Conservative opposition to social safety nets is nothing new. But, as daycare costs continue to soar and the US Surgeon General warns that parents are dangerously overwhelmed, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle appear to agree that at least something needs to be done to help address the crisis.
Yet when faced with a simple question on the issue this week, Donald Trump and JD Vance stumbled profoundly, prompting many to wonder whether the Republican ticket had even bothered to think about child care affordability—again, one of the most acute problems facing the US economy—at all.
Just take a look. Here was Trump at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday, rambling through an incomprehensible, half-baked theory that foreign tariffs will solve the problem, easy-peasy—all while dodging the question of specific pieces of legislation he’d push to help make child care more affordable. Meanwhile, economists widely agree that sweeping tariffs would severely hurt world trade.
Oh no, Vance has a plan. Vance’s plan is as follows:
Yeah, good luck with that. My parents dumped me on their parents, then were conveniently absentee when I struggled with child care. It’s just another reason I’m so vocal about certain things needing to be socialized, like housing, medical, water, utilities, food, decent basic clothing, etc, and funding it by returning to 1950’s era tax policies.
Also, these days, a lot of grandparents can’t afford to retire.
On top of that, it would be ridiculous to expect them to take over childcare duties rather than enjoy their retirement. If they wanted to, fine. If they wanted to go travel the world or whatever they can afford to do, they’ve earned it.
I’m sure some have. Mine were just incredibly cluster B, but could have definitely afforded it. Especially *one side. I’m not even angry at them anymore, because it’s plain to see why. I went through it, because multigenerational trauma is real and access to therapy, especially quality, is all but non existent. I just kept muddling through to get this far along, mostly by dumb luck and persistence and stubbornly, doggedly doing the work, mostly on my own. Cutting out drinking, doping (reefer, even) and most socializing helped. Not that I’m surrounded by bad people, they aren’t. They are good people, but also multigenerationally traumatized and in active alcoholism and other addiction, and not really interested in healing, just self-medicating. And a lot of the trauma is just being told what we went through is normal, therapies are evil, pray it all away, moral failure, etc.
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Also, relying on relatives is a way of circumventing freedom of movement. It keeps everyone in the same place, at the same low paying jobs, with no hope of improving their or their children’s situation in life. Which is also perfectly in line with the Republican playbook.
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And don’t forget taking away womens’ bodily autonomy. That will surely fix all problems.
2b. And maybe aunts and uncles want to help too.
Grandma and grandpa won’t be able to, they’re not retiring because pensions effectively no longer exist, we’ve had 40 years of declining real wages, and they didn’t know what a 401k was or save in it for much of their careers.