What do you think the effect of DOGE will be?

[Mashmont]

Do you even know what a Marxist is? When I was in college, I read some of the early Marx. I have read The Communist Manifesto on several occasions.

Manifesto of the Communist Party

After I graduated from college, I took a fascinating seminar on Das Kapital under the aegis of the American Communist Party. The leader of the seminar was a brilliant member of the CPUSA. He was a physicist. In addition to his day job, and leading the seminar, he was translating a book from Russian to Swedish on behalf of the Soviet government.

I already owned most of the books on the reading list. These included all three volumes of Das Kapital, and an anthology of essays by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. These had been printed in Moscow by Progress Publishers.

My father, who was an economist, looked at the reading list and said, "The leader of the seminar knows a lot about economics."

On the basis of my knowledge of Marxism, which may exceed yours, I believe he had two valid insights, and that he was mistaken about everything else. I see no value in the writing of Valdimir Lenin.

I read a political thinker for insight, rather than dogma. I agree with Edmund Burke, and disagree with Marx, in believing that there is often wisdom in tradition.

I don't really differentiate between all the isms because they're all the same. It's the few trying to control the masses and plundering their wealth. And there is always a new crop of naive young dipshits who buy the lies. These are the ones attending the fake protests (at least the ones who aren't paid)

 

[Hector12]

I don't really differentiate between all the isms because they're all the same. It's the few trying to control the masses and plundering their wealth. And there is always a new crop of naive young dipshits who buy the lies. These are the ones attending the fake protests (at least the ones who aren't paid)

I kind of agree with you, but I doubt there are any paid demonstrators.

Marx's two valid insights are: the natural tendency of capitalism is to accumulate wealth and income at the top; partly as a result of this capitalist societies experience increasingly destructive economic downturns.

Marx was most incorrect in assuming that among working class people loyalties of class are stronger than loyalties of race, nation, and ethnicity.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Donald enriched himself as president.

How, his wealth went down. Details please.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

The amount of corruption in government is so deep that trust is dead. It isn’t just the Democratic Party that is on life support, it is the ‘Swamp” that the current president talks about. The entire system is close to collapsing due to the corruption and exposing it does little but confirm what people already know. The rats are steering the ship and have been for a long time. I don’t think this can be fixed. I know now why people rise up. Sometimes you just have to take all the rats out and start over. I think that might be coming because history has a way of repeating itself. There might be a fatal flaw in humanity that can’t be self-corrected. Keep a low profile and take care of yourself because no one else will.

That is my extreme take on what could happen.

Yes, you are extreme, but one of the rats, too, so be careful whom you threaten.

 

[Hector12]

The amount of corruption in government is so deep that trust is dead. It isn’t just the Democratic Party that is on life support, it is the ‘Swamp” that the current president talks about. The entire system is close to collapsing due to the corruption and exposing it does little but confirm what people already know. The rats are steering the ship and have been for a long time. I don’t think this can be fixed. I know now why people rise up. Sometimes you just have to take all the rats out and start over. I think that might be coming because history has a way of repeating itself. There might be a fatal flaw in humanity that can’t be self-corrected. Keep a low profile and take care of yourself because no one else will.

That is my extreme take on what could happen.

What do you mean by corruption in government? Give an example of it.

 

[Greenbeard]

The amount of corruption in government is so deep that trust is dead. It isn’t just the Democratic Party that is on life support, it is the ‘Swamp” that the current president talks about. The entire system is close to collapsing due to the corruption and exposing it does little but confirm what people already know. The rats are steering the ship and have been for a long time. I don’t think this can be fixed. I know now why people rise up. Sometimes you just have to take all the rats out and start over. I think that might be coming because history has a way of repeating itself. There might be a fatal flaw in humanity that can’t be self-corrected. Keep a low profile and take care of yourself because no one else will.

That is my extreme take on what could happen.

Some of the effects are already coming into focus.

Fewer food and drug inspections.

FDA making plans to end its routine food safety inspections, sources say

Food safety inspections would be left to state and local authorities under the plan being developed by the FDA.

www.cbsnews.com

Mass Layoffs Hit Health Agencies That Track Disease and Regulate Food

The cuts were part of a Trump administration plan announced last week to dismiss thousands of employees and drastically overhaul the Health and Human Services Department under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

www.nytimes.com

F.D.A. Firings Decimated Teams Reviewing A.I. and Food Safety

Staff units evaluating high-tech surgical robots and insulin-delivery systems were gutted by Trump layoffs even though industry fees, not taxpayers, financed the employee salaries.

www.nytimes.com

More lead poisoning of kids.

CDC denies help for lead poisoning in Milwaukee schools due to layoffs

The CDC rejected a request for help "due to the complete loss" of their lead poisoning experts.

www.cbsnews.com

More infectious disease outbreaks.

CDC scraps plan to help Texas schools curb measles over layoffs, employee says

Some employees working on the CDC's measles response were warned they could face layoffs.

www.cbsnews.com

CDC's cruise ship inspectors laid off amid bad year for outbreaks

The steep cuts to the cruise ship inspection team baffled officials in the program, which is not paid for by taxpayer dollars.

www.cbsnews.com

Less biomedical research.

NIH is the largest funder of cancer research. Here's how Trump administration cuts could impact patients.

The Trump administration's cuts to the National Institutes of Health has some worried about stalls in research and medicine.

www.cbsnews.com

‘Chaos and Confusion’ at the Crown Jewel of American Science

Senior scientists at the National Institutes of Health fear that research on conditions like obesity, heart disease and cancer will be undermined by President Trump’s policies.

www.nytimes.com

Slower drug development.
(WSJ) Drug Development Is Slowing Down After Cuts at the FDA

Worse service for Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries.
(WSJ) Hours in Line, Cut-Off Calls: Accessing Social Security in the Era of DOGE

Trump Administration and DOGE Eliminate Staff Who Help Older Adults and People With Disabilities - Medicare Rights Center

As we highlighted last week, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—the newly installed head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—have fired thousands of people across many agencies and announced plans for sweeping organizational...

www.medicarerights.org

‘Just a Mess’: Staff Cuts, Rushed Changes and Anxiety at Social Security

President Trump promised not to touch Social Security, but as Elon Musk’s team trims staff and plans cuts to phone services, the system is groaning under the pressure.

www.nytimes.com

Fewer services for veterans.

She helped veterans in crisis. DOGE cuts eliminated her job.

An office manager at a VA center in Wyoming, where the veteran suicide rate is 50% higher than the national average, was fired last month despite a glowing job review.

www.nbcnews.com

Chaos at the V.A.: Inside the DOGE Cuts Disrupting the Veterans Agency

Clinical trials have been delayed, contracts canceled and support staff fired. With deeper cuts coming, some are warning of potential harms to veterans.

www.nytimes.com

Less data for weather forecasting.

Weather Service Prepares for ‘Degraded Operations’ Amid Trump Cuts

An internal document describes how severe shortages of meteorologists and other staff members could affect forecasts and other operations.

www.nytimes.com

And that's only two months into this shit show.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Trust in Trump and MAGA are collapsing.

 

[Lisa558]

All government departments are overstaffed, and always have been. I worked for a medical research unit decades ago, and each office had twice the number of staff they needed. Arriving an hour late, two-hour lunches, leaving an hour early…..all very typical. There just wasn’t enough work for people to be at their desks the whole day, with an hour at most for lunch.

 

[krichton]

Trust in Trump and MAGA are collapsing.

Not for the maga sheep farm. They're ready to throw themselves into the volcano for Trump

 

[Hector12]

Not for the maga sheep farm. They're ready to throw themselves into the volcano for Trump

 

[eagle1462010]

Wastebook, pig book, GAO reports have been documented these wastes forever. But only now they are being shut down

DOGE has just let the general public learn what many here have known a long time

I hope DOGE leads to many going to prison
That is the only way to try and stop it long term.

 

[Hector12]

DOGE has just let the general public learn what many here have known a long time

I hope DOGE leads to many going to prison
That is the only way to try and stop it long term.

What have civil servants done that is so terrible?

Document your assertions.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Wastebook, pig book, GAO reports have been documented these wastes forever. But only now they are being shut down

DOGE has just let the general public learn what many here have known a long time

I hope DOGE leads to many going to prison
That is the only way to try and stop it long term.

DOGE is a boondoggle, nothing more.

 

[eagle1462010]

What have civil servants done that is so terrible?

Document your assertions.

Google is your friend

Not hard yo find. Guess you are ok with wasteful spending by self serving politicians.

 

[eagle1462010]

DOGE is a boondoggle, nothing more.

They are showing the general public the waste. Poor corrupt govt getting shown for what they are.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

They are showing the general public the waste. Poor corrupt govt getting shown for what they are.

No they are not. No hoaxes. No scams. No nothing.

I have no problem with scaling down government. DOD should be 25% smaller at the least.

And we certainly don't need a $72mm parade for Trump.

 

[eagle1462010]

No they are not. No hoaxes. No scams. No nothing.

I have no problem with scaling down government. DOD should be 25% smaller at the least.

And we certainly don't need a $72mm parade for Trump.

Yes they are. Unless you do research with blinders on, these abuses have gone on for decades.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Yes they are. Unless you do research with blinders on, these abuses have gone on for decades.

You poseurs keep saying it, but never ever have any facts.

Come back when you have some fact.s

 

[eagle1462010]

You poseurs keep saying it, but never ever have any facts.

Come back when you have some fact.s

Google the wastebooks and pigbooks.

Stop wasting my time

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Google the wastebooks and pigbooks.

Stop wasting my time

That is the value of your time, waste.

Allegations are not proof. When you have proof, you can be taken seriously.

Doge may slim down the government like Miley coming in as a wrecking ball.