Trump / Musk (other than DOGE)

[Huh?]

So overall we are currently spending $7Trillion while bringing in $5Trillion, a $2T shortfall. Current deficit is around $35T, so we are on a path right now to be more than 20% over. Add in Trump brilliance and it could be 30%.

2023 GDP was $27T. I've always heard that a useful yardstick is that we don't want the overall national debt to exceed annual GDP, so we are 30% in the red.

That means for the next generation we will have to:
- address entitlements (give less money to old people, or maintain a 3 to 1 employee ratio, which likely means increased immigration)
- stay out of wars
- grow like hell, with all the attendant concerns of energy, immigration, regulation and the perils of a service economy
- keep interest rates low (which has caused all sorts of mischief this century).

IMO, these are unavoidable policy realities regardless of who is in power over the next 30 years.

 

[mynameisbond]

Serious question: who pays for this "DOGE"? It's not hard to predict who will benefit, and it's not the American taxpayer, IMHO.

 

[nycfan]

Serious question: who pays for this "DOGE"? It's not hard to predict who will benefit, and it's not the American taxpayer, IMHO.

They haven’t figured it out yet.

 

[DiehardHeelFan]

I thought pound town was a poor sexual reference.

Considering Miller’s background especially.

 

[gtyellowjacket]

Serious question: who pays for this "DOGE"? It's not hard to predict who will benefit, and it's not the American taxpayer, IMHO.

Musk has said it will be zero compensation. No word on how to pay for incidentals like travel.

That's not really what you want. The only people that can afford to take that zero compensation job for months or years are people that are already independently wealthy or maybe people looking for something at the end of the project. I think all those rich folks hoping to work on this would hope for a leadership position shepherding a bunch of workers. But the workers aren't going to work for free so there's going to be a lot of chiefs and not many Indians.

 

[mynameisbond]

Musk has said it will be zero compensation. No word on how to pay for incidentals like travel.

That's not really what you want. The only people that can afford to take that zero compensation job for months or years are people that are already independently wealthy or maybe people looking for something at the end of the project. I think all those rich folks hoping to work on this would hope for a leadership position shepherding a bunch of workers. But the workers aren't going to work for free so there's going to be a lot of chiefs and not many Indians.

He's getting benefit from it, clearly. It's not a philanthropic endeavor.
Private contracts to replace services performed by agencies, perhaps? That's already happened with prisons.
Less regulation on his businesses and ventures, maybe?
It's not about reducing waste. The GAO does that. It's about generating capital without oversight.

 

[uncmba]

Our current deficit is $2 trillion. Our current debt is $35 trillion (actually $36 trillion).

Sorry gt, you are right, I meant to say the debt is $35T.

 

[sringwal]

Returning to a society that values generating capital without oversight is, I believe, the "fuck around and find out" part of the equation that will most haunt MAGA folks this go round.

 

[gtyellowjacket]

Sorry gt, you are right, I meant to say the debt is $35T.

No worries. Easy mistake to make. Didn't change your point.

 

[farce©]

The reality of DOGE is already disintegrating — Ramaswamy has met with the governor of Ohio about getting JD Vance’s open senate seat but openly mulling a run for governor of Ohio next cycle. Meanwhile, they will engage tech bros on no pay temporary contracts to go observe various departments for up to 130 days (the time limit for the statutory exception for such hires) in which time it is difficult to see them doing anything meaningful.

But the illusion of DOGE carries on and got Elon Musk office space in the White House/executive complex.

DeWine is not going to appoint Ramaswamy. I hear it is a done deal that Lt Gov John Husted will get the appointment. I understand DeWine and Husted were at Mar-a-Lago together recently, although Trump requested Ramaswamy seek the appointment.

 

[nycfan]

 

[HesNotHere97]

Guess you missed the latest where republicans are trying, again, to repeal gay marriage.

Also, 45 had guard rails. Notice most of those people came out against him in the campaign. He is putting nothing but yes men/women into leadership roles this term and he doesn't need to worry about another election, so we will see if this term parallels the first term in anyway.

I hope that in 4 years we can look back and say it didn't turn out like we feared. Guess we will see.

Do you have a link to where the GOP is trying to repeal gay marriage? Or is this just another scream at the sky moment that epitomizes today's Democrats and their party.

Please make a list of ALL the constitutional rights and freedoms that President Trump and the GOP took away in his last administration.

I'll wait and see what you come up with.

 

[farce©]

Do you have a link to where the GOP is trying to repeal gay marriage? Or is this just another scream at the sky moment that epitomizes today's Democrats and their party.

Please make a list of ALL the constitutional rights and freedoms that President Trump and the GOP took away in his last administration.

I'll wait and see what you come up with.

STATE POLITICS: Idaho lawmaker introduces resolution on same-sex marriage By Provided by Legislature

Idaho Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, proposed a measure to the State Affairs Committee asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide and allow Idaho to restore its ban on such unions. It will get a full committee hearing.

Read more at: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news...-politics/article298586433.html#storylink=cpy

 

[HesNotHere97]

STATE POLITICS: Idaho lawmaker introduces resolution on same-sex marriage By Provided by Legislature

Idaho Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, proposed a measure to the State Affairs Committee asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide and allow Idaho to restore its ban on such unions. It will get a full committee hearing.

Read more at: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news...-politics/article298586433.html#storylink=cpy

Where is President Trump's name in this?

Where are the rest of the members of the GOP? Did they all sign on with this?

No. Again.... you lost when you started trying to defend a blatant lie.

 

[dcphx]

Do you have a link to where the GOP is trying to repeal gay marriage? Or is this just another scream at the sky moment that epitomizes today's Democrats and their party.

Please make a list of ALL the constitutional rights and freedoms that President Trump and the GOP took away in his last administration.

I'll wait and see what you come up with.

Same way that they attacked abortion, through the supreme court, which certainly does have Trump's influence all over it.

 

[superrific]

Do you have a link to where the GOP is trying to repeal gay marriage?

You asked for a link to Republicans repealing gay marriage. You were given a link. Now you're demanding a link showing that ALL Republicans are trying to repeal gay marriage. Nobody claimed that, and it's a nonsense point.

Almost every single post of yours is riddled with factual inaccuracies, irrelevancies, and/or bogus logic. An ordinary person would react to that with some shame, and an attempt to do better. But in 2025 America, you jabronis just scream liberals and pretend that makes it better.

This is a great example of why serious people are not MAGA and in fact think MAGA is a bunch of idiots in red hats. If you don't want to be viewed as an idiot, stop saying idiotic things.

 

[superrific]

Where is President Trump's name in this?

Where are the rest of the members of the GOP? Did they all sign on with this?

No. Again.... you lost when you started trying to defend a blatant lie.

Multiple Supreme Court Justices have signaled their desire to overturn Obergefell. I have not seen anyone in the GOP take issue with that. I have not seen anyone in the GOP being critical of the radicalism of the right-wingers. In fact, the GOP loves the hard right justices -- the ones that would indeed overturn Obergefell -- and have stacked the courts with wild-eyed radicals (which you are admitting they are, given that you seem to think that "repealing" gay marriage would be bad.

Moreover, Trump has said that he wants to appoint more justices in the mold of the ones who have indicated they want to overturn Obergefell.

So there's your connection and STFU because you have no idea what you're talking about on any subject.

 

[Enigma94]

I guess we're just going to ignore the fact that Trump attempted to take away one of the most fundamental rights an American citizen has when he tried to overturn an election he clearly lost. I guess we'll hear from MAGA that it doesn't count since he wasn't successful.

 

[wmheel1287]

Where is President Trump's name in this?

Where are the rest of the members of the GOP? Did they all sign on with this?

No. Again.... you lost when you started trying to defend a blatant lie.

Which Supreme Court do you suppose they are planning to ask to hear the case? Is it the one where Trump has appointed 1/3 of the members making such an occurrence possible?

For someone who insists that everyone else is constantly deflecting and being dinengenuous, you sure do a lot of it on here yourself.

 

[UNCatTech]

Do you have a link to where the GOP is trying to repeal gay marriage? Or is this just another scream at the sky moment that epitomizes today's Democrats and their party.

Please make a list of ALL the constitutional rights and freedoms that President Trump and the GOP took away in his last administration.

I'll wait and see what you come up with.

Idaho Republicans file resolution to repeal marriage equality

They want to return to a so-called “natural definition” of marriage as between one man and one woman.

www.advocate.com

This is from a week ago.

and in other news:

Montana Just Became the First State to Advance Anti-Trans Bathroom Legislation in 2025

The bill claims that “there are exactly two sexes” and would restrict the use of bathrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping areas in public buildings based on that definition.

www.them.us

Hey, but maybe there's hope.

Nancy Mace’s Capitol Hill Bathroom Ban Was Left Out of Republicans’ House Rules Proposal

Mace told HuffPost in November that Speaker Mike Johnson “assured [her] it would be in the House rules package,” but the transphobic policy is nowhere to be found in the annual Congress proposal.

www.them.us