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Co-President Musk

Then do something about the root problem. Not a single proposal about the real fiscal problems in this country and their source. We're spending a lower % on govt today than anytime in the last 60 years. Yet things are getting worse. Why?
Tagged you in the other thread in response
 
Yes. Crazed made a good post about across the board. That’s the only equitable way to circumvent sacred cow pandering
Why across the board? Most other government spending is actually down historically. Non defense discretionary spending was 3.1% of GDP in 2019 which is an all time low. Twenty shared that Defense spending is down. It is all that entitlement spending that I guarantee you a bunch of MAGA voters are getting a piece of that is driving the debt.

https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/non-defense-discretionary-programs#:~:text=Since 2010%2C NDD spending has,below the long-term average.

And again, streamline that or whatever, but realize that this is a drop in the bucket, you will still have over a trillion dollar deficit, and the majority of this looks politically motivated. So while in reality it accomplishes next to nothing, it does have the way for your political opposition to ram it in hard using the new rules being made up on the fly right now.
 
He can’t execute anything without congress. And likely judicial review if it hasn’t already been challenged. Cart before the horse. Indelicate sure. But perhaps expedient and expeditious
Here is the nightmare scenario, we want those people removed. Court says no, keep them fired and here is your pardon. Oh, Elon, you wrote the code to be able to stop payments, make sure they aren't paid
 
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Not going to happen. Trump and Hegseth have both said we’re not spending enough and we’re going to make the military the greatest in history.
Things many of us feel sacrosanct have to be cut. And why crazed suggested across the board. For some it’s military. Others entitlements. Without across the board percentage cuts we won’t get there
 
Why across the board? Most other government spending is actually down historically. Non defense discretionary spending was 3.1% of GDP in 2019 which is an all time low. Twenty shared that Defense spending is down. It is all that entitlement spending that I guarantee you a bunch of MAGA voters are getting a piece of that is driving the debt.

https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/non-defense-discretionary-programs#:~:text=Since 2010%2C NDD spending has,below the long-term average.

And again, streamline that or whatever, but realize that this is a drop in the bucket, you will still have over a trillion dollar deficit, and the majority of this looks politically motivated. So while in reality it accomplishes next to nothing, it does have the way for your political opposition to ram it in hard using the new rules being made up on the fly right now.
Here is the nightmare scenario, we want those people removed. Court says no, keep them fired and here is your pardon. Oh, Elon, you wrote the code to be able to stop payments, make sure they aren't paid
Spending being down historically is immaterial. It’s like saying we’re pumping more gas than ever but if it’s not enough it’s not enough.

Across the board makes it as apolitical as possible. More palatable

Marv as for your nightmare scenario let’s see if Elon defies Ct orders. Biden repeatedly did things that contravened what he knew was the law. Then complied. That’s all this is at this point. But it’s directing focus to something we desperately need
 
Spending isn’t. Also, why does it have to be the same as 60 years ago? Lastly, I’ll also concede a majority of the issue is broken money😁
It doesn’t. Relation in size and history means nothing. What we’re raising and spending is all that matters
 
Yet we’re told most of these roles have no ideological component politically.

So what gives?

Those numbers are not random. Can’t happen in a vaccum statistically speaking.

My theories:

1. Democrat presidencies hire more agressively

2. Democrats, for whatever reason, are more drawn to “civil service” and collect the underlying degrees that lead to it.

3. These apolitical agencies are not as much so as we’d like to believe

4. Pretty much all civil service jobs, for whatever reason, require a college degrees
Since the DNC has become a collective hive, instead of similar minded individuals, they are being paid (VERY WELL from nefarious actors) to turn the gov into a jobs program. I think they are studying and learning from the Chinese Long Play book, and are winning. Given an inch, take 6, given 2, take 12. I'm afraid that we have already lost this fight, Trump only has 4 yrs and er'body else is reading the Chinese book.
Lets circle back in 4- yrs, if we still can of course.
 
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That assumes government size should grow in parallel to GDP. I see no reason to make that assumption.

I didn't make that assumption either.

I'm saying it's hard to describe it (large govt) being the problem when it's gone from spending 12% of GDP to 6% of GDP over the last 60 years. In a pretty steady, consistent decline.

Now if by large govt, you mean a system that just facilitates transfer payments, taxing with one hand only to immediately pay out bennies with the other hand... Yes it's grown exponentially.
 
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I didn't make that assumption either.

I'm saying it's hard to describe it (large govt) being the problem when it's gone from spending 12% of GDP to 6% of GDP over the last 60 years. In a pretty steady, consistent decline.

Now if by large govt, you mean a system that just facilitates transfer payments, taxing with one hand only to immediately pay out bennies with the other hand... Yes it's grown exponentially.

The Top 50% support the bottom 50%.
 
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Spending isn’t. Also, why does it have to be the same as 60 years ago? Lastly, I’ll also concede a majority of the issue is broken money😁

Yes govt spending on actual government is way down. It's literally half what it was 60 years ago.
 
I didn't make that assumption either.

I'm saying it's hard to describe it (large govt) being the problem when it's gone from spending 12% of GDP to 6% of GDP over the last 60 years. In a pretty steady, consistent decline.

Now if by large govt, you mean a system that just facilitates transfer payments, taxing with one hand only to immediately pay out bennies with the other hand... Yes it's grown exponentially.
Who's going to pull bennies from veterans? Going to war has longer term consequences than just bombs, bullets, planes and tanks.

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Many people voted for this. Outside your echo chamber many people are dancing in the streets. True story.

And responses like this make it all the more enjoyable to witness.

Thanks man.

Americans in my opinion voted for Trump due mainly to issues such as inflation and what has been called open borders.

On top of that, the Harris and Biden shift just seemed a violation of the traditional American way. Harris simply didn't earn the nomination.

Opponents to Trump warned us about a takeover of the Federal government which would result in placing too much power in the Oval Office.

A takeover which runs contrary to the Founders philosophy about checks and balances.

I for one, thought Trump' s opponents exaggerated the power threat.

Lately I've begin to think many of the Trump voters may wake up someday thinking they are getting more than they bargained for.

Still hoping my fears are unfounded.
 
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People keep saying the problems are in Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid. It is true, everything else combined is just the skin of the apple.

What has been proposed by Trump to solve those problems?
 
Oh fo sho.

But WHAT POLITICIAN HAS THE BALLS TO DO IT? Not even Trump will touch it.
That’s why I think crazed is right. Illogical as it may be we have to do across the board. And twenty is obviously right with what happened in 11 but what can we do
 
People keep saying the problems are in Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid. It is true, everything else combined is just the skin of the apple.

What has been proposed by Trump to solve those problems?

Ss need to raise caps and age
 
Oh fo sho.

But WHAT POLITICIAN HAS THE BALLS TO DO IT? Not even Trump will touch it.
The only people willing to touch any of the shit is Trump and Elon. Considering the welcoming response they are currently getting after just 3 weeks, my guess is there won’t be a single politician in the next 30 years who will touch anything again.
 
Americans in my opinion voted for Trump due mainly to issues such as inflation and what has been called open borders.

On top of that, the Harris and Biden shift just seemed a violation of the traditional American way. Harris simply didn't earn the nomination.

Opponents to Trump warned us about a takeover of the Federal government which would result in placing too much power in the Oval Office.

A takeover which runs contrary to the Founders philosophy about checks and balances.

I for one, thought Trump' s opponents exaggerated the power threat.

Lately I've begin to think many of the Trump voters may wake up someday thinking they are getting more than they bargained for.

Still hoping my fears are unfounded.
The Founders share Trump’s view of the executive branch far more than that of the last 90 odd years or so.
 
The only people willing to touch any of the shit is Trump and Elon. Considering the welcoming response they are currently getting after just 3 weeks, my guess is there won’t be a single politician in the next 30 years who will touch anything again.
Yep. Just go right off the cliff in that penn article
 
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That’s why I think crazed is right. Illogical as it may be we have to do across the board. And twenty is obviously right with what happened in 11 but what can we do
The thing that sucks about our politics right now is that we can't make long term plans. Even if we could get enough votes in Congress to agree to a 2% reduction YoY for 10 years (something, anything), it will just get blocked, undone, blah blah blah by the next Congress or President.

Musk scares me b/c he lacks nuance. He's divisive as hell for little reason. However, I say let him keep digging. The light of day usually helps. But if you let him into DoD or SS shit I fear he could **** something up pretty badly or influence opinion in a skewed or dishonest way. To be honest, Congress should take this away from him by doing it themsevles.
 
The only people willing to touch any of the shit is Trump and Elon. Considering the welcoming response they are currently getting after just 3 weeks, my guess is there won’t be a single politician in the next 30 years who will touch anything again.
That’s why we need that sweet sweet bit
 
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The thing that sucks about our politics right now is that we can't make long term plans. Even if we could get enough votes in Congress to agree to a 2% reduction YoY for 10 years (something, anything), it will just get blocked, undone, blah blah blah by the next Congress or President.

Musk scares me b/c he lacks nuance. He's divisive as hell for little reason. However, I say let him keep digging. The light of day usually helps. But if you let him into DoD or SS shit I fear he could **** something up pretty badly or influence opinion in a skewed or dishonest way. To be honest, Congress should take this away from him by doing it themsevles.
Agreed
 
The thing that sucks about our politics right now is that we can't make long term plans. Even if we could get enough votes in Congress to agree to a 2% reduction YoY for 10 years (something, anything), it will just get blocked, undone, blah blah blah by the next Congress or President.

Musk scares me b/c he lacks nuance. He's divisive as hell for little reason. However, I say let him keep digging. The light of day usually helps. But if you let him into DoD or SS shit I fear he could **** something up pretty badly or influence opinion in a skewed or dishonest way. To be honest, Congress should take this away from him by doing it themsevles.
Congress has no appetite for it. And honestly much of congress are just dipshit people. Little relevant experience in anything. Just politicians. Adept at running campaigns.
 
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Ironically, the one reason I would sell some Bitcoin is if everyone started behaving like adults and made significant cuts to put us on a path to balancing the budget.
The defense of gov spending we see in this thread is a window into why that won’t happen. It’s shocking to me. But just makes me all the more emboldened to load up on that sweet sweet bit. They’ll have to pry it from my dead body. And guess what. When we figure out how to spend it we’ll be UNSTOPPABLE
 
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Congress has no appetite for it. And honestly much of congress are just dipshit people. Little relevant experience in anything. Just politicians. Adept at running campaigns.
I am curious about your private sector analogies. Lincoln was a small country lawyer, did he ever have a payroll? Grant and Ike were career military, Grant failed in the private sector. FDR was career government. Reagan was an actor then full-time politician. Nixon was career politician. Teddy Roosevelt was a rancher for a while, but lost most of his money after a bad winter and got out to spend the rest of his time in government.
 
I am curious about your private sector analogies. Lincoln was a small country lawyer, did he ever have a payroll? Grant and Ike were career military, Grant failed in the private sector. FDR was career government. Reagan was an actor then full-time politician. Nixon was career politician. Teddy Roosevelt was a rancher for a while, but lost most of his money after a bad winter and got out to spend the rest of his time in government.
I think Musk evinces the difference and is a better totem for today’s world than the folks you note. Gov mentality presupposes money bc of taxpayers. When you have a constant revenue stream you think differently. When you’re a 50 year politician with a guaranteed check you think differently. When you’re a Musk and you think this venture could go belly up at any moment you have to be maniacally vigilant about cutting costs and raising revenue. Trump knows that world too. It’s that hardcore business entrepreneurial mentality colliding with that gov security don’t worry about the bottom line and debt mentality
 
I am curious about your private sector analogies. Lincoln was a small country lawyer, did he ever have a payroll? Grant and Ike were career military, Grant failed in the private sector. FDR was career government. Reagan was an actor then full-time politician. Nixon was career politician. Teddy Roosevelt was a rancher for a while, but lost most of his money after a bad winter and got out to spend the rest of his time in government.
Our edibles biz went belly up last week. 4 million bucks in less than 3 years down the shitter. We’re nobodies. That’s real money to us and risk for us being in our early 50s. That’s a very different personality type than someone marking a calendar 11 years, 23 days, on the general schedule to retirement.

You see that schism on roids with Musk and the gov right now
 
Our edibles biz went belly up last week. 4 million bucks in less than 3 years down the shitter. We’re nobodies. That’s real money to us and risk for us being in our early 50s. That’s a very different personality type than someone marking a calendar 11 years, 23 days, on the general schedule to retirement.

You see that schism on roids with Musk and the gov right now

That sucks. I commend you for taking chances and going for it. Hopefully, your next idea is successful.
 
I think Musk evinces the difference and is a better totem for today’s world than the folks you note. Gov mentality presupposes money bc of taxpayers. When you have a constant revenue stream you think differently. When you’re a 50 year politician with a guaranteed check you think differently. When you’re a Musk and you think this venture could go belly up at any moment you have to be maniacally vigilant about cutting costs and raising revenue. Trump knows that world too. It’s that hardcore business mentality colliding with that gov security don’t worry about the bottom line and debt mentality

But it is Congress that makes the decision. If Congress votes to over fund the military, it is over funded. There is no,"but a businessman would not spend but 75%" clause in the Constitution. We went DEEP in debt during the Revolution. Do you recall Washington surrendering to save money? A businessman may well have told Japan if they paid damages we would call it square. If money is your only objective building that military, the most powerful in world history, was a waste no business man would accept

Or look at our military strategy, since WW2 it has been "steel, not blood". We invest heavily to guarantee casualties are lower. Fire superiority and airpower rule American strategy. But it is far cheaper to take the Russian route, let the privates die en masse.

We aren't a business. But the next time a hurricane hits Florida, let's tell them it isn't profitable to send aid. And to point it out, St Louis will be destroyed when New Madrid let's go. Sorry, I don't see how I can recoup my taxes by sending you aid. But best wishes.
 
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