Like, fuck, Biden was like, my third least favorite pick in the 2020 primaries. And he’s risen to maybe middle-of-the-pack by his actions (that is to say, I wasn’t expecting much, but I was mildly pleasantly surprised), compared to his 2020 peers. I’m not exactly his fucking fanboy, I just recognize that he’s not a Republican fucking ghoul. But the way people seem to judge actions in complete ignorance of how our government works, or of how fucking byzantine the processes even just for passing, much less implementing, legislature is… it’s exhausting, frustrating, and infuriating.
The way people talk around here you’d think the president was a monarch. I know that’s the way Trump and his sycophants want it or believe to be true, but Biden is only 1/3rd of the entire government.
If we could get people to turn out to vote in local elections, we might actually see some reforms over a period of couple years that could lead to lasting change, at least on a local level, but long term planning is impossible to sell when everybody demands a strongman who can solve every problem or issue on the federal level right now.
Like, fuck, Biden was like, my third least favorite pick in the 2020 primaries.
Behind Bloomberg and DeLaney.
DeLaney wasn’t even on my radar. I apologize for being an ardent Bernie voter with Warren as my second choice; I understand that basically makes me a conservative in the eyes of Lemmy’s Very Serious Leftist Brigade.
Cue Aamon’s Punished Bernie.
Oh well, now we get to choose between stagnation and decline or a fairly rapid fall into christian nationalism.
Anyway, fun thing I learned: It only costs $400 USD to apply for a residency permit to Ecuador, all you have to do is prove you have over roughly $1500 of reliable income a month.
You can rent a fully furnished studio apartment for $350, like a modern apartment, kind that goes for thousands in Sea, SF or LA. A few places have very reliable public transit for a quarter, groceries cost something like a third or less than they do in the US. Also, Ecuador features a diverse range of microclimates where you can almost certainly find something you will love.
Downsides: Youre going to need to learn at least some spanish, do not go to Guyanquil, and be prepared for the power and internet to brown out with some regularity. Also in many places you will probably want a water filter.
Though for many in the US, unreliable power, internet and water likely won’t be that different.
Edit: Also crime statistics.
While Ecuador is basically only in the Western media recently for its ‘skyrocketing’ murder rate, and yes there have been lockdowns and curfews… comparing most of the affordable cities in Ecuador to most cities in the US I would ever be able to afford to live in, nearly every crime statistic, including murder, is significantly less.
