Elon Musk is trying to do to the federal government what he did to Twitter: blow it up before he rebuilds it in his own image. But there is a vast difference between a social media company whose worth to society is minimal and an array of public agencies that provide essential services to millions of Americans.
Musk does not seem to understand the difference. When he and his 20-something minions sweep in to fire people and halt the operations of an entity like USAID, for instance, they are not toying with people’s ability to post pithy or toxic messages online, they are endangering lives among starving people, disrupting vital disease-fighting programs and trashing American farmers who sell their products to feeding programs — not to mention they are giving China a huge boost in the international competition to win the hearts and minds of those who live in developing countries.
And what is being accomplished by Musk’s wrecking ball approach? Certainly not any significant reduction in the national debt. USAID’s budget accounts for less than 1% of federal spending. The amount of money that might eventually be saved by Musk’s rampage through the federal bureaucracy would be dwarfed by the billions President Donald Trump has proposed in tax cuts for the wealthy.
So, why is Musk doing what he is doing? Is it a quest to crush the “deep state,” that fabricated boogeyman of the far right? Is it the massively oversized ego of the world’s richest man who suddenly has a very big, new toy to smash? Or is it ignorance?
All three are certainly at work, but the third may be most significant because that ignorance is shared by the president and most of the people on his team. Having made the federal government a target of vitriol for so long, now that they have their hands on the reins of power, this band of rightist radicals seems not to know what the federal government actually does. That became obvious when Trump issued his executive order calling a halt to federal grants. The order provoked such an uproar from all over the country that Trump quickly rescinded the mandate a day after it was announced.
If the halt had gone into effect, it would have crippled a host of programs, including funding for health grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aid to homeless shelters, financial aid for college students and money to sustain the nation’s energy supply. Trump had no idea what he was doing, just as Musk seems oblivious to the consequences of his actions.
The blitzkrieg assault on the federal government being conducted by Musk and Trump is a usurpation of the constitutional order. It is the ego-driven, authoritarian expression of two men who envision themselves as geniuses and saviors unconstrained by the rule of law. But rather than being a work of genius, the Musk/Trump destruction spree is cruel, dangerous and utterly ignorant.
Felon47 waited until Friday night to issue an Executive Order rolling back lifesaving gun safety measures because he knows it will be incredibly unpopular.
46,000 Americans die every year from gun violence, and it is the number one cause of death for children and teens.
It’s a wintry-mix day so I decided to do Italian Sunday Sauce today. Now on super low heat (lid ajar) for 10 hours. It can be done in four hours but I prefer all day.
President Trump on Friday ordered that all foreign assistance to South Africa be halted and said his administration would prioritize the resettling of white, “Afrikaner refugees” into the United States because of what he called actions by the country’s government that “racially disfavored landowners.”
The order was stunning in providing official American backing to long-held conspiracy theories about the mistreatment of white South Africans in the post-apartheid era.
As for Rubio’s announcement that he’s not turning up at the G20, China was also quick to respond amid rising geopolitical rivalry between global superpowers in resource-rich Africa. The Chinese ambassador to South Africa posted on X that his country was looking forward to the G20 summit hosted by their BRICS counterpart.
“Redressing ills of the past” is precisely what DODO opposes, here, there, and everywhere.
What’s been the reaction in South Africa?
After the attack on twitter from the world’s richest man, Ramaphosa phoned Musk directly. He said he spoke to him about “issues of misinformation and distortions about South Africa.”Ramaphosa’s spokesman Magwenya also replied to Musk’s X post, saying: “My brother, you would know that owing to a devastating legacy of centuries of oppressive and brutal colonialism and apartheid, our constitution provides for redressing the ills of the past.”
Well, Adolf likes to create chaos and then say he’s fixed it, so pushing Elon out of the proverbial, Russian window would be on brand.
If he doesn’t do it soon, Elon will have what he needs. China and Russia will divide the world among themselves…and then they will rid themselves of Elon, too.
Everyone is expendable in this timeline, and double-crossing is on the menu every day. The Republican Senators helping Adolf should remind themselves of that.
“Hungary has officially been denied a billion euros of European Union funds that had been frozen because of corruption, the EU said, the first time the bloc has enforced such a move.”
“Brussels in 2022 began “conditionality” proceedings against Hungary, seeking to block disbursements because of alleged infringements linked to public procurement as well as a lack of control and transparency.”
“Since his return to power in 2010, nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban has strengthened his grip on power, allowing some of his allies to become spectacularly rich.”
***
This is the plan. This has always been the plan. The promise to yt nationalists has nothing to do with Christianity; it’s only a tool to keep others in power…and “spectacularly wealthy.”
“Tech billionaire Elon Musk‘s social media platform X, formerly Twitter, was given a legal blow on Thursday when a German court ruled that it had to give researchers access to data on political content immediately as the country prepares for its election in about two weeks.”
“X was already accused by the commission in July of allegedly breaching the Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into effect in 2022 to make very large platforms and search engines give researchers access to data to research systemic risks.”
“Newsweek reported last month that the administration of Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, was investigatingwhether Musk’s support for the AfD on the platform where he has over 200 million followers could constitute an illegal party donation as campaigning by third parties is considered a party donation under German law.”
“In late December 2024, Musk published an opinion piece in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag defending the AfD. Eva Marie Kogel, the paper’s opinion editor, resigned in protest. He also participated in a livestream on X with AfD leader Alice Weidel early last month where he encouraged voters to support the far-right party in Germany’s February elections.”
“More than 200,000 protesters rallied in Munich, Germany, on Saturday against far-right extremism ahead of the country’s general election.”
“The far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is in second place in recent polls and has prompted widespread protests across the country before voters cast their ballots on Feb. 23.”
“The protest at Munich’s Theresienwiese — where Oktoberfest takes place each year — brought a significantly larger crowd than expected, according to the German dpa news agency. The event’s organizer estimated the crowd could be up to 320,000 people, many of whom carried signs against the AfD with slogans like, “Racism and hatred is not an alternative.”
“No one is above the law’: Federal court blocks Musk and DOGE from accessing sensitive government data – orders employees to ‘destroy’ all copies and downloads”
Where’s the oversight? Who gets them to comply? Elon can hold Adolf, Senators, and the country hostage.
Congress needs to dissolve the illegally-created, illegally-funded DOGE, and charge MuskRat and all of his incels ASAP!
Separate from the rest of the world is the sadness coming from the crash of the airplane and helicopter into the Potomac River. My cousin’s daughter often worked with the crew of the plane. Her grief is compounded by losing her father, uncle and cousins during the last two years. The pilot and members of the crew are being flown to their home towns this day. Personal happenings that are overwhelmed by the actions of a demented old man.
“A person from Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has IT access to the Washington department overseeing nuclear weapons, without a government background check, according to multiple reports.”
“Luke Farritor, 23, is now listed in the Department of Energy’s staff directory as an “information engineer,” E & E News reported. Newsweek has not been able to independently verify this information.”
“ Farritor’s placement in the Department of Energy, which oversees America’s nuclear weapons, raises serious security and governance concerns because he hadn’t been given a standard background investigation needed to access the department’s system, according to reports. So Farritor apparently bypassed a security check which any other American citizen would be subject to and now has access to secret information which could potentially be used against his fellow citizens.”
“Information Engineer.” Pfft. More like hacker, and possibly extortionist.
Last edited 14 days ago by blueINdallas
Anonymous
14 days ago
isn’t it funny people are going to watch super bowl tomorrow while an Unconstitutional oligarchic overthrow of our government is underway
Some say this is old. I say this will never age. A timeless display of how far some will go to achieve that nirvana-like state of permanent stupidity.
Since the newly appointed fraudster to the “White House Faith Office” is trending, I thought I’d bring back the remix of one of Paula White’s crazy ass sermons. Enjoy!🙃🔊🔊🔊VOLUME UP!!!🔊🔊🔊
I see so much “oh – it’s the Super Bowl time, we must do all sorts of excitement – “. I have not watched or listened to the super bowl in over twenty years. There was very little about the football game, it was all commercials, half time and more commercials.
I watched the Puppy Bowl, more fun and lots of action.
I don’t have cable anymore so I may not be able to watch the Puppy Bowl this year. Sigh.
Perhaps there are more like me who gave up on commercialism of so much of our world.
“The agency was instrumental in the Biden administration’s work to address deceptive or predatory business practices. The CFPB filed lawsuits against big banks and payment platforms, and made rules including capping overdraft fees and removing medical bills from credit reports.”
Welcome, price gougers! The US is now open for business.
BOYCOTT EVERYTHING!
Anonymous
14 days ago
blatant separation of powers violation, congressionally-approved agency
Anonymous
14 days ago
Can an entire economy run on scams alone?
bout to find out
stuff
14 days ago
once you realize these people are Gen Alpha’s role-models you’ll understand how fucked we are
The court paused the freeze on funds, but the WH says they’re still frozen, and since organizations are still have trouble accessing funds…it’s a coup. They don’t care about laws or the courts. They are criminals. They are thieves. They are denying elected officials entrance to government offices. It’s a coup and that requires military intervention. This is ridiculous! It’s a coup! The Republicans in Congress are complicit.
“Pentagon cuts off Hegseth town hall webcast after transparency pledge”
“Hegseth delivered about 15 minutes of opening remarks, which touched on issues such as grooming standards, readiness, border security and the administration’s desire to root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs from the military, before opening the floor to questions.”
“The first person to respond, who identified himself as an official in the Air Force’s strategic deterrence and nuclear integration section, asked whether the administration planned to be more assertive in the “gray zone” — short of actual warfare — to deter China and Russia.”
“That’s a good question,” Hegseth said before the feed cut out, leaving only music playing.
A Defense Department spokesperson confirmed to Defense News shortly afterward that the broadcast’s halt was not an accident or technical glitch.”
“That was predetermined,” the spokesperson said.
The broadcast ended less than two minutes after Hegseth pledged to be open with service members and the public.”
“Journey founder Neal Schon raises alarm over Paula White-Cain’s access to band’s bank accounts”
“Citing multiple media reports on White-Cain’s history, Schon’s spokesperson painted the televangelist as a “national level con artist” focused on gaining wealth and what it brings.”
“As with all aspects of her life, Paula’s marriage to Cain is easily tied to access to wealth and the trappings thereof. Beyond the Christian cover for Paula’s twisted aspirations for wealth and power … Paula’s outrageously exorbitant lifestyle has been showcased across the ‘faith leader’s’ social media, including extravagant gifts attributed to Cain,” the statement said.”
Ladies & gents, I present the head of tRUMPsky’s faje faith dept. There’s always a grifter at the top of the evangelical pile.
Attribution: Elon does as he pleases by John Darkow, Columbia Missourian
David Horsey’s Musk and his minions march on | The Seattle Times
Elon was quick to do damage control, knowing how Pumpkin Head hates to be upstaged (he fired Steve Bannon for getting on the Time cover).
Elon Musk trolled for posing in Oval Office wearing massive MAGA hat: ‘He forgot his sink’ – MEAWW News
This is the woman (Paula White) Trump picked to protect Christians from Democrats.
She’s Nuckin’ futz
The Great Pumpkin said he would be a dictator on Day one. He forgot to mention who would be the dictator from Day 2 forward.
Felon47 waited until Friday night to issue an Executive Order rolling back lifesaving gun safety measures because he knows it will be incredibly unpopular.
46,000 Americans die every year from gun violence, and it is the number one cause of death for children and teens.
Making the rounds
https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5znuwlkak6heatou5tdovfpi/bafkreiea6imwgjncllti4himzxdyaaxjpor4jni6yydst7cxkxdsajxjpe@jpeg
Since the GOP side of Congress can’t find either spine or balls, it is up to the courts.
Federal judge blocks Musk’s DOGE from access to Treasury Dept. material – The Washington Post
It’s a wintry-mix day so I decided to do Italian Sunday Sauce today. Now on super low heat (lid ajar) for 10 hours. It can be done in four hours but I prefer all day.
Recipe on Trail Feed..
https://trailmix.cc/home/craigs-recipes/real-italian-sunday-sauce/
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/us/politics/trump-south-africa-aid-white-landowners.html
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/08/nx-s1-5290131/south-africa-land-trump-musk-ramaphosa
“Redressing ills of the past” is precisely what DODO opposes, here, there, and everywhere.
Well, Adolf likes to create chaos and then say he’s fixed it, so pushing Elon out of the proverbial, Russian window would be on brand.
If he doesn’t do it soon, Elon will have what he needs. China and Russia will divide the world among themselves…and then they will rid themselves of Elon, too.
Everyone is expendable in this timeline, and double-crossing is on the menu every day. The Republican Senators helping Adolf should remind themselves of that.
https://fortune.com/europe/2025/01/02/billion-euro-blow-hungary-orban-frozen-eu-funds/
“Hungary has officially been denied a billion euros of European Union funds that had been frozen because of corruption, the EU said, the first time the bloc has enforced such a move.”
“Brussels in 2022 began “conditionality” proceedings against Hungary, seeking to block disbursements because of alleged infringements linked to public procurement as well as a lack of control and transparency.”
“Since his return to power in 2010, nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban has strengthened his grip on power, allowing some of his allies to become spectacularly rich.”
***
This is the plan. This has always been the plan. The promise to yt nationalists has nothing to do with Christianity; it’s only a tool to keep others in power…and “spectacularly wealthy.”
today’s meme…
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republican-introduces-transgender-lawmaker-the-gentleman-mr-mcbride-floor-speech
Troll from Illinois
Pulling shit out of his ass
meme #2…
Speaking of Judas, Frank Yerby wrote a great book about him.
JUDAS, MY BROTHER, The Story of the 13th Disciple.
1968
https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-x-german-court-election-data-2028262
“Tech billionaire Elon Musk‘s social media platform X, formerly Twitter, was given a legal blow on Thursday when a German court ruled that it had to give researchers access to data on political content immediately as the country prepares for its election in about two weeks.”
“X was already accused by the commission in July of allegedly breaching the Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into effect in 2022 to make very large platforms and search engines give researchers access to data to research systemic risks.”
“Newsweek reported last month that the administration of Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, was investigatingwhether Musk’s support for the AfD on the platform where he has over 200 million followers could constitute an illegal party donation as campaigning by third parties is considered a party donation under German law.”
“In late December 2024, Musk published an opinion piece in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag defending the AfD. Eva Marie Kogel, the paper’s opinion editor, resigned in protest. He also participated in a livestream on X with AfD leader Alice Weidel early last month where he encouraged voters to support the far-right party in Germany’s February elections.”
https://apnews.com/article/germany-munich-election-afd-protests-29cdd1441e670a9f13394d2a44f035a5
“More than 200,000 protesters rallied in Munich, Germany, on Saturday against far-right extremism ahead of the country’s general election.”
“The far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is in second place in recent polls and has prompted widespread protests across the country before voters cast their ballots on Feb. 23.”
“The protest at Munich’s Theresienwiese — where Oktoberfest takes place each year — brought a significantly larger crowd than expected, according to the German dpa news agency. The event’s organizer estimated the crowd could be up to 320,000 people, many of whom carried signs against the AfD with slogans like, “Racism and hatred is not an alternative.”
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/no-one-is-above-the-law-federal-court-blocks-musk-and-doge-from-accessing-sensitive-government-data-orders-employees-to-destroy-all-copies-and-downloads/
“No one is above the law’: Federal court blocks Musk and DOGE from accessing sensitive government data – orders employees to ‘destroy’ all copies and downloads”
Where’s the oversight? Who gets them to comply? Elon can hold Adolf, Senators, and the country hostage.
Congress needs to dissolve the illegally-created, illegally-funded DOGE, and charge MuskRat and all of his incels ASAP!
Rally at SSA Headquarters
Woodlawn, MD
When: Monday, Feb. 10 at 12:30 PM
Where: 6401 Security Blvd., Woodlawn, Maryland 21207
Anyone hear from Schumer,Pelosi, Jefferies lately?
“speaking in tongues” = babbling for dollars
Separate from the rest of the world is the sadness coming from the crash of the airplane and helicopter into the Potomac River. My cousin’s daughter often worked with the crew of the plane. Her grief is compounded by losing her father, uncle and cousins during the last two years. The pilot and members of the crew are being flown to their home towns this day. Personal happenings that are overwhelmed by the actions of a demented old man.
https://www.newsweek.com/doge-luke-farritor-department-energy-nuclear-weapons-2027688
“A person from Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has IT access to the Washington department overseeing nuclear weapons, without a government background check, according to multiple reports.”
“Luke Farritor, 23, is now listed in the Department of Energy’s staff directory as an “information engineer,” E & E News reported. Newsweek has not been able to independently verify this information.”
“ Farritor’s placement in the Department of Energy, which oversees America’s nuclear weapons, raises serious security and governance concerns because he hadn’t been given a standard background investigation needed to access the department’s system, according to reports. So Farritor apparently bypassed a security check which any other American citizen would be subject to and now has access to secret information which could potentially be used against his fellow citizens.”
“Information Engineer.” Pfft. More like hacker, and possibly extortionist.
isn’t it funny people are going to watch super bowl tomorrow while an Unconstitutional oligarchic overthrow of our government is underway
So true Anon, we’re losing our country but why not keep the Super Bowl
No different than the 1936 Olympics.
it’s it not even a good spectator sport amid an environment of fair and just rule of law
nevermind this bullshit
Some say this is old. I say this will never age. A timeless display of how far some will go to achieve that nirvana-like state of permanent stupidity.
At an early age I escaped from both football and church along about the same time. I’ve always been grateful.
I see so much “oh – it’s the Super Bowl time, we must do all sorts of excitement – “. I have not watched or listened to the super bowl in over twenty years. There was very little about the football game, it was all commercials, half time and more commercials.
I watched the Puppy Bowl, more fun and lots of action.
I don’t have cable anymore so I may not be able to watch the Puppy Bowl this year. Sigh.
Perhaps there are more like me who gave up on commercialism of so much of our world.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/02/08/cfpbs-x-account-goes-dark-as-russell-vought-takes-over-elon-musk-posts-cfpb-rip/
“CFPB’s X Account Goes Dark As Russell Vought Takes Over, Elon Musk Posts ‘CFPB RIP’
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/08/nx-s1-5290914/russell-vought-cfpb-doge-access-musk
“The agency was instrumental in the Biden administration’s work to address deceptive or predatory business practices. The CFPB filed lawsuits against big banks and payment platforms, and made rules including capping overdraft fees and removing medical bills from credit reports.”
Welcome, price gougers! The US is now open for business.
BOYCOTT EVERYTHING!
blatant separation of powers violation, congressionally-approved agency
Can an entire economy run on scams alone?
bout to find out
once you realize these people are Gen Alpha’s role-models you’ll understand how fucked we are
was nice while it lasted
Craig, I enjoy seeing the rotating pictures at the bottom (the Trail Feed) and glad whenever I’m of help with those.
The golden calf is their spirit animal.
Just served up final product of our Sunday Italian Sauce on Saturday
The court paused the freeze on funds, but the WH says they’re still frozen, and since organizations are still have trouble accessing funds…it’s a coup. They don’t care about laws or the courts. They are criminals. They are thieves. They are denying elected officials entrance to government offices. It’s a coup and that requires military intervention. This is ridiculous! It’s a coup! The Republicans in Congress are complicit.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-cuts-off-hegseth-town-182527941.html
“Pentagon cuts off Hegseth town hall webcast after transparency pledge”
“Hegseth delivered about 15 minutes of opening remarks, which touched on issues such as grooming standards, readiness, border security and the administration’s desire to root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs from the military, before opening the floor to questions.”
“The first person to respond, who identified himself as an official in the Air Force’s strategic deterrence and nuclear integration section, asked whether the administration planned to be more assertive in the “gray zone” — short of actual warfare — to deter China and Russia.”
“That’s a good question,” Hegseth said before the feed cut out, leaving only music playing.
A Defense Department spokesperson confirmed to Defense News shortly afterward that the broadcast’s halt was not an accident or technical glitch.”
“That was predetermined,” the spokesperson said.
The broadcast ended less than two minutes after Hegseth pledged to be open with service members and the public.”
“Journey founder Neal Schon raises alarm over Paula White-Cain’s access to band’s bank accounts”
“Citing multiple media reports on White-Cain’s history, Schon’s spokesperson painted the televangelist as a “national level con artist” focused on gaining wealth and what it brings.”
“As with all aspects of her life, Paula’s marriage to Cain is easily tied to access to wealth and the trappings thereof. Beyond the Christian cover for Paula’s twisted aspirations for wealth and power … Paula’s outrageously exorbitant lifestyle has been showcased across the ‘faith leader’s’ social media, including extravagant gifts attributed to Cain,” the statement said.”
Ladies & gents, I present the head of tRUMPsky’s faje faith dept. There’s always a grifter at the top of the evangelical pile.
NEW THREAD by our Trail friend Jack