“AFL and @MikeBenzCyber exposed USAID’s role in pushing advertiser boycotts for social media censorship last year.
We have the receipts ⬇️”
—–
“At some point, we are going to get into the topic of USAID’s role in pushing advertiser boycotts for social media censorship, and @%#$ will hit the fan.”
USAID is working against the people of these countries and propitious g up despotic regimes while pushing perversion.
And keeping this despotic regime in power does nothing to advance American interests, in fact, quite the opposite. USAID propped them up so Biden could get his Iran deal.
“Iranians need acknowledgment: USAID played a role in toppling the Shah, and since then, uprisings have been hijacked to keep this corrupt regime in power. Numerous so-called human rights organizations have been established, not to support the people but to downplay the regime’s brutality and silence their voices in its favor. These organizations have repeatedly saved the regime from collapse — just like during the recent national uprising, which was deliberately reduced to a women’s movement for hijab by international agencies, ignoring the broader demands for liberaty and regime change”
“Records reviewed by CBS News indicate the U.S. government may have paid twice for projects at China’s Wuhan labs through the National Institutes of Health and USAID. A probe into the funding is raising questions about the use of the money.”
“President Trump following Pam Bondi’s swearing in: “I’m thrilled to be here today with our nation’s next incredible Attorney General of the United States Pam Bondi.”
“Notice when Politico started receiving bulk payoffs from the federal govt. The money started flowing to Politico in 2015. The same year Trump descended that golden escalator. Then, the payoffs skyrocketed under Biden.”
“Who paid off Politico? A veritable laundry list of the most corrupt federal agencies. HHS. Dept of Education. Dept of Agriculture.”
—
“Peep the subagencies specifically that paid off Politico. The FDA. EPA. CDC.”
—-
“No wonder the propaganda from Politico was in perfect alignment with the swamp on stories of critical national significance… Politico propagated lies that Hunter Biden’s laptop wasn’t real but was Russian disinfo. A vicious lie that changed the outcome of the 2020 prez election.”
—-
“Politico was so thoroughly subsidized by the U.S. federal govt that yesterday they missed payroll, claiming it was a technical glitch—but do you believe them? After they’ve spent the past 10 years quietly receiving payoffs from the Swamp to lie to you?
No Politico journalist who participated in this propaganda effort should ever be trusted again.”
“One of the key things to understand about everything we’re currently learning about USAID and NGOs is that all the raw information has always been out there, it just took somebody going and looking for it and figuring out what it means.
You know, the kind of muckraking that “journalists” used to do, before the entire profession became pandering, Goebbelsesque tools of the Deep State Leviathan.”
~ Speaking Loudly With a Big Stick: Two weeks into office, Donald Trump projects his whirlwind beyond U.S. borders. But at what opportunity cost? ~
~ Donald Trump kept his foreign-policy views murky on the campaign trail, offering little more than assurances that Joe Biden’s messes wouldn’t have happened on his watch. His cabinet picks did little to settle the question of his agenda, the president picking a mix of hawks and America-firsters. So Washington watched closely as Trump turned his attention to the outside world last week, issuing demands, tariff threats, airstrikes and envoys. None of this clarified a Trump worldview (does he even have one?), though the flurry does suggest—for better or worse—an initial approach: Speak loudly and carry a very big stick.
… (the list: tariffs as leverage, air strikes, “land trolling,” hostages (“or face hell”) —
(Is there a coherent strategy somewhere?)
Yet Trump allies wonder: At what cost? Trump and superfans will insist that, so far, speak-loud-big-stick has produced nothing but wins, wins, wins. Yet Trump’s own allies in Congress—who want to see him succeed—remain worried. His big tariff threats produced quick capitulations, yet the concessions were modest. Mexico is unlikely to do much substantive at the border (it’s been making similar promises for decades), and Canada never had a border/drug problem to begin with. Deportees were already flying to Venezuela under Biden. Denmark would have been open to increased Greenland cooperation without a threat to take Nuuk by force. …
… Mostly, allies worry about the cost, and lost opportunity. Leaders wisely reserve big threats for big demands. …
… They also worry that threats and demands don’t equal coherent strategy. Few would object to Trump’s ISIS strikes, but what’s his larger plan for Somalia? One of Trump’s last acts in 2020 was to withdraw precipitously the small U.S. force in that country. Biden returned it. Does Trump realize the importance of strategic American presences in hot spots? Or does his America-first rhetoric signal a foreign policy of ultimatums from the Oval Office? That won’t likely get Trump far against hardened adversaries. Not everyone is as easy to beat up as Canada. ~
Rule of law vs rule by law is the issue. There are checks and balances. The end does not justify the means. The simple fact is you can’t have unauthorised personnel go through security and private files. Musk’s collection of young minions are violating checks, balances, procedures, rule of law, etc etc. No matter what red meat is advertised on X, this is a problem. In the end if you won’t let Soros do this than you shouldn’t let Musk loose either.
A few things come to mind when reading of the debacle that is Trump’s Gaza policy.
One, he can’t help but think he’s still a real estate mogul. Someone ought to remind him he went bankrupt when he was a property developer and went bankrupt again when he ran casinos. He’s the last person who should develop Gaza even if it was remotely possible. it is of course impossible. Its pure colonisation and empire building. The US should run, not walk, away from this as fast as possible. There’s a reason why Egypt wants nothing to do with Gaza even though Israel has offered it to Egypt a few times.
Second — he’s really easy to manipulate especially in foreign affairs. Bibi is the tail that’s wagging the American dog here. The grin on Bibi’s face during that press conference would be amusing if it wasn’t for the fact he’s a war criminal and is now using Trump to threaten millions of people.
And finally — unlike the first Trump administration, there’s no adult in the room telling him these are stupid ideas. The first time, people just ignored him til he forgot his dumb ideas now people are enabling him. He complained bitterly about the trade deal with Mexico and Canada; threatening 25% tariffs yet no one told him he was the president who signed the trade deal in 2018. In the end, Mexico and Canada just re-announced stuff they were already doing during the Biden administration and pretended it was new and because of Trump — massage his ego and the temper tantrum goes away. And make no mistake — tariffs against Canada and Mexico are really stupid. No one wins.
HRW, this all reminds me of a text from a friend (re Trump aides now trying frantically to “walk back” the whole taking-over-Gaza thing):
~ It’s all part of “The Art of the Deal” by the fella who has tanked multiple businesses. Maybe something will work, but I doubt it. I’ll be (happily) surprised if he doesn’t get us into a major war here or abroad. Of course, there’s always martial law. … Keep in mind that I tend to be a “the glass is half empty“ person. … ~
Good piece by Kimberley Strassel about trying to decipher Trump’s, uh, “strategy”? We’ll all be kept guessing.
Palestinians are a problematic people. They tend to make trouble in whatever country hosts them and that is why no one wants them. I’m glad they’re not our neighbors as our hands are full with the Mexican cartels.
I do think Trump looks at everything as a possible deal or development opportunity. But I agree with those who say he’s mostly beating the grass to see what comes if it. Things are never dull and it’s a good beginning for his first 100 days.
Some of us are way less sure of that last sentence/assessment @4:07, but still wishing us all, and the country as a whole, well through whatever may come.
The “two-state” solution has been difficult and I’m not sure what ultimately is a fair answer to that.
But Trump’s comments yesterday were, uh, well, stunning and pretty off-the-wall, shocking in many ways; but that’s Trump, policy from the hip. My guess it gave many of his more stable aides and the chief of staff some major anxiety and heartburn.
The “walk-back” on his behalf was predictable (and needed), whether it means anything or not, time will tell. Trump has his “super fans” who won’t ever be deterred, I realize.
Guess Rubio, only the nation’s new Secretary of State, heard about it for the first time from the news conference. … And Rand Paul not pleased. (As reported on the day after the remarks.)
Pam Bondi, the new head of DOJ, has just ordered her department to cut all funding to sanctuary cities. Why fund people with tax dollars who are actively undermining the rule of law?
Of course many of these policies will end up in court. Judging from Trump’s demeanor when he was signing the first few dozen EO’s on his first day in office, I think he’s well aware of that fact qnd unpreterbed by it. His strategy seems pretty well thought out and he’s pushing as much of his agenda as fast as he can right up front. Probably a wise mom ve given his last term was taken up almost entirely with sham impeachments and false claims from his enemies.
Pres. Trump is a visionary, seeing possibilities when others see nothing but desolation. He is a master negotiator, and taking over Gaza is not the end game. A key aspect is getting Middle East nations involved.
Similar to the 25% tariffs that were never going to be… most people flipped out, and now look where we are. Mexico and Canada are being forced to do their part in securing their borders.
Some people call the President a bully, but he is a brilliant leader who pushes ideas that may seem outlandish, only to negotiate logical outcomes. For the interests of the American people (and usually others, by extension).
Give him some time – optics are very important. And he is seeking to usher in PEACE. Try to look deeper than the words on the surface.
“This is an erosion of our democracy,” said Brian Riedl, a longtime economic adviser to conservative Republicans, now at the Manhattan Institute think tank.”
And there also was this for those taking the Constitution seriously:
~ The Constitutional Crisis Is Here
If Congress won’t stop Donald Trump and Elon Musk from arrogating its power over federal spending, who will?
Sometimes a constitutional crisis sneaks up on you, shrouded in darkness, revealing itself gradually. Other times it announces itself dramatically. Elon Musk, to whom Donald Trump has delegated the task of neutering the congressional spending authority laid out in Article I of the Constitution, could hardly be more obvious about his intentions if he rode into Washington on a horse trailed by Roman legions.
“This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people,” Musk wrote at 3:59 a.m. today (Feb 4) on his social-media platform. “We’re never going to get another chance like this. It’s now or never. Your support is crucial to the success of the revolution of the people.” Here is Musk, as proxy for Trump, casting himself as a revolutionary force and embodiment of the popular will, demanding extraordinary powers to fight some unstated emergency.
… although a handful of conservative intellectuals, including the budget wonk Brian Riedl of the Manhattan Institute and the law professor and former Bush-administration lawyer Jack Goldsmith, have described Musk’s ambitions as unconstitutional, most of the establishment right has cheered him on or stayed quiet. …
… Making things even more disturbing is the chaotic legal gray area in which Musk is operating. Musk and his team are working in secret, without hearings or public debate. …
… The courts will have the final say over Trump’s audacious power grab. In all likelihood, they will affirm congressional authority to set spending levels authorized by the Constitution. But the Constitution ultimately means whatever five Supreme Court justices say it means. …
Trump and Musk have arrogated the power to themselves. … ~
As HRW has mentioned earlier in past discussions, what if this was a liberal administration? Would anyone here who is fair-minded have a problem with how this is being done?
Main article quoted from @5:32 is from The Atlantic; earlier singular quote by Riedl was from an AP story — got a work phone call I was waiting for and didn’t have a chance to add those sources before hastily posting, apologies.
DJ, I believe the liberals were in charge and a lot of folk were pleased and a lot of folk were displeased. It has gone on like that for over two hundred years. And much further if you look at other nations. Funny business abounds. Is it legal? We will find out. But he is doing what he said he would do and apparently enough people decided to give it a try.
The Gaza plan: interesting! And we aren’t paying for it. Hopefully the neighboring countries will step in and do the right thing.
Two State is not going to work and has not worked in the past. One side does not want it ( from the river to the sea) and the other side can’t afford it.
I don’t know how to answer HRW’s question any plainer than I already have but I’ll try: I DON’T LIKE MUSK PERSONALLY AND I REALLY WISH HE WERE NOT INVOLVED IN TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION IN ANY CAPACITY.
There. That should be sufficient to let everyone know how I feel about it .
I don’t think there should be billionaires either but I voted for one because I think he can get the job done. The bureaucracy is needing to be cut and I’m pretty sure the president has the authority to do it. We’ll see.
Sometimes you just have to be patient and enjoy or endure the rollercoaster ride. We’ll be back on the merry-go-round soon enough.
Debra — I’ve always had a pretty good idea of your opinion of Musk, its the process used to cut bureaucracy I wonder about. Rules need to be followed however cumbersome. Its part of the checks and balances
Of course, this being America, I suspect a lot of the DOGE actions will be contested in court and things will grind to a halt soon enough. The judicial check and balance will come into the theatre soon enough. And yes alot of this is theatre in that it looks impressive but nothing is really happening. In much the same way as deportations and ICE raids are now televised but their actual numbers haven’t increased much.
Normally, the legislature has the power of the tax/spending money. This is clear cut in British style parliaments but in the US it doesn’t seem as clear cut. The budget is passed by the legislature so I wonder if the executive could cancel them a few months later. I would think the legislative power of the purse is part of the checks and balances.
Given Republican control of congress, I realize that this “check” may be missing in action. And I’m quite sure Musk/Trump speed is done with the midterms in mind.
I can tell you that numbers have increased. I have a second job at a prison that is an ICE detention facility. We have quite a bit of in and out, but since Trump has come in to office, our intakes have tripled. We were getting 30-40 once or twice a week, now we are getting busloads of over 100 every other day. They don’t stay long enough to even have their PPDs read.
While protesters with bullhorns were screaming for the officers to “leave them alone”!
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeted for arrest more than 100 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua during an early morning raid at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, on Wednesday.
No one likes to think unelected officials are running the government whether it’s Musk or the bureaucracy. The bureaucracy has a life of it’s own. In theory some are accountable to Congress and the president and it’s the president that manages them. They have been insubordinate to both for far too long. The president is using his prerogative to reign them in. Congress is free to weigh in as are the courts.
HRW, I would have agreed with you about the mid-terms, but now I’m not so sure. The Democrats are going further and further into a hole with their choice of national leadership. Not only are they doubling down on identity politics, but their national leader comes from clear Socialist/Communist roots. I don’t see that resonating with voters, particularly if the economy turns around. If the economy does more poorly then perhaps. We’ll have to wait and see on that.
Wandering Views 
Apparently it wasn’t all just a bad dream, but it might just be “shaking the box”. That seems to be happening a lot right now. :–)
https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2025/02/05/pollak-what-trumps-gaza-takeover-plan-could-mean/
LikeLiked by 3 people
An Israeli view: Trump is “beat the grass in the Middle East to startle the snakes in Gaza”.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-840813
LikeLiked by 3 people
Their slimy little tentacles are involved in everything, the more un-American, the more taxpayer money they spend.
https://x.com/America1stLegal/status/1886915693007794447?t=jZB2LKxjwF36FltNiFFK5g&s=19
“AFL and @MikeBenzCyber exposed USAID’s role in pushing advertiser boycotts for social media censorship last year.
We have the receipts ⬇️”
—–
“At some point, we are going to get into the topic of USAID’s role in pushing advertiser boycotts for social media censorship, and @%#$ will hit the fan.”
https://x.com/MikeBenzCyber/status/1886663291834978638?t=02hyREAkfcA0MS0nz4of6g&s=19
LikeLiked by 4 people
Like I said yesterday HRW…
Hogwash.
USAID is working against the people of these countries and propitious g up despotic regimes while pushing perversion.
And keeping this despotic regime in power does nothing to advance American interests, in fact, quite the opposite. USAID propped them up so Biden could get his Iran deal.
https://x.com/___IRANI/status/1886671464604082559?t=jcnMfTIJ84iq6l5mKGm2Jw&s=19
“Iranians need acknowledgment: USAID played a role in toppling the Shah, and since then, uprisings have been hijacked to keep this corrupt regime in power. Numerous so-called human rights organizations have been established, not to support the people but to downplay the regime’s brutality and silence their voices in its favor. These organizations have repeatedly saved the regime from collapse — just like during the recent national uprising, which was deliberately reduced to a women’s movement for hijab by international agencies, ignoring the broader demands for liberaty and regime change”
LikeLiked by 4 people
Can you show us on this doll where the bad rocket man touched you…..?
The left’s new boogeyman.
https://x.com/townhallcom/status/1886906066023088499?t=3QpPDDaT8aNaaEsL2nZuAQ&s=19
“Democrats are literally just screaming about @elonmusk now.
This is the resistance.”
LikeLiked by 4 people
Nothing to see…
Move along…
https://x.com/C__Herridge/status/1635266832281260032?t=UKM1xub2sTEdF0BaVkwiPQ&s=19
“Records reviewed by CBS News indicate the U.S. government may have paid twice for projects at China’s Wuhan labs through the National Institutes of Health and USAID. A probe into the funding is raising questions about the use of the money.”
x.com/CBSMornings/st…
LikeLiked by 4 people
Another win for Trump, and Americans who value the rule of law and due process.
https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1887181273984127239?t=n0fYBGPWbFXKKAUzAdUf9w&s=19
“President Trump following Pam Bondi’s swearing in: “I’m thrilled to be here today with our nation’s next incredible Attorney General of the United States Pam Bondi.”
LikeLiked by 5 people
By their propaganda work on behalf of dems, and govt payoffs, you shall know them…
https://x.com/Liz_Wheeler/status/1887173667504947433?t=p9vvHJc8Rjl0eR0HrFEtoQ&s=19
“The Politico scandal is worse than you think.
It’s not $8M that Politico received from USAID.
It’s $34.3M that Politico has received from various swampy federal govt agencies.
Politico is, without a doubt, a totally corrupt propaganda arm of the swamp.”
LikeLiked by 3 people
“Notice when Politico started receiving bulk payoffs from the federal govt. The money started flowing to Politico in 2015. The same year Trump descended that golden escalator. Then, the payoffs skyrocketed under Biden.”
https://x.com/Liz_Wheeler/status/1887173672982458390?t=CYU3FOZ3mese3No4vkDHLw&s=19
“Who paid off Politico? A veritable laundry list of the most corrupt federal agencies. HHS. Dept of Education. Dept of Agriculture.”
—
“Peep the subagencies specifically that paid off Politico. The FDA. EPA. CDC.”
—-
“No wonder the propaganda from Politico was in perfect alignment with the swamp on stories of critical national significance… Politico propagated lies that Hunter Biden’s laptop wasn’t real but was Russian disinfo. A vicious lie that changed the outcome of the 2020 prez election.”
—-
“Politico was so thoroughly subsidized by the U.S. federal govt that yesterday they missed payroll, claiming it was a technical glitch—but do you believe them? After they’ve spent the past 10 years quietly receiving payoffs from the Swamp to lie to you?
No Politico journalist who participated in this propaganda effort should ever be trusted again.”
LikeLiked by 3 people
The media used to be the solution.
Now they’re a large part of the problem.
https://x.com/CynicalPublius/status/1887175727692570825?t=Y6vBpobIGQO5ioPTWlessg&s=19
“One of the key things to understand about everything we’re currently learning about USAID and NGOs is that all the raw information has always been out there, it just took somebody going and looking for it and figuring out what it means.
You know, the kind of muckraking that “journalists” used to do, before the entire profession became pandering, Goebbelsesque tools of the Deep State Leviathan.”
LikeLiked by 4 people
He’s lying, and he knows it. But hey, the Dem base will buy any BS they sell them.
https://x.com/MediasLies/status/1887179768447000881?t=bGx_WKIhUf5Te1c7clP1QA&s=19
“Senator Murphy claims that if someone speaks ill of Elon Musk, he could “delay your tax refund or your mom’s social security benefits.”
This is not true.
Donald Trump has clarified that not only does DOGE have view-only access, but any and all changes must go through him directly.
Murphy is trying to instill fear into the American people because pet projects for the far-left are being exposed.”
LikeLiked by 4 people
Oh look.
The media’s new business model involves getting govt to fund them thru “pro subscriptions” and then they play lapdog for the money men.
END IT ALL. If that means they go under, we’ll good riddance to bad rubbish.
https://x.com/FilmLadd/status/1887166729089962452?t=AesfXVTOrqYH3hCTJXH2EQ&s=19
“Trump needs to sign an EO that forbids any federal dollar going for advertising or “Pro Subscriptions” to any media organization.
Starve them immediately.”
—
“USAID funding:
New York Times $3.1M
Politico $32M
BBC $3.2M”
LikeLiked by 4 people
Kimberley Strassel/WSJ
~ Speaking Loudly With a Big Stick: Two weeks into office, Donald Trump projects his whirlwind beyond U.S. borders. But at what opportunity cost? ~
~ Donald Trump kept his foreign-policy views murky on the campaign trail, offering little more than assurances that Joe Biden’s messes wouldn’t have happened on his watch. His cabinet picks did little to settle the question of his agenda, the president picking a mix of hawks and America-firsters. So Washington watched closely as Trump turned his attention to the outside world last week, issuing demands, tariff threats, airstrikes and envoys. None of this clarified a Trump worldview (does he even have one?), though the flurry does suggest—for better or worse—an initial approach: Speak loudly and carry a very big stick.
… (the list: tariffs as leverage, air strikes, “land trolling,” hostages (“or face hell”) —
(Is there a coherent strategy somewhere?)
Yet Trump allies wonder: At what cost? Trump and superfans will insist that, so far, speak-loud-big-stick has produced nothing but wins, wins, wins. Yet Trump’s own allies in Congress—who want to see him succeed—remain worried. His big tariff threats produced quick capitulations, yet the concessions were modest. Mexico is unlikely to do much substantive at the border (it’s been making similar promises for decades), and Canada never had a border/drug problem to begin with. Deportees were already flying to Venezuela under Biden. Denmark would have been open to increased Greenland cooperation without a threat to take Nuuk by force. …
… Mostly, allies worry about the cost, and lost opportunity. Leaders wisely reserve big threats for big demands. …
… They also worry that threats and demands don’t equal coherent strategy. Few would object to Trump’s ISIS strikes, but what’s his larger plan for Somalia? One of Trump’s last acts in 2020 was to withdraw precipitously the small U.S. force in that country. Biden returned it. Does Trump realize the importance of strategic American presences in hot spots? Or does his America-first rhetoric signal a foreign policy of ultimatums from the Oval Office? That won’t likely get Trump far against hardened adversaries. Not everyone is as easy to beat up as Canada. ~
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Rule of law vs rule by law is the issue. There are checks and balances. The end does not justify the means. The simple fact is you can’t have unauthorised personnel go through security and private files. Musk’s collection of young minions are violating checks, balances, procedures, rule of law, etc etc. No matter what red meat is advertised on X, this is a problem. In the end if you won’t let Soros do this than you shouldn’t let Musk loose either.
hrw
LikeLiked by 1 person
A few things come to mind when reading of the debacle that is Trump’s Gaza policy.
One, he can’t help but think he’s still a real estate mogul. Someone ought to remind him he went bankrupt when he was a property developer and went bankrupt again when he ran casinos. He’s the last person who should develop Gaza even if it was remotely possible. it is of course impossible. Its pure colonisation and empire building. The US should run, not walk, away from this as fast as possible. There’s a reason why Egypt wants nothing to do with Gaza even though Israel has offered it to Egypt a few times.
Second — he’s really easy to manipulate especially in foreign affairs. Bibi is the tail that’s wagging the American dog here. The grin on Bibi’s face during that press conference would be amusing if it wasn’t for the fact he’s a war criminal and is now using Trump to threaten millions of people.
And finally — unlike the first Trump administration, there’s no adult in the room telling him these are stupid ideas. The first time, people just ignored him til he forgot his dumb ideas now people are enabling him. He complained bitterly about the trade deal with Mexico and Canada; threatening 25% tariffs yet no one told him he was the president who signed the trade deal in 2018. In the end, Mexico and Canada just re-announced stuff they were already doing during the Biden administration and pretended it was new and because of Trump — massage his ego and the temper tantrum goes away. And make no mistake — tariffs against Canada and Mexico are really stupid. No one wins.
hrw
LikeLiked by 1 person
HRW, this all reminds me of a text from a friend (re Trump aides now trying frantically to “walk back” the whole taking-over-Gaza thing):
~ It’s all part of “The Art of the Deal” by the fella who has tanked multiple businesses. Maybe something will work, but I doubt it. I’ll be (happily) surprised if he doesn’t get us into a major war here or abroad. Of course, there’s always martial law. … Keep in mind that I tend to be a “the glass is half empty“ person. … ~
Good piece by Kimberley Strassel about trying to decipher Trump’s, uh, “strategy”? We’ll all be kept guessing.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/speaking-loudly-with-a-big-stick-f885bfe5?st=TC9Ysc&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
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Palestinians are a problematic people. They tend to make trouble in whatever country hosts them and that is why no one wants them. I’m glad they’re not our neighbors as our hands are full with the Mexican cartels.
I do think Trump looks at everything as a possible deal or development opportunity. But I agree with those who say he’s mostly beating the grass to see what comes if it. Things are never dull and it’s a good beginning for his first 100 days.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Some of us are way less sure of that last sentence/assessment @4:07, but still wishing us all, and the country as a whole, well through whatever may come.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The “two-state” solution has been difficult and I’m not sure what ultimately is a fair answer to that.
But Trump’s comments yesterday were, uh, well, stunning and pretty off-the-wall, shocking in many ways; but that’s Trump, policy from the hip. My guess it gave many of his more stable aides and the chief of staff some major anxiety and heartburn.
The “walk-back” on his behalf was predictable (and needed), whether it means anything or not, time will tell. Trump has his “super fans” who won’t ever be deterred, I realize.
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Guess Rubio, only the nation’s new Secretary of State, heard about it for the first time from the news conference. … And Rand Paul not pleased. (As reported on the day after the remarks.)
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Pam Bondi, the new head of DOJ, has just ordered her department to cut all funding to sanctuary cities. Why fund people with tax dollars who are actively undermining the rule of law?
https://www.dailywire.com/news/attorney-general-pam-bondi-directs-doj-to-halt-federal-funding-for-sanctuary-cities
LikeLiked by 2 people
Of course many of these policies will end up in court. Judging from Trump’s demeanor when he was signing the first few dozen EO’s on his first day in office, I think he’s well aware of that fact qnd unpreterbed by it. His strategy seems pretty well thought out and he’s pushing as much of his agenda as fast as he can right up front. Probably a wise mom ve given his last term was taken up almost entirely with sham impeachments and false claims from his enemies.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Pres. Trump is a visionary, seeing possibilities when others see nothing but desolation. He is a master negotiator, and taking over Gaza is not the end game. A key aspect is getting Middle East nations involved.
Similar to the 25% tariffs that were never going to be… most people flipped out, and now look where we are. Mexico and Canada are being forced to do their part in securing their borders.
Some people call the President a bully, but he is a brilliant leader who pushes ideas that may seem outlandish, only to negotiate logical outcomes. For the interests of the American people (and usually others, by extension).
Give him some time – optics are very important. And he is seeking to usher in PEACE. Try to look deeper than the words on the surface.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Regarding Musk’s “role” and actions:
“This is an erosion of our democracy,” said Brian Riedl, a longtime economic adviser to conservative Republicans, now at the Manhattan Institute think tank.”
And there also was this for those taking the Constitution seriously:
~ The Constitutional Crisis Is Here
If Congress won’t stop Donald Trump and Elon Musk from arrogating its power over federal spending, who will?
Sometimes a constitutional crisis sneaks up on you, shrouded in darkness, revealing itself gradually. Other times it announces itself dramatically. Elon Musk, to whom Donald Trump has delegated the task of neutering the congressional spending authority laid out in Article I of the Constitution, could hardly be more obvious about his intentions if he rode into Washington on a horse trailed by Roman legions.
“This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people,” Musk wrote at 3:59 a.m. today (Feb 4) on his social-media platform. “We’re never going to get another chance like this. It’s now or never. Your support is crucial to the success of the revolution of the people.” Here is Musk, as proxy for Trump, casting himself as a revolutionary force and embodiment of the popular will, demanding extraordinary powers to fight some unstated emergency.
… although a handful of conservative intellectuals, including the budget wonk Brian Riedl of the Manhattan Institute and the law professor and former Bush-administration lawyer Jack Goldsmith, have described Musk’s ambitions as unconstitutional, most of the establishment right has cheered him on or stayed quiet. …
… Making things even more disturbing is the chaotic legal gray area in which Musk is operating. Musk and his team are working in secret, without hearings or public debate. …
… The courts will have the final say over Trump’s audacious power grab. In all likelihood, they will affirm congressional authority to set spending levels authorized by the Constitution. But the Constitution ultimately means whatever five Supreme Court justices say it means. …
Trump and Musk have arrogated the power to themselves. … ~
As HRW has mentioned earlier in past discussions, what if this was a liberal administration? Would anyone here who is fair-minded have a problem with how this is being done?
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Main article quoted from @5:32 is from The Atlantic; earlier singular quote by Riedl was from an AP story — got a work phone call I was waiting for and didn’t have a chance to add those sources before hastily posting, apologies.
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DJ, I believe the liberals were in charge and a lot of folk were pleased and a lot of folk were displeased. It has gone on like that for over two hundred years. And much further if you look at other nations. Funny business abounds. Is it legal? We will find out. But he is doing what he said he would do and apparently enough people decided to give it a try.
mumsee
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The Gaza plan: interesting! And we aren’t paying for it. Hopefully the neighboring countries will step in and do the right thing.
Two State is not going to work and has not worked in the past. One side does not want it ( from the river to the sea) and the other side can’t afford it.
mumsee
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I don’t know how to answer HRW’s question any plainer than I already have but I’ll try: I DON’T LIKE MUSK PERSONALLY AND I REALLY WISH HE WERE NOT INVOLVED IN TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION IN ANY CAPACITY.
There. That should be sufficient to let everyone know how I feel about it .
I don’t think there should be billionaires either but I voted for one because I think he can get the job done. The bureaucracy is needing to be cut and I’m pretty sure the president has the authority to do it. We’ll see.
Sometimes you just have to be patient and enjoy or endure the rollercoaster ride. We’ll be back on the merry-go-round soon enough.
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Debra — I’ve always had a pretty good idea of your opinion of Musk, its the process used to cut bureaucracy I wonder about. Rules need to be followed however cumbersome. Its part of the checks and balances
Of course, this being America, I suspect a lot of the DOGE actions will be contested in court and things will grind to a halt soon enough. The judicial check and balance will come into the theatre soon enough. And yes alot of this is theatre in that it looks impressive but nothing is really happening. In much the same way as deportations and ICE raids are now televised but their actual numbers haven’t increased much.
Normally, the legislature has the power of the tax/spending money. This is clear cut in British style parliaments but in the US it doesn’t seem as clear cut. The budget is passed by the legislature so I wonder if the executive could cancel them a few months later. I would think the legislative power of the purse is part of the checks and balances.
Given Republican control of congress, I realize that this “check” may be missing in action. And I’m quite sure Musk/Trump speed is done with the midterms in mind.
hrw
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I can tell you that numbers have increased. I have a second job at a prison that is an ICE detention facility. We have quite a bit of in and out, but since Trump has come in to office, our intakes have tripled. We were getting 30-40 once or twice a week, now we are getting busloads of over 100 every other day. They don’t stay long enough to even have their PPDs read.
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While protesters with bullhorns were screaming for the officers to “leave them alone”!
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeted for arrest more than 100 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua during an early morning raid at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, on Wednesday.
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HRW, my apologies for shouting.
No one likes to think unelected officials are running the government whether it’s Musk or the bureaucracy. The bureaucracy has a life of it’s own. In theory some are accountable to Congress and the president and it’s the president that manages them. They have been insubordinate to both for far too long. The president is using his prerogative to reign them in. Congress is free to weigh in as are the courts.
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HRW, I would have agreed with you about the mid-terms, but now I’m not so sure. The Democrats are going further and further into a hole with their choice of national leadership. Not only are they doubling down on identity politics, but their national leader comes from clear Socialist/Communist roots. I don’t see that resonating with voters, particularly if the economy turns around. If the economy does more poorly then perhaps. We’ll have to wait and see on that.
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