Question for Republicans. What do you think about Musk being given the access that he's been granted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a $1.83 trillion budget deficit last year. Unsustainable. Musk thinks he can cut a trillion in spending. Good, let’s see what he comes up with. His experience at Twitter showed him that three quarters of the people employed there were useless at best.

Government is not the private sector. That’s what you’re not understanding. There is not way to do that without hitting Defense and entitlement programs like Social Security.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure our Congress is productive nor effective. The average age at least needs to come down - the ones in power are all age 75+ - I just don't see how anyone can suggest that Congress should have control over anything. I'm not a supporter of Musk and also worry he has too much control. No, I don't trust him BUT - here's a big one - he's bringing a new game. Congress is the same old BS and I don't trust them anymore than I trust Musk. At least with Musk being new, and his predilection of using social media and posting all the time and the fact he is business v. politics by trade, there's going to be more public scrutiny and debate at least over what he's doing. When Congress and the old folks run the show, it's a rigged game, admit it.

The truth is, we're in bad shape as a country. Whether it was Trump/Musk or current Congress (status quo/Kamala) running things, our near future sucks.

So you’re ok with trashing THE CONSTITUTION? Just so I’m clear?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen zero justification for turning over decision-making and control of our government to an unelected private individual. You cannot replace Congress or our co-equal branches of government balances this way. If Congress doesn’t act, I expect a lot of this will be challenged in court (not the best because it’s costly and slow).

What actual legal authority is there for our government to operate this way? Seems to be exactly what the founders sought to avoid (centralized power at the hands of the wealthy few).

Imagine if Biden had installed someone like George Soros inside the US government to start controlling everything. It would be completely unacceptable (and I suspect we’d hear that from GOP members of Congress).

To answer your question the Federal bureaucracy sits squarely under the Executive Branch. It belongs to that one of the three branches of the government, it does not sit under Congress or SCOTUS. Which is why, for example, agencies and bureaucrats routinely deny to answer questions in Congressional probes. It can be legitimately argued by constitutional scholars that some of the laws Congress passed affecting the bureaucracy are actually unlawful. The constitution makes clear the Executive branch runs the government, not Congress or SCOTUS.

That is most likely why there's this state of paralysis and no real confidence in lawsuits doing anything more than temporarily halt the EOs affecting the bureaucracy.

As for OP's question, I don't consider myself a Republican but I approve most of what I see Musk doing if just because all his actions is bringing far more transparency into an extremely opaque system of agencies and unelected senior bureaucrats.

Most of what he’s doing is illegal. Plainly illegal. So do t ever call yourself a patriotic American again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen zero justification for turning over decision-making and control of our government to an unelected private individual. You cannot replace Congress or our co-equal branches of government balances this way. If Congress doesn’t act, I expect a lot of this will be challenged in court (not the best because it’s costly and slow).

What actual legal authority is there for our government to operate this way? Seems to be exactly what the founders sought to avoid (centralized power at the hands of the wealthy few).

Imagine if Biden had installed someone like George Soros inside the US government to start controlling everything. It would be completely unacceptable (and I suspect we’d hear that from GOP members of Congress).

To answer your question the Federal bureaucracy sits squarely under the Executive Branch. It belongs to that one of the three branches of the government, it does not sit under Congress or SCOTUS. Which is why, for example, agencies and bureaucrats routinely deny to answer questions in Congressional probes. It can be legitimately argued by constitutional scholars that some of the laws Congress passed affecting the bureaucracy are actually unlawful. The constitution makes clear the Executive branch runs the government, not Congress or SCOTUS.

That is most likely why there's this state of paralysis and no real confidence in lawsuits doing anything more than temporarily halt the EOs affecting the bureaucracy.

As for OP's question, I don't consider myself a Republican but I approve most of what I see Musk doing if just because all his actions is bringing far more transparency into an extremely opaque system of agencies and unelected senior bureaucrats.

I find it hilarious that folks think Musk is being more transparent about government. Particularly when government undergoes multiple audits, files hundreds of reports, attends and host numerous conferences and presentations and use to have lots of meetings (viewable on C-SPAN) to inform on exactly what is going on. Now things are just being destroyed and folks fired but people have no real idea WHY except because Elon said so or they are Trump enemies.

It’s like because some people didn’t pay attention they believe there was no transparency yet because Trump keeps talking (about nothing) people believe they now have some.😁

Objectivity is useful. I've worked adjacent to the Feds for decades. We have seen and learned far more about various agencies' spending and actions in the last few days than we have in a decade or two. I know how difficult, cumbersome and tiresome it is to find out about spending histories. The FOIA is fighting the bureaucracy to get basic disclosures and quite often a lot of stuff is simply stonewalled off. Agencies are summoned to Congress to testify all the time and regularly say they can't say this or that because it's all protected by secrecy acts or whatever.

By contrast, Musk is posting endless screenshots of his discoveries every day and boasting about his actions. He is telling us way more about what he's doing and agencies are doing than the agencies themselves ever told us in my entire life. It's astonishing what is coming to light. And I suspect we will learn a lot more. But there will be people who will forever bury their heads in the sand because government and bureaucrats can do no wrong. Ever. We understand that's how you think. So I'm not paying much attention to angry people right now. Because the revelations aren't going to stop and I would also advise people to be a bit cautious before being overly defensive. We're going to see and learn a lot more.

You believe what Musk is posting as factual and true? That is some leap of faith there.

This is the problem right here. Morons like PP believe Trump and Musk, even though those of us with even a bit of common sense and critical thinking skills realize that all they do is LIE. So they voted these horrible grifters in and sit back and think it's great that they are dismantling our country. So sick of these F-in fools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a $1.83 trillion budget deficit last year. Unsustainable. Musk thinks he can cut a trillion in spending. Good, let’s see what he comes up with. His experience at Twitter showed him that three quarters of the people employed there were useless at best.

Government is not the private sector. That’s what you’re not understanding. There is not way to do that without hitting Defense and entitlement programs like Social Security.

+1

I seriously question the intelligence of anyone who thinks our country should be run like a social media company.

Please go read up on the various functions carried out by our federal workforce and how it is supposed to operate under the Constitution.

[Anonymous]

Forget it, Jake - it's Chinatown.

MAGA supporters are either too dumb to realize what's happening or they're so invested in their bad choices that they will never own up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure our Congress is productive nor effective. The average age at least needs to come down - the ones in power are all age 75+ - I just don't see how anyone can suggest that Congress should have control over anything. I'm not a supporter of Musk and also worry he has too much control. No, I don't trust him BUT - here's a big one - he's bringing a new game. Congress is the same old BS and I don't trust them anymore than I trust Musk. At least with Musk being new, and his predilection of using social media and posting all the time and the fact he is business v. politics by trade, there's going to be more public scrutiny and debate at least over what he's doing. When Congress and the old folks run the show, it's a rigged game, admit it.

The truth is, we're in bad shape as a country. Whether it was Trump/Musk or current Congress (status quo/Kamala) running things, our near future sucks.

So you’re ok with trashing THE CONSTITUTION? Just so I’m clear?

Yes. Yes these people are ok with this. It’s insane.

Also, I am very for stricter term limits in Congress (because I’m pretty sure it would be considered discriminatory to solely limit service based on old age). But this would at least stop someone like Mitch McConnell from sticking around so long.

But we should not limit Congress through abuses by the executive branch.

I also find it ironic that conservatives promote themselves as such strict constitutionalists, except they’ll totally bastardize things when it suits them and interpret a well armed militia to mean easy access to as many guns and as much ammo as their hearts could desire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Presidential pardons have been part of a President's powers since the beginning of our Democracy. Whatever Elon is doing (and we don't know exactly what he's doing, do we?) has not. It's unprecedented and unconstitutional. If what's going on now doesn't tell you why those pardons were needed, then you're not paying attention.

What do you mean, "ground shifted?" Do you think Biden's pardons in any way justify what's going on with Musk right now? They don't.

And Biden's pardons were given in order to keep Trump from going on a deranged unwarranted witch hunt after people who committed no crimes. Not that he isn't trying to do that anyhow.

Those pardons have nothing to do with inserting Elon Musk in a position of complete control over our government systems with no authority.

Dr. Fauci retired over a year ago and served in the government under multiple administrations. Has no connection to what’s going on now under Trump—but great attempt at whataboutism!

Responding to all three of these together.

If what Fauci, Milley, and the J6 Committee did is effectively beyond governmental review because they were pardoned (whether you agreed with their actions or not and whether you agreed with the pardon or not), then Musk and his people can also be pardoned and effectively be placed beyond governmental oversight (whether you agree with what he is doing or not and whether you agree with him being pardoned or not).

This ain’t whataboutism. This is the shoe on the other foot.

I personally don't care if Elon Musk is pardoned. I just want him to stop behaving as if he is our King because we don't have those. And if we did have those, he is doing a terrible job at it.

The president gave Musk the power to do this. It's really that simple. Trump can also remove Musk at any time and maybe he will.

What specifically did the President give Elon Musk the power to do? Be specific. I went back and looked at the EO that created “DOGE” and it does not even align with what Elon Musk is currently engaging in.

Not to mention, POTUS can’t simply farm out governmental authorities and actions to any random person via edict.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen zero justification for turning over decision-making and control of our government to an unelected private individual. You cannot replace Congress or our co-equal branches of government balances this way. If Congress doesn’t act, I expect a lot of this will be challenged in court (not the best because it’s costly and slow).

What actual legal authority is there for our government to operate this way? Seems to be exactly what the founders sought to avoid (centralized power at the hands of the wealthy few).

Imagine if Biden had installed someone like George Soros inside the US government to start controlling everything. It would be completely unacceptable (and I suspect we’d hear that from GOP members of Congress).

To answer your question the Federal bureaucracy sits squarely under the Executive Branch. It belongs to that one of the three branches of the government, it does not sit under Congress or SCOTUS. Which is why, for example, agencies and bureaucrats routinely deny to answer questions in Congressional probes. It can be legitimately argued by constitutional scholars that some of the laws Congress passed affecting the bureaucracy are actually unlawful. The constitution makes clear the Executive branch runs the government, not Congress or SCOTUS.

That is most likely why there's this state of paralysis and no real confidence in lawsuits doing anything more than temporarily halt the EOs affecting the bureaucracy.

As for OP's question, I don't consider myself a Republican but I approve most of what I see Musk doing if just because all his actions is bringing far more transparency into an extremely opaque system of agencies and unelected senior bureaucrats.

And yet folks keep electing those same Congresspeople. Why do you think they are still there?

[Anonymous]

These are the same people who put a senator in office who couldn’t name the 3 branches of government. For whatever baffling reason they don’t care and/or think it’s funny that our democracy is being destroyed. Part of this can be tied to the republican decades long effort to tightly control what is taught in schools in red states. Not learning history through a larger lens, prevents students from learning and practicing critical thinking skills. They grow up and are funneled to a singular news source and blindly believe anything they are told.

The responses in all these threads are indicative of that. Attempting to explain USAIDs role in keeping the US safe and secure is lost on these people. It’s too esoteric of concept for them to understand. That’s why the responses are so simplistic “feed the people at home” - when there are massive programs also dedicated to that already.

Dems have got to simplify their messaging. Explain directly what will happen to these people individually if USAID fails, OSHA fails, Treasury fails and tariffs are put in place.

[Anonymous]

Pretty soon he’ll have all the information on everyone, not just US but majority of the world. Between starlink and US info he’ll have it all.

[Anonymous]

Where is our Congress and justice system. They need to stop him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure our Congress is productive nor effective. The average age at least needs to come down - the ones in power are all age 75+ - I just don't see how anyone can suggest that Congress should have control over anything. I'm not a supporter of Musk and also worry he has too much control. No, I don't trust him BUT - here's a big one - he's bringing a new game. Congress is the same old BS and I don't trust them anymore than I trust Musk. At least with Musk being new, and his predilection of using social media and posting all the time and the fact he is business v. politics by trade, there's going to be more public scrutiny and debate at least over what he's doing. When Congress and the old folks run the show, it's a rigged game, admit it.

The truth is, we're in bad shape as a country. Whether it was Trump/Musk or current Congress (status quo/Kamala) running things, our near future sucks.

So you’re ok with trashing THE CONSTITUTION? Just so I’m clear?

Yes. Yes these people are ok with this. It’s insane.

Also, I am very for stricter term limits in Congress (because I’m pretty sure it would be considered discriminatory to solely limit service based on old age). But this would at least stop someone like Mitch McConnell from sticking around so long.

But we should not limit Congress through abuses by the executive branch.

I also find it ironic that conservatives promote themselves as such strict constitutionalists, except they’ll totally bastardize things when it suits them and interpret a well armed militia to mean easy access to as many guns and as much ammo as their hearts could desire.

We have a minimum age, there's nothing discriminatory about a maximum age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is our Congress and justice system. They need to stop him.

Congress is controlled by the GOP.
Judiciary was hijacked by the federalist society.

Why do you think they will stop him? they are all sides of the same Christian Nationalist, white supremacy coin.

[Anonymous]

https://bsky.app/profile/sethcotlar.bsky.social/post/3lhejfs7zxk2l

Just as Joe McCarthy did not actually have a list of 57 known Communists, a number that kept changing, Trump just makes up shit like saying we're sending $100 million of condoms to Hamas. It was $50 million just the other day, but propaganda, not the truth, is the point.