Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are their goals different, 10:37?
We see how they’re all enriching themselves and their families and friends.

Private companies are motivated by profit and serving shareholders, if applicable. Government has traditionally entered areas where private companies cannot make a profit: rural electrification, rare diseases research, and cutting edge technology R&D (which has lead to private companies making money!) to name a few. Other services are deemed public interest and seen as a free service, like the weather.

Don't even bother explaining, they will never understand. People motivated only by money will never understand.

Anonymous wrote:How are their goals different, 10:37?
We see how they’re all enriching themselves and their families and friends.

Private companies are motivated by profit and serving shareholders, if applicable. Government has traditionally entered areas where private companies cannot make a profit: rural electrification, rare diseases research, and cutting edge technology R&D (which has lead to private companies making money!) to name a few. Other services are deemed public interest and seen as a free service, like the weather.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is taking a toll. Mostly on our kids and young people who don’t have the life experience to put any of this in context, and then on the people that are trying to raise them to be good people in a suddenly extremely hateful and zero sum society. It’s hard OP and you’re coping fine, so am I. But let’s not pretend this detour into a dictatorship won’t have lasting consequences.

Teaching your kids that we live in a "suddenly hateful and zero sum society" because the political party that you don't support won an election doesn't sound like a great thing to do to your kids. For their sake, I hope you get a grip.

You’re way oversimplifying the obliteration of social, political and institutional norms, and the loss of many protections. This is so much bigger than a political party or a single person. This is the reversal of many decades of American progress. This is a revision of American ideals and policies. The America we grew up in is disappearing before our eyes with astonishing speed. Our standing is the world is being fundamentally altered. I don’t care about a Republican in the WH, but I’m anti Project 2025.

All this obliteration has been happening for the last 4 years. It just didn't affect you because you didn't disagree with any of it. You fully believe you are morally superior

I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I, and everyone I know. are both morally and ethically superior to trump, his hand+picked sycophants, and every elected Republican in the House and Senate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every day our hearts break as we read of people being abducted and detained by ICE.
We wake up and worry about our parents' Social Security.
We fear the repression of thoughts and knowledge that is occurring.
We observe major law firms and universities caving.
We hear insane comments about Greenland and Canada.
We watch as they reverse our diversity, equity, and inclusion gains and then go one step further and try to erase and rewrite our true history.
We know we can't afford the tariffs being imposed.
We feel alarm at the information that DOGE and its improperly vetted employees has amassed and shame at the information that has been carelessly shared.
We wonder if we can survive the damage being done to the environment and whether the removal of regulators and independent overseers will lead to increased illnesses and accidents.
We are watching the dismantling of democracy in real time as this administration accepts no checks and balances and honors no legal rulings.

It is taking a toll on the psyche of this nation. Too much, too quickly, overwhelming us so that we can't focus on any issue for too long and leaving us confused about where to start.

It’s taking a toll on liberals, not the psyche of this nation. You are using “we” when many Americans do not share your thoughts and feelings at all. I voted for Trump, because I wanted to see things like an end to DEI and more deportations. I am thrilled with a lot of what he has done. He can’t fix Biden’s disaster economy overnight, but he’s already fixed his disaster border crisis and much else of the damage Biden was doing to this country.

Because you have felt left out of society, why don’t you want a government that serves all its citizens?

How are their goals different, 10:37?
We see how they’re all enriching themselves and their families and friends.

Privatizing government completely ignores why government did things in the first place. Having worked in both a private tech company and government, I can tell you both have their inefficiencies and problems but the goals are different.

Anonymous wrote:Every day our hearts break as we read of people being abducted and detained by ICE.
We wake up and worry about our parents' Social Security.
We fear the repression of thoughts and knowledge that is occurring.
We observe major law firms and universities caving.
We hear insane comments about Greenland and Canada.
We watch as they reverse our diversity, equity, and inclusion gains and then go one step further and try to erase and rewrite our true history.
We know we can't afford the tariffs being imposed.
We feel alarm at the information that DOGE and its improperly vetted employees has amassed and shame at the information that has been carelessly shared.
We wonder if we can survive the damage being done to the environment and whether the removal of regulators and independent overseers will lead to increased illnesses and accidents.
We are watching the dismantling of democracy in real time as this administration accepts no checks and balances and honors no legal rulings.

It is taking a toll on the psyche of this nation. Too much, too quickly, overwhelming us so that we can't focus on any issue for too long and leaving us confused about where to start.

Excellent. You have captured the mood of the nation and it needs to be published for everyone to read..
Please send to major newspapers Letters to the editor and to "The Atlantic.".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IT'S. IT'S. Get it right, OP.

What are you talking about?

A single missing apostrophe in the title of a forum post.

Remind me of Leavitt's wedding where an apostrophe was incorrectly ADDED to a sign, in neon no less.

Anonymous wrote:IT'S. IT'S. Get it right, OP.

What are you talking about?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is taking a toll. Mostly on our kids and young people who don’t have the life experience to put any of this in context, and then on the people that are trying to raise them to be good people in a suddenly extremely hateful and zero sum society. It’s hard OP and you’re coping fine, so am I. But let’s not pretend this detour into a dictatorship won’t have lasting consequences.

Teaching your kids that we live in a "suddenly hateful and zero sum society" because the political party that you don't support won an election doesn't sound like a great thing to do to your kids. For their sake, I hope you get a grip.

That's not why and you know it. Liar. Just another MAGA liar. If this were an old school GOP president respecting the rule of law, respecting the courts, following due process, allowing Congress to do their jobs, etc etc etc WE WOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.

Stop with your gaslighting BS. If you support what is happening, you are a traitor and a liar and you deserve no respect whatsoever. FFS SDASU.

Nonsense. You would be having a meltdown regardless of the format of how any policy is being implemented.

Your elaborate plan to use CBO and an endless series of government audits is nothing more than a guarantee that nothing will ever be cut and nothing will change.

Let’s see how all this goes. The American people can vote trump politics out in 4 years if they don’t like it. And no, there won’t be an end to national elections - since I’m sure that also something you believe while wearing a tin foil hat.

Gee. Trump has both houses of Congress and a friendly SCOTUS. Why CAN'T he implement his policies in a lawful manner? Because maybe legal means wouldn't get them through? If so, remember that legal means is the bedrock of what this country is supposed to be. At most, half (or slightly less, based on the election) the voters wanted this. And although some, like yourself, dig in deeper, many are expressing misgivings.

Anonymous wrote:IT'S. IT'S. Get it right, OP.

right!!! I could hardly get through the post.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every day our hearts break as we read of people being abducted and detained by ICE.
We wake up and worry about our parents' Social Security.
We fear the repression of thoughts and knowledge that is occurring.
We observe major law firms and universities caving.
We hear insane comments about Greenland and Canada.
We watch as they reverse our diversity, equity, and inclusion gains and then go one step further and try to erase and rewrite our true history.
We know we can't afford the tariffs being imposed.
We feel alarm at the information that DOGE and its improperly vetted employees has amassed and shame at the information that has been carelessly shared.
We wonder if we can survive the damage being done to the environment and whether the removal of regulators and independent overseers will lead to increased illnesses and accidents.
We are watching the dismantling of democracy in real time as this administration accepts no checks and balances and honors no legal rulings.

It is taking a toll on the psyche of this nation. Too much, too quickly, overwhelming us so that we can't focus on any issue for too long and leaving us confused about where to start.

Concentrate on the wins.

Canada seems to have rearranged Donald’s attitude. Vance was mocked mercilessly in Greenland. Russia continues to lose. The judiciary is dragging most of the stupid ideas to a halt. Elmo is one of the world’s most hated human beings and he couldn’t sell one of his Nazi junk mobiles even with a White House commercial. The good guys are winning the special elections. Administration appointees are worldwide laughingstocks.

It’s turning.

+1!!

This winter was really hard for me as well - maybe it is partially the beautiful weather putting me in a better mood now - but I feel a bit more optimistic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is taking a toll. Mostly on our kids and young people who don’t have the life experience to put any of this in context, and then on the people that are trying to raise them to be good people in a suddenly extremely hateful and zero sum society. It’s hard OP and you’re coping fine, so am I. But let’s not pretend this detour into a dictatorship won’t have lasting consequences.

Teaching your kids that we live in a "suddenly hateful and zero sum society" because the political party that you don't support won an election doesn't sound like a great thing to do to your kids. For their sake, I hope you get a grip.

You’re way oversimplifying the obliteration of social, political and institutional norms, and the loss of many protections. This is so much bigger than a political party or a single person. This is the reversal of many decades of American progress. This is a revision of American ideals and policies. The America we grew up in is disappearing before our eyes with astonishing speed. Our standing is the world is being fundamentally altered. I don’t care about a Republican in the WH, but I’m anti Project 2025.

This. When Trump won I was disappointed but I thought ok, whatever, policy differences. What has happened from day one is very far from that. Targeting of people for their speech, threats to incarcerate legal residents and citizens in a foreign prison because they don't like a company owned by Trump's crony, disappearing legal residents, firing thousands of federal employees and closing agencies without congressional approval, canceling of science, massive security violations.

This is not what a policy difference looks like. This is an assault on the constitutional and the rule of law and American values. I hope you "get a grip" and wake up and see this, PP, but I don't think you will. This is a hallmark of conservative thought - rules for thee but not for me, and zero empathy or understanding unless it happens to you personally. So come on back when your kids or grandkids get measles or other illnesses that could have been prevented by vaccines. Or your very nice neighbor who's lived in the US legally since college gets deported to El Salvador. Or your kids' school is required to teach that slavery was super awesome and black people had it better back then. Or you express a thought that maybe Israel is being a tad harsh in Gaza, or Ukraine should just accept their overlords already, or the US should stop poking around Greenland, and police goons show up to question you. I guess if you're into the thought police and zero due process, you'll enjoy the next few years. The rest of us not so much.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every day our hearts break as we read of people being abducted and detained by ICE.
We wake up and worry about our parents' Social Security.
We fear the repression of thoughts and knowledge that is occurring.
We observe major law firms and universities caving.
We hear insane comments about Greenland and Canada.
We watch as they reverse our diversity, equity, and inclusion gains and then go one step further and try to erase and rewrite our true history.
We know we can't afford the tariffs being imposed.
We feel alarm at the information that DOGE and its improperly vetted employees has amassed and shame at the information that has been carelessly shared.
We wonder if we can survive the damage being done to the environment and whether the removal of regulators and independent overseers will lead to increased illnesses and accidents.
We are watching the dismantling of democracy in real time as this administration accepts no checks and balances and honors no legal rulings.

It is taking a toll on the psyche of this nation. Too much, too quickly, overwhelming us so that we can't focus on any issue for too long and leaving us confused about where to start.

It’s taking a toll on liberals, not the psyche of this nation. You are using “we” when many Americans do not share your thoughts and feelings at all. I voted for Trump, because I wanted to see things like an end to DEI and more deportations. I am thrilled with a lot of what he has done. He can’t fix Biden’s disaster economy overnight, but he’s already fixed his disaster border crisis and much else of the damage Biden was doing to this country.

Thank you for sharing. It’s important for everyone to hear your and others viewpoints. Also, I personally was disappointed that Biden was the choice the first and second time around. I am sorry that he was not the leader others made him out to be. He was not right. That was stressful for everyone.

And govt spending is back up this first quarter-so much for all the savings!