Annoyed Musings

HER TEENY MAIL SHIRT

This GIRL

Like yeah America's government is literally the Legion of Doom, but we generally aren't that bad. I'm glad the world is seeing the little things that there are to love in America.

I started this long ago...

I cant wait to cop a collection of these

Will Iran bomb us back? Should I even bother going to work the next 2 days?! 😩😩

Short term answer: No, their air force and missile forces can't reach the continental US. Lone wolf/suicide attacks carried out by individuals inspired by but not sanctioned by the Iranian government are more likely. Mid term answer: NYC is a continuing target. It would take time to put together a large scale incident. Head on a swivel. See something, say something mentality back in effect. Long term answer: It will ultimately depend on how long things go on and how truly successful the bombings were.

Friends, If you were shocked and disgusted by the scene in the Oval Office yesterday, with Trump and Vance belittling and berating President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, you’re not alone. Fourteen Democratic governors have released a joint statement condemning what occurred: “Donald Trump and JD Vance used the sacred Oval Office to berate President Zelensky for not trusting Vladimir Putin’s word. Americans must protect our strong democratic values on the world stage instead of undermining President Zelenskyy’s work to fight for his nation and the freedom of his people after being invaded by Russia.” They speak for much of America. For more than three years, President Zelenskyy has courageously and nobly contained Putin’s aggression. Zelenskyy has maintained the morale of the people of Ukraine while diligently soliciting and getting help from Europe and the United States. He has waged a war that few assumed he could win, but he has not flinched. He deserves our heartfelt thanks rather than the cruel rebuke delivered today by Trump and Vance. Why did they hammer him? Because they don’t want Americans to view Zelenskyy as a hero. That view will complicate Trump’s plan to surrender Ukraine to Putin. Trump is ready to give Putin everything he wants. And then carve up the world. Make no mistake: Putin’s aggression will not end with Ukraine. By giving in to Putin, Trump is inviting him to invade Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland — and then the rest of Eastern Europe that used to be under Soviet and Russian control. Trump wants Canada, Greenland, Panama, and much else. Yesterday's meeting in the Oval Office was a stage show. It will also be remembered by future historians (to the extent they have access to the truth) as a prelude to conquest. Trump believes only in power — which in his mind means complete and utter control. Putin does, too. The two dictators deserve each other. The rest of us must make it clear — to our fellow Americans, as to the remainder of the free world — that we believe in democracy, that we appreciate Zelenskyy’s courage and tenacity, and that Trump and Vance do not speak for us. What are your thoughts on what unfolded yesterday in the Oval Office?

Friends, Musk is trying to downplay the chaos he’s creating by saying it’s much the same as the cost-cutting efforts of the Clinton administration. “What DOGE is doing is similar to Clinton/Gore Dem policies of the 1990s,” he posted on his X platform. Rubbish. I cut costs in the Clinton administration. The contrast with what Musk is doing couldn’t be sharper. As secretary of labor, I took the Department of Labor down from 18,500 employees to 16,600 — but did it without any layoffs. No chainsaws. No meat-axes. And we were careful to improve the services we were providing the public. For example, when people lost jobs in an industry that was shrinking, we devised a way to get them job-training and job-search assistance in addition to unemployment insurance. This helped move them into new jobs faster — which also saved the government over $1 billion a year in unemployment payments. We plowed that $1 billion back into job-training and job-search assistance, making the whole economy work better. In Musk’s attack on the federal workforce, thousands of federal workers have been fired without warning. Or they’ve been offered fake “deferred resignation” buyouts that were never authorized by Congress and may not be legal. Entire agencies have been gutted without legislative authorization, forcing judges to intervene. Our “Reinventing Government” effort was authorized by bipartisan congressional legislation. We worked carefully over several years to identify areas where government could be more efficient, notifying Congress of what we were doing. But the Republicans who control Congress today have allowed Musk to race ahead without them, even though the Constitution states that the legislative branch approves spending and federal law prohibits the president from cutting programs Congress has authorized without its permission. Clinton sought that permission, and Congress accepted $3.6 billion in cuts he proposed. We also involved federal workers, because they knew better than anyone what could be improved and how best to do it. We introduced performance standards, we encouraged our workers to embrace the internet, and we gave out awards to employees who came up with ways to cut red tape and improve service. “There was a tremendous effort put into understanding what should happen and what should change,” said Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, which seeks to improve the federal workforce. “What is happening now is actually taking us backwards.” We were deliberative and careful. Musk is the opposite. Musk sees government workers as the enemy — as costs to be cut. We saw government workers as assets to be developed, our partners in getting better services to the public more efficiently. Musk also calls people who benefit from government programs the “parasite class.” Presumably that’s why he’s eager to cut back Medicaid. But Medicaid’s beneficiaries aren’t parasites. Half of them are children. Oh, but if we’re talking about people who depend on government, Musk is the biggest “parasite” of all. Over the years, Musk and his businesses have received at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies, and tax credits, often at critical moments, helping seed the growth that has made him the richest person in the world. That he views public servants as his enemy and the people who benefit from public programs as “parasites” tells you all you need to know about Elon Musk. When you hear Musk say his effort is similar to what I and others did in the 1990s, know he’s lying. When you see him call people who benefit from public programs “parasites,” know he’s a hypocrite. Thoughts?