Unleashing the Kraken

[kallend 2,026]

5 hours ago, billvon said:

I LOVE the idea that the "department of governmental efficiency" is going to add to those thousands.

"But sometimes you gotta break a few eggs to make an omelet" or something to that effect, right?

The number of federal employees increased during Trump's first presidency. The federal civilian workforce grew by about 1.5% according to the Office of Personnel Management data.

Why should we believe that it will be dfferent this time?

[nigel99 471]

1 hour ago, kallend said:

The number of federal employees increased during Trump's first presidency. The federal civilian workforce grew by about 1.5% according to the Office of Personnel Management data.

Why should we believe that it will be dfferent this time?

You saw the MAGA/BH solution. Make them NGO’s, preferably run by billionaires and give them huge government grants. 

[billvon 2,990]

1 hour ago, kallend said:

The number of federal employees increased during Trump's first presidency. The federal civilian workforce grew by about 1.5% according to the Office of Personnel Management data.

No worries!  By hiring ANOTHER 1%, they will get to the bottom of this in no time.

[JerryBaumchen 1,362]

17 minutes ago, billvon said:

No worries!  By hiring ANOTHER 1%, they will get to the bottom of this in no time.

Hi Bill,

By golly, we need a Congressional Committee to look into this & get the facts.

Jerry Baumchen

[billvon 2,990]

1 hour ago, JerryBaumchen said:

By golly, we need a Congressional Committee to look into this & get the facts!

At least one House committee and one Senate.

[tkhayes 348]

14 hours ago, kallend said:

The number of federal employees increased during Trump's first presidency. The federal civilian workforce grew by about 1.5% according to the Office of Personnel Management data.

Why should we believe that it will be different this time?

And why did trump just now, object to the federal funding because it did not have a debt ceiling increase built into it?  Why would you need to increase the debt ceiling when you promised to cut the deficit....?

Oh wait, it might be because Trump is a con man and people believe the bullshit spouting from his fuckng piehole.

[kallend 2,026]

To mix metaphors, the trolls have really come out of the woodwork since the Kraken was released.

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

7 minutes ago, kallend said:

To mix metaphors, the trolls have really come out of the woodwork since the Kraken was released.

It's kind of funny.

Take away consequences for bad behavior, and their true nature comes out.

The 'kinda funny' part is how many of them claim to be devout in their faith.

Almost like the only thing keeping them from being psychopathic serial killers is the fear of 'eternal damnation'.

[turtlespeed 220]

On 12/23/2024 at 3:59 PM, kallend said:

I liked this place better before all the trolls returned.

I imagine you liked the echo chamber a lot more.

[wmw999 2,444]

1 minute ago, turtlespeed said:

I imagine you liked the echo chamber a lot more.

Personally, I miss the late 0’s to the mid-teens the most. It was more diverse, and most of the people, with some noticeable exceptions, had points that that wanted to make other than “lib bad/conservative good” or vice versa

Wendy P. 

[turtlespeed 220]

5 minutes ago, wmw999 said:

Personally, I miss the late 0’s to the mid-teens the most. It was more diverse, and most of the people, with some noticeable exceptions, had points that that wanted to make other than “lib bad/conservative good” or vice versa

Wendy P. 

Yeah - then it devolved into an echo chamber.

I'm not 100% sure, but I'm pretty damn sure there wasn't one conservative moderator in SC.

Causality?

[wmw999 2,444]

2 hours ago, turtlespeed said:

Yeah - then it devolved into an echo chamber.

I'm not 100% sure, but I'm pretty damn sure there wasn't one conservative moderator in SC.

Causality?

Actually, there was for awhile (I forget who, but I'm pretty sure Sangiro deliberately assigned one; maybe HooknSwoop, who didn't moderate a whole lot). Also, Bill used to be a libertarian, of the "vote for the libertarian candidate" variety in the 90's. Back when libertarianism was different from now (when, after the Tea Party, it's really just shorthand for "Republican who doesn't care about abortion).

Frankly, the "double down on no cooperation" thing of the hard-core Republicans has really driven a wedge between people who should be able to find common ground. Like skydivers who all want on safe loads, or who want kids to have decent schools. 

Wendy P.

[turtlespeed 220]

On 12/28/2024 at 4:03 PM, wmw999 said:

 

Frankly, the "double down on no cooperation" thing of the hard-core Republicans has really driven a wedge between people who should be able to find common ground. Like skydivers who all want on safe loads, or who want kids to have decent schools. 

Wendy P.

You remember things differently than I do. 

The lens must be different.

I'm pretty sure it was during Reagan that the philibuster started becoming a weapon.

[base698 14]

On 12/24/2024 at 7:13 PM, billvon said:

No worries!  By hiring ANOTHER 1%, they will get to the bottom of this in no time.

 

[kallend 2,026]

1 hour ago, turtlespeed said:

You remember things differently than I do. 

The lens must be different.

I'm pretty sure it was during Reagan that the philibuster started becoming a weapon.

Actually Reagan and Tip got on very well and there was a great deal of cooperation. 

McConnell promised to block everything Obama wanted to achieve in order to make him a one term president..

tip.jfif

Edited December 30, 2024 by kallend

[normiss 798]

4 minutes ago, kallend said:

Actually Reagan and Tip got on very well and there was a great deal of cooperation. 

McConnell promised to block everything Obama wanted to achieve in order to make him a one term president..

tip.jfif 74.44 kB · 0 downloads

You just keep showing up with facts mister!!!

 

Those are ignored by today's Republican party of "alternative facts".

[base698 14]

On 12/28/2024 at 4:03 PM, wmw999 said:

Back when libertarianism was different from now (when, after the Tea Party, it's really just shorthand for "Republican who doesn't care about abortion).

I think it's more helpful to classify which oligarchs form a symbiosis with the movements.  Tea Party was solidly from the Koch era.  GW Bush was an era by oil and gas, defense.  Team blue had finance, tech, academia and media through most of the 2000s.  The new tech side grew in power in this time and the old guard wanted to bring them to heel.  You see things like Zuckerberg being brought before Congress and beat into submission.

What you see today is a new class, the new tech, not getting their due and in some cases revolting the pressure put on them by the old guard.  A subset revolted (Thiel, Elon, Andresson) and has now remade the Republican party.  The party in 2024 is not the same as 2010 or 2001.  

Edited December 30, 2024 by base698

[turtlespeed 220]

2 hours ago, kallend said:

Actually Reagan and Tip got on very well and there was a great deal of cooperation. 

McConnell promised to block everything Obama wanted to achieve in order to make him a one term president..

tip.jfif 74.44 kB · 1 download

Thats correct.  I read some out takes from that relatiuonship.

Tip would glad hand Ron, and were actually good friends together beyond work.

During work, though, was different, and they both could set it aside after the bell rung.

We need more relationships like that in the whitehouse and capitol hill.

I think we just agreed.