Project Autocracy

[Tiger337]

If they do make massive cuts in order to save money, they will affect people including MAGAs.  There is some waste in government and I have always been in favor of making selective cuts here and there across the board (not easy to do!), but I think people will find that cutting entire departments and firing thousands of employees would have undesired and unexpected effects that are going to hurt people that they know. 

It won't hurt the wealthy though.  They'll be fine.  

[oblong]

That’s what post trump conservatism means though.  Those that can’t cope or are left behind… **** em.  The systems should be designed to serve those that can afford it and are able to partake in the system without causing too much harm to the system. Anyone that makes a system inefficient or causes a speed bump on the carousel or makes it slow down should be pushed off, discarded, and forgotten about. 

[gehringer_2]

3 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

If they do make massive cuts in order to save money, they will affect people including MAGAs.  There is some waste in government and I have always been in favor of making selective cuts here and there across the board (not easy to do!), but I think people will find that cutting entire departments and firing thousands of employees would have undesired and unexpected effects that are going to hurt people that they know. 

It won't hurt the wealthy though.  They'll be fine.  

House members know they will get blamed for cuts and they operate on short elections cycles. Traditionally there is a fire bomb throwing caucus in the House that makes a lot of noise (could be on either side at any given time) but in the end the body usually ends up pretty conservative (small 'C') about upsetting the status quo apple cart - as in this last session where all the noise was from the freedom caucus but almost all the important outcomes were middle majority with 'regular' Repubs voting with the Dems. The political reality is that small aggrieved voting blocks can swing mid-term elections and change always aggrieves someone. It's why the midterms are always dangerous to the 'ins'.

Who knows, that could change, but unless he really does plan a coup,  every day in office Trump losses political leverage as a laming  duck.

[mtutiger]

$119 billion from VA Health Care.... 

But, something something Kamala Harris something something

[mtutiger]

6 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

If they do make massive cuts in order to save money, they will affect people including MAGAs.  There is some waste in government and I have always been in favor of making selective cuts here and there across the board (not easy to do!), but I think people will find that cutting entire departments and firing thousands of employees would have undesired and unexpected effects that are going to hurt people that they know. 

The proposals for massive cuts are going to matter a lot in terms of the Congressional math as well.... the House is 220-215, with three vacancies coming because of appointments (Stefanik, Waltz) and resignations (Gaetz) in the short term. 

People assume Trump can just do whatever he wants, but with those margins, it's really, really tight... 

[LaceyLou]

13 hours ago, oblong said:

That’s what post trump conservatism means though.  Those that can’t cope or are left behind… **** em.  The systems should be designed to serve those that can afford it and are able to partake in the system without causing too much harm to the system. Anyone that makes a system inefficient or causes a speed bump on the carousel or makes it slow down should be pushed off, discarded, and forgotten about. 

One of my favorite quotes is "if they're going to die they'd better do so and decrease the surplus population."

At least some of the original Social Darwinists used their resources to build libraries and schools, because they argued that people needed the tools to be able to compete and get ahead (Carnegie is a good example, and I actually enjoyed his writing). Are there any like that today? Maybe Bill Gates... or is he busy trying to get control of people via chips in vaccines?

[chasfh]

22 hours ago, pfife said:

But they love veterans.

 

Lost in the outrage: FBI and Securities Exchange Commission completely eliminated on this graph. And, of course, in the big $7 trillion scheme of things, they cost practically zero.

That would put Leon and Vivek and their Trumpy criminal ilk in the clear for decades at least. That was always the real point of this whole exercise. Saving taxpayer money lol

Edited December 7, 2024 by chasfh

[LaceyLou]

Eliminating the NIH? So much for medical research. I've already assumed that if "DOGE" is successful that my job (along with hundreds of thousands of others) would be in jeopardy, and yes eliminating the NIH and most likely all grants would definitely do that. How long it would take would depend on if they're able to cancel active grants, and how long the grants are for.

The system is less than perfect, to be sure, and should definitely be evaluated regularly-that's another subject for another thread. This is another example of burning down a whole forest to get rid of a few sick trees though-and I'm about 98% sure that's true of VA healthcare also.

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

Lost in the outrage: FBI and Securities Exchange Commission completely eliminated on this graph. And, of course, in the big $7 trillion scheme of things, they cost practically zero.

That would put Leon and Vivek and their Trumpy criminal ilk in the clear for decades at least. That was always the real point of this whole exercise. Saving taxpayer money lol

what's so funny it that these people are such morons that they don't understand that the people with the MOST MONEY are the most at risk when you remove the umpires like the SEC. It's actually the capital class that benefits the most from having a Sherriff in town. It has ALLWAYS been the current holders of property that benefit the most from the police. Bernie Madoff wasn't swindling poor people. They will be stabbing themselves in the back and not even realizing it. So even if they do it, it won't last long. After a few of the oligarchs get scammed by some clever schemer there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and a new regulatory regime.

Musk thinks at the level of a pouting 3 yr old who wails his mommy is a meany because she won't let him stick his finger if the electrical outlet.

Edited December 7, 2024 by gehringer_2

[CMRivdogs]

About Trump's Swamp

https://politicalwire.com/2024/12/06/fill-the-swamp/

Quote

David Graham: “As the 2016 presidential election drew to an end, Donald Trump began using a new slogan: ‘Drain the swamp.’ It was a neat encapsulation of his critique of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, and of the country’s governing establishment of both parties, which he painted as corrupt, cozy, and self-dealing.”

“These days, the catchphrase has begun to vanish from his repertoire. Last month, The Washington Post calculated that Trump had used it ‘just 59 times on Truth Social, his social media site, in the past two years—fewer times than he wrote about it on Twitter in October 2016 alone.’ The shift isn’t just semantic, either. Trump’s staffing decisions, his transition design, and his own behavior show that he is uninterested in even keeping up appearances this time. Trump himself will never say it, but the credo of his second term is coming into focus: Fill the swamp.”

 

[Tiger337]

3 hours ago, LaceyLou said:

Eliminating the NIH? So much for medical research. I've already assumed that if "DOGE" is successful that my job (along with hundreds of thousands of others) would be in jeopardy, and yes eliminating the NIH and most likely all grants would definitely do that. How long it would take would depend on if they're able to cancel active grants, and how long the grants are for.

The system is less than perfect, to be sure, and should definitely be evaluated regularly-that's another subject for another thread. This is another example of burning down a whole forest to get rid of a few sick trees though-and I'm about 98% sure that's true of VA healthcare also.

My job would be in trouble too.  

[romad1]

Can you imagine a better scenario for Russian and Chinese intelligence and their mafia allies than closing down the FBI?  They have got to be salivating.

[chasfh]

4 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

what's so funny it that these people are such morons that they don't understand that the people with the MOST MONEY are the most at risk when you remove the umpires like the SEC. It's actually the capital class that benefits the most from having a Sherriff in town.

I'm pretty sure they don't see it that way at all. Probably the opposite: without a sheriff in town, that makes it much easier for the Trump people to game the market to enrich themselves by ripping off the remaining 99%, only this time it will be legal for them to do it instead of illegal. They can probably get away with that now, only after they deep six the deep state, they won't have to waste any of their money on stupid **** like Compliance.

[chasfh]

26 minutes ago, romad1 said:

Can you imagine a better scenario for Russian and Chinese intelligence and their mafia allies than closing down the FBI?  They have got to be salivating.

That's why they worked so hard to get someone they own in power.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

On 12/6/2024 at 5:25 PM, Tiger337 said:

If they do make massive cuts in order to save money, they will affect people including MAGAs.  There is some waste in government and I have always been in favor of making selective cuts here and there across the board (not easy to do!), but I think people will find that cutting entire departments and firing thousands of employees would have undesired and unexpected effects that are going to hurt people that they know. 

It won't hurt the wealthy though.  They'll be fine.  

https://quincyinst.org/2022/02/03/what-a-waste-778-billion-for-the-pentagon-and-still-counting/

Cutting waste and unnecessary weapons systems at the Pentagon is where to start with government cuts. They've failed their 7th audit in a row.

Bernie Sanders proposed an amendment making a 10% reduction to the Pentagon's budget. A handful of Democratic Senators supported it. I think Rand Paul was the only Republican to do so. 

If Elon Musk is serious about cutting wasteful spending, he can start with the Pentagon. 

[gehringer_2]

2 hours ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

https://quincyinst.org/2022/02/03/what-a-waste-778-billion-for-the-pentagon-and-still-counting/

Cutting waste and unnecessary weapons systems at the Pentagon is where to start with government cuts. They've failed their 7th audit in a row.

Bernie Sanders proposed an amendment making a 10% reduction to the Pentagon's budget. A handful of Democratic Senators supported it. I think Rand Paul was the only Republican to do so. 

If Elon Musk is serious about cutting wasteful spending, he can start with the Pentagon. 

Navy has been a huge offender - constantly trying to build the perfect all purpose ship - instead wasting billions and building close to nothing. They need a procurement rule that say you spec a platform, and you build it. Period. You build  what you spec and if in 5 yrs you want to spec something else, spec and build that - you can't keep changing your mind half way through a program and ending up with no capabilities at all because you don't have anything in the water.

Edited December 8, 2024 by gehringer_2

[Screwball]

The amount of waste, by the military, government, and business (especially big business) is off the charts. It became this way due to inept clueless imbeciles who are bad at their job, and the only way to survive is to be a talented ass kisser because they work for more inept clueless people who don't know any better.

They can't fix any of this stuff because the same idiots created the mess to begin with.

And of course a whole bunch of money.

[Tigeraholic1]

On 12/6/2024 at 5:03 PM, Archie said:

That's what it is in our area. More patients out in hall than in rooms. Lots of police too with people cuffed to chairs. Going to the ER is last resort.

Since the VA hospitals are 100% government funded and government employed they could open their doors to Medicaid/Medicare patients, maybe even open more similar hospitals. Everyone here thinks their care is great it would be a win win. 

[romad1]

The GWOT made the Navy build the LCS which was pretty silly but they were trying to be relevant.   I gather some of them will now be turned into some sort of hybrid missile dispensers and have their guns removed. 

Some of the most interesting work in doctrinal arguments is over the big and amazing vs. small and cheap stuff argument.  Having enough lethality in the small and cheap stuff (e.g., armed drones, standoff pgms) means you can be a game changer over big and amazing (e.g., Aircraft Carriers, F-35s, Mechanized Infantry).  But what actually wins, is incorporating small and cheap lethal into the reconnaissance strike complexes and the well-trained and coordinated big and amazing things.  

The PRC is definitely coming.  They have stuff that is nearly as good as ours and they are trying to learn all about the nuanced things we do well (e.g., timely offensive air support on the battlefield vs. whatever non-dynamic crap the Russians do).  They are also trying to learn our lessons from the GWOT (e.g., have drones everywhere to support everything).  They are also making big investments in the big and amazing stuff (e.g., carriers, ballistic missiles, heavy amphibious tanks units).

We are looking at a very near set of crisis points with China.  The next 5 years may well be WWIII and I am sad to have to say that.   If Xi decides he wants Taiwan back.  We are going to have to play a road game and fight it out in the western Pacific at the end of a very long logistic tether, but also with some reasonably capable allies in Japan, South Korea and Australia and some less capable but game allies in the rest of the region.

 

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, romad1 said:

Having enough lethality in the small and cheap stuff (e.g., armed drones, standoff pgms) means you can be a game changer over big and amazing (e.g., Aircraft Carriers, F-35s, Mechanized Infantry).  But what actually wins, is incorporating small and cheap lethal into the reconnaissance strike complexes and the well-trained and coordinated big and amazing things.  

 

If the laser stuff proves out at scale, it will change the equation for drones  - at least wrt ships that can carry the electrical generating capacity to power them - so that will be interesting to watch over the next few years.

Edited December 8, 2024 by gehringer_2

[romad1]

7 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

If the laser stuff proves out at scale, it will change the equation for drones  - at least wrt ships that can carry the electrical generating capacity to power them - so that will be interesting to watch over the next few years.

The latter would be "big" so...there is that.

[Screwball]

The F-35 is one of the biggest wastes of money and an epic boondoggles ever.

The Most Expensive Weapon Ever Built

We even have graveyards for our waste (near Tuscon - been there - huge place - goes for miles). $$$$$$$$$

[romad1]

5 minutes ago, Screwball said:

The F-35 is one of the biggest wastes of money and an epic boondoggles ever.

The Most Expensive Weapon Ever Built

We even have graveyards for our waste (near Tuscon - been there - huge place - goes for miles). $$$$$$$$$

what does the above prove? 

[Screwball]

14 minutes ago, romad1 said:

what does the above prove? 

It is an example of a great amount of waste, but I wouldn't expect you to understand.

[romad1]

45 minutes ago, Screwball said:

It is an example of a great amount of waste, but I wouldn't expect you to understand.

Everything above was purchased at great expense by the American taxpayers for hotly contested requirements decision making process which involved their elected representatives as final arbitrator.  

So, there was a plan, there was a reason for the plan and there was follow on technology that drove their replacement.  

Maybe there was swindling involved in these investments but i would bet you have a technology grave yard of your own.  How many iphone or micro usb cables will you acquire before usb-c?