our collective assess... A sliver of hope for a species bordering on clinically insane!
Always appreciate you exist. A beacon of sanity in a shit storm of absurdity 💖
Dave did mention this briefly that the way the States work, at least in CA, is that the Govenor appoints people to the 5 member CPUC whom then decide all the all the rules. For example, if there should be an equitable payment for net metering of excess solar energy produced from a rooftop solar house. In fact, the CA CPUC is pro Utility and wants to reduce net metering pay back to merely nothing. Another thing this PUC wants to do is Tax rooftop solar users about $500./yr just because the people have it on their roof! This is because the CA utilities only care about profit, and not Climate Change, and they do not own roof top solar. The utilities influence the CPUC for some reason. Luckily there are thousands of people currently attending the CPUC meetings and protesting on the street about the above mentioned.
Interesting conversation. There are all these internal tensions in Adam's approach to politics, which while frustrating, might also be beneficial.
One other question that occurred to me and that I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere--how did the pipeline approvals get past the parliamentarian? I don't see the connection with "tax and spend."
Great discussion David. I think you pushed back appropriately when Adam made comments that were politically naive and not well-informed. I think Adam is a good example of a well-intentioned celebrity who doesn't understand the details enough to form the strong opinions that he does, and who simply fails to recognize the incredible constraints of US politics and how dramatically to the left the Democratic Party HAS moved in the last decade--in a good way!!!
David, one of your pet peeves is the left not having a media machine like the right has. Here you have an example. As Will Rogers said, "I'm not a member of an organized political party, I'm a democrat." Or something to that effect. That makes someone like Adam McKay part of the left's media. But he attacks the democrats for "giving in" to the parliamentarian on insulin. Instead he should be blasting the republicans for for opposing insulin pricing reform. Too many on the left attack the democrats for not doing better at doing good, where they should be basting republicans for opposing everything good.
Adam McKay had me until @36:30 "Isn't it better to not have the Senate?"
Thanks, David! We have entered the Twilight Zone of batshit crazy and I'm amazed & heartened that we were able to pass ANYTHING helpful in saving our collective assess... A sliver of hope for a species bordering on clinically insane!
Always appreciate you exist. A beacon of sanity in a shit storm of absurdity 💖
Dave did mention this briefly that the way the States work, at least in CA, is that the Govenor appoints people to the 5 member CPUC whom then decide all the all the rules. For example, if there should be an equitable payment for net metering of excess solar energy produced from a rooftop solar house. In fact, the CA CPUC is pro Utility and wants to reduce net metering pay back to merely nothing. Another thing this PUC wants to do is Tax rooftop solar users about $500./yr just because the people have it on their roof! This is because the CA utilities only care about profit, and not Climate Change, and they do not own roof top solar. The utilities influence the CPUC for some reason. Luckily there are thousands of people currently attending the CPUC meetings and protesting on the street about the above mentioned.
Nice guy.
Interesting conversation. There are all these internal tensions in Adam's approach to politics, which while frustrating, might also be beneficial.
One other question that occurred to me and that I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere--how did the pipeline approvals get past the parliamentarian? I don't see the connection with "tax and spend."
Love podding the crap out of IRA. I think it would be great to have a discussion with some EJ leaders as well.