How will a Trump presidency affect you?

[ChileG]

The aide of this where people are losing their jobs isn't something anyone should want to see. We all have bills to pay, likely a family of some size to support, etc.

But we are nearly 40 trillion in debt and, among the many unnecessary, if not ridiculous, projects funded by USAID, we were apparently funding not one, not two, not 5 or 10, but 40 research projects relates to vaccine hesitancy.

It's not the fault of the people working for the companies that are funded by the US government, but at some point the largesse needs to stop.

At current rates of immunization, the measles will become an epidemic in 10 years.
If dumbfuck MAGAs would stop with the vaccine conspiracy theories, we wouldn’t need the studies. FFS, in September our current government is poised to claim that vaccines cause autism, but your issue is with the studies trying to combat this bullshit.

Anyway, roll back the Trump tax breaks for the 1% and it would make a much larger impact on the budget than cutting USAID funding.

 

[ZenMode]

At current rates of immunization, the measles will become an epidemic in 10 years.
If dumbfuck MAGAs would stop with the vaccine conspiracy theories, we wouldn’t need the studies.

Anyway, roll back the Trump tax breaks for the 1% and it would make a much larger impact on the budget than cutting USAID funding.

Yep, we need sane, reasonable and intelligent leadership. We don't need an anti-vax conspiracy theorist running the NIH which only exacerbates the issue of anti-vax craziness. The issue (craziness) is not going to be fixed by wasting money on 40 vaccine hesitancy studies.

Among other issues, it's stuff like this and the "questionable" USAID investments, that is why people don't trust the government (R & D) and we end up with an anti-vax conspiracy theorist running the NIH, a lunatic as president, a Fox News contributor running the defense dept and people like Elon taking a hatchet to staffing and spending.

 

[ChileG]

Yep, we need sane, reasonable and intelligent leadership. We don't need an anti-vax conspiracy theorist running the NIH which only exacerbates the issue of anti-vax craziness. The issue (craziness) is not going to be fixed by wasting money on 40 vaccine hesitancy studies.

Among other issues, it's stuff like this and the "questionable" USAID investments, that is why people don't trust the government (R & D) and we end up with an anti-vax conspiracy theorist running the NIH, a lunatic as president, a Fox News contributor running the defense dept and people like Elon taking a hatchet to staffing and spending.

Agree with your first two sentences.

Second paragraph - tax money for USAID has zero to do with increased vaccine hesitancy, or any of the other stuff you mentioned. Elon is taking a hatchet to spending for one reason only - to give himself a tax break. And you are going to pay an extra $4k in taxes to help offset the expense. But here you are arguing about cutting things that probably cost you less than a dollar per year in taxes.

 

[ZenMode]

Agree with your first two sentences.

Second paragraph - tax money for USAID has zero to do with increased vaccine hesitancy, or any of the other stuff you mentioned. Elon is taking a hatchet to spending for one reason only - to give himself a tax break. And you are going to pay an extra $4k in taxes to help offset the expense. But here you are arguing about cutting things that probably cost you less than a dollar per year in taxes.

Agree that USAID isn't related to vaccine hesitancy. It's the principle of things like spending money on transgender plays in Colombia and paying $2 million to have Sesame Street in Iran and 40 studies to study vaccine hesitancy, when we are nearly 40 trillion in debt, that are among the reasons why we are in this current situation. Let's just say that I pay more in taxes and pay even more because of inflation due to tariffs. That would suck, but it's manageable. How is that going to compare to when the debt becomes truly unmanageable? How is that going to impact me as apart of a bankrupt country who can't, among other things, pay my social security?

And the continued argument of "Well it's only 40 million and it's only 1 billion" is ridiculous. If my household was racking up debt at the rate the US is, I'd be cutting every fucking penny. The $.78 drink I get every day? Gone. The $5 I spend on Pandora +? Gone. $7.99 for Netflix? Gone.

 

[ChileG]

Agree that USAID isn't related to vaccine hesitancy. It's the principle of things like spending money on transgender plays in Colombia and paying $2 million to have Sesame Street in Iran and 40 studies to study vaccine hesitancy, when we are nearly 40 trillion in debt, that are among the reasons why we are in this current situation. Let's just say that I pay more in taxes and pay even more because of inflation due to tariffs. That would suck, but it's manageable. How is that going to compare to when the debt becomes truly unmanageable? How is that going to impact me as apart of a bankrupt country who can't, among other things, pay my social security?

And the continued argument of "Well it's only 40 million and it's only 1 billion" is ridiculous. If my household was racking up debt at the rate the US is, I'd be cutting every fucking penny. The $.78 drink I get every day? Gone. The $5 I spend on Pandora +? Gone. $7.99 for Netflix? Gone.

To continue the household analogy.

You go further into debt by $4k every year. For no reason whatsoever, your wife is sending $4k to Elon Musk every year, and she wants to increase it to $8k every year.
And you are laser focused on the Netflix and other stuff. And by the way, your Netflix subscription may keep your kids from dying of measles.

 

[UNCatTech]

The aide of this where people are losing their jobs isn't something anyone should want to see. We all have bills to pay, likely a family of some size to support, etc.

But we are nearly 40 trillion in debt and, among the many unnecessary, if not ridiculous, projects funded by USAID, we were apparently funding not one, not two, not 5 or 10, but 40 research projects relates to vaccine hesitancy.

It's not the fault of the people working for the companies that are funded by the US government, but at some point the largesse needs to stop.

Right, and what percentage of the federal budget is labor?

If the budget is really the concern, then cut military spending and go back to the pre trump mistake one tax levels, for a start.

 

[UNCatTech]

Yep, we need sane, reasonable and intelligent leadership. We don't need an anti-vax conspiracy theorist running the NIH which only exacerbates the issue of anti-vax craziness. The issue (craziness) is not going to be fixed by wasting money on 40 vaccine hesitancy studies.

Among other issues, it's stuff like this and the "questionable" USAID investments, that is why people don't trust the government (R & D) and we end up with an anti-vax conspiracy theorist running the NIH, a lunatic as president, a Fox News contributor running the defense dept and people like Elon taking a hatchet to staffing and spending.

No, people don't trust the government because of a long and substantial campaign to get them to fear the government.

In addition, I've found that those who do not trust the government don't actually understand the functions of government.

Brought to you by the wonderful republican party, Reagan started it and they all contributed until Trump blew the lid off with his nonstop government is bad and broken bullshit.

 

[UNCatTech]

Agree that USAID isn't related to vaccine hesitancy. It's the principle of things like spending money on transgender plays in Colombia and paying $2 million to have Sesame Street in Iran and 40 studies to study vaccine hesitancy, when we are nearly 40 trillion in debt, that are among the reasons why we are in this current situation. Let's just say that I pay more in taxes and pay even more because of inflation due to tariffs. That would suck, but it's manageable. How is that going to compare to when the debt becomes truly unmanageable? How is that going to impact me as apart of a bankrupt country who can't, among other things, pay my social security?

And the continued argument of "Well it's only 40 million and it's only 1 billion" is ridiculous. If my household was racking up debt at the rate the US is, I'd be cutting every fucking penny. The $.78 drink I get every day? Gone. The $5 I spend on Pandora +? Gone. $7.99 for Netflix? Gone.

Your household isn't a financial comparison to a government.

 

[hedge]

How is that going to compare to when the debt becomes truly unmanageable?

Ross Perot, whom I am manifestly certain had a clearer grasp on all issues concerning money and debt than you do, was singing that same tune 30+ years ago. How has the US economy done during that time? He was wrong and so are you. The fact that you use your own household budget as a comparison proves that you have no clue as to what level of debt is "unmanageable" on the scale of the US government and the US economy.

 

[ChileG]

Right, and what percentage of the federal budget is labor?

If the budget is really the concern, then cut military spending and go back to the pre trump mistake one tax levels, for a start.

Maybe we should look at tax levels at the time when we last balanced the budget.
Anyone claiming to care about the debt but not at least willing to have serious talks about tax breaks post-2000 aren’t really serious, imo.

 

[ChileG]

“… According to an email viewed by WIRED, the Integrated Research Facility in Frederick, Maryland, was told to stop all experimental work by April 29 at 5 pm. The facility is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and is located at the US Army base Fort Detrick. It conducts research on the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases that are deemed “high consequence”—those that pose significant risks to public health. It has 168 employees, including federal workers and contractors.

… The email, sent by Michael Holbrook, associate director for high containment at the Integrated Research Facility, says the lab is terminating studies on Lassa fever, SARS-Cov-2, and Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, a rare but lethal mosquito-borne disease that has been reported in several northern US states. “We are collecting as many samples as is reasonable to ensure these studies are of value,” he says in the email. “We have not been asked to euthanize any animals so these animals will continue to be managed.” Holbrook did not respond to an inquiry from WIRED.

… The email says representatives from the Department of Homeland Security were padlocking freezers in biosafety-level-4 labs, those with the highest level of biosafety containment used for studying highly dangerous microbes.

Only about a dozen BSL-4 labs exist in North America. These labs work with the viruses that cause Ebola, Lassa fever, and Marburg, types of hemorrhagic fevers. The Integrated Research Facility is one of only a few places in the world that is able to perform medical imaging on animals infected with BSL-4 agents.

“The sacrifice to research is immense,” says Gigi Kwik Gronvall, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, on the closure. “If things are unused for a period of time, it will cost more money to get them ready to be used again.” …”

But Elon needs a tax cut.

 

[ZenMode]

To continue the household analogy.

You go further into debt by $4k every year. For no reason whatsoever, your wife is sending $4k to Elon Musk every year, and she wants to increase it to $8k every year.
And you are laser focused on the Netflix and other stuff. And by the way, your Netflix subscription may keep your kids from dying of measles.

It's not an either/or argument. It's a "There are wastes of money and there are just idiotic, Sesame Street for Iran/transgender plays in Colombia/40 vax studies" wastes of money that, even if we had zero debt would be questionable.

 

[finesse]

Why should we worry about vaccine hesitancy when we can give tax breaks to billionaires?

These seem to be the only points in addressing that trivial stuff.


Learn more

Vaccine hesitancy has significant economic and social impacts, including increased healthcare costs, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, and disruptions to daily life. It can also exacerbate existing inequalities, particularly among vulnerable populations.

Economic Impacts:

• Increased Healthcare Costs:
  Outbreaks and higher rates of vaccine-preventable diseases lead to increased healthcare spending on diagnosis, treatment, and hospitalization.
• Lost Productivity:
  Illness and absenteeism due to vaccine-preventable diseases result in lost productivity and economic output for individuals and businesses.
• Disruptions to Daily Life:
  Outbreaks can lead to school closures, business shutdowns, and other disruptions that affect economic activity and daily routines.

Social Impacts:

• Increased Morbidity and Mortality:
  Vaccine hesitancy can lead to higher rates of illness, hospitalization, and death from vaccine-preventable diseases, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations.
• Exacerbated Inequalities:
  Hesitancy can disproportionately affect marginalized communities, leading to widening health disparities.
• Public Health Crises:
  Low vaccine coverage can lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, placing a strain on healthcare systems and potentially causing significant social disruption.
• Re-emergence of Diseases:
  Reduced vaccine uptake can lead to the re-emergence of diseases that were once controlled by vaccination, posing risks to public health.
• Social Isolation and Fear:
  Outbreaks and disease outbreaks can lead to social isolation, fear, and anxiety among individuals, particularly among those who are hesitant about vaccination.

 

[ZenMode]

Why should we worry about vaccine hesitancy when we can give tax breaks to billionaires?

These seem to be the only points in addressing that trivial stuff.


Learn more

Vaccine hesitancy has significant economic and social impacts, including increased healthcare costs, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, and disruptions to daily life. It can also exacerbate existing inequalities, particularly among vulnerable populations.

Economic Impacts:

• Increased Healthcare Costs:
  Outbreaks and higher rates of vaccine-preventable diseases lead to increased healthcare spending on diagnosis, treatment, and hospitalization.
• Lost Productivity:
  Illness and absenteeism due to vaccine-preventable diseases result in lost productivity and economic output for individuals and businesses.
• Disruptions to Daily Life:
  Outbreaks can lead to school closures, business shutdowns, and other disruptions that affect economic activity and daily routines.

Social Impacts:

• Increased Morbidity and Mortality:
  Vaccine hesitancy can lead to higher rates of illness, hospitalization, and death from vaccine-preventable diseases, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations.
• Exacerbated Inequalities:
  Hesitancy can disproportionately affect marginalized communities, leading to widening health disparities.
• Public Health Crises:
  Low vaccine coverage can lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, placing a strain on healthcare systems and potentially causing significant social disruption.
• Re-emergence of Diseases:
  Reduced vaccine uptake can lead to the re-emergence of diseases that were once controlled by vaccination, posing risks to public health.
• Social Isolation and Fear:
  Outbreaks and disease outbreaks can lead to social isolation, fear, and anxiety among individuals, particularly among those who are hesitant about vaccination.

'Why should we worry about vaccine hesitancy when we can give tax breaks to billionaires?'

Straw man. Actually two of them.

 

[hedge]

It's a "There are wastes of money and there are just idiotic, Sesame Street for Iran/transgender plays in Colombia/40 vax studies" wastes of money that, even if we had zero debt would be questionable.

Why are you so fixated on the 40 vax studies? If they had combined all of them into one study your argument would evaporate, but the money would still be the same, yet for some reason the fact that it was spread out over 40 "different" studies has you prancing and mewling like a moron...

 

[StrangePackage]

Yep, we need sane, reasonable and intelligent leadership. We don't need an anti-vax conspiracy theorist running the NIH which only exacerbates the issue of anti-vax craziness. The issue (craziness) is not going to be fixed by wasting money on 40 vaccine hesitancy studies.

Among other issues, it's stuff like this and the "questionable" USAID investments, that is why people don't trust the government (R & D) and we end up with an anti-vax conspiracy theorist running the NIH, a lunatic as president, a Fox News contributor running the defense dept and people like Elon taking a hatchet to staffing and spending.

Yeah, we should only fund the studies that we know in advance will provide us with actionable information!

 

[ZenMode]

Yeah, we should only fund the studies that we know in advance will provide us with actionable information!

Another quality straw man.

 

[finesse]

Another quality straw man.

Not nearly as comprehensive as the one you built about wasting money on research.

 

[lawtig02]

Another quality straw man.

I'm intrigued by your novel definition of a straw man as "anything that points out the logical deficiencies in my arguments." Maybe with that definition, we're on the doorstep of a Straw Man Summer?

 

[BlueSmoke]

Ross Perot, whom I am manifestly certain had a clearer grasp on all issues concerning money and debt than you do, was singing that same tune 30+ years ago. How has the US economy done during that time? He was wrong and so are you. The fact that you use your own household budget as a comparison proves that you have no clue as to what level of debt is "unmanageable" on the scale of the US government and the US economy.

I question that Ross Perot had a clearer grasp. Back in 1992, we had a debt to GDP ratio of around 46%. I would think most economist would agree that the debt ratio is the proper way to look at it. Bankers look at something similar when you go to get a loan and they know that once your debt ratio is too high, that you are high risk and won't loan you any money. Countries need to maintain confidence for investors (their bankers) They can't do that when the ratio gets too high.

We now have a ratio above 120% and headed much higher. Debt interest payments are beginning to get out of hand. And the bond market is starting to have issues that may not all be related to this, but its troubling and indicates a lack of confidence in the United States.

Don't know how much more rope we have on the debt ratio. But its concerning and would be a good idea to fix it.