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Saturday, March 8. 2025

Who’s Afraid of Tom Wolfe? The progenitor of “New Journalism” gets his long-due publishing retrospective, and reappraisal.

Climate Misinformation from the United Nations - A new Swedish Radio investigation has me asking - Does anyone care?

Saturday Miscellany

THIS IS WHAT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SURGERY DEPT IS UP TO INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, TEACHING SURGERY

DHS Ends TSA Collective Bargaining After Bombshell Finding Of 'More Full-Time Union Workers' Than Airport Screeners

Other People’s Money - The latest from DOGE

The Democratic Party Must Adapt or Go Extinct

EU and Ukraine: Stop Blaming Trump, Look in the Mirror

The West’s ‘thin red line’, Egypt’s ‘do-nothing’ Gaza plan and other commentary By Post Editorial Board

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 07:30 | Comments (14) | Trackbacks (0)

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re DHS Ends TSA Collective Bargaining After Bombshell Finding Of 'More Full-Time Union Workers' Than Airport Screeners

TSA managers had to know this and must have been okay with it.

It's not surprising. When Bush II created the TSA the union was right there johnny-on-the-spot so one knew a big slice of grift was coming.

There will certainly be pushback to the DHS decree. There is too much money at stake.

#1 feeblemind on 2025-03-08 11:03 (Reply)

QUOTE:

Other People’s Money ... Another instance is the $2.13 billion that USAID purports to have spent on Haiti relief. You can’t cut foreign aid, the Democrats scream. People will die! But it turns out that of that $2.13 billion, only two percent, $48.6 million, went to people in Haiti. $1.2 billion was paid to people and entities in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.

The funds were subcontracted to charitable organizations, such as the Red Cross, through their offices in the D.C. area. This is a good illustration of the willful ignorance of DOGE. They (and Hinderaker) don't want to know.

#2 Zachriel on 2025-03-08 11:07 (Reply)

First, note the shifting of goal posts. The linked article begins by talking about watering of plants at $1,400 dollars per plant per year. The last paragraph notes the $2.13 billion spent on Haiti. As noted in that paragraph: “ But it turns out that of that $2.13 billion, only two percent, $48.6 million, went to people in Haiti. $1.2 billion was paid to people and entities in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.” Where is the willful ignorance?

I followed a few of the linked articles - links from Mr. Hinderaker’s peice. I did a word search. No mention of the Red Cross. I think you pull that name out of the hat to invoke sympathy. Gail McGovern, Red Cross CEO receives an annual salary of $694,000 dollars.

What’s the number, concerning fraud and waste that is acceptable to Zachriel? If these same organizations were spewing propaganda in support of republicans, instead of democrats, would that change the calculus, opinion of Zachriel?
Is there any fraud and waste in government?
If an organization relies on the government spending for 90% of its funding, is that really a charitable organization? And when a high percentage of that funding goes to pay salaries of its administrators, what exactly has it become? Maybe a political action committee? Or, is that just another form of socialism, dressed up to look like charity?

I think what we have is willful blindness of Zachriel.

#2.1 B. Hammer on 2025-03-08 12:10 (Reply)

B. Hammer: Where is the willful ignorance?

As already explained, the money didn’t stay in Washington, as alleged, but it went to subcontractors. To show “It was a Democratic Party slush fund”, it isn’t enough to point out that the money was dispersed in D.C.

B. Hammer: No mention of the Red Cross.

The Red Cross dispersed $488 million in aid for Haiti earthquake relief, mostly through donations, but also from federal funding. Emergency relief was effective. Long-term rebuilding less so.

B. Hammer: And when a high percentage of that funding goes to pay salaries of its administrators, what exactly has it become?

The Red Cross has a 9% administrative overhead cost, which is considered top-rated among charities.

B. Hammer: Is there any fraud and waste in government?

Absolutely. But DOGE is ignorant about how programs work, so it is ineffective is finding actual fraud and waste. And it is being used as a smokescreen to eliminated disfavored programs.

#2.1.1 Zachriel on 2025-03-08 12:43 (Reply)

Quibble-DickZ just gotta quibble.

#2.1.1.1 Zachinoff on 2025-03-08 18:15 (Reply)

QUOTE:

Zachriel: (Emphasis added) The Red Cross dispersed $488 million in aid for Haiti earthquake relief, mostly through donations, but also from federal funding. Emergency relief was effective. Long-term rebuilding less so.

Gotta give credit to the bot when it's right: How the Red Cross Raised Half a Billion Dollars for Haiti and Built Six Homes

This is interesting and relevant as well: Report: Red Cross Spent 25 Percent Of Haiti Donations On Internal Expenses

#2.1.1.2 Anon on 2025-03-09 01:11 (Reply)

'We Can't Stop Them' - Thousands Of Ukraine Troops Suddenly Face Encirclement In Russia's Kursk

QUOTE:

"The situation (for Ukraine in Kursk) is very bad. Now there is not much left until Ukrainian forces will either be encircled or forced to withdraw. And withdrawal would mean running a dangerous gauntlet, where the forces would be constantly threatened by Russian drones and artillery."

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/we-cant-stop-them-thousands-ukraine-troops-suddenly-face-encirclement-russias-kursk

#3 feeblemind on 2025-03-08 12:01 (Reply)

QUOTE:

EU and Ukraine: Stop Blaming Trump, Look in the Mirror ... By ignoring Putin’s repeated signals that NATO expansion posed a “threat” to Russia’s security, Ukraine took a gamble

Russia has also been aggressive against Georgia and Moldova, and engaged in gray warfare against democratic countries.

QUOTE:

Despite claims to the contrary, President Trump has openly recognized Russia as the aggressor in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

It's not “claims to the contrary”. Trump didn’t acknowledge Russia had been the attacker until recently, then he made excuses for Putin’s belligerence ... as does the article’s writer.

QUOTE:

Despite the E.U. spending approximately $130 billion and the U.S. around $200 billion in military and financial aid, the war remains largely stagnant.

Trump falsely claimed it was $350 billion. Actual U.S. contributions are considerably shy of even $200 billion.

QUOTE:

Donald Trump remains the only leader advocating for a pragmatic resolution

Trump said, "Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely 'pounding' Ukraine on the battlefield right now ...” Russia is attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure, not just the battlefield. Nor is suddenly cutting off all military aid and apparently military intelligence to Ukraine pragmatic. It leaves Ukraine blind to incoming missile attacks and no time to seek alternative solutions. It tilts the military dynamic against the victim, already outnumbered and outgunned.

QUOTE:

Although no one wants Putin to benefit from launching a brutal invasion against his neighbor and former Soviet satellite, the blame rests squarely on the Biden administration and the European Union’s failure to prevent the war during the eight months of Russian military buildup on Ukraine’s border.

Uh, no. The blame rests squarely on Russia.

#4 Zachriel on 2025-03-08 12:08 (Reply)

Moldova, Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania and Hungary have all been infiltrated by the CIA, State department and their sponsored NGO's. The US has been meddling in most of eastern Europe since Bush 1 and have been expanding Nato since Clinton. The US needs to get OUT of Europe instead of acting like an Empire. Move the troops home and put them on our own borders. Drug and human trafficking across the border are killing and destroying more American lives than Russia ever has.

The Ukraine leaders got played for suckers by the US. Will they ever wise up? Are there any more European countries that want to play the sucker role? Rubio should have fired the obvious political players in the State department before he allowed voluntary buyouts.

#4.1 indyjonesouthere on 2025-03-08 13:26 (Reply)

"Uh, no."

Sounds suspiciously like an attempt to absolve democrat presidents of accountability for their failures.

Further, you are clearly implying that Trump is trying to absolve Russia of responsibility for their invasion. That is an unreasonable implication. Trump was simply placing the domestic political blame squarely where it belongs, on the Biden administration.

Hope that clears it up for you.

BTW, you're making assertions about where USAID and Red Cross money ended up that you don't have any evidence of, outside the proclamations of the people running and boosting those organizations. Without having any knowledge about how those organizations work.

#4.2 James on 2025-03-08 16:58 (Reply)

Sounds suspiciously like an attempt to absolve democrat presidents of accountability for their failures.

Further, you are clearly implying that Trump is trying to absolve Russia of responsibility for their invasion. That is an unreasonable implication. Trump was simply placing the domestic political blame squarely where it belongs, on the Biden administration.

Hope that clears it up for you.

BTW, you're making assertions about where USAID and Red Cross money ended up that you don't have any evidence of, outside the proclamations of the people running and boosting those organizations. Without having any knowledge about how those organizations work.

#4.3 James on 2025-03-08 16:59 (Reply)

I cringe when the comment section displays the highlighted Quote, knowing another Talmudic spin is on the way. I'm told every Congress critter is assigned a small hat minder. I assume you function similarly.

#4.4 Ulithi on 2025-03-08 18:31 (Reply)

James: you are clearly implying that Trump is trying to absolve Russia of responsibility for their invasion.

It was the article which claimed that "the blame rests squarely on the Biden administration and the European Union". That's like blaming the Weimar Republic for the Holocaust. Yeah, they should have done more. Nor was there much NATO could have done as there was an inherent danger in directly confronting Russia leading to a much wider war. Putin used this dynamic, figuring he could topple Ukraine quickly.

James: you're making assertions about where USAID and Red Cross money ended up that you don't have any evidence of, outside the proclamations of the people running and boosting those organizations.

Anon posted some information above. Long-term aid was especially fraught with problems due to lack of experience, but emergency relief was more effective.

#4.5 Zachriel on 2025-03-09 08:38 (Reply)

Red Cross Haiti Assistance Program

#4.5.1 Zachriel on 2025-03-09 08:48 (Reply)

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Saturday, March 8. 2025

Saturday morning links