Politics

[YancyW]

.

This is from an Emerson poll fielded earlier this week. Right track numbers coming in from multiple groups in the field over the last couple of weeks are higher than I have seen in many years. Probably 20+.

 

[YancyW]

Here is a graph I made for his over A/D since he took office.

 

[barryk]

Elon isnt known for a deep dive approach.. He is known for conducting shermans march to the sea, and then solving the related/created problems in the aftermath..

He took the same approach at Twitter, Tesla, and other companies he has owned that he thought needed to be thinned out..

To his credit, the tactic has worked and ultimately been successful everywhere he has done it...

In the case of DOGE, Elon doesn't have the authority to actually do anything other than the finding/discovery work.. what happens after is the action of the associated secretary or POTUS himself..

No one should have expected a surgical strike once Trump announced his intention to back Musk and Ramswarthy in DOGE... Musk doesn't use a scalpel.. he never has... he uses MOABs...

While I don't particularly like how they are doing things and would have appreciated a little more precision in their actions, Im not at all surprised or alarmed by it.. its exactly what I expected them to do based on how they have operated in the past..

Won't it be ultimately up to Congress as to what is permanently cut? I have little faith in "Republican Follow-Thru" to make cuts without using the funds somewhere else.....i.e. debt needle will not be moved.

 

[Brent in Az]

Based on the reactions of leftists across the spectrum of social media, you would think the world is coming to an end

 

[Wheels]

I disagree with Twitter, he bought it for $44B and it is worth $19B now. Banks that invested in it already have written off losses on the loans.

https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20240820182/elon-musks-44-billion-twitter-purchase-ranks-as-worst-deal-for-banks-since-the-financial-crisis-wsj

Musk is talking to Wall Street this week about raising money with an X valuation of 44B. Evidently the gross profits this past year are about half of what they were the full year prior to his purchase and net profits are double what they were the year prior to the purchase. Large advertisers are coming back in mass since the election. Tawal, an initial investor has said he loves his position and will add to his position in X. I don't know about any other current investors.

As Musk has said multiple times. He didn't buy Twitter as an investment. He said 44B was the cost of free speech.

 

[mdwest]

Won't it be ultimately up to Congress as to what is permanently cut? I have little faith in "Republican Follow-Thru" to make cuts without using the funds somewhere else.....i.e. debt needle will not be moved.

depends on which program we're talking about or which agency we're talking about..

I have a feeling we're going to see some litigation and some fighting between the executive branch and the legislative branch before this is all over with..

congress will largely support most of whats going on.. there will be a few no votes coming from the R party on pretty much anything (McConnel, etc).. but there are enough senators and congressmen on board the trump train at this point that the obvious cuts like DEI spending, etc will easily go away... there will be no argument... just Chuch Schumer doing a lot of crying and Maxine Waters doing a lot of bitching..

but there will be a few things that will cross the proverbial line, that I think will get enough no votes to hold up the desired move..

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I would put all of those savings in a lockbox......

 

[Russ16]

depends on which program we're talking about or which agency we're talking about..

I have a feeling we're going to see some litigation and some fighting between the executive branch and the legislative branch before this is all over with..

congress will largely support most of whats going on.. there will be a few no votes coming from the R party on pretty much anything (McConnel, etc).. but there are enough senators and congressmen on board the trump train at this point that the obvious cuts like DEI spending, etc will easily go away... there will be no argument... just Chuch Schumer doing a lot of crying and Maxine Waters doing a lot of bitching..

but there will be a few things that will cross the proverbial line, that I think will get enough no votes to hold up the desired move..

Except that outside of what they can do in reconciliation (which is limited) they need 60 votes in the senate. That means democrats even if they keep all the republicans. Don’t count on those dem votes coming without a price.

 

[Wheels]

My only challenge to what you said is though the article makes reasonable assertions, I feel the authors fail with respect to accurate context. I fully respect your right to disagree with my opinion and absolutely acknowledge your reasoning, however misguided , for doing so.

So what in the article do you feel is not accurate context. As you said there no need to go through the article point by point since we have done this before but if you want to we can. I don't have time this evening but am happy to reply tomorrow.

 

[Wheels]

Won't it be ultimately up to Congress as to what is permanently cut? I have little faith in "Republican Follow-Thru" to make cuts without using the funds somewhere else.....i.e. debt needle will not be moved.

Congress is responsible for the budget which we haven't had in 15-20 years. Hopefully Congress will reduce appropriations significantly and come up with a budget instead of a CR or omnibus bill two hours prior to the vote. The key will be impoundments which the President had control of for nearly 200 years prior to Nixon's last year when Congress determined the President didn't have that power. This will probably end up a decision by SCOTUS shortly. With the new Roberts Court there is a decent chance they would rule the President not Congress has the impoundments power under Article II.

 

[cwpayton]

With Trump, personal grievance is apparently always more important than national interest. After all, Putin never insulted him.

Any one should know I hope ,That Putin is a professional thug, meaning top level murder and mafia type gangster with nuke weapons to boot. a dictator of satanic quals .Trump is none of these things, and I suspect putin is playing him like a fiddle appealing to his desires and ego. The only other thing I can make of it is Trump is playing putin against Europe for grievances real or Imagined and Trump being Trump could care less about Ukraine. WHEN its all said and done nothing will have changed except a small country torn apart and several hundred thousand dead young men crying from the grave for some type of justice which this world cannot give, may God rest their torn, weary souls on both sides of the rotten mess. they never started the damn war the thug did. I voted for Trump. this mess wont last, I HOPE!

 

[cwpayton]

That is unfortunate. Even though I can appreciate the Trump administration trimming the fat from the federal government, I feel that there could be too much collateral damage to some people that are passionate about their jobs, and the good that they can do in those sectors.

I hope when all the fat is boiled off the good employees will be rehired maybe with back pay,I can
hope.

 

[Safari Dave]

As as life-long government employee, I have some empathy for government employees losing their jobs.


On the other hand, I've had over 33 years of experience in dealing with federal government employees and I can assure everyone that the federal government is full of waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption.

If someone goes into the employment for the federal government and doesn't know it ahead of time, or learns it within 6 months of being employed, then they are VERY naive.


I spent a couple of years trying to get permits from the federal government to repair an environmental problem on federal government property.

I never got the permits...

So, the U.S. Government lake got sedimentation and sewage.


Oh, well...

At least I know not to swim in it!

 

[gbflyer]

As as life-long government employee, I have some empathy for government employees losing their jobs.


On the other hand, I've had over 33 years of experience in dealing with federal government employees and I can assure everyone that the federal government is full of waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption.

If someone goes into the employment for the federal government and doesn't know it ahead of time, or learns it within 6 months of being employed, then they are VERY naive.


I spent a couple of years trying to get permits from the federal government to repair an environmental problem on federal government property.

I never got the permits...

So, the U.S. Government lake got sedimentation and sewage.


Oh, well...

At least I know not to swim in it!

I’m not a federal government employee, but my business, to a great extent, as well as most of my townsfolk are reliant on it. Our entire State for that matter. I agree with everything you wrote.

 

[Safari Dave]

It is absolutely inconceivable at the amount of incompetence, laziness, foot-dragging, etc. in the following agencies:


U.S.F&WS
U.S. Forest Service
E.P.A.
U.S.A.C.O.E.


I know several "boots-on-the-ground" employees, and most of them seem OK (except for fairly recent D.E.I. hires), but the bureaucracy seems completely incompetent.

One of my friends worked for the U.S. Forest Service, until he finally got to retire. For his last 5-10 years, this college educated man (B.S. in Forestry) was treated like a janitor.

His (urban-dwelling, female) supervisor, was, literally, scared of forests, and would not even go into a forest unless accompanied by a man who knew what he was doing.


Disgusting!

 

[Neophyte]

Personally, I’m a former Fed, I think it’s funny as heck.

The whole shebang is like watching a train wreck. I like what President Trump and DOGE are doing. As for the world stage I don’t much care. Fix our problems at home and to blazes with other countries especially Europe.

I’ve got my popcorn and a good seat to watch the fireworks. I make no secret of the fact that I’d like to see 90% of the federal government abolished. Income tax shouldn’t exist and we don’t need to be fighting other people’s wars. Not only that but I think too many folks are making mountains out of molehills. Like a bunch of old ladies.

Wring your hands, cry, moan, gnash your teeth like fools. I know where I’m going and my time here is short and it doesn’t really mean much. I will give unto Cesar that which is Cesar’s. The conditions on earth don’t mean much to me.

 

[rigbymauser]

Personally, I’m a former Fed, I think it’s funny as heck.

The whole shebang is like watching a train wreck. I like what President Trump and DOGE are doing. As for the world stage I don’t much care. Fix our problems at home and to blazes with other countries especially Europe.

I’ve got my popcorn and a good seat to watch the fireworks. I make no secret of the fact that I’d like to see 90% of the federal government abolished. Income tax shouldn’t exist and we don’t need to be fighting other people’s wars. Not only that but I think too many folks are making mountains out of molehills. Like a bunch of old ladies.

Wring your hands, cry, moan, gnash your teeth like fools. I know where I’m going and my time here is short and it doesn’t really mean much. I will give unto Cesar that which is Cesar’s. The conditions on earth don’t mean much to me.

Please tell Trump to stay on american soil and never to bother with anything outside the US. That isn`t too much to ask for.

 

[Neophyte]

Please tell Trump to stay on american soil and never to bother with anything outside the US. That isn`t too much to ask for.

Personally I don’t care to even break bread with the man.
I support what he’s doing here but don’t really care what he does overseas.

 

[Pondoro]

So..Hegseth has ordered a 40% decrease of USA´s military budget over 5 years.. What is happening here..? Is a withdraval from NATO next..?

Now he is turning on Zelensky.. And demanding election..? Sure, USA and Britain held elections in WW2..but neither had the enemy within their borders..!

Trump is becoming more and more absurd..

 

[Foxi]

Any one should know I hope ,That Putin is a professional thug, meaning top level murder and mafia type gangster with nuke weapons to boot. a dictator of satanic quals .Trump is none of these things, and I suspect putin is playing him like a fiddle appealing to his desires and ego. The only other thing I can make of it is Trump is playing putin against Europe for grievances real or Imagined and Trump being Trump could care less about Ukraine. WHEN its all said and done nothing will have changed except a small country torn apart and several hundred thousand dead young men crying from the grave for some type of justice which this world cannot give, may God rest their torn, weary souls on both sides of the rotten mess. they never started the damn war the thug did. I voted for Trump. this mess wont last, I HOPE!

You speak from my soul.
Putin has wiped out entire cities with civilians in this world, Grozny is just one of many.
People mean as much in Russia as they do in Africa - nothing at all, at least not to the communist leadership.
Unfortunately, it is true that Ukraine is a damn corrupt state (104th out of 180 ,CPI Index)
Nevertheless, children are admitted to the clinics there every day without arms and legs. Mutilated and destroyed by Russian drone attacks - is that their price?
Lavrov went one better on Tuesday in Riad and demanded the withdrawal of all nuclear weapons from Europe!!!
Hegseth's plans are the actions of a greenhorn who has no idea of the Russian power cadres.
Putin pushes forward into every gap left by the USA, Europe, Asia, Africa.
Of course, he doesn't need to be elected and he doesn't need to satisfy his people by talking about good deals.
Putin's coffers are almost inexhaustible thanks to oil and gas and he doesn't care about his own people only his ideology of Big-Russia
People-you can't trust a KGB man.
Too bad that doesn't get through to your leadership.

Foxi