Oh, please don't. This time around the world knows we are stupid. Yesterday in a fancy jewelry store (we were using the toilet) in Pompeii we encountered a border collie named Vasco. His human mom agreed that Vasco is smarter than most human beings, specially Americans.
It's hard to take these two tech bros seriously. The only way they even get to $1.7T in 'savings' is by zeroing out the entirety of discretionary spending. Musk isn't going to cut his own cash cows at NASA or Defense. Kash Patel will go nuclear if his DOJ is penniless before he even starts his revenge tour. And how will Donnie fund those 'mass deportations' with a DHS budget at zero?
Republicans have been bellowing about federal government 'waste, fraud, and abuse' since the Clinton era when crazy Ross Perot made it his hobby horse. We need look no further than Twitter to see what happens when you put Musk in charge of anything and fire all the people who know what the hell they're doing.
I have been working hard to work in public health as a teleworker. Not because I want to work from home, but because I live in a very rural area with limited opportunity. Why are they against telework? Is it because they are paying for buildings that aren’t being utilized?
Senator Ernst is particularly bad about this. On one hand she complains that federal employees need to "get back to the office", on the other hand, she complains that office buildings be closed/sold. Telework is very efficient for good employees, as they can get more accomplished without distractions and noise. Ernst just focuses on a few cases of unproductive staff - who would be just as unproductive in an office. Management has the authority to deal with poor performers. Ernst is grandstanding for political purposes.
I believe that many who argue against telework believe that it enables an employee to slough off and not actually do the work. As if it wouldn't ever become evident to the employer if work isn't being done....
I'm convinced that DOGE is more or less window dressing to fool MAGA into believing that their tax dollars are being shepherded wisely. It has the added benefit of keeping Vivek and Uncle Elon out of Drumpf's Orange hair. Plus, Elon gets to tout his crypto. The Dept. will also be used as a cudgel to make agencies toe the line. Very impressive but, if you pull back the curtain, Drumpf is still just an insecure, little man.
Yes, Paul, this is classic Drumpf: Threaten the worst and then something that is just bad becomes more palatable. His gullible MAGA followers will stick with him through thick and thin. When they don't see any benefits for themselves, Drumpf will use Republican jiu jitsu and blame it all on the Ds! Masterful!
“Trumpism was never about making America great again. It’s about weaponizing your fear and resentment. Immigrants, women daring to expect control over their own bodies, trans kids, and “wokeness”—these weren’t your enemies until he told you they were. Trumpism isn’t about policy, principles, or progress; it’s a spectacle, a theater of grievance where you gleefully cast yourself as the victim while ignoring the real threats tearing this country apart.”
Both Musk and Ramaswamy have huge egos. This will make it difficult to work together. Each will want the sole credit for any achievement, or perceived achievement. Currently Elon is Trump's favored one.
While everyone is raving at T’s batshit appointments, no one is looking at what’s going on behind the curtain. Trump was kept as a figurehead to keep his base vote, as the republicans couldn’t win without them. 6-12 months down the road he’s going to be deemed incompetent and JD and his billionaires will take over. They aren’t stupid, and they will create a new USA. One no one voted on.
But Vance is also amost invisible - everything is about Trump and Elon, and Vance as a freshman congresskritter put there by Peter Thiel (another immigrant that needs a... "Second Look"... like Elon's abuse of a student visa). So with Vance it will be even more shadowy billionaires calling the shots, he does not appear as mindless and chaotic as Trump.
Welcome to the drum line. I've been beating this one ever since “James Donald Bowman, alias JD Vance“ (I will deadname the SOB until he goes away) got the VP nom.
Well, if they're going to cut government waste and inefficiency, why not cut all of Elon Musk's government contracts?
Oh, do I love that idea. Never going to happen, though it would be interesting for a competent journalist to ask the question.
He's getting a few billion dollars from the DOD for SpaceX alone. Same with Starlink, which he shuts down whenever he chooses (see Ukraine).
I'm so utterly embarrassed to be American right now.
On November 5, Americans chose:
Lies over truth,
Ignorance over knowledge,
Chaos over order,
Malice over good will,
Division over unity,
Cowardice over courage,
Sleaze over character,
The criminal over the law,
And billionaires over ordinary people.
I'm proud to be a liberal woman, now more than ever!
I'm proud to wear this "Totally Unhinged Radical Liberal" shirt everywhere I go 👇
https://libtees-2.creator-spring.com/listing/radlib
We must do EVERYTHING we can to combat fascism!
Oh, please don't. This time around the world knows we are stupid. Yesterday in a fancy jewelry store (we were using the toilet) in Pompeii we encountered a border collie named Vasco. His human mom agreed that Vasco is smarter than most human beings, specially Americans.
"...not the least of which was that appointing two people to fill one position is the literal definition of inefficiency." Indeed.
Nope! He only is trying to stay out of prison. He could care less about America or its citizens.
It's hard to take these two tech bros seriously. The only way they even get to $1.7T in 'savings' is by zeroing out the entirety of discretionary spending. Musk isn't going to cut his own cash cows at NASA or Defense. Kash Patel will go nuclear if his DOJ is penniless before he even starts his revenge tour. And how will Donnie fund those 'mass deportations' with a DHS budget at zero?
Republicans have been bellowing about federal government 'waste, fraud, and abuse' since the Clinton era when crazy Ross Perot made it his hobby horse. We need look no further than Twitter to see what happens when you put Musk in charge of anything and fire all the people who know what the hell they're doing.
I have been working hard to work in public health as a teleworker. Not because I want to work from home, but because I live in a very rural area with limited opportunity. Why are they against telework? Is it because they are paying for buildings that aren’t being utilized?
Senator Ernst is particularly bad about this. On one hand she complains that federal employees need to "get back to the office", on the other hand, she complains that office buildings be closed/sold. Telework is very efficient for good employees, as they can get more accomplished without distractions and noise. Ernst just focuses on a few cases of unproductive staff - who would be just as unproductive in an office. Management has the authority to deal with poor performers. Ernst is grandstanding for political purposes.
Sen. Ernst seems not to care that it creates added expenses for employees who have to spend more in time and money to commute to the office.
I believe that many who argue against telework believe that it enables an employee to slough off and not actually do the work. As if it wouldn't ever become evident to the employer if work isn't being done....
I'm convinced that DOGE is more or less window dressing to fool MAGA into believing that their tax dollars are being shepherded wisely. It has the added benefit of keeping Vivek and Uncle Elon out of Drumpf's Orange hair. Plus, Elon gets to tout his crypto. The Dept. will also be used as a cudgel to make agencies toe the line. Very impressive but, if you pull back the curtain, Drumpf is still just an insecure, little man.
Yes. Another false promise wrapped up in Madison Avenue BS
Yes, Paul, this is classic Drumpf: Threaten the worst and then something that is just bad becomes more palatable. His gullible MAGA followers will stick with him through thick and thin. When they don't see any benefits for themselves, Drumpf will use Republican jiu jitsu and blame it all on the Ds! Masterful!
AN OPEN LETTER TO MY GLOATING MAGA NEIGHBOR
“Trumpism was never about making America great again. It’s about weaponizing your fear and resentment. Immigrants, women daring to expect control over their own bodies, trans kids, and “wokeness”—these weren’t your enemies until he told you they were. Trumpism isn’t about policy, principles, or progress; it’s a spectacle, a theater of grievance where you gleefully cast yourself as the victim while ignoring the real threats tearing this country apart.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/patricemersault/p/an-open-letter-to-my-gloating-maga-450?r=4d7sow&utm_medium=ios
What does Vivek know about cost efficiency? He probably spends $69,000 per month on teeth whitening products alone.
Right-wingers: "We need to get rid of DEI and Affirmative Action, and hire based on merit."
Also right-wingers: "Let us fire people randomly based on their social security numbers!"
"also calling for massive severance packages for government employees impacted by a potential purge (“a couple years of pay”)"
So Musk is going to cut government spending by firing thousands of government workers.
And then give them all “a couple years of pay”?
How does that work as cost cutting, exactly?
Both Musk and Ramaswamy have huge egos. This will make it difficult to work together. Each will want the sole credit for any achievement, or perceived achievement. Currently Elon is Trump's favored one.
Doesn't the GSA DO that already? Who knew the Republican party could be bought so cheaply.
Sure - but they keep getting overridden by Congress.
While everyone is raving at T’s batshit appointments, no one is looking at what’s going on behind the curtain. Trump was kept as a figurehead to keep his base vote, as the republicans couldn’t win without them. 6-12 months down the road he’s going to be deemed incompetent and JD and his billionaires will take over. They aren’t stupid, and they will create a new USA. One no one voted on.
My fear exactly. Vance is a menace.
But Vance is also amost invisible - everything is about Trump and Elon, and Vance as a freshman congresskritter put there by Peter Thiel (another immigrant that needs a... "Second Look"... like Elon's abuse of a student visa). So with Vance it will be even more shadowy billionaires calling the shots, he does not appear as mindless and chaotic as Trump.
He is far more dangerous than The Convict - he is much smarter, and far more beholden to particular billionaires.
Yes as the old song goes, Vance "is a smooth operator"
Welcome to the drum line. I've been beating this one ever since “James Donald Bowman, alias JD Vance“ (I will deadname the SOB until he goes away) got the VP nom.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/doge-trump-musk-yes-minister-elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy/articleshow/115256038.cms
This is fascinating!
Quit calling it a department! It’s not any official government agency.