Michael Lewis has a new book - "Who is Government"
I haven't read it yet but I've listened to a few podcasts where he is the guest. His stories of government workers are impressive. And he stresses the point that government does what the private sector can't do or won't do. So important!
FDA enforces acceptable levels for food contaminants. For whole ginger the level is 3mg or more of mammal excrement per pound of product. Guess you don’t mind eating more excrement in future 🤮
Exactly. This is the book that horrified people and helped start the FDA. Merchants would put arsenic in meat to hide rot, lead in butter to make it yellow, and chalk in milk to enhance consistency. Are we going back to that? Maybe.
This happened with my wife’s company that works with the FDA. They aren’t having regular (yearly) safety briefings b/c everyone at FDA is fired. There also has been no push by dems or media to highlight this. It won’t break through until way too late. This is some real evil project 2025 shit.
they want no regulations. Safety is unnecessary to them. Everything being done to return to 1913. It’s surreal but it’s happening. Citizens United and trump have made the government an arm of the corporations. it will
mostly be privatized.
You are probably right and she is likely in an echo chamber as well. I have a friend who is deep in the anti vax conspiracy and they have email chains where they talk about the importance of resisting pressure to conform now more than ever. It’s scary but I feel some of them/many are lost forever 💔
My then-6 month old child had a neurological adverse reaction to her TDaP vax. I learned about VAERS database through her pediatrician, who identified pertussis vax as culprit. That kid is now 19, healthy, and in college. Adverse reactions can happen, but that's not a reason to eliminate all vaxes.
So glad your kid is OK. I am not sure why it happens to some people. They just stop trusting science. But scientists and physicians, like yours, really just want to help. My friend didn’t want me to play the Outbreak game with her child because it was going to teach her to believe in epidemiology 🤯
Oh, yeah, I've read the same - by a guy who lost all his money when he bought Trump meme coins.
However, any effective autocrat knows he must disarm his citizens and I'd love to see the looks on their faces then (Harris owns a gun, Trump probably has never touched one but socialism blah blah blah)
It’s funny you say that. They miss things like the irony of Obamas ATF permitting the bump stock and Trumps ATF being the one to ban it. They really think because he’s a republican that he won’t ban guns
Perhaps some folks in the admin know that we can read and understand the Constitution, including 2A. And that may make them nervous as we organize and get independently "well regulated."
A friend was at the protests in Tampa on Saturday. She said when the Trump agitators tried to engage, they responded with, "We're out here for you too, sweetie!"
John, you know full well this is the agenda of project 2025 but it's really putin calling the shots.
It's a win/win.
It's just really tough because trump is very bad at sticking to scripts, so there will be wildly psychotic terrifyingly dangerous wwwlll smelling mountain sized bumps in the road.🙏up
This is truly dangerous. I ran a McDonalds. Food safety was job 1, we saw the demise of Jack in the Box in early 90s. Children died. FDA was key lead in developing standards. It still is crucial to isolate new or stronger pathogens. I am a certified food safety instructor, there are dangers.
Call me a conspiracy theorist if you want, but I'm really beginning to believe that their goal is to try to kill as many of us as possible.
1. Antivaxxer nutcase in HHS
2. Destroy agencies that protect our health
3. Destroy ecomony, outlaw homelessness
4. And so on, and on, and on
It's more than sad. It's down right fatal. This wasn't done on a whim. trump is purposely trying to make sure we don't survive in the event of another pandemic, war, or depression.
This is not going to help America with trade with other countries a lot of countries already don't want American beef and pork because of the steroids and bleaching now we have nobody watching the food coming out of America? Good luck and you're crying about deficits.
People. As I read the comments I hear confusion. Why you may be asking.
It’s called Eugenics.
Please I beg do your research.
They’re going to Cull the “Herd”. Kill as many of us off any way they can. Pay attention to who they’re coming for first. Food water weather healthcare safety All weapons.
I am in awe at the vast number of people who really, REALLY feel that scientists, doctors, researchers, nurses, etc all went to school just to become corrupt and “trick” the people of the US. It’s just…weird
It's the only way unintelligent people cope with being stupid. Can't be that the world is too big and complicated for them to understand. It has to be that all these scientists and doctors spent their lives in school just to deceive Dale and Martha in their double-wide.
The plan is to murder as many Americans as possible, *indirectly*. They tried something similar with covidiots.
Russia has been grooming a rich idiot and threw him in politics to achieve this.
If all these agencies are corrupt who’s getting charged? Oh, forgot there’s a convicted felon in the White House. Also poster boy for corruption The Dotard.
Time to look into meatless options, there are many. Don't forget to spice it up with Penzy's!! A Wisconsin based, progressive company. They have the THE BEST herbs & spices, & support liberal causes.
It is a new frontier.
New rules.
New pathogens.
No scientific research.
Buys your burgers and takes your chances.
Oh yah, I don’t feel so well, maybe it’s the flu?!
OR MAYBE IT’S FOOD POISONING!😝🤮😝🤮🤢😝😝😵💫
And no need to wonder why the rest of the world doesn’t want US exports, even before the boycotts from Trump Tariffs. The crap and toxins in it are steadily killing Americans.
Having worked for the federal government at one time, it pisses me off that the ketamine klepto can take/do whatever is in his interest, which is flat out not allowed if you're a real employee.
America get out and fight this administration. Trump is out to destroy America! Don’t sit at home on the 19th. Nobody else is gonna save you but you. Be part of the solution you seek!!
We got a $2,000 bill for a 20 minute triage where they told us they were so full, we could either wait 8 hours to be seen, or take some Tylenol at home.
Many times they keep you hanging in ER to avoid admitting you. Granddaughter has appendix removed, got to hosp. at 4:50pm, testing,etc., surgery at 8:45, recovery 9:25, and discharged at 10:50. Lucky she was all good.
I’m in the UK and last year was in a motorbike crash. Ambulance to hospital, 4 weeks inpatient, 5 operations, several weeks of physiotherapy. My bill (above what I’ve paid in income taxes) is £0.
Yep. And we have no idea everything we are charged for. I understand that anything the hospital has to purchase must be covered. So I understand being charged for a bag of saline and IV kit. I understand being charged for a certain level of nursing care - the sicker you are, the lower the nurse:
patient ratio must be. But what I object to is then being charged for the procedure of an IV, when starting IVs is a very basic common skill of nursing practice and I’m already paying for nursing care. Then, of course, the mark-ups on everything are outrageous.
It's not just sad -- it's crazy. The FDA was formed for a LOT of really good reasons, and we are going to be so fukked when they're not working to keep our food and medications safe.
My grandma started smoking cigarettes to control morning sickness in 1927. It didn't have nearly the damage thalidomide did, but it's amazing what people will do before they know.
Fortunately doge isn't closing all the safety testing labs, just some of them.
A friend works at the state FDA and they inspect packaged foods, restaurants. They are very concerned for the public’s safety. Idiots who think “food is naturally safe” are a special kind of stupid.
Measles is just the start... When people start dying from E Coli, Slamonella, Lystria, and Botulism, then we'll really get an idea of what we've done to ourselves electing this clown.
These cuts are bad for citizens. Everyone I know in multiple federal agencies work solely to protect American people. It’s really our only tax-dollar spend that’s for us. The corrupt motherfuckers are in Trump’s administration and large corporate businesses.
There are few things more galling than reading between the lines of all the media coverage of DOGE where they're intimating: "b-b-But can these cuts REALLY be good for the country?"
What Polyanna crap. They KNOW this is a con and the destruction of government is the ONLY end game here!
Who is going to keep we the people safe? @maddow.msnbc.com
@donlemonofficial.bsky.social
@krassenstein.bsky.social
@meidastouch.com
@jaketapper.bsky.social @aoc.bsky.social @sanders.senate.gov @schiff.senate.gov @warren.senate.gov
@repjasmine.bsky.social
@nadler.house.gov
It certainly is very sad and I'm sorry for your wife losing her job, and not for financial loss, but people like her their job is part of their existence they live for the science and we need people like that. I extend my best wishes 🙏 to her and your family.
It’s horrifying, now no fluoride and water for children’s developing teeth, an EPA so lax that this country looks like it did before the EPA was founded. It’s horrifying.
There are many stupid people in history but #Trump beat so many of them! A deadly measles outbreak in USA used by politically motivated shills to promote antivax agendas despite all the science & evidence makes them objectively stupid! As a species we are stupid!
The FDA also inspects foreign drug manufacturing sites to ensure quality, safety, and efficacy. Imagine an Indian site, manufacturing generic drugs without FDA oversight
In food/bus.-developed products end/end. FDA safety standards includes testing/processing certifications. Testing for non-compliance is at all critical control points (CCPs), recorded/held for traceability. i.e. a low pH could kill U.
Testing/monitoring is crucial for all food and all consumables.
*I* say.. ALL those fired, come together, form a (cringe) corporation, and DO the work you do to SELL to the administration.
CLAW back your reputations, your skills, and your courage, and do this YOURSELVES.
Yes, I know how hard that is, and I DO empathize with y'all, but THIS is the BEST ANSWER.
OK, SO FAR, not a lot of feedback from the actual people fired, BUT..
I will put this out there.
I am a 45-year veteran of software development AND DevSecOps administration.
IF anyone thinks it's a good idea, let's get together! DM me, we'll talk. I can facilitate networking, server builds, etc...
AND I'm pretty good at organization and all that...
So I will HELP get you up and running, PRO BONO, I HAVE a job, in the space industry, but I work from home, and therefore can dedicate a large allotment of time...
I saw Mark Cuban make a similar offer for efficiency people that had gotten fired and replaced by DOGE. Might be worth looking into a well. I would love for the US to retain this capacity for when the fascists fall
Trumps first term there was illness and death galore, because of him and his stupid fucking choices and mistakes.
This second term may not even need a global pandemic to help him create illness and deaths galore again since his bad choices and mistakes are profoundly more significant this time.
“The government is a vast, complex system…for addressing the biggest problems of society—made up of people, mostly unrecognized and uncelebrated, doing work that can be deeply consequential and beneficial to everyone.
As someone who worked the other side of the line, developing medical products & needing FDA approval to manufacture, I'm actually fearful for any future medical drugs/devices. If they stop FDA's necessary review, investigation & approval functions, the chance for snake-oil increases significantly.
Bobby Brain Worm's gonna kill us all so we won't live long enough to be eligible for Social Security or Medicare -- so no biggie if they're gone! Easy peasy!
You absolutely should be following this plaintiff's attys group. Lawyers, apparently, are going to have to be our CDC, FDA and warning system because everyone else, including MSM, can't or won't tell us what's going on. https://daily.foodsafetynews.com/
This is just another awful thing this administration is doing, in a long list of awful. When is everyone going to wake up and fight back. He is trying to kill us all. He doesn’t care about this country or the people.
McDonald's and others are big companies with tons of money and lobbying abilities. They can help stop this and they should be throwing everything at it.
Don’t forget Musk and his DOGE thugs, whose whole Thing is declaring that the parts of government that are invisible when they’re working well are waste to be eliminated, no matter how important what they do is.
The old quote about how one of the key tricks in rightwing rhetoric was learning only to talk about “spending” and “waste” in the abstract, because most people like nearly all of what the government does.
Of course they all believe “Doge has found so much fraud”. I am so sick of hearing the stupidity of people who are fed daily crap from the right and believe every word.
The blatant disregard for the health and quality of life of the people who live in the country he claims to "love" (and those around the world who need the research and funding simply to survive) is beyond disgusting.
Well said. And for what? If you fired every single worker at HHS it would reduce their total budget by ~ 1%. In the meantime, who’s protecting us from E. coli outbreaks, unsafe eyedrops that lead to blindness, contamination of infant formula?
In my brief time as a defense contractor I was fortunate enough to become well acquainted with a number of federal civilian employees. My lasting impression was that they are some of the most intelligent, patriotic, and compassionate people in the US workforce, private or public
That won’t keep you safe. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often the foods most contaminated with pathogens such as E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. Salmonella in cantaloupe sickened 400 people last year. Cucumbers sickened more than 600. And organic carrots with E. coli sickened 48 and killed 1.
I have a little contention because those products she was working on are at the outer edges of what would be defined as food. It’s a bunch of chemicals and artificial flavors & if we just ate fresh food that we fix ourselves, we’d have less problems. (Big Ag has other ways it endangers us as well.)
This description even undersells the work being done. Few have heard the term metagenomics because there’s no money in it right now, but the FDA is at the forefront of basic research which will have world shattering effects in our understanding of biology, without them it will languish entirely
The food and disease monitoring program they run thus has immediate benefits keeping you safe, but also is likely producing the knowledge and starting the industry which will discover the next 100 penicillin’s. No private funding can or will do this.
As important as safe food is for everyone, how does felon 45 expect other countries to buy food products, medicines, etc. that are no longer being inspected? I hate to say it, but the reason many countries don't buy American beef is the safety standards are very different. This makes it worse.
So right. In the UK the public really don't want hormone and antibiotic produced beef or pork, or chicken washed in Sodium hypochlorite. We don't want wheat doused in Glyphosate or GMO crops. Our Govt. may want to sell us out for a trade deal, but don't expect the UK public to buy US food products.
What will the history books say about this shit show one hundred years from now? Wish I could hang around long enough to read them books, but you know...
I worked in pharmaceuticals, including FDA audits.
I can tell you if the FDA and EMA (Europe's version) weren't around periodically checking random things to ensure safety and efficacy, the company WOULD take shortcuts.
I would never trust a corporation to self regulate!
I still work in pharma. They would absolutely take as many shortcuts as possible including NOT putting out field reports or recalls. Ppl that have never worked in pharma can't possibly comprehend just exactly how controlled EVERYTHING is, for good reason!
Meanwhile, Congress and judges get to own stock in the companies that fund their campaigns or take them in lavish vacations and then sell or buy the stock the day before the quarterly earnings come out
It’s so true. I can’t accept a cup of coffee unless it’s through a conference registration fee. And any purchase passes through 3 levels for approval. Travel is even worse! Like 6 levels of approval!!
Yet another example of Republicans putting lives at risk so they can pander to the Wealthy. Take away regulations protecting health and safety so the Wealthy can go back to polluting, dangerous work places and disregard for Public welfare.
Working for state government, you don't even get "free" coffee. Employees have to pay for it themselves. Every private sector job came with, at a minimum, coffee and occasional snacks/treats/lunches
Also, extended patents blocking generics, changing regulating, drug prices. I work on pharmaceuticals for over 25 years, in regulatory compliance. I see what happens.
What, specifically, has the FDA done that points to it being corrupt vs just being overly cautious or possibly just wrong (because people can be wrong without being corrupt).
Ok I'll bite. If you believe the FDA isn't vulnerable to influence by lobbyists, like other agencies, then I can't really argue with you further. Lobbyists influence where funding goes, how much a company receives in funding, recalls that will favor one company over another, insider trading....
Lobbyists can influence them, sure. The FDA is made up of people, largely trying to do the right thing, but everyone has weaknesses. You claim the FDA is corrupt; that is a stretch, IMHO. Do they sometimes not approve something in a timely manner? Probably. Is this proof of corruption? Not really.
Comments
I haven't read it yet but I've listened to a few podcasts where he is the guest. His stories of government workers are impressive. And he stresses the point that government does what the private sector can't do or won't do. So important!
mostly be privatized.
Those DOGE douches know NOTHING but how break and steal shit.
Fuck those guys!
Then, they just stare at me with nothing further to say about his win.
However, any effective autocrat knows he must disarm his citizens and I'd love to see the looks on their faces then (Harris owns a gun, Trump probably has never touched one but socialism blah blah blah)
It's a win/win.
It's just really tough because trump is very bad at sticking to scripts, so there will be wildly psychotic terrifyingly dangerous wwwlll smelling mountain sized bumps in the road.🙏up
1. Antivaxxer nutcase in HHS
2. Destroy agencies that protect our health
3. Destroy ecomony, outlaw homelessness
4. And so on, and on, and on
Ice cream mfgs employ scientists 2 ensure their products are safe because, guess what? Bacteria has a funny way of growing!!!!
And McDonalds JUST POISONED a BUNCH OF PEOPLE with their onions!!!!!!
The only reason they isolated the onions so quickly is scientists
It’s called Eugenics.
Please I beg do your research.
They’re going to Cull the “Herd”. Kill as many of us off any way they can. Pay attention to who they’re coming for first. Food water weather healthcare safety All weapons.
Seriously
Russia has been grooming a rich idiot and threw him in politics to achieve this.
like wet, frozen linen
stay warm around the fire
recalling where we've been
New rules.
New pathogens.
No scientific research.
Buys your burgers and takes your chances.
Oh yah, I don’t feel so well, maybe it’s the flu?!
OR MAYBE IT’S FOOD POISONING!😝🤮😝🤮🤢😝😝😵💫
Identify venues where the Filthy Rich gather. Protest there. Pressure them and maga churches until they condemn Trump’s insanity.
Marchons! Marchons!
THANKS Frances Kelsey
🎁 NYT from 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/health/thalidomide-fda-documents.html?unlocked_article_code=1.-E4.fXgE.sbBQk66SWs2A&smid=url-share
Review of Wonder Drug via Harvard Public Health
https://harvardpublichealth.org/policy-practice/thalidomide-the-untold-american-story-in-wonder-drug/
Fortunately doge isn't closing all the safety testing labs, just some of them.
What Polyanna crap. They KNOW this is a con and the destruction of government is the ONLY end game here!
@donlemonofficial.bsky.social
@krassenstein.bsky.social
@meidastouch.com
@jaketapper.bsky.social @aoc.bsky.social @sanders.senate.gov @schiff.senate.gov @warren.senate.gov
@repjasmine.bsky.social
@nadler.house.gov
But infuriated is where I currently reside.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/07/robert-f-kennedy-jr-measles
#EmolumentsClause
#SlavaUkraine
#Resist
#arrest
#prosecute
#Impeach
“Just Say No”
TO tЯ☭mpublican Traitors supporting Traitor tЯ☭mp & P☭tin! Remove
#DefeatRussia
#DemocracyMatters
#SupportUkraine
@electiontruth.bsky.social
#VerifyTheVote
#RussianTail
Testing/monitoring is crucial for all food and all consumables.
CLAW back your reputations, your skills, and your courage, and do this YOURSELVES.
Yes, I know how hard that is, and I DO empathize with y'all, but THIS is the BEST ANSWER.
I will put this out there.
I am a 45-year veteran of software development AND DevSecOps administration.
IF anyone thinks it's a good idea, let's get together! DM me, we'll talk. I can facilitate networking, server builds, etc...
So I will HELP get you up and running, PRO BONO, I HAVE a job, in the space industry, but I work from home, and therefore can dedicate a large allotment of time...
I look at the pill I take for high bp and wonder how fucking safe it'll be next refill.
This is terrifying.
This second term may not even need a global pandemic to help him create illness and deaths galore again since his bad choices and mistakes are profoundly more significant this time.
https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-ice-cream-deadly-listeria-outbreak-2022-7
Let them eat tariffs.
“The government is a vast, complex system…for addressing the biggest problems of society—made up of people, mostly unrecognized and uncelebrated, doing work that can be deeply consequential and beneficial to everyone.
Don't fall for deportation theatre. The biggest risk to the average American are these two old fail sons.
We'll sure notice when all those people are gone and bad outcomes start to happen SO MUCH more often.
But the price of eggs...
All a sleight of hand.
They see government as an obstacle to their unlimited profits.
It's all great, until your a business person that falls ill from contaminated food, the spread of disease etc.
Like the old adage goes, the capitalist will sell you the rope to hang them with.
I know many processors don't care because it ultimately increases profit margins.
Disgusting.
I can tell you if the FDA and EMA (Europe's version) weren't around periodically checking random things to ensure safety and efficacy, the company WOULD take shortcuts.
I would never trust a corporation to self regulate!
C’mon over to bsky.
Tesla’s done. Let’s
take down Elon’s bullhorn.
💕
https://youtu.be/z5rRZdiu1UE?si=cXnf_sYw6kEPW-S-
What, specifically, has the FDA done that points to it being corrupt vs just being overly cautious or possibly just wrong (because people can be wrong without being corrupt).