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Monday, November 18. 2024Monday morning linksGeography Revealed as Racist The New Push for Censorship Under the Guise of Combating Hate - How an obscure British nonprofit came to influence White House COVID policy and lead attacks on Elon Musk Some Democrats Are Admitting They Lied Before The Election Schumer to GOP: Please Don’t Do to Us What We Were Going to Do to You Climate Change Was the Big Election Loser
The National Debt Just Hit $36 Trillion. Does Trump Have a Plan To Control It? It What to expect from Pete Hegseth, Trump’s defense pick In Washington terms, he has no executive or legislative experience. MSM Downplays Need to Tackle Obesity Epidemic to Take Shots at RFK Jr. RFK Jr. poses with Big Mac and a Coke on Trump Force One Everybody gets to be Hitler for 15 minutes Not All Federal Agencies Fear DOGE-Insiders at NASA ‘Welcome’ the Chance to ‘Clean House’ Victor Davis Hanson Analyzes and Explains Trump’s Cabinet Picks as Only He Can Vivek Ramaswamy suggests Department of Education will be ‘deleted outright’ by DOGE Simple Competency Would Be a Pleasant Change: Homan Promising Shock and Awe The History Lesson Democrats Can’t Afford to Forget - Forty years ago The Trump Dance President Trump Dances to ‘YMCA’ at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden Biden's Cabinet Nominees Were Completely Unqualified Compared To Trump's The New York Times Publishes an Article Calling for a Color Revolution In the United States to Block Trump from the Presidency UMass students hold ‘Walkout Against Trump’ Is Pete Hegseth a Nazi? Are Christians White Supremacists? One News Outlet Thinks So Education Cmte. will work with Dept. of Government Efficiency to 'cut back waste' in higher ed: Rep. Burgess Owens Americans in Western NC Will BE Delighted the US Is Building Rail Lines for Lima, Peru Biden Lifts Ban on Ukraine Using US Arms to Strike Inside Russia Russian Forces Unleash Over 120 Missiles and 90 Drones in One of the Largest Strikes of the War Against Ukraine ‘F*** Elon Musk’: Brazil’s First Lady Insults X CEO and Gets a Brutal Response Cuban dictatorship promises worse hardships, threatens anyone who complains with severe penalties Anti-Zionism’s German Roots - While Islam traditionally treated Jews
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I don't know how effective Pete Hegseth will be but he couldn't be worse than Lloyd Austin. To be honest these cabinet appointees don't "run" the departments they head. They set policy and a small army of bureaucrats run the departments. Stephan Hawkins could have run the DOD from his wheel chair. Ironically Hegseth has great experience in the prime job of any cabinet member and that is public relations on TV. I assume Trump will tell Hegseth in broad terms what he wants from DOD and Hegseth will meet with 20 or so of his closest advisors/subordinates and hammer out policy guidelines and then the larger staff will implement it.
As for women in combat roles, it was always a stupid idea and for those who thought it was a good idea I suggest they replay the Olympics boxing match or the many other sports events where men competed with women. Women should not be in the military except in the medical and admin field. I couldn’t read the whole Free Press article. Bill Clinton was no centrist. Is he, or is he not teamed up with that lying weasel, snake in the grass, authoritarian Marxist, Hillary Clinton? Both of whom have charlatan characteristics wider than the Grand Canyon. Uh, I could give you those tax cuts, but you wouldn’t spend the right way. Bill said something close to that. He was forced to the center after Newt and his happy band of conservative republicans won the house for the first time in 42 years. Why did Americans hand the house to republicans after two years of the centrist Bill Clinton?
What I remember about the presidential campaign of ‘92 was a fresh face, charismatic Bill Clinton, running against the old guard George Bush, and a third party kooky candidate Ross Perot. Most people were sick to death of Bush. Behold Bill: playing the saxophone and answering questions about his underwear choices. Bush still might have won had it not been for Perot and Bush telegraphing to the electorate how bored he was with the entire campaign by looking at his watch during a debate question about the national debt. A fabulous politician, there was Bill, he took that question and Bush’s incoherent response to the end zone. Later in the campaign, Ross and his campaign blew up the crazy matrix, but it was too late to save Bush. Ross was right about NAFTA, ya gotta give him credit for that. That giant sucking sound is still on going. How many tens of thousands of jobs have we lost to Mexico? What has Mexico down with all that good will and capital? The cartels are bigger than ever and killing Americans by the hundreds of thousands. Mexico is a pipeline for illegals coming to America for free stuff. Mexico politicians tell the illegals which democrat to vote for, while being the beneficiary of billions of dollars in wire transfers. It’s been a giant sucking sound, vacuuming up American lives, jobs and wealth. What If the US Federal Government Was Run Like Tesla?
QUOTE: Elon Musk has said at least $2 trillions per year could be removed from the $6.5 trillion annual federal government budget. . . .Could it be possible to eliminate 75% of the 3 million employees of the federal government and make the government more responsive and productive? https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2024/11/what-if-the-us-federal-government-was-run-like-tesla.html feeblemind: Could it be possible to eliminate 75% of the 3 million employees of the federal government and make the government more responsive and productive?
The civilian federal labor force costs about $270 billion per year, 60% for defense, veterans affairs, and homeland security. Cutting the expenditure by 75% would save about $200 billion, only a small fraction of the desired savings of $2 trillion, with likely significant erosion of capabilities. Regardless, it would almost certainly require congressional approval. When you look at the federal budget, you see that well over half is for Social Security, health services such as Medicare, and defense. Let us know what cuts you think would add up to $2 trillion. Remove SS and Medicare from the budget. It should be and can be self sustaining and managed at a very low cost. Clean up the SS roles and spending on anything other than a SS retirement for people who have completed a full work requirement. The congress used SS funds for welfare type expenditures ONLY to buy votes. End it! Remove anyone from the retirement roles who has not met the full requirements. Remove SSI from Social Security it is welfare and should not be managed under SS.
Eliminate half of the federal departments. End all welfare, eliminate 50% of the remaining federal workforce. Prioritize national defense including our borders. STFU Quibble-DickZ I. You haven't a clue and you're annoying to boot.
OneGuy: Remove SS and Medicare from the budget.
Social Security still has a substantial trust fund, is about 75% self-sustaining over the long run, and has an overhead cost of only about 1%. How would removing it from the budget reduce federal expenditures by $2 trillion? None of the other changes you suggest are anywhere near $2 trillion. You could eliminate Social Security and Medicare, but keep collecting payroll taxes. That would do the trick. The SS trust fund is a stand alone program just like the airport trust fund. They are directly funded by flyers while the government, over the years, has 'borrowed' from the funds. The medicare trust fund is also stand alone funded by the medicare tax. The highway trust fund is also funded by fuel taxes and is self funded. Replace SS with an individual owned 401K. The same with the Medicare program, individual owned health care policy based on your lifestyle.
What you call the federal employee and military employee trust fund is not self funded but primariy funded by the government agencies and the treasury. These need to be funded entirely by the employees with a 401 K type program. The highway fuel fund needs to be ended and states allowed to increase their fuel taxes to cover the difference. That ends boondoggle projects like the Boston Big Dig and the Trains to Nowhere. There are numerous programs like USAID that are nothing more than State dept/CIA slushfund warmonger programs. What department is funding the UN and NGO travel, housing, and allowance program. What agency is funding the AGW grifting. End student loans as the offered credentials are not worth the price. No grants to universities in which the taxpayer is excluded from a gain. There is an almost endless list of programs that can be ended with no loss to anyone but the grifters. Moving most expenses to the states, other than national defense, insures 50 states looking for the best way for government to exist and serve the taxpayer. Otherwise, Federal overreach and bullying result in building an empire at the expense of all but the ruling elite. " is about 75% self-sustaining over the long run"
In other words, it is not self-sustaining. Z: You could eliminate Social Security and Medicare, but keep collecting payroll taxes. That would do the trick.
Just checking the numbers: Social Security expenditures are about $1.3 trillion annually, while Medicare is about $0.8 trillion. Under current law, the Social Security Trust Fund is set to be depleted in 2035. At that point, unless Congress acts, recipients will receive about 83% of current benefits gradually reducing to 73% over a 75 year window. Trump proposals would make the situation worse by moving depletion of the Trust Fund nearer in time, while reducing what beneficiaries would receive after that. On the other hand, if you stop paying out Social Security and Medicare, and as long as you keep collecting payroll taxes, there's your $2 trillion in deficit reduction. Now the Quibble-DickZ are downright silly.
#3.1.3.3.1
Zachinoff
on
2024-11-18 16:40
(Reply)
Zach, I'm worried about your loss of memory. It was YOU who brought up SS. But that's between you and your doctor. I could recommend some nootropic boosters if you like.
I did not suggest removing it from the budget to help with the debt I suggested that to get congresses grubby hands of it so that they could NOT include it in their debt reduction plans. OneGuy: It was YOU who brought up SS.
The topic was cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget. While you didn’t bother to provide detailed accounting, nothing you proposed would result in such savings—unless you meant including the entire defense department. Regardless, waving your hands in the general direction is not part of generally accepted accounting principles.
#3.1.3.4.1
Zachriel
on
2024-11-18 18:59
(Reply)
...over the long run we are all dead. Over the short run it is 100% funded by SS deductions. Only supplemental social security is entirely funded by treasury. Social security should be replaced with individual retirement accounts. Federal government employee pensions should also be replaced by individual retirement accounts. Get the government OUT of the pension business. Get the government out of the medicare/medicaid 'health' business. Government medical care is too subject to corruption. Have government ONLY fund VA care for combatants and merge the VA system into the civilian medical system. That's just a start.
Firing, laying off, abolishing positions via attrition does not require congressional approval. Nor is the executive branch legally obligated to spend money in the budget.
I'm sure some of the terminations will have to be litigated over contractual matters or "worker's rights." But if Elon gets his way, current federal employees will have strong incentives to resign/retire and strong disincentives to stay. Many will pursue their own interests over your political interests. Firing, laying off, abolishing positions via attrition does not require congressional approval. Nor is the executive branch legally obligated to spend money in the budget.
I'm sure some of the terminations will have to be litigated over contractual matters or "worker's rights." But if Elon gets his way, current federal employees will have strong incentives to resign/retire and strong disincentives to stay. Many will pursue their own interests over your political interests. I'll add, Vivek and Elon have access to much better data than you and both of them individually have more intelligence in their little toe than you have in your brain. Vivek has both written and spoken extensively about this specific issue. And Elon has also gone into specifics in interviews. But if you want to punch at straw men, feel free. Just to expect to be treated respectfully. James4HJ: Nor is the executive branch legally obligated to spend money in the budget.
That is incorrect. It’s called presidential impoundment, and the Supreme Court found in Train v. City of New York that the president can’t generally impound appropriated finds. Congress specifically addressed any remaining doubt with the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Exceptions have to be written into the appropriation bill itself. The particular case, Train v. New York, is instructive. Congress passed environmental funding. The President vetoed the bill. Congress overrode the veto. The President then decided to just not spend the money, which would essentially neuter Congress, even though Congress controls the pursestrings.
#3.1.5.1.1
Zachriel
on
2024-11-18 21:49
(Reply)
For your viewing enjoyment watch the Tucker Carlson interview with potential OMB director Russ Vought. This can be found on the conservative tree house website for Nov 18,2024.
They discuss the admin state and how it can be controlled along with the impoundment issue.
#3.1.5.1.1.1
indyjonesouthere
on
2024-11-18 22:11
(Reply)
Presidential impoundment is a practiced presidential right which the SCOTUS muffed up just like they blew up the abortion issue. A present court will find that it requires an amendment to the Constitution to deny the president that right. This is why I am always thankful for good old boy Harry Reid. It is no longer a progressive court of the FDR regime.
#3.1.5.1.2
indyjonesouthere
on
2024-11-18 21:59
(Reply)
re Biden Lifts Ban on Ukraine Using US Arms to Strike Inside Russia
Biden's puppet masters continue to jab the Russian bear in the ass. Recall this: QUOTE: Back in September, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warning, stating that if Ukraine were to receive long-range weapons and strike targets within Russia, he would hold the United States and NATO directly accountable, considering it an act of war by those countries. https://x.com/NewsNotBs/status/1858224446147870857?t=VzWAKr3GpDHHYj30pqkeyg&s=09 Now we are calling his bluff. Good.
In the dying days of a lame duck administration, Biden finally gets it right. Along the same lines as...
"Some Democrats Are Admitting They Lied Before The Election" and "Schumer to GOP: Please Don’t Do to Us What We Were Going to Do to You" QUOTE: Multiple current and former senior Justice Department and FBI officials have begun reaching out to lawyers in anticipation of being criminally investigated by the Trump administration, according to three people with knowledge of their deliberations. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/doj-fbi-officials-reach-lawyers-potential-trump-revenge-prosecutions-l-rcna179737?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma&taid=673abbc59458eb0001f2f0aa |