As Elon Musk works at destroying the Social Security that millions of Americans rely on, And Congress eliminates the Medicaid and SNAP programs that keep our poor children healthy, take solace in the fact he’s doing really well.
Starlink benefits as Trump admin rewrites rules for $42B grant program
Gotta love those clever Trump voters who figured out a team of billionaires would be the best to recreate our government. You know billionaires care about us, right?
Remember the Kurds? Y’know I didn’t want to believe that Trump was a Russian asset despite the mounting evidence, but his actions since taking office scream Putin. Greenland is owned by Denmark, a NATO country who allows the U.S. to have both an Air Force and Naval base in Greenland. We patrol the “Northwest Passage” and keep it safe due to our commitments to our NATO allies. But if the U.S. owned Greenland, Trump could cede control of the Arctic Ocean to Russia. Panama has strict sanctions against Russian ships using the canal, but if the U.S. owned the canal, it could unilaterally drop those sanctions. What a gift that would be to Russia! Like breaking the bond between the U.S. and Western Europe, or substantially weakening the functionality of our government.
Now this…
Exclusive-Trump plans to revoke legal status of Ukrainians who fled to US, sources say
We made a promise, those people trusted us. But so did the Kurds. The thing I struggle to understand is, are his followers okay with breaking promises or just okay with him breaking promises?
UPDATE! – I was wrong, the Panama Canal has a doctrine of neutrality and already lets Russian ships through. Scratch that conspiracy theory I fell for. This is why I have to check my sources before I publish. Fact-checking is essential Y’know.
Yeah, but if someone hadn’t enriched themselves for years using their celebrity to make dumb suburban moms doubt the efficacy of vaccines, we probably wouldn’t HAVE an outbreak. Dumbass. Herd immunity requires high percentages of vaccination. It cannot be a “personal choice” since the choice is asking for the right to sicken others.
“We don’t want to see anybody die,” – Marco Rubio (late January)
On second thought, Daddy and Musk say we are okay with that – Marco Rubio (late February)
The Trump Administration Said These Aid Programs Saved Lives. It Canceled Them Anyway
Musk’s Purges Suddenly Take a Horrific Turn—and Wreck an Ugly MAGA Lie
I remember how excited I was when “Plumpy nut (RUTF) was developed. No more kids starving! And it was cheap, and it supported American farms!
Yeah, feels good to be an American these days.
After slashing federal workers’ jobs, Elon Musk suggests pay hike for politicians
They do work SO hard.
Some folks believe the left manipulates the media. It’s a convenient conspiracy theory because it allows one to discount that which challenges their opinions. I read a post recently, called Inside the Manipulation Machine. I liked that the author bases the beginning of his article on a book I very much enjoyed called “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by the brilliant Neil Postman. Although he summarizes the premise of the book he does not reference it. Which seems dishonest, since he’s clearly read it. Basically we went from a visual species to a verbal species to a species capable of understanding the written word. Then we de-evolved with first radio (verbal communication) and then television (visual communication). Now our caveman brains are easily manipulated. So Obama manipulated them!
Wait! What?
Oh, and if that wasn’t enough. We’re also offering the Tate brothers sanctuary. Because of course we are.
RFK Jr. issues rule barring public comment on HHS rulemaking
Wonder if my conservative friends will think their freedom of speech is being stifled. They always seem so worried about that.
An interesting take on Elon’s business acumen from someone who worked for him…
Also interesting, this was posted four months ago and really gives some insights…
In the end, I think both Elon and Trump are pretty easily misled. That seems crazy, but is it? Both have attachments to conspiracy theories that are definitely not true.
I’ve waited awhile before commenting on JD’s European speech. I have a friend who thought he did really well. I am less enthusiastic. But he did highlight what I believe are two misconceptions, one held by liberals, and one held by conservatives. In the end, his speech was shocking, and partially, in my opinion, true.
He started by saying that Europe’s greatest threat is internal. Attempts by European governments to restrict speech that may offend others are silly and counter productive. This is a good point. I have always felt that liberals need to understand that especially in the United States, there is no such thing as the right to not be offended. Instead, there is indeed a right to offend. Comedians like Lenny Bruce, George Carlin and Richard Pryor established that a long time ago and I stand by it. Okay, that part is true, but is it really Europe’s BIGGEST threat? Continue reading
With friends like us, who needs enemies?
US refuses to blame Russia for Ukraine war, splitting with European allies in UN votes
Russia invaded Ukraine. It was not provoked. We are now lairs on the world stage. This is not the U.S.A. I was raised in. Not the one I thought I knew. Shame to everyone who enabled this.
I have been able to retire because I worked in two separate jobs with a union. My dad’s union job helped him retire when his body gave out, and many of my older friends got to go to college because their dad was paid fairly because he was in a union. Reagan started the movement against unions and interestingly enough worker pay in the U.S. stagnated after that. In 1982, after just five years on the job (part time), I had medical benefits, dental, eye and even legal coverage. I had two weeks of paid vacation per year and was halfway to being vested in a pension plan. I was also making over $10.00 per hour (in 1982!). Not bad for a college job. The same job today has nowhere near those benefits even though it is still a union job. It also pays only about 50% more than it did then, over 40 years later!
Unions brace for fight as Ohio GOP moves ‘Right to Work,’ strike bans
So much for that Measles outbreak in Texas.
First CDC vaccine meeting under Trump administration is postponed
Too bad Trump voting seniors…
Trump official calls Social Security ‘wrong’ as administration lays groundwork for massive cuts
Bernie lays it out.
First, I am amazed there was even any type of “background check” on Musk and his toadies like “Big Balls”. So why does it surprise anyone he wouldn’t want you to know what they found.
So let’s make sure we understand. The first priority to cut “waste and fraud” was to get rid of all the watchdogs on waste and fraud and now make sure we don’t know who’s doing what. Sure sounds legit to me! What could go wrong?
By the way, in case you were wondering who “Big Balls” is…
Our new Attorney General and head of the Justice Department is Pam Bondi. She was a lobbyist for the company that lobbies on behalf of Trump and his companies, but before that she was Attorney General for Florida. She was investigating Trump for fraud until this happened…
Florida AG Drops Trump U lawsuit After Trump Gives Her $25,000
Folks who think Trump’s fraud trial in New York was a witch hunt forget New York could have prosecuted him twice before for fraud but let him go because he is rich and powerful. I think even if you’re rich, two get out of jail cards seems like plenty. So what’s Pam up to in her new role as U.S. Attorney General?
Fox analyst Andy McCarthy blasts Trump DOJ for ‘weaponization’ in column
Draining that swamp.
Call me a cynic, but I am skeptical that an non-elected government contractor with no previous knowledge of government, and no security clearance, could eliminate waste in the government. So far, at least from my perspective, his work mostly seems to be eliminating important programs and breaking things. Recently he went on a Twitter-rage about testimony from the head of a respected independent government watchdog group called the Project on Government Oversight which has been around since 1981. I am linking to the entire 10 page testimony .pdf format (with footnotes) so no one has to rely on a summary in the news. It an interesting read…
Project on Government Oversight (Wikipedia)
It should also be noted that at least five of the inspectors general that Trump fired had open investigations into Musk’s contracts. He has contracts with at least 17 government agencies or departments. Whoa, I bet firing those independent watchdogs is sure cutting waste. No doubt they where “DEI hires”.
Lastly, why does DOGE need access to your personal tax records to find “waste in government”?
‘Five alarm warning’: Possible DOGE access to private taxpayer data sparks outcry
If you were hoping that wiser heads in the Republican led budget committee would prevail, remember that the party ran all the wiser heads out of office.
House GOP panel passes budget blueprint with $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and steep spending reductions
It calls for $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, with an additional caveat: The House package has to include $2 trillion in cuts to the “mandatory” part of federal spending, which covers programs like Medicare, Medicaid and food benefits known as SNAP, or $4.5 trillion amount in tax breaks must be reduced by a commensurate amount.
“This budget resolution provides the fiscal framework for what will be one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in modern history and the principal legislative vehicle for delivering on President Trump’s America First agenda,” Budget Committee chair Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said in a statement. “The era of wasteful, woke, and weaponized government is over.”
So Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP are “wasteful, woke and weaponized”. If you are a senior citizen, or poor, you’re about to get screwed. This is what the MAGA crowed really voted for. It isn’t like we didn’t warn you. It’s ALWAYS about money. Also in the news, we voted in an election denying fan of the Kremlin with no intelligence background and ties to a supposed “cult”, to head our intelligence community and a vaccine denying conspiracy theorist with no medical background to head up public health. Good luck with bird flu folks. Mitch McConnell was the only Republican who voted against both. Remember when he had clout?
Couldn’t we raise more revenue if Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and that weird Meta guy paid their fair share of taxes? Why do they need another tax cut? So they won’t need to rely on Social Security and Medicare when they retire?
It was never about the boarder, or “woke”. It was about this…
House Republicans unveil blueprint to extend $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and lift the debt ceiling
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has, in the last 12 years, returned $17.5 billion to consumers who were ripped off by various financial institutions. Like the recent ruling against Bank of America for double-dipping on non-sufficient fund fees, opening unauthorized consumer financial accounts, and making misleading statements regarding certain credit card rewards. In short, they are a tool to help the average consumer. As a result of that ruling, Bank of America will pay more than $100 million to harmed customers and $90 million to the CFPB’s victims relief fund. Obviously the rich and powerful have hated it since it was started. And so…
Trump administration orders consumer protection agency to stop work, closes building
Make no mistake, this one might stick. Banks and Insurance companies have bought a lot of congresscritters over the years, and only congress can do away with the CFPB permanently.
Yeah, I know, I’ve been hitting the politics a lot lately. Hard to not be sad about it all. Trying not to watch as the rich carve up the only defense we have against their tyranny. Word is, the new administration is going after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (N.O.A.A.) next. Easier to lie about climate change if we don’t keep data on it. Wonder who’s going to warn Florida about the next hurricane?
How did it become a political issue? Ambitious politicians never miss a chance to use a crisis as an opportunity. Especially, if you can change the narrative to benefit you. Salesmanship counts, especially among the uninformed and weak minded.
I have wondered about this for a while. I consider myself a Malthusian. Which is to say, I worry about the Earth’s growing population and how that will strain (and indeed already is straining) the ecosystem. So it has bothered me to see the recent obsession by some, with increasing the domestic birth rate. When taken along with recent anti-immigrant sentiment, I just chalked it up to racism. But there is more to it. This video does a nice job of summing up the argument. And also why the argument isn’t that strong.
It is weird that many of the proponents of having more children are also proponents of increased automation and AI. I have a strong belief that adherence to weak arguments comes from a lack of training in logic and rhetoric. Seems all too common these days.