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On February 20 2025 05:46 WombaT wrote:
I swear to fucking god, what did the UK ever do to Musk?
Sigh. That free marketplace of ideas working again huh?
So sick of this cunt, argh
He's the biggest purveyor of disinformation in the world, and Trump's little band of sycophants lap it up every single time, no matter how many times its proven to be lies.
I can see them desperately clinging on to the paper thin veneer of 'plausible' deniability built in to this post.
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On February 11 2025 19:47 KT_Elwood wrote:
Budget cuts to NASA cause Boeong to axe the SLS rocket, costing 400 jobs and leaving the field wide open for a certain company to fill the gap of a giant moon rocket.
Wonder which it might be?
What is the argument against DOGE exactly.
Biden's last budget was -2.3 trillion deficit, Debt is currently what, 36 trillion or something? Any sane person understands cuts need to be made.
They've done OK one month in, just need to cut harder.The stuff uncovered out of USAid is pretty shocking.Millions of dollars for transgender books for kids in Peru and dozens of other similar agenda driven projects.Hardly a good use of taxpayer funds.Maybe just scrap USAid entirely.Defense another area where they need huge cuts and accountability of spending - Whether Trump actually does it who knows.
Also pretty obvious but the cuts need to be far bigger than the tax cuts.
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Wohat a good populist right wing talking points regurgitator you are. I'm sure Elon's Basilisk will spare you for opening your mouth this wide this willingly.
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On February 22 2025 17:19 iPlaY.NettleS wrote:Show nested quote +On February 11 2025 19:47 KT_Elwood wrote:
Budget cuts to NASA cause Boeong to axe the SLS rocket, costing 400 jobs and leaving the field wide open for a certain company to fill the gap of a giant moon rocket.
Wonder which it might be?
What is the argument against DOGE exactly. Biden's last budget was -2.3 trillion deficit, Debt is currently what, 36 trillion or something? Any sane person understands cuts need to be made. They've done OK one month in, just need to cut harder.The stuff uncovered out of USAid is pretty shocking.Millions of dollars for transgender books for kids in Peru and dozens of other similar agenda driven projects.Hardly a good use of taxpayer funds.Maybe just scrap USAid entirely.Defense another area where they need huge cuts and accountability of spending - Whether Trump actually does it who knows. Also pretty obvious but the cuts need to be far bigger than the tax cuts.
A good argument against DOGE is Chesterton's fence, which is why Introvert is about to criticize you any minute now.
Edit: for a more serious answer, you keep getting deficits because you keep cutting revenue by giving more and more tax cuts to the rich. Neoliberalism creates the problem with its policy and then pretends that it's strongarmed into the solution. There's no strongarming, it's what they want to do ideologically.
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I commend you for typing a good faith response when Nettles has proven himself to be a bad faith one for several years now, regurgitating every right wing face value talking point he's been served.
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The reason why they run huge deficits is because international trade is all done in USD, practically anything crosses the ocean means that USD switched hands. No other country is really operating under this same premise. And a good chunk of the spending is sunk in military spending so theres some hard retainment of value there in today's increasingly tense world.
But I might be wildly wrong about everything as I often am.
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On February 22 2025 17:19 iPlaY.NettleS wrote:Show nested quote +On February 11 2025 19:47 KT_Elwood wrote:
Budget cuts to NASA cause Boeong to axe the SLS rocket, costing 400 jobs and leaving the field wide open for a certain company to fill the gap of a giant moon rocket.
Wonder which it might be?
What is the argument against DOGE exactly. Biden's last budget was -2.3 trillion deficit, Debt is currently what, 36 trillion or something? Any sane person understands cuts need to be made. They've done OK one month in, just need to cut harder.The stuff uncovered out of USAid is pretty shocking.Millions of dollars for transgender books for kids in Peru and dozens of other similar agenda driven projects.Hardly a good use of taxpayer funds.Maybe just scrap USAid entirely.Defense another area where they need huge cuts and accountability of spending - Whether Trump actually does it who knows. Also pretty obvious but the cuts need to be far bigger than the tax cuts.
Everything is the problem with DOGE. The main one is that it is not run by elected politician, and its main goal is to cut spending which is approved by congress in the least competent and sensible way possible.
Also, why is there no will from the right wing to look at military spending? That money is also federal, and money is being wasted all over the place, with no consequences.
Btw, trade deficit and budget deficit are two very different things. Afaik, Trump has no interrest in reducing the budget deficit, he just wants to spend even more money on the military and spend increased revenue from the tariffs on tax cuts for the rich.
If the Republican leadership actually reduces the deficit, then they at least have aceived something, but I have no reason to believe they will. The Trump administration has so far demonstrated they are completely incompetent at foreseeing the consequences of their mindless cuts.
The reason they are getting away with the deficit is that the international demand for USD is still high. The only way to get rid of the debt is to tank the USD, in a similar way the UK did some decades ago. The main reason it hasn't already is that it would drag the whole world's economy into a giant recession, so the US ponzi scheme keeps running.
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On February 22 2025 17:19 iPlaY.NettleS wrote:Show nested quote +On February 11 2025 19:47 KT_Elwood wrote:
Budget cuts to NASA cause Boeong to axe the SLS rocket, costing 400 jobs and leaving the field wide open for a certain company to fill the gap of a giant moon rocket.
Wonder which it might be?
What is the argument against DOGE exactly. Biden's last budget was -2.3 trillion deficit, Debt is currently what, 36 trillion or something? Any sane person understands cuts need to be made. They've done OK one month in, just need to cut harder.The stuff uncovered out of USAid is pretty shocking.Millions of dollars for transgender books for kids in Peru and dozens of other similar agenda driven projects.Hardly a good use of taxpayer funds.Maybe just scrap USAid entirely.Defense another area where they need huge cuts and accountability of spending - Whether Trump actually does it who knows. Also pretty obvious but the cuts need to be far bigger than the tax cuts.
The takeover of the state by a bunch of oligarchs or "techbro" who destroys every elements of the wealthfare state and safeguard of their power to their personal enrichment seem pretty concerning, not for your democracy which has always been a joke but for the rule of the law and the enormous conflict of interest it creates. You're basically a feodal country. And even the western world is becoming a feodal "civilization".
For USAid, the fact you mention is prolly another far right fake news like the condom sent to hamas according to musk. Turns out it was a anti hiv campaign in the region of gaza in... Mozambique.
That said, USAid is pretty useful for us foreign policy considering it is used to stabilize pro us regime like the one in egypt or jordan... And as a opponent to these, I am very glad that by your own idiocy, you're doing stuff I actually agree with by cutting a bunch of their support. You're literaly amputate yourself of softpower just to save a few bucks. Worst deal ever as you would say your guru.
And do your commercial war with your allies, I beg you !
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lol. lmao even if you think they care about decreasing the deficit.
Do some napkin math on Musk’s plan to hand every taxpayer a flat $5,000 and get back to us with the figure.
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Some labour party Canadian politician is trying to get Musk's Canadian citizenship revoked. 
On February 23 2025 02:27 Slydie wrote:
If the Republican leadership actually reduces the deficit, then they at least have aceived something, but I have no reason to believe they will. The Trump administration has so far demonstrated they are completely incompetent at foreseeing the consequences of their mindless cuts.
... .... ....
The reason they are getting away with the deficit is that the international demand for USD is still high. The only way to get rid of the debt is to tank the USD, in a similar way the UK did some decades ago. The main reason it hasn't already is that it would drag the whole world's economy into a giant recession, so the US ponzi scheme keeps running.
one of Trump's big economic advisers started rationalizing their policies by talking about supply side economics and the laffer curve. I FUCKING CALLED IT! LOL.
Thing is, I thought the deficit//debt were going to destroy America back in 1964? It never happened.
Next, Nuclear Armageddon was going to destroy America when we were "2 minutes to midnight" according to the doomsday clock. Again, Never happened.
The elite rich families running this world are just trying to scare people into paying more taxes.
So, just relax and enjoy your life. If you were born 200 years ago you'd prolly die before you were 40 and your quality of life after age 35 would be garbage. The life we all have right now is a giant free bonus. Have fun with it.
If you're super worked up about this idiocy and you think the "end is nigh" then work on getting citizenships in other countries; you'll have a nice landing spot if things go super bad.
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On February 23 2025 12:56 JimmyJRaynor wrote:Some labour party Canadian politician is trying to get Musk's Canadian citizenship revoked. Show nested quote +On February 23 2025 02:27 Slydie wrote:
If the Republican leadership actually reduces the deficit, then they at least have aceived something, but I have no reason to believe they will. The Trump administration has so far demonstrated they are completely incompetent at foreseeing the consequences of their mindless cuts.
... .... ....
The reason they are getting away with the deficit is that the international demand for USD is still high. The only way to get rid of the debt is to tank the USD, in a similar way the UK did some decades ago. The main reason it hasn't already is that it would drag the whole world's economy into a giant recession, so the US ponzi scheme keeps running. one of Trump's big economic advisers started rationalizing their policies by talking about supply side economics and the laffer curve. I FUCKING CALLED IT! LOL. Thing is, I thought the deficit//debt were going to destroy America back in 1964? It never happened. Next, Nuclear Armageddon was going to destroy America when we were "2 minutes to midnight" according to the doomsday clock. Again, Never happened. The elite rich families running this world are just trying to scare people into paying more taxes. So, just relax and enjoy your life. If you were born 200 years ago you'd prolly die before you were 40 and your quality of life after age 35 would be garbage. The life we all have right now is a giant free bonus. Have fun with it. If you're super worked up about this idiocy and you think the "end is nigh" then work on getting citizenships in other countries; you'll have a nice landing spot if things go super bad.
Read up on how the UK got rid of their debt by devaluing the British pound. It will have to happen at some point, you just can't keep borrowing to pay the interrest of existing debt forever. When shit will hit the fan is a great unknown, though. It could be 5 years from now or 50.
Back to the DOGE, their reporting is full of crap. I am not sure if their incompetence is comforting or not.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/22/doge-data-errors-inconsistencies-00002576
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On February 23 2025 17:02 Slydie wrote:
Read up on how the UK got rid of their debt by devaluing the British pound. It will have to happen at some point, you just can't keep borrowing to pay the interrest of existing debt forever. When shit will hit the fan is a great unknown, though. It could be 5 years from now or 50.
2025-1964 > 50 though. so crank up that # to fit your alarmist narrative.
I'm calling out the alarmism over it. It doesn't much matter.
as you've noted ...it is 100% predictable and easy to see. Thus, if you happened to be a UK citizen at the time you'd want to open up options outside of the UK. There is no need to talk about it like the world is coming to an end as happened back in 1964. If you're American ... make yourself eligible to work outside the USA. meh.
Here is the 1964 , end of the world speech.
Tellin' ya man.. after listening to this beauty I want someone to hand me a rifle and tell me which Commie to shoot first!
When it comes to misinformation Elon Musk ain't got nuttin' on Ronald Reagan.
On February 23 2025 17:02 Slydie wrote:
Back to the DOGE, their reporting is full of crap. I am not sure if their incompetence is comforting or not.
a government entity that is incompetent? no way! that has only happened 8437897 times in history. Same shit different decade. Now, for Americans who believe the end is nigh, as at least 1 other posted noted... create options outside the USA.
All kinds of people threatened to leave the USA if Trump got elected in 2016. By now, they should be 100% safe from this any way. These amazing seers successfully predicted back in 2016 that Trump was going to destroy America and so they moved on 9 years ago.
As far as knee-jerk mass firings go... they happen. So far, DOGE has been super soft.
https://www.afacwa.org/reagan_fires_11_000_striking_air_traffic_controllers
I think you're a prisoner of the moment.
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Northern Ireland25195 Posts
It would be funny if Musk’s citizenship was removed, although I don’t know if there’s any real kind of grounds to do so.
Just why is life broadly better now than 200 years ago or a thousand anyway?
It’s a great collective folly, exhibited many times in our history that many humans take a current state of affairs and assume it’s the new natural baseline and things can’t go backwards. They can and frequently do.
‘Just move bro’ isn’t a solution to every one of society’s problems, many don’t desire to, some aren’t able to even if they wanted.
It seems you broadly don’t enjoy actually engaging with specific criticisms of today, for whatever reason and usually respond with.
1. ‘Hey somebody else somewhere else, or decades back in time was worse’.
2. ‘Hey another time people warned of something bad happening that didn’t, so the same applies here.’
3. ‘Hey if you really think things are that bad just emigrate.’
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On February 23 2025 12:56 JimmyJRaynor wrote:
So, just relax and enjoy your life. If you were born 200 years ago you'd prolly die before you were 40 and your quality of life after age 35 would be garbage. The life we all have right now is a giant free bonus. Have fun with it.
It wasn't free though. The left fought for it.
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The thing is, the rationale of leaving the US if you dont like it doesnt really work on a macro level. We need good people to stay in the US to fight the good fight. A fascist expansionist government with the largest GDP, most powerful military, nuclear weapons, etc is fucking terrifying if it falls into the hands of "the bad guys".
If the US went fascist expanionist dictator mode theres only a few places that would be safe. Basically any state with nuclear weapons who would believeably go through with MAD if a fascist US got aggressive enough.
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Northern Ireland25195 Posts
On February 24 2025 09:13 Sadist wrote:
The thing is, the rationale of leaving the US if you dont like it doesnt really work on a macro level. We need good people to stay in the US to fight the good fight. A fascist expansionist government with the largest GDP, most powerful military, nuclear weapons, etc is fucking terrifying if it falls into the hands of "the bad guys".
If the US went fascist expanionist dictator mode theres only a few places that would be safe. Basically any state with nuclear weapons who would believeably go through with MAD if a fascist US got aggressive enough.
Pretty much. It has a lot of knock-on impacts as you say.
And where do a lot of people even migrate to? Other countries have their hoops to jump through.
I know as things stand I’d have a hard time getting anything other than a temp visa to any of the ANZAC countries.
Historically the EU was an option. It still is for me but solely due to the benefits conferred with my right to Irish and thus EU citizenship.
Even within those options, realistically (and prior to becoming a father I was actually considering it), being monolingual somewhat limited options too. I could land a lot easier in a Finland than a France.
If you’re a ‘low-skilled’ USian I mean, where’s your exit avenue?
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Tesla sales falling massively in Europe.
No-one wants a swasticar apparently.
The Chinese competitor is swallowing the market.
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On February 25 2025 20:59 Jockmcplop wrote:
Tesla sales falling massively in Europe.
No-one wants a swasticar apparently.
The Chinese competitor is swallowing the market.
Does it matter? He can just have the US govt buy his shit now
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On February 25 2025 21:19 Dan HH wrote:Show nested quote +On February 25 2025 20:59 Jockmcplop wrote:
Tesla sales falling massively in Europe.
No-one wants a swasticar apparently.
The Chinese competitor is swallowing the market. Does it matter? He can just have the US govt buy his shit now
For like the next 6 months. I'm guessing Musk at some point is going to end up like all the "best" people from his first administration, hated.
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Northern Ireland25195 Posts
On February 25 2025 21:19 Dan HH wrote:Show nested quote +On February 25 2025 20:59 Jockmcplop wrote:
Tesla sales falling massively in Europe.
No-one wants a swasticar apparently.
The Chinese competitor is swallowing the market. Does it matter? He can just have the US govt buy his shit now
For a bit
I wonder if he possibly ends up worse off in this regard. He’s got a great hand, but he’ll overplay it if he keeps behaving like a moron.
All he has to do is shut the fuck for a bit, and wait for the money to roll in for totally not-nepotistic government subsidies and contracts.
Sure it may require some balls, and balls are often in short supply, if he continues to behave this destructively and with such impulsive recklessness, you don’t even have to be a particularly radical anti-Musk person to see some pies he shouldn’t have his fingers in.
Anything that even brushes against national security for one.
If a week is a long time in politics, years are a very, very long time indeed. If Musk is this bad already, I’d eat my shoes if he doesn’t step over the line many times over in the coming span.
Hell, it may require making him an even richer fucker, but without quite the same power. Maybe it’ll take a Musk version of the TikTok deal to extricate him from areas he shouldn’t have control and power in.
If there isn’t some internal fallout within the Trump admin, or wider GOP, which I don’t rule out either, I think he’ll be fine and on easy street. But I do think if the political winds flip culturally, and if various institutions change party hands he could be in a fair bit of trouble blowback wise.
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EPT
