Everything looks good here. Economic development with cohesion. See a bit of Cambodia and everyone knows what happened there. I’m sure they don’t care since they throw up Nazi symbols and we know there’s a correlation to Cambodian’s genocide and the Nazis.
Musk doesn't see the point of these items, but nothing that is objectively bad. Someone lobbied for these and convinced ELECTED officials of their necessity. Why is Musk's opinion worth mire than all of Congress's?
The first entry caught me completely off guard. I'm pretty sure that contract is for education curriculum and no circumcisions. Although we could be teaching them about circumcisions, but hey what do I know. I just know how to read.
You think they're worried about court orders? If it gets to SCOTUS, most of the jurists are in on this. Republican think tanks and policy institutions have been busy for 50 years. They are ready to EXECUTE the program.
Beside the point, of course, but all of this (even if true) is still a tiny drop in the bucket compared with what is spent on defense. When do we get to those line items?
Trump and Elon are opposed to spending money in other countries on election integrity, fostering democracy, helping poor people, improving health, addressing climate change, fostering equal rights, and improving education.
Coincidentally, that’s exactly the kind of spending they oppose in the U.S.
I really don't think FOTUS or Elon give a damn about the courts they are showing us by ignoring the restraining order 🤷🏿♀️ who's going to stop them 🤔 we're watching a COUP in real time here in America. We still have politicians who are trying to find common ground and bipartisanship with fascist🤦🏿♀️
It’s misleading to just post the budget items that might be controversial (and there should be a debate whether we fund these). DOGE failed to report those vital projects that most people would fully support. People are dying as a result of DOGE’s decisions.
There's no way that people in their teens or twenties fully understand the impacts of these things. Some programs require years of advanced study to really understand how they work. The fact that anyone can decide on a whim to completely defund them is so dangerous. Watch out for ripple effects.
Understanding can’t happen based solely on a title. Which is what these people are banking on. That the average person sees the title and agrees it should go.
Exactly what I've been saying. They don't understand the context, and therefore are axing programs and people based on ideology and things they don't like. There's no "expertise" going into these decisions.
Right. How could anyone have expertise in all these different fields anyway? It's literally not possible to be a pulmonary surgeon AND a mathematical theoretician AND a community organizer AND a Swahili instructor AND a civil rights attorney AND a research botanist...
Actually there was a statement that there are too many 4-star and 3-star generals, so this is telegraphing an upcoming "loyalty purge" of the upper ranks of the military. Sounds like something Hitler did.
Yeah but that’s not cutting military spending really. Purge 20 4 star generals and you save what? 10 million out of a 1.4 trillion dollar defense budget?
The claim was there are now 600 across all branches of military and decades ago there were only 100-and-some. 500 increase multiplied by $150,000 each is around $75M, not including cushy benefits and retirement. But still a drop in the bucket vs. $1B jets
Exactly. So they can purge non loyal generals under the guise of cutting defense spending. Of course all these generals get pensions so it really won’t change much in terms of spending.
Musk uses "shock value" and is counting on MAGA to not do any research to understand why these are. Case in point, a search on "Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision" is to prevent the spread of HIV, and has been successful since 2009. It's just not about having a "pretty dick".
Its hilarious that they tried to find the worst projects to make it look bad? And this is what they came up with? I could maybe question one or two, not knowing the content, the problem is Elon Musk doesnt either.
for context, Elon Musk, the richest villain on the planet… his obscene wealth increases by $23 MILLION PER HOUR, every hour of the day, that's $6,420 per second. AND Musk is raking in $8 million a day from taxpayers.
grasping billionaires have too much money & power, they need to ☠️ no longer exist.
Those amounts are pennies in the overall budget, not to mention they all sound very worthwhile. But of course it doesn't take much to outrage ignorant nationalists.
These people who don’t understand government or soft-diplomacy or how securing elections in countries promotes global democracy are cherry picking things they don’t fully know or understand. Who elected them to choose which programs we do or do not support. This is foolish.
voluntary male circumcision, for instance, cuts the chances of HIV transmission by a third or so. that's why the disease spread so rapidly in parts of Africa where men were not typically circumcised.
The full grants or funding for these that include highly detailed descriptions were already screened and approved. We can certainly re-litigate them including examination and revisit of negotiated lines of funding that opposition had approved in return. But not over twitter rants. Propaganda.
I am sure the AI part is him screening for certain words . Which is not an audit but will the masses listen ? Not half of them .They have been primed ahead to hate certain groups so they accept this staggering breech of our personal and government data. Grifted, conned and are just handing it over
These people still don't know what they're looking at. Find the contracts for these, I almost guarantee you none of them would have charges approaching the numbers displayed here.
Even if it is, it remains an effective and persuasive list (even I would agree with some bits). "We Dems say you're not allowed to cut this waste" is not quite the effective political message we need.
Idk, but I think focus on the *process* as ineffective & cruel, with real effects on real people.
DOGE discovered that there are 394 million Social Security recipients in the U.S., despite the country having only 334 million citizens, a discrepancy of more than 60 million. You Libtards gonna ignore this too?!
There are only 88,000 people in the US that are 100 years old or more. 20 million 100+ year olds are on the SS Active Payment List. You and your scum politicians support that.
Democrats are
Against Good Health
Support Government Corruption
Support War
Oppose Free Speech
Promote High Taxes
Support Gun Control
Desire Open Borders
The oligarchy/plutocracy took steroids w Citizens. Pretending we weren’t already such before Trump is a fowl ball. We have become what we escaped in 1776.
This adds up to less than $300 million, so less than $1 per person in the USA. That’s your savings, before we even get to the blatantly illegal impoundment.
And where is the actual description of the cost benefit analysis of these foreign aid programs? Citing numbers is of little help in understanding exactly what these programs stand for.
This highlights that the goal isn't efficiency, it's a complete dismantling of our constitutional order. These programs could've been shut down individually within the scope of Executive oversight. Still, they illegally shut down all spending and culled the list for titles favorable to their cause.
Umm...sorry, but I need proof. Not just bs from some teenage hacker or a list from an apartheid baby that stole/bought everything he owns, including our president.
Isnt Musk receiving every government contract from trump a conflict of interest? Where's the outrage Comer??Jordan?? Oh thats right your right there with your Nazi lovers.
These are all things that strengthened the pre-Trump US because we were a democracy then and they strengthen democracy. Now that we're headed to autocracy, we have no use for strengthening democracy. Russia loves that we hate these things now.
For context, this is the party that once got mad at the concept of biofuel because they said they didn't want to put swamp raw algea into their cars. Idk if they even know what they're mad at.
Circumcision drastically reduces HIV transmission rates. GOPE dopes. People will suffer and die because Musk took away an effective preventive health intervention in the global South.
The main lesson here is that every single federal expenditure came about after it was proposed, debated, and a committee and then later Congress decided it was a good idea. It was deemed a good idea by a critical mass of people.
Right! He acts as if this was a unilateral budget! Congress oversees the budget and approves it! He will never show the things that show spending that doesn’t support his motive! Just show it all Muskrat!
As an engineer in a teaching hospital, I reviewed human study protocols (clinical trial proposals) for device safety. Hundreds a year for cancer studies alone.
Most cancer studies are for drugs, administered either orally or using commercially available infusion pumps. The reviews were pro forma.
Most proposals for any one drug came across my desk once or twice, then no more.
One day I received a Phase 1/2 study that fit that pattern for a particular drug. Nothing unusual about it. Five minutes later my “no concerns” email was sent.
That’s how it happens. You have to kiss a lot of toads, or maybe study reptile piss, to get a prince.
Might AI weed out some candidates? Maybe. Maybe not. Not trivial to discern whether something you reject based on previous knowledge might have worked.
Because when all is said and done, genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.
Consider this …
Until a few weeks ago, regions and supposedly brilliant tech giants were tripping over themselves to fund power plants and water supplies to fund server farms …
My first hint as to where the Right was headed was back in 1979, when I was listening to Ronald Reagan's radio program. He was decrying as wasteful nonsense a scientific paper on the effects of ethanol on goldfish
Honestly I wish scientists just got instant approval on 1 grant/yr under $50K. Even if it's "just" for a pet project, it could be very useful in the future!
As with any investment, some won't see a positive ROI and some will get 1000x. More funding increases the number of the latter.
Yeah. They throw up numbers because people see millions and think it is a lot of money but when you consider the Fed brings in over 4 trillion in revenue annually, those amounts sum up to less than .02%
Let's break down the $ Billions Musk is receiving from the taxpayers. What he has listed is chumps change. He only brings these up because of who these funds are going to.
They have no right to cancel valid contracts. Many of these could also be confidential surveillance ops for global security. They are putting so many at risk. 😢
The US (like any other country) doesn't dispense aid because we're nice guys. It does it as a means of building and preserving influence around the world. If we don't do it, other countries such as China will rush in to fill the void.
"The ruling"? Which ruling? The most well-known one, which is the AFSA lawsuit? No, it has limitations. So does the USAID contractor one (which is likely still being implemented).
We do need to keep up with the courts yet this is always behind since they have to do it first to bring it to the judge . In the meantime the damage continues . I
The bigger issue is State appears to lack the ability to turn funding back on--which was the real point behind the memo John Hudson posted. As with NNSA they've lost some ability to reverse course.
I sure hope so. So, Greg Sargent, go through these items and tell me which ones you will start sending your donations to. If there aren't any, then shut up and quit whining when someone finds your tax dollars being wasted.
Most of them, if true, are fostering, encouraging, or defending democracy around the world. Those things pay dividends in the long run. But, Trump plays the short game. His strategy lasts as long as a snorted line of adderall.
What I hate about bullshit like this is that the title doesn't tell you why the program is important. You need to read the proposal to know what it's about. "I don't instantly know why this matters, therefore it doesn't matter" and "I don't know and I don't want to know."
I would rather my tax dollar be spent on all of that. Then paying for nazis to go to the whatever sporting event or mango mussolini to go golf every weekend or prop up nazi Musk business or any other billionaire business.
Just because doge says this was being spent doesn’t make me confident that is true. They are all liars and law breakers now. I want to see the actual proof. When did each of these spending items get approved by Congress?
It’s being used as propaganda he has primed half of America to hate certain groups/ideals . So when he posts things like that with certain key words ( probably screening through with the AI program ) those same people are just fine with it .
Unfortunately they have all the money and these are the lengths to which they are willing to go to keep it that way. I wonder how far they will have to take it before people get off the couch and their phone and do something about it.
LOL! Several weeks to suss out the worst and they come up with that list? Most of those programs are about promoting democracy around the world and/or destabilizing dictatorships. I'll give him the circumcision one: I feel the public deserves to know which congress persons earmark it is.
How the fuck does Elon have the authority to cancel ANYTHING? Why is he above the law? Why aren't the Congressional & Judicial branch stopping this?? No accountability? ALLOWING a non-elected, billionaire to determine funding?Literally STEALING money from us?? Ya' bunch of Lilly-livered cowards!!
*Build community locally!
*Volunteer/donate to local groups helping the vulnerable.
*Call out evil when you see it-sunlight is the best disinfectant.
*Be kind to & care for yourself, this is a marathon & not a sprint!
*Call your gov't. Reps daily!!
💙🇺🇸💪🏼🏴☠️
Yes, all this "Dems don't have the majority" talk doesn't help. We need big moves to turn this thing around before it's too late! I'm just one little person but Ima fight however I can. I hoped our system would help us not to succumb to this monster(s). It's not happening, we're on our own now!
💙🇺🇸💪🏼🏴☠️
The Dems don’t have the majority, tho. So there’s that. Facts are facts. Black men and specifically Black women aren’t coming to save democracy. I don’t know what to tell ya, but yeah, you better gather your own and fight.
As Brian Tyler Cohen & Jamie Raskin agreed, the time between filing a brief, getting a TRO allows doge 2 continue his illegal activity. They go on 2 say Trump is simply ignoring the orders anyway.
Who is physically going to intervene, cos respect 4 law is not a Republican thing anymore.
Of course they are. Their transparency indicates they think no one can stand in their way.
Good piece yesterday on the slow pace and ultimate impotence of the courts to enforce rulings. The author concludes that maybe the threat of economic collapse will ultimately slow the regime's lawlessness.
Most of these seem to be efforts to encourage democracy, public health, and political stability in poorer countries. Which in turn improves our own national security.
That's $726.5 MILLION. When the national debt is $36.22 TRILLION, you're looking at couch change here. We need to raise revenues and you do this by making the ultra-rich and large corporations pay their fair share.
I think if what DOGE is saying is true about waste it's a violation of the U.S. taxpayer. It is an astronomical amount of money. That $ could benefit those more worthy to me. My priorities expand outwards from myself. Self then family then neighbors then community then country then world.
Further more: do they not see that these investments further ally these countries to us and thus support our national security. these countries are more likely to help us and even, from a defense perspective, allow US presence BECAUSE of our investments? Grow the fuck up DOGE (its pronounced douche)
The first one speaks to me of a complete lack of knowledge of health and medical issues: Hygiene is an issue. Circumcisions help prevent infections, especially in poor nations (some have even hypothesized that it is the real reason for its implementation in the Old Testament). These people suck
This was money allocated by Congress for those entities!!!! When will Congress step up and stop this!! How about saying that the money allocated to Musk and his projects be re-claimed. We, the people, deem those unnecessary outlays considering he can fund his own "toys"! Lock his ass up!!
Comments
Like all fascists, Trump and Musk despise disabled people. #AltText is an act of resistance.
And very easy to do.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-add-alt-text-to-images-on-bluesky-and-why-you-should/
Every single line item.
How about this: Nazi Musk receives 3-5x that each year from the federal government
I have a simpler idea: Stop funding Elon
If you are too far from your state capitol, demonstrate at your city hall, or on a busy street corner in your town, or on an overpass.
We continue to build & educate.
No quit, no quarter, 24/7.
#NQNQ247
I don't know what the Democrats have been doing.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-keeps-usaid-contracts-frozen-despite-court-order-2025-02-19/ Constitutional crisis here we are
Coincidentally, that’s exactly the kind of spending they oppose in the U.S.
They just want to have an excuse to eliminate a program
DOGE just disagrees with the policies.
grasping billionaires have too much money & power, they need to ☠️ no longer exist.
Feel like I’m taking crazy pills
Idk, but I think focus on the *process* as ineffective & cruel, with real effects on real people.
https://bsky.app/profile/emptywheel.bsky.social/post/3lieyywngzc2z
But if you can't read more than two lines before you're distracted, these conclusions are to be expected.
Propaganda is based on such Stupid "investigations"
Against Good Health
Support Government Corruption
Support War
Oppose Free Speech
Promote High Taxes
Support Gun Control
Desire Open Borders
We are in it
One branch of Government is ignoring the other equal branch of government
What will it take to shut this down
The Oligarchy is in control, we need to SHUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY DOWN
NOT FOR A DAY BUT FOR A MONTH!!!!
And how does disagreement with $10m constitute a reason for shutting down entire departments
Idiots...
Meanwhile…
https://bmmagazine.co.uk/in-business/elon-musks-government-cuts-could-hand-billions-to-private-companies/
The GOP does have a problem with that.
IT IS MADE UP.
Nothing DOGGY claims or does is factual or contextually accurate. It's all misdirection and disinformation propaganda!
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5403050/pdf/16-1556.pdf
2. ILEGAL. All Congressionally approve. Executive MUST spend. ILLEGAL.
I want those items back you mother fucking rat’s ass.
https://bsky.app/profile/kevinmkruse.bsky.social/post/3lhr6awk3f22k
Ditto for Tim Pawlenty mocking highway turtle crossings. If you want turtles dead, you're dead to me.
Most cancer studies are for drugs, administered either orally or using commercially available infusion pumps. The reviews were pro forma.
One day I received a Phase 1/2 study that fit that pattern for a particular drug. Nothing unusual about it. Five minutes later my “no concerns” email was sent.
Then it came across again in another study …
Then whoosh … gone …
For 18 months, anyway, the data was in and FDA approved it because it was superior to other drugs. More people survived for longer periods …
Might AI weed out some candidates? Maybe. Maybe not. Not trivial to discern whether something you reject based on previous knowledge might have worked.
But AI will not replace clinical trials …
Because when all is said and done, genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.
Consider this …
Until a few weeks ago, regions and supposedly brilliant tech giants were tripping over themselves to fund power plants and water supplies to fund server farms …
I see a straight line from there to here.
The Dems are framing this as cuts vs no cuts, and making themselves the “pro-waste and fraud” party.
Make it about their incompetence in cutting things like nuclear scientists.
As with any investment, some won't see a positive ROI and some will get 1000x. More funding increases the number of the latter.
Many if not most of the claims that Trump is violating orders are inexact.
But thus far the main TROs on USAID limit effect on employees and certain contracts (but there are loopholes).
Although we have certainly made mistakes, miscalculations, and abused the leverage created through offshore programs.
The mystic of the US dream is now going up in smoke.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/02/14/g-s1-48994/usaid-foreign-aid-freeze
Here's the order.
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.277336/gov.uscourts.dcd.277336.21.0_7.pdf
But they have until tomorrow to try to comply.
https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/02/17/doge2025-is-getting-the-catastrophic-de-baathification-they-demanded/
Who will stop them?
Courts don't matter. SCOTUS made sure of it.
I bet the vast majority of these funds went to American institutions and therefore helped American families pay rent and buy groceries.
AND
ABSOLUTELY NO RECEIPTS! 🧾
around their plan
🔥 fast & furious 🔥
*Build community locally!
*Volunteer/donate to local groups helping the vulnerable.
*Call out evil when you see it-sunlight is the best disinfectant.
*Be kind to & care for yourself, this is a marathon & not a sprint!
*Call your gov't. Reps daily!!
💙🇺🇸💪🏼🏴☠️
like your Dorothea Lange
& this is our Dust Bowl
all of this is meant to depress society
weaken us
divide us
so the fat cats
can sell it all for their profit
💙🇺🇸💪🏼🏴☠️
Who is physically going to intervene, cos respect 4 law is not a Republican thing anymore.
Good piece yesterday on the slow pace and ultimate impotence of the courts to enforce rulings. The author concludes that maybe the threat of economic collapse will ultimately slow the regime's lawlessness.
Meanwhile in FY24 Congress provided the Pentagon with $5bn MORE than the $815B requested