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[-] Wooster@startrek.website 66 points 10 months ago

Article mentions nothing with regards to holding corporations accountable nor any plan or threat of action on the president’s part.

[-] Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg 43 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

These kinds of comments frustrate me... They fundamentally conflate the presidency with a more king-like position.

The system is setup against him doing anything other than speaking out about the issue and trying to motivate others to do something about it. The president ultimately has little power ... it's more of a oversight/cheer leading position (with some extended powers over the years to deal with imminent issues -- e.g., authorize short term military operations, which is still scary in the wrong hands) while congress is the office workers that are supposed to actually get the law writing done.

Unfortunately, we've had roughly a decade of Republican lead stagnation due to slim majority Democrat representation or outright majority Republican representation -- the Republican platform is after all the "do nothing because more government is bad" platform.

He's doing exactly what he should be doing, using the office to call people out and bring attention to issues/start conversations. That can result in brands either going "... lets make a voluntary change to get the heat off" or the public going "yeah that's a good point calls congressional rep to complain."

[-] AA5B@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago

Well put!

The president ultimately has little power … it’s more of a oversight/cheer leading position

And let me emphasize this is a good thing, even if the previous officeholder ignored legal restrictions on his power

[-] Blackbeard@lemmy.world 35 points 10 months ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)
[-] Fisk400@feddit.nu 28 points 10 months ago

Make it expensive to change the weight of a product. Standardize the size and weight of a given type of product. Require the packaging to alert consumers that the weight have changed in the last year and how much it has changed. Tie the trademark of a given product to a certain weight.

Are these good ideas? I don't know, I literally made them up just now while shitting. I am sure the president of the United States could hire at least one dude to come up with better ones.

[-] Blackbeard@lemmy.world 29 points 10 months ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)
[-] Fisk400@feddit.nu 9 points 10 months ago

I understand that you are very into the position of going face down ass up for corporations but can I interest you in the idea that politicians are allowed to express things they would like to work towards even if they are personally not able to make it happen the second they say it.

Biden is a very powerful man that employs a large number of very smart people. If he wants to he can put together an action plan on how to make things happen.

[-] Blackbeard@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)
[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 20 points 10 months ago

All great ideas if it weren't for the fact that we have a court system heavily weighted towards pro-corporate conservatism, so none of that would survive legal challenges and there would be a shit ton of corporate challenges.

[-] Tolookah@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Food in general doesn't even go through the FDA, does it? They only get involved if there's a problem. If it was pre approval, it would be a super slow process likely.

Edit: my train of thought was if it needed approval, any size changes would go to a slow line, but in reality, any small company would go to slow lines also, which would truly suck.

[-] BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social 6 points 10 months ago

All of these things would have to be done by Congress. The President is really not the dictator that the internet thinks he is (outside of some particular domains). But just to go through those:

Make it expensive to change the weight of a product.

How? Make the government track the size of ever possible consumable product and mandate a fee when changed? Beyond the enormous logistical effort for no obvious purpose, this would also make it costly for a company to add more product. Perhaps you only apply the fee when a size decreases, but then,, how do you handle the case where a company intentionally launches a smaller sized version for a different market, eg individual or snack sized portions? What if they launch a new size and then discontinue the older, larger one, so it technically didn't change? Does that have a fine? Sure, you can try to track all of this stuff carefully and determine what the net effect is, but that costs time and money all for no significant benefit.

Standardize the size and weight of a given type of product

Who determines the standard, and why? Why should it be illegal to sell a smaller or larger bag of chips or soda?

Require the packaging to alert consumers that the weight have changed in the last year and how much it has changed

This would just be one more tiny disclaimer line on the back that nobody would read. Not to mention, the size and weight is already on the package. Consumers are already perfectly capable of seeing the weight and deciding if the value for that price is good. I somewhat doubt most people would actually change their behavior by learning that there were ten more chips in the bag a year ago, and at any rate, companies know that consumers would rather pay the same price for less than pay a higher price for the same amount.

Tie the trademark of a given product to a certain weight.

That is categorically not how trademarks work.

[-] ZeroCool@slrpnk.net 8 points 10 months ago

What are you suggesting he do about it?

Oh don’t expect an answer from that OP. They’re here to blame Biden. It doesn’t matter if there’s anything he can actually do about the issue.

[-] ShadowRam@kbin.social 8 points 10 months ago

Law requiring all prices to be in a format of

$ per actual measurement unit and include all applicable taxes.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 20 points 10 months ago

Presidents can't pass laws and the House Republican majority is basically dedicated to going against whatever Biden proposes.

[-] ZeroCool@slrpnk.net 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Presidents can't pass laws

Yeah, this thread is beyond frustrating. We need to prioritize teaching civics in high school because it could not be more obvious that a large number of people out there have no idea what they’re even talking about. It’s just ignorant rage.

The top comment in this comment section is so ignorant it should embarrass everyone using Lemmy.

[-] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 2 points 10 months ago

I love how this argument only comes out when it's needed to defend Democratic inaction. Bring up Trump's campaign and see how quickly that idea flips.

[-] franklin@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Absolutely it's very frustrating watching them try to do so much only to have it curtailed by a Republican majority Congress.

People think the president can issue an executive order for anything they want. That being said I hope his cabinet does move on proposing this because it would be a huge win for pricing transparency.

[-] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago

Absolutely it’s very frustrating watching them try to do so much only to have it curtailed by a Republican majority Congress.

It was more frustrating two years ago when it was being curtailed by a Democratic majority congress.

[-] franklin@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Yeah well Dems stopping tax cuts for the rich don't hurt us as much as Reps trying to shut down the government because we refuse tax cuts for the rich but by all means "both sides"

[-] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

Yeah well Dems stopping tax cuts for the rich don’t hurt us as much

Who said anything about them stopping tax cuts for the rich? I was talking about stuff Democrats did 2 years ago, like stopping the minimum wage increase and BBB. You know, their accomplishments.

[-] franklin@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

How in the world can you contribute that to the Dems when they were split and Republicans almost unanimously voted against it.

If you're issue is that they should have all voted to push it through then absolutely I wish they would too and you should vote in a way that reinforces what you'd like to see.

That being said of our two options Dems support it the most. If your argument is that we should have more options to vote for what we really want then we agree again, we need voter reform to make 3rd options viable via multi-choice voting

[-] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

How in the world can you contribute that to the Dems when they were split and Republicans almost unanimously voted against it.

BBB never made it to the floor, thanks to the only Democrat whose voice matters, Joe Manchin.

If you’re issue is that they should have all voted to push it through then absolutely I wish they would too

My issue is that the party is useless on purpose. Your issue is that I don't worship them for it.

I wish they would too and you should vote in a way that reinforces what you’d like to see.

There is no available way to vote that will ever reinforce what I'd like to see. Democrats oppose me less than Republicans do and that's the best they'll ever be willing to do.

[-] franklin@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

Based insane take divorced from reality.

What in my reply made it seem like I worship them, they're the best we have and I long for better way but the only way we're going to get better is voteing reform on many levels.

Voting in fascists out of spite does no good.

[-] bigMouthCommie@kolektiva.social 3 points 10 months ago

the only people suggesting we should be voting in fascists are those who want trump or biden.

[-] franklin@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Equating those two absolutely smashes nuance. They aren't the same

[-] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 2 points 10 months ago

Nobody said they are the same, but that doesn't mean they aren't both facists.

[-] bigMouthCommie@kolektiva.social 2 points 10 months ago

if I said they were both old men or politicians or obscenely wealthy, would you think I'm saying they are the same?

they can share traits without being the same.

[-] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Some Democrats want to be the same across as many issues as possible without being called the same.

[-] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

And predictable as the dawn, there it is.

The assumption that anger at Democrats' deliberate uselessness means advocacy for voting for Republicans.

[-] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 3 points 10 months ago

These people are just as blind as the fringe right conspiracist nutjobs. It's like they're arguing that McDonalds is better than Burger King because they only spit in your food 75% of the time rather than 95% of the time, while you're arguing that we shouldn't be eating at either of these restaurants to begin with. To top it all off they call you insane and a fascist for not agreeing with them.

This country is so fucked.

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[-] franklin@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

But it does, due to the unfortunate way our voting system is structured until massive voting reform voting for anyone accept the big two is literally voting for the other. It sucks but unless we change it we have to live with that

[-] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

What a convenient excuse to silence all criticism.

[-] franklin@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Nope, I'm very vocal about criticism and fixing it but the solution you suggest has already horribly backfired once but by all means shoot yourself in the foot again

[-] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

the solution you suggest

What solution did I suggest?

Oh right. You don't care. You don't want to listen, just lecture.

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[-] mipadaitu@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

There never was a Democratic majority congress. West Virginia and Arizona both sent senators who had a D next to their name, but were really Rs.

Not only that, but you need a super majority in the senate to get anything real through, which means you need 60+ Democrats who ALL need to be on board, along with a majority of Democrats in the House, AND a Democrat president.

That hasn't happened since early Obama, and he squandered it by trying to pass bipartisan legislation with the Republicans, instead of just railroading the right things through.

[-] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

There never was a Democratic majority congress.

50 plus a tiebreaker is a majority. You lied.

West Virginia and Arizona both sent senators who had a D next to their name, but were really Rs.

West Virginia and Arizona sent senators who represent party leadership to absolute perfection. They define the party.

Not only that, but you need a super majority in the senate to get anything real through, which means you need 60+ Democrats who ALL need to be on board, along with a majority of Democrats in the House, AND a Democrat president.

The filibuster can be done away with forever with a simple majority. Manchin's party never will.

That hasn’t happened since early Obama, and he squandered it by trying to pass bipartisan legislation with the Republicans

He got the bailouts passed. Democrats could have destroyed the relic of Jim Crow that is the filibuster to pass the public option. But they didn't wanna.

[-] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 2 points 10 months ago

When was the last time Republicans held a majority like that and how is it that despite that majority, they still manage to pass all their vile legislation?

[-] ShadowRam@kbin.social 6 points 10 months ago

Right, but he could get the ball rolling by getting someone in congress he knows to start a bill for the idea.

If Repub's shoot it down, then he's got more ammo in his ads

[-] Blackbeard@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago
  1. How do you know that hasn't already happened? Bob Casey's office released a report on shrinkflation, and sent a letter to the GAO to identify transparency measures that the federal government can implement to help consumers recognize shrinkflation. Sounds like there's a lot already moving.

  2. Why is him getting out in front of the issue in the media not considered "ammo for his ads"? If all he needs is something to virtue signal about, then isn't that exactly what he's doing right now?

[-] Blackbeard@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

Law requiring

Congress.

[-] FinishingDutch@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

We have that in the Netherlands; it’s very helpful. You usually see a price per kilo or a price per liter. Makes it really easy to just look at product X, Y and Z and see which one is actually more expensive, without having to do math in your head. That really should be the law everywhere.

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[-] BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social 2 points 10 months ago

$ per actual measurement unit

I've already seen this in essentially every supermarket ever, usually per ounce. Sure, you have to have some vague intuition about what that is relative to the product, but you can still make standardized comparisons across, say, different kinds of chips, very easily.

It'd be nice to include taxes, I agree.

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[-] eksb@programming.dev 5 points 10 months ago

Talking a big game and then not doing anything? You have stumbled onto the secret plan of ~~Joe Biden~~ ~~Democrats~~ ~~politicians~~ Homo sapiens.

[-] RedditWanderer@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago

Yeah like Democrats trying to give out free school lunches to children, and then the Republicans just saying no.

It must be "homo sapiens".

[-] pinkdrunkenelephants@lemmy.cafe 5 points 10 months ago

Of course it doesn't. They probably don't have any actual plan to enforce laws. 🤦

I can't wait until I become High Galactic Overlord of this planet so I can boot those motherfuckers off of a cliff.

[-] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 5 points 10 months ago

It's all about lip service. Neither party really gives a shit about the American public.

this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2024
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