“THE SPIRIT OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM IS ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT WE NEED TO REEDUCATE OUR COUNTRY ABOUT.” @MaryFlynnONeil1 details for @TedNugent why he has been chosen to receive the Defender of Freedom Award.@GenFlynn pic.twitter.com/bQsdhZdlgs

— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) February 1, 2025

#Sieve, #Nappy & #Gobbler, the 3 blind mice, in the liability column, #USAID

@TedNugent compares Republicans and Democrats to assets and liabilities - This Guitar Legend Gets It!

pic.twitter.com/Dm7shQbL6x

— JC Vollentine (@Theonlyjcvolly) February 4, 2025

hokiewolf said:

---

Civilized said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Maybe the beans aren't magic.

“Why aren’t you cheering Trump & DOGE? I thought you wanted spending and deficit cuts!"

Because I’ve been doing this for 25 years and can’t be tricked by gimmicky nonsense. Trump’s first term added $8 trillion in enacted spending hikes and tax cuts to the deficit - half of…

— Brian Riedl 🧀 🇺🇦 (@Brian_Riedl) February 4, 2025

---

I saw that last night and was going to post it today.

Probably the most detailed indictment of the current strategy, but also most detailed suggestion for how to trend hard in the right direction fiscally, that I've seen.

---

The sad part is no one cares. If they did, they would look for serious solutions instead of nickels in the couch cushions. And don't get me wrong. I'm still good with figuring out which govt programs work and which don't, and finding efficiencies to reduce waste, but the hard stuff will never be discussed.

---

The reality is… if we don't have the will to cut the small things, then the big things are completely off the table.

All the people bringing up history, well, please include the massive failures on the establishment politicians. They kept the spending going. Trump should have had this same mission, in his last term. He didn't and things/spending spiraled out of control. At least I'm consistent in my complaints. Biden didn't create the disaster that we had, all by himself, the last four years. It took Congress and a willing administrative environment, as much as Biden.

So, for all the liberals, including Hokie (who isn't a liberal; rather a misguided Republican) please recognize your complaints are truly hollow.

Consider the following: with the type of ridiculous spending we've seen in a small department like theUSAID, imagine how much is actually in the bigger programs. I'm sure we will only hear the cry's like we saw from the Democrats yesterday, on their bullhorns, when Trumps team starts on the bigger programs. It really is disgusting.

USAID sent

$3.7B to the Taliban

$3.4B to the Houthis

2B to the PLO and HAMAS

— Mila Joy (@MilaLovesJoe) February 5, 2025

Chelsea Clinton got $84M from USAID.

But there are still Americans living in tents in the snow in North Carolina.

Democrats made sure of both.

Prosecutions better be coming.

— Mila Joy (@MilaLovesJoe) February 6, 2025

caryking said:

---

packgrad said:

---

USAID is less than 1% of the federal budget.

Look at how much fraud & waste has been found in this one tiny piece of the budget.

Now imagine how bad the rest of it is.

— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) February 6, 2025

---

More importantly, look at the amount of vitriolic crap the Dems are espousing…. Now we all see why it's so difficult to cut spending. Yes, the Republicans are as responsible as the Dems.. Right now, they know they are wrapped around a barrel with the support of Trump. When will these congressional folks start their turn away from Trump?

---

In the case of Thom Tillis, he'll turn away as soon as North Carolina foolishly gives him another term, or as soon as he loses his primary twelve short months from now.

I'll venture a guess that the bottom one was payment for allowing the 2020 and 2024 digital election fraud operation to be run from Serbia. Stay tuned, we're close.

This is the type of “foreign aid” that Democrats are rioting in the streets to keep:

$70K for a DEI musical in Ireland
$47K for a trans opera in Colombia
$32K for a trans book in Peru
$1.5M for DEI in Serbia

— Mila Joy (@MilaLovesJoe) February 6, 2025

BREAKING:

USAID funded celebrities traveling to Ukraine and promoting Zelenskyy.

Van Damme - $1.5MIL
Ben Stiller - $4MIL
Sean Penn - $5MIL
Orlando Bloom - $8MIL
Angelina Jolie - $20MIL

I guess celebrities being present means that Zelenskyy isn't a dictator.

Did it work?

— Mila Joy (@MilaLovesJoe) February 6, 2025

Explain it away #Sieve.

In 2024 alone, USAID was contracted to pay PFIZER

FOUR BILLION US DOLLARS

What for?

Presumably for the purchase of mRNA Pfizer Covid shots to be sent off shore as "aid"?

Can anyone add further insight to this?

(link in comments) pic.twitter.com/8sItctiDN2

— NZ and the MRNA (@HopeRising19) February 5, 2025

BBW identified #daGobbler several years back, a Democrat.

I hereby renounce the Democratic Party pic.twitter.com/bCI7Gq5r3Y

— Isaiah L. Carter (@IsaiahLCarter) February 6, 2025

Watch Netanyahu's face, LOL. Things aren't always as they seem at first glance.

ART OF THE DEAL: The entire, ‘we own Gaza’ is a real-time negotiating tactic. You can see it on Bibi’s face. Trump doesn’t want Gaza but his shoring the narrative and changing the game. pic.twitter.com/faHI1RmOPb

— @amuse (@amuse) February 5, 2025

caryking said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Civilized said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Maybe the beans aren't magic.

“Why aren’t you cheering Trump & DOGE? I thought you wanted spending and deficit cuts!"

Because I’ve been doing this for 25 years and can’t be tricked by gimmicky nonsense. Trump’s first term added $8 trillion in enacted spending hikes and tax cuts to the deficit - half of…

— Brian Riedl 🧀 🇺🇦 (@Brian_Riedl) February 4, 2025

---

I saw that last night and was going to post it today.

Probably the most detailed indictment of the current strategy, but also most detailed suggestion for how to trend hard in the right direction fiscally, that I've seen.

---

The sad part is no one cares. If they did, they would look for serious solutions instead of nickels in the couch cushions. And don't get me wrong. I'm still good with figuring out which govt programs work and which don't, and finding efficiencies to reduce waste, but the hard stuff will never be discussed.

---

The reality is… if we don't have the will to cut the small things, then the big things are completely off the table.

All the people bringing up history, well, please include the massive failures on the establishment politicians. They kept the spending going. Trump should have had this same mission, in his last term. He didn't and things/spending spiraled out of control. At least I'm consistent in my complaints. Biden didn't create the disaster that we had, all by himself, the last four years. It took Congress and a willing administrative environment, as much as Biden.

So, for all the liberals, including Hokie (who isn't a liberal; rather a misguided Republican) please recognize your complaints are truly hollow.

Consider the following: with the type of ridiculous spending we've seen in a small department like theUSAID, imagine how much is actually in the bigger programs. I'm sure we will only hear the cry's like we saw from the Democrats yesterday, on their bullhorns, when Trumps team starts on the bigger programs. It really is disgusting.

---

No, the reality is that cutting the very small things with high ROI like USAID for show unnecessarily weakens our stance abroad, with no consequential improvement to the budget deficit.

It's completely superficial window dressing. There's not enough of those things you can possibly cut to consequentially move the deficit needle. Defense spending, Medicare, Social Security, and IRS shortfalls are what fix the problem or get us on the right path.

After you roll USAID up onto the State Department, and hopefully maintain its necessary functions how much will you actually save? $10B? Maybe? The yearly budget deficit is 200x that amount.

It's like me making $50k/year and spending $70k/year, most of which is my mortgage and health insurance, and thinking that I'm going to solve my $20k/year budget problem by cancelling Netflix and buying Starbucks once a month instead of once a week.

It's a nearly complete waste of time whose only purpose is to act like something's being done.

SmaptyWolf said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

SmaptyWolf said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Guess we aren't putting America First now.
…

---

Trump just offered to buy out everyone in the CIA (and managed to blow a bunch of peoples' cover in the process).

I think we're well into Anti-America First.

---

LOLOLOL-two edits for this masterpiece. Democrats hate the CIA, right? At least you use to. What changed?

---

"LOL tWo eDutS!"

No idea what you're talking about, but you really think Dems or any sane person thinks our country shouldn't have a functioning intelligence service?

Seriously, you guys are like a bunch of deranged 8th graders having a house party while your parents are on vacation. "Brooooo! We just got rid of the CIA!!!" Cool, good luck with those Iranian assassins.

---

Lunatic rant

Precisely, spot on!

Yet, there is probably the funding of the COVID scam.

packgrad said:

---

"It's gone from exporting democracy to exporting deviancy...."

Defunding USAID Isn’t About Reducing The Deficit, It’s About Shutting Down Left-Wing Propaganda https://t.co/42htaPBEiv

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) February 6, 2025

---

This is the real reason democrats are losing their minds.

caryking said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Civilized said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Maybe the beans aren't magic.

“Why aren’t you cheering Trump & DOGE? I thought you wanted spending and deficit cuts!"

Because I’ve been doing this for 25 years and can’t be tricked by gimmicky nonsense. Trump’s first term added $8 trillion in enacted spending hikes and tax cuts to the deficit - half of…

— Brian Riedl 🧀 🇺🇦 (@Brian_Riedl) February 4, 2025

---

I saw that last night and was going to post it today.

Probably the most detailed indictment of the current strategy, but also most detailed suggestion for how to trend hard in the right direction fiscally, that I've seen.

---

The sad part is no one cares. If they did, they would look for serious solutions instead of nickels in the couch cushions. And don't get me wrong. I'm still good with figuring out which govt programs work and which don't, and finding efficiencies to reduce waste, but the hard stuff will never be discussed.

---

The reality is… if we don't have the will to cut the small things, then the big things are completely off the table.

All the people bringing up history, well, please include the massive failures on the establishment politicians. They kept the spending going. Trump should have had this same mission, in his last term. He didn't and things/spending spiraled out of control. At least I'm consistent in my complaints. Biden didn't create the disaster that we had, all by himself, the last four years. It took Congress and a willing administrative environment, as much as Biden.

So, for all the liberals, including Hokie (who isn't a liberal; rather a misguided Republican) please recognize your complaints are truly hollow.

Consider the following: with the type of ridiculous spending we've seen in a small department like theUSAID, imagine how much is actually in the bigger programs. I'm sure we will only hear the cry's like we saw from the Democrats yesterday, on their bullhorns, when Trumps team starts on the bigger programs. It really is disgusting.

---

The reality is that USAID was cut because of political retribution, not fiscal responsibility. As I have stated repeatedly, and this has been ignored for years here, because everyone just dismisses my thoughts because I don't like Trump.

I'm happy we found an eliminated waste in USAID. I hope we find and eliminate waste elsewhere in the government.

I hope that we stop treating the IRS like some sort of pariah and give them the money and people they need to update their computer systems, improve their customer service, and yes, enforce the tax code as it is written.

I hope we don't do stupid **** like design custom mail delivery vehicles for the post office when there are plenty of delivery vehicles that would work perfectly for them that are on the market and much cheaper.

I hope we utilize the space that the US Government has efficiently and disposes of leases that are no longer needed.

I hope we get rid of stupid protectionist laws like the Jones Act.

I hope that we start producing budgets every year for approval instead of continuing resolutions and use a bi-partisan effort to come up with a budget that works in all the years where growth isn't 3% of GDP.

I hope that we have a bi-partisan effort to address Social Security, Medicare, Medicad, Defense, and Service on the Debt, because that's the only way that work is going to get done. It can't be done in a vacuum of one party. It will never happen if that's the case.

I hope that Trump doesn't ruin the economy with tariffs and government spending, but it's looking like that is going to be the case, at least in my eyes.

All of the above are doable, but there is more interest in bomb throwing and retribution against the other party, and stupid purity tests to get people elected. We elect republicans who sound great but have no business being in government, that do not have any interest in actual governing. We elect democrats who sound great, but have no business being in government, that do not have any interest in actual governing.

So Cary, I am slightly offended your are grouping me into a category of hollow complaints. I have posted many topics here and on other threads, and shared opinions that no one here cares to respond to because that's not what many of you want out of your government.

You want to find the imaginary bogey men and kill them off. Then you want to create a utopia that can't exist without doing some very hard work legislatively to get the federal budget back to something that is manageable with respect to GDP. Magic tariff beans aren't the solution. You guys have been gorging on Trump branded Candy, and Bident branded Candy, and Obama branded candy for too long. It's time to eat spinach.

Cut spending, don't buy the snake oil that tariffs will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams, and I have to say it, don't renew the Trump tax cuts and cut spending period. We're too far in now to continue down this road of tax cuts and uncontrolled spending.

packgrad said:

---

"It's gone from exporting democracy to exporting deviancy...."

Defunding USAID Isn’t About Reducing The Deficit, It’s About Shutting Down Left-Wing Propaganda https://t.co/42htaPBEiv

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) February 6, 2025

---

Really good read.

packofwolves said:

---

packgrad said:

---

"It's gone from exporting democracy to exporting deviancy...."

Defunding USAID Isn’t About Reducing The Deficit, It’s About Shutting Down Left-Wing Propaganda https://t.co/42htaPBEiv

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) February 6, 2025

---

Really good read.

---

"But trimming the federal budget and reducing the deficit aren't really the point of this exercise."

Will that ever be the point in the next 4 years? I have my doubts.

hokiewolf said:

---

caryking said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Civilized said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Maybe the beans aren't magic.

“Why aren’t you cheering Trump & DOGE? I thought you wanted spending and deficit cuts!"

Because I’ve been doing this for 25 years and can’t be tricked by gimmicky nonsense. Trump’s first term added $8 trillion in enacted spending hikes and tax cuts to the deficit - half of…

— Brian Riedl 🧀 🇺🇦 (@Brian_Riedl) February 4, 2025

---

I saw that last night and was going to post it today.

Probably the most detailed indictment of the current strategy, but also most detailed suggestion for how to trend hard in the right direction fiscally, that I've seen.

---

The sad part is no one cares. If they did, they would look for serious solutions instead of nickels in the couch cushions. And don't get me wrong. I'm still good with figuring out which govt programs work and which don't, and finding efficiencies to reduce waste, but the hard stuff will never be discussed.

---

The reality is… if we don't have the will to cut the small things, then the big things are completely off the table.

All the people bringing up history, well, please include the massive failures on the establishment politicians. They kept the spending going. Trump should have had this same mission, in his last term. He didn't and things/spending spiraled out of control. At least I'm consistent in my complaints. Biden didn't create the disaster that we had, all by himself, the last four years. It took Congress and a willing administrative environment, as much as Biden.

So, for all the liberals, including Hokie (who isn't a liberal; rather a misguided Republican) please recognize your complaints are truly hollow.

Consider the following: with the type of ridiculous spending we've seen in a small department like theUSAID, imagine how much is actually in the bigger programs. I'm sure we will only hear the cry's like we saw from the Democrats yesterday, on their bullhorns, when Trumps team starts on the bigger programs. It really is disgusting.

---

The reality is that USAID was cut because of political retribution, not fiscal responsibility. As I have stated repeatedly, and this has been ignored for years here, because everyone just dismisses my thoughts because I don't like Trump.

I'm happy we found an eliminated waste in USAID. I hope we find and eliminate waste elsewhere in the government.

I hope that we stop treating the IRS like some sort of pariah and give them the money and people they need to update their computer systems, improve their customer service, and yes, enforce the tax code as it is written.

I hope we don't do stupid **** like design custom mail delivery vehicles for the post office when there are plenty of delivery vehicles that would work perfectly for them that are on the market and much cheaper.

I hope we utilize the space that the US Government has efficiently and disposes of leases that are no longer needed.

I hope we get rid of stupid protectionist laws like the Jones Act.

I hope that we start producing budgets every year for approval instead of continuing resolutions and use a bi-partisan effort to come up with a budget that works in all the years where growth isn't 3% of GDP.

I hope that we have a bi-partisan effort to address Social Security, Medicare, Medicad, Defense, and Service on the Debt, because that's the only way that work is going to get done. It can't be done in a vacuum of one party. It will never happen if that's the case.

I hope that Trump doesn't ruin the economy with tariffs and government spending, but it's looking like that is going to be the case, at least in my eyes.

All of the above are doable, but there is more interest in bomb throwing and retribution against the other party, and stupid purity tests to get people elected. We elect republicans who sound great but have no business being in government, that do not have any interest in actual governing. We elect democrats who sound great, but have no business being in government, that do not have any interest in actual governing.

So Cary, I am slightly offended your are grouping me into a category of hollow complaints. I have posted many topics here and on other threads, and shared opinions that no one here cares to respond to because that's not what many of you want out of your government.

You want to find the imaginary bogey men and kill them off. Then you want to create a utopia that can't exist without doing some very hard work legislatively to get the federal budget back to something that is manageable with respect to GDP. Magic tariff beans aren't the solution. You guys have been gorging on Trump branded Candy, and Bident branded Candy, and Obama branded candy for too long. It's time to eat spinach.

Cut spending, don't buy the snake oil that tariffs will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams, and I have to say it, don't renew the Trump tax cuts and cut spending period. We're too far in now to continue down this road of tax cuts and uncontrolled spending.

---

Very thoughtful post hokie.

Civilized said:

---

caryking said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Civilized said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Maybe the beans aren't magic.

“Why aren’t you cheering Trump & DOGE? I thought you wanted spending and deficit cuts!"

Because I’ve been doing this for 25 years and can’t be tricked by gimmicky nonsense. Trump’s first term added $8 trillion in enacted spending hikes and tax cuts to the deficit - half of…

— Brian Riedl 🧀 🇺🇦 (@Brian_Riedl) February 4, 2025

---

I saw that last night and was going to post it today.

Probably the most detailed indictment of the current strategy, but also most detailed suggestion for how to trend hard in the right direction fiscally, that I've seen.

---

The sad part is no one cares. If they did, they would look for serious solutions instead of nickels in the couch cushions. And don't get me wrong. I'm still good with figuring out which govt programs work and which don't, and finding efficiencies to reduce waste, but the hard stuff will never be discussed.

---

The reality is… if we don't have the will to cut the small things, then the big things are completely off the table.

All the people bringing up history, well, please include the massive failures on the establishment politicians. They kept the spending going. Trump should have had this same mission, in his last term. He didn't and things/spending spiraled out of control. At least I'm consistent in my complaints. Biden didn't create the disaster that we had, all by himself, the last four years. It took Congress and a willing administrative environment, as much as Biden.

So, for all the liberals, including Hokie (who isn't a liberal; rather a misguided Republican) please recognize your complaints are truly hollow.

Consider the following: with the type of ridiculous spending we've seen in a small department like theUSAID, imagine how much is actually in the bigger programs. I'm sure we will only hear the cry's like we saw from the Democrats yesterday, on their bullhorns, when Trumps team starts on the bigger programs. It really is disgusting.

---

No, the reality is that cutting the very small things with high ROI like USAID for show unnecessarily weakens our stance abroad, with no consequential improvement to the budget deficit.

It's completely superficial window dressing. There's not enough of those things you can possibly cut to consequentially move the deficit needle. Defense spending, Medicare, Social Security, and IRS shortfalls are what fix the problem or get us on the right path.

After you roll USAID up onto the State Department, and hopefully maintain its necessary functions how much will you actually save? $10B? Maybe? The yearly budget deficit is 200x that amount.

It's like me making $50k/year and spending $70k/year, most of which is my mortgage and health insurance, and thinking that I'm going to solve my $20k/year budget problem by cancelling Netflix and buying Starbucks once a month instead of once a week.

It's a nearly complete waste of time whose only purpose is to act like something's being done.

---

Civ, I've always contended you are a reasonable person with some outlandish thoughts and/or ideas; however, your post shows truly how out of touch you are. The amount of sludge in the USAID warrants destroying any good it might offer. That said, I have yet to see one good that it offers, and I understand we might disagree on that. So, I think this is an example of: I quote Barack Obama... elections have consequences!!! In other words, sit back, shut up, or get onboard... This is what you have for the next four years. Get over it!!!

Gulfstream4 said:

---

packgrad said:

---

"It's gone from exporting democracy to exporting deviancy...."

---

This is the real reason democrats are losing their minds.

---

LMAO.

What "left-wing deviancy" does USAID fund, exactly?

I'm talking about actually fund according to some halfway reputable source, not allegedly fund according to 4-chan-lite Russan bot spam farms.

Imagine being the guy that said "weird" and "America's daddy" then trying to mock someone else's sources.
4chan!!!!

LOLOLOL

caryking said:

---

Civilized said:

---

caryking said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Civilized said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Maybe the beans aren't magic.

“Why aren’t you cheering Trump & DOGE? I thought you wanted spending and deficit cuts!"

Because I’ve been doing this for 25 years and can’t be tricked by gimmicky nonsense. Trump’s first term added $8 trillion in enacted spending hikes and tax cuts to the deficit - half of…

— Brian Riedl 🧀 🇺🇦 (@Brian_Riedl) February 4, 2025

---

I saw that last night and was going to post it today.

Probably the most detailed indictment of the current strategy, but also most detailed suggestion for how to trend hard in the right direction fiscally, that I've seen.

---

The sad part is no one cares. If they did, they would look for serious solutions instead of nickels in the couch cushions. And don't get me wrong. I'm still good with figuring out which govt programs work and which don't, and finding efficiencies to reduce waste, but the hard stuff will never be discussed.

---

The reality is… if we don't have the will to cut the small things, then the big things are completely off the table.

All the people bringing up history, well, please include the massive failures on the establishment politicians. They kept the spending going. Trump should have had this same mission, in his last term. He didn't and things/spending spiraled out of control. At least I'm consistent in my complaints. Biden didn't create the disaster that we had, all by himself, the last four years. It took Congress and a willing administrative environment, as much as Biden.

So, for all the liberals, including Hokie (who isn't a liberal; rather a misguided Republican) please recognize your complaints are truly hollow.

Consider the following: with the type of ridiculous spending we've seen in a small department like theUSAID, imagine how much is actually in the bigger programs. I'm sure we will only hear the cry's like we saw from the Democrats yesterday, on their bullhorns, when Trumps team starts on the bigger programs. It really is disgusting.

---

No, the reality is that cutting the very small things with high ROI like USAID for show unnecessarily weakens our stance abroad, with no consequential improvement to the budget deficit.

It's completely superficial window dressing. There's not enough of those things you can possibly cut to consequentially move the deficit needle. Defense spending, Medicare, Social Security, and IRS shortfalls are what fix the problem or get us on the right path.

After you roll USAID up onto the State Department, and hopefully maintain its necessary functions how much will you actually save? $10B? Maybe? The yearly budget deficit is 200x that amount.

It's like me making $50k/year and spending $70k/year, most of which is my mortgage and health insurance, and thinking that I'm going to solve my $20k/year budget problem by cancelling Netflix and buying Starbucks once a month instead of once a week.

It's a nearly complete waste of time whose only purpose is to act like something's being done.

---

Civ, I've always contended you are a reasonable person with some outlandish thoughts and/or ideas; however, your post shows truly how out of touch you are. The amount of sludge in the USAID warrants destroying any good it might offer. That said, I have yet to see one good that it offers, and I understand we might disagree on that. So, I think this is an example of: I quote Barack Obama... elections have consequences!!! In other words, sit back, shut up, or get onboard... This is what you have for the next four years. Get over it!!!

---

The amount of work done in other countries to stabilize them through medical care I would say is one hell of a return on investment. Simply put, there are good programs that USAID did that were in the best interest of the US, but now that we are America First! Isolationists, China will pick up the pieces and exploit those countries for their resources. Meanwhile, in another part of the world, we will become America First! Imperialists and take Greenland, the Panama Canal, and Canda (which has the economy of equal to the 48th state).

Do you see why this doesn't make any sense for me?

Gulfstream4 said:

---

packgrad said:

---

"It's gone from exporting democracy to exporting deviancy...."

Defunding USAID Isn’t About Reducing The Deficit, It’s About Shutting Down Left-Wing Propaganda https://t.co/42htaPBEiv

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) February 6, 2025

---

This is the real reason democrats are losing their minds.

---

This propaganda matrix is precisely why daSieve's and daGobbler's of the world exist.

caryking said:

---

Civilized said:

---

caryking said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Civilized said:

---

hokiewolf said:

---

Maybe the beans aren't magic.

“Why aren’t you cheering Trump & DOGE? I thought you wanted spending and deficit cuts!"

Because I’ve been doing this for 25 years and can’t be tricked by gimmicky nonsense. Trump’s first term added $8 trillion in enacted spending hikes and tax cuts to the deficit - half of…

— Brian Riedl 🧀 🇺🇦 (@Brian_Riedl) February 4, 2025

---

I saw that last night and was going to post it today.

Probably the most detailed indictment of the current strategy, but also most detailed suggestion for how to trend hard in the right direction fiscally, that I've seen.

---

The sad part is no one cares. If they did, they would look for serious solutions instead of nickels in the couch cushions. And don't get me wrong. I'm still good with figuring out which govt programs work and which don't, and finding efficiencies to reduce waste, but the hard stuff will never be discussed.

---

The reality is… if we don't have the will to cut the small things, then the big things are completely off the table.

All the people bringing up history, well, please include the massive failures on the establishment politicians. They kept the spending going. Trump should have had this same mission, in his last term. He didn't and things/spending spiraled out of control. At least I'm consistent in my complaints. Biden didn't create the disaster that we had, all by himself, the last four years. It took Congress and a willing administrative environment, as much as Biden.

So, for all the liberals, including Hokie (who isn't a liberal; rather a misguided Republican) please recognize your complaints are truly hollow.

Consider the following: with the type of ridiculous spending we've seen in a small department like theUSAID, imagine how much is actually in the bigger programs. I'm sure we will only hear the cry's like we saw from the Democrats yesterday, on their bullhorns, when Trumps team starts on the bigger programs. It really is disgusting.

---

No, the reality is that cutting the very small things with high ROI like USAID for show unnecessarily weakens our stance abroad, with no consequential improvement to the budget deficit.

It's completely superficial window dressing. There's not enough of those things you can possibly cut to consequentially move the deficit needle. Defense spending, Medicare, Social Security, and IRS shortfalls are what fix the problem or get us on the right path.

After you roll USAID up onto the State Department, and hopefully maintain its necessary functions how much will you actually save? $10B? Maybe? The yearly budget deficit is 200x that amount.

It's like me making $50k/year and spending $70k/year, most of which is my mortgage and health insurance, and thinking that I'm going to solve my $20k/year budget problem by cancelling Netflix and buying Starbucks once a month instead of once a week.

It's a nearly complete waste of time whose only purpose is to act like something's being done.

---

Civ, I've always contended you are a reasonable person with some outlandish thoughts and/or ideas; however, your post shows truly how out of touch you are. The amount of sludge in the USAID warrants destroying any good it might offer. That said, I have yet to see one good that it offers, and I understand we might disagree on that. So, I think this is an example of: I quote Barack Obama... elections have consequences!!! In other words, sit back, shut up, or get onboard... This is what you have for the next four years. Get over it!!!

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The only reason you don't see it is becuase you actively avoid seeing it. Closing your eyes isn't the same as "not seeing it." It's willful avoidance.

Over the last 20 years, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has played a significant role in global humanitarian efforts, addressing issues like poverty, health crises, education, food security, and emergency disaster relief. Below are some key accomplishments across various sectors:

1. Global Health Initiatives
- HIV/AIDS: Through PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), USAID has helped provide life-saving antiretroviral treatment to over 20 million people worldwide.
- COVID-19 Response: USAID provided vaccines, medical supplies, and funding to help combat COVID-19 globally, delivering over 687 million vaccine doses to 100+ countries.
- Maternal & Child Health: Reduced child and maternal mortality rates in various countries through improved healthcare services and vaccination programs.

2. Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Assistance
- Haiti Earthquake (2010 & 2021): Provided emergency relief, reconstruction aid, and long-term recovery efforts.
- Syrian Refugee Crisis: Since 2011, USAID has provided billions in humanitarian aid, including food, water, and medical care, to Syrian refugees and displaced populations.
- Ukraine Conflict (2022present): Over $10 billion in humanitarian assistance for displaced people, food aid, and energy infrastructure rebuilding.

3. Food Security & Agriculture
- Feed the Future Initiative: Helped millions escape poverty and malnutrition through improved farming techniques and food aid programs.
- Famine Relief in Africa: Provided emergency food aid to conflict-affected regions in Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Somalia.

4. Economic Development & Education
- Girls' Education Programs: Helped millions of girls access education in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and sub-Saharan Africa.
- Microfinance & Small Business Support: Supported entrepreneurship in developing nations, helping small businesses grow and create jobs.

5. Climate Change & Environmental Protection
- Clean Energy Programs: Funded renewable energy projects in countries like India and Kenya.
- Disaster Preparedness: Supported climate resilience programs in vulnerable coastal and drought-prone regions.

And these accomplishments are aside from the clear national security benefits of ingratiating ourselves in inexpensive and peaceful but meaningful ways in foreign countries.

Gutting USAID isn't budgetary, it's a political hack job.

We see #daGobbler is in the 8% category.

Would you like @DOGE to audit the IRS?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2025

Werewolf said:

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We see #daGobbler is in the 8% category.

Would you like @DOGE to audit the IRS?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2025

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You are lacking reading comprehension skills, which isn't surprising. What I said was that we need to stop treating the tax collecting arm of the Federal Government like its stocked with evil people. It has a job to do, lets figure out what works, what doesn't, what is wasteful and what isn't and the FIX IT. So, I'm in the yes category, I just don't think we should destroy the one agency that collects the taxes that pays for the current government, look under the hood, understand it's mission and make it better and more efficient.

So you favor a forensic audit of the IRS?

Is this an issue because we need to remove waste and balance our budget?
Or is there an issue of greater concern?
#Gobbler, #Sieve or #Nappy, who wishes to go 1st?

Anyone that has an issue with what Elon has exposed obviously condones this. Are you ok with this? pic.twitter.com/y3i8CIgUj2

— Michelle Maxwell (@MichelleMaxwell) February 4, 2025

We elect unserious people

Nancy Mace cosponsored a bill in 2021 that would have mandated that biological males who identify as female be allowed to compete in women’s and girls’ sports. https://t.co/wTlXTyUVl8 https://t.co/xUeTvxh1XW https://t.co/STkSENDeMq pic.twitter.com/CQJMMGKnAa

— John McCormack (@McCormackJohn) February 6, 2025

Werewolf said:

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So you favor a forensic audit of the IRS?

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how am I not clear? You seem to want to be obtuse