On September 15, the United Auto Workers began a targeted strike against Ford, GM, and Stellantis (the conglomerate that includes Chrysler) in an effort to secure higher wages, a four-day work week, and other protections in the union’s next contract. The strike is a huge development for American workers, but it’s also a big deal for President Joe Biden—these car companies are central to his green-infrastructure agenda. The union wants assurances that the industry’s historic, heavily subsidized transition toward electric vehicles will work for them, too.
Biden, whose National Labor Relations Board has been an ally of labor organizers in fights against companies such as Amazon and Starbucks, has called himself “the most pro-union president in American history.” He has expressed support for the UAW’s cause (workers “deserve their fair share of the benefits they helped create,” he said last week) and has sent aides to Michigan to assist in the negotiations.
Whataboutism. Definitely a low point of the Biden administration, but we’ll take what we can.
Pointing out past actions isn’t even close to “whataboutism”.
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You mean quietly getting them less than what they were fighting for after publicly undercutting their efforts against the companies?
Also, still not “whataboutism”. It’s literally pointing out what the same person did in the past regarding the same issue. Historical context is important and necessary to consider.
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Framing it as people whining about him “not being perfect” is utterly offbase. They are bringing up a pertinent act of his in a discussion about his position and standing regarding that very issue. If a person donated a lot of money to a charity, lets say animal shelters, but was also known to run a puppy mill, you would call it “whataboutism” to bring that up when people are excessively praising them for a one off donation?
He’s going for a photo op. If he starts advocating on behalf of workers rights and taking actual, meaningful action to facilitate change, then we can start being charitable with his past.
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Ooooh. You’re the same user that’s demanding 100% support of anything and everything Biden does with zero use of our brains. This discussion makes a lot more sense now.
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wtf are you even talking about?
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I dont dought he is, even if biden had a heart of gold (i dont really know) he is still bound by other forces that compete with compassion. These competing forces could be:
Biden can and will fight for workers to shut up. the above make sense as motivations. Biden will get you as much as you will accept in sick time. The reason for him to fight is to make you feel like you got enough. The above and mabe kindness makes sense as a motivation for why.
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It is an insanely huge obsticle, but he is by no means the underdog.
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