On entitlement

Senator Manchin is not the only person who doesn't want to live in an "entitlement society." From Daily Kos:

I’m with Joe Manchin - I don’t want to live in an entitlement society. https://t.co/FfMFlz6ml3

— michele rule (@rulemichele) October 8, 2021

I don't think the author is writing about the same kind of entitlement, however. Here's a sample from the article:

I don’t want to live in a society where coal companies are entitled to pump out as much CO2 as they want, lining their pockets while we watch our cities burn to the ground.

I don’t want to live in a society where the wealthiest nation in the history of mankind generates trillions in wealth every year, but is entitled to stand by and do nothing while twelve million U.S. children suffer food insecurity, and millions more life in poverty. Where 30% of our college students experience food insecurity. . . .

I don’t want to live in a society where corporations are entitled to pay historically low tax rates, and where billionaires are entitled to stash billions overseas in secret accounts, while American commuters wonder if they should drive over that aging bridge this afternoon, or take the train, or drink the water in their own homes.

The conclusion:

Here’s the deal — I’ve read every single one of Sen Manchin’s op-eds during this process. I’ve watched and read most of his public statements.

Let’s be honest, he is not really opposed to granting new entitlements. Everything that Joe Manchin has criticized is entirely about preserving the entitlements currently enjoyed by a tiny fraction of our society at the expense of others. He’s entitled, and he doesn’t want to give that up. That’s what this is about.

(Note -- bold and italic are in the original.)

Yes, it’s an excellent take on "entitlement."

Unemployment benefits

For similar reasons, Manchin was also in favor of ending enhanced unemployment benefits. (Yes, another entitlement.) Here was the senator in July:

Senator Joe Manchin (D., W. Va.) signaled [last] Saturday that he would not support including an extension of federal jobless aid for gig workers and long-term unemployed Americans beyond Labor Day in Democrats’ budget reconciliation package this fall.

“I’m done with extensions,” Manchin reportedly told Insider. “The economy is coming back.”
“Look guys, read your own print,” he added. “Read your own print. The economy is stronger now, the job market is stronger. Nine million jobs we can’t fill. We’re coming back.”

And here’s how that has worked out:

After the enhanced pandemic unemployment benefits were cut off for workers nationwide in September, the U.S. saw it's lowest month of job growth in 2021. pic.twitter.com/ubPW3UqJB2

— Sean O'Leary (@OLearySW) October 8, 2021

What happened to that "strong job market" that would take care of all those unemployed workers, Senator?

Additionally, on entitlements

The New York Times’ Jamelle Bouie has an excellent article on Manchin and entitlement:

Jamelle Bouie | Joe Manchin Should Stop Talking About ‘Entitlement’ - The New York Times https://t.co/iJVh6dOTUf

— Stephen A. Rhodes (@StephenARhodes) October 8, 2021

Manchin odds and ends

Yesterday, here is Senator Manchin in the background playing to the camera during Majority Leader Schumer’s speech criticizing the Republicans who did not support extending the debt limit:

And then there is this from The Daily Show:

Manchin! The Board Game: Feel the excitement of a narrow majority held hostage by one sanctimonious d**khead! pic.twitter.com/maapgTJjel

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) October 3, 2021