Post New

But kind of in the opposite direction. Revolting against freedom and liberty and for fascism.

What Happened: At CPAC, far-right figures from Europe, Latin America, and beyond gathered to celebrate Trump’s re-election. Leaders like Liz Truss, Nigel Farage, and Eduardo Bolsonaro declared the moment a turning point—viewing it as a “second American Revolution” that will reshape global politics by advancing a radical, nationalist extremist agenda.

Why It Matters: This marks a dangerous global shift as far-right movements rally behind Trump’s agenda to dismantle the international order. By undermining democratic norms and Western alliances, these figures are openly working to destabilize global security and replace it with authoritarian rule.

Source: The New York Times

I think what we need to do is have a discussion on limits to immigration, and come to an understanding of what acceptable limits are. Make modifications to the Geneva convention if necessary. Make it practical. I think part of the rise in extremism was due to the debacle of refugees landing on Europe shores, marching across Europe, and settling into countries. They were unvetted and a lot of young males. The caravans coming up from Latin America helped provoke that extreme reaction. Somehow we need to lower the extremism in the US and get back on an even keel. Open for discussion on how to do that.

Stalinesque type purges mean Trump will start seeing himself as the law. Out system takes too long to work it looks like. We need to counteract these moves, but how?

Stop all that ' Murican jingo talk about "freedom".


And enjoy ----you helped create it, and I love every second.

Stalinesque type purges mean Trump will start seeing himself as the law. Out system takes too long to work it looks like. We need to counteract these moves, but how? = Lambo

====================

How: The best way would be to win elections by offering a platform that main street voters will find attractive. This would require dropping the fixation on gender and identity politics, supporting the common sense view that biological males should be kept out of women's sports and out of their bathrooms and locker rooms, opposing sanctuary states and cities to name a few, agreeing that schools should embrace parental rights concerning the education of their children, especially opposing schools keeping secrets from parents. To name a few.

Stalinesque type purges mean Trump will start seeing himself as the law. Out system takes too long to work it looks like. We need to counteract these moves, but how?

This demolishing of our democracy couldn't be happening without the acquiescence of a supine Republican Congress that grovels before Trump and refuses to act as co-equal branch of government.

And then there is our right wing Supreme Court...

The best way would be to win elections by offering a platform that main street voters will find attractive. This would require dropping the fixation on gender and identity politics, supporting the common sense view that biological males should be kept out of women's sports and out of their bathrooms and locker rooms, opposing sanctuary states and cities to name a few, agreeing that schools should embrace parental rights concerning the education of their children, especially opposing schools keeping secrets from parents. To name a few.

The only people fixated on transgenders and bathrooms are right-wing wackos. And, speaking of wackos, what’s up with Republicans and bathrooms? Are Republicans afraid that transgenders will take up all the stalls and prevent Republican politicians from having homosexual sex with minors?

You guys fell for all this crap (OMG! Eggs are so expensive!!!) and thought that a good solution would be to elect a sexual predator and convicted 34-count felon who has placed the biggest retards (I hope that is politically correct) in positions that will endanger our safety, our health, our lives, our rights, our standing in the world, and our national security. My God, we’re actually voting the same as North Korea and Russia in the UN!

And you’re worried about a few fucking transgenders????

What the hell is wrong with you?

</rant>

And you’re worried about a few fucking transgenders????

What the hell is wrong with you?

They just parrot the bullshit from the right wing media that shamelessly makes money off their ignorance, and distracts them from the real problems we face.

The only people fixated on transgenders and bathrooms are right-wing wackos.
****

Attention you rubes....

If you don't want men in dresses in your daughters bathroom, and you don't want men whipping your sister's ass in sports, you are -- a right wing whacko.



President Trump, Persident Putin, Bibi.....

Give it to these people so good and hard. I want war, debts, liberties, the whole nine yards.

This is nothing so far. Make me proud gentlemen.

And Religion of Peace, where are you in Europe - I've not heard from you lately. What, are you wusses now?


Punishment is nowhere near close to what they deserve.

felon who has placed the biggest retards (I hope that is politically correct) in positions that will endanger our safety

Let's make sure it's politically correct:

RETARDs - Republican Extremists That Are Ruining Democracy

What the hell is wrong with you?

LOL. Here's another tip for the democrats on how to win some elections:

Stop having meltdowns.

This would require dropping the fixation on gender and identity politics,

That's actually the right's fixation on gender and identity politics. It's just like I never worry about black folks getting more than they should because I know the right will put a stop to that.

supporting the common sense view that biological males should be kept out of women's sports and out of their bathrooms and locker rooms,

I was in the Philippines where no one worries about where the trans folk go to bathrooms, since the sport part is teeny ya never hear about it, and there's no problem at the high school level. I do remember one woman got upset one time that a ladyboy was using the women's bathroom at a wet market, but that was an anomaly - everyone just scratched their heads and thought she was out there. I think your focus on that is special.

opposing sanctuary states and cities to name a few, <M/i>

I have no problem with sanctuaries.

agreeing that schools should embrace parental rights concerning the education of their children, especially opposing schools keeping secrets from parents. To name a few.

The right likes to feed rage and resentment to its followers. I think immigration needs a rational review, and we won't get that from the right. I think health care, affordable housing, getting good paying jobs for people who like to work with their hands, getting our oligarchy to pay their fair share of taxes ( the tax burden has been forced down over the years), and getting people to not be lead around by the nose are good areas to work on. But we're going to give money to the rich, and be bigots for a while it seems.

The only people fixated on transgenders and bathrooms are right-wing wackos. And, speaking of wackos, what’s up with Republicans and bathrooms? Are Republicans afraid that transgenders will take up all the stalls and prevent Republican politicians from having homosexual sex with minors?

Well count me in on being fixated on a trans sharing the ladies room with me.
Pass me by on a public street? Fine I might even nod hello.

Interesting to know you have no problem for your wife and other female family members
sharing the ladies room or high school locker room with transgenders exposing themselves....
while they are trying not to notice.
Bully for them.

Oh, and by the way..it makes me laugh every time I see the name calling of President Trump,
you or one of your like minded friends here do.
The election is over, you guys lost,
but yet it’s still fun to see the sour grapes pouring from your grief of losing the election. 😁

Trans people have been using your bathroom since before you were born. Somehow society didn't crack, and we didn't descend into a swirl of iniquity.

Here's my litmus test for bigots:

You're out front, hanging in the yard. Maybe having a BBQ. People playing frisbee, badminton, throwing a football, whatever. A car careens down the street, jumps the curb, and smacks one of the kids, hard. They have let's say, an obvious compound fracture, and are moaning in the yard, barely conscious, likely head trauma. Who do you call?

10 of your favorite religious leaders, pundits, politicians, etc?

Nope, you call 911. And you hope for a really crack EMT. One who was maybe a Corpsman in Falloujah or such, and is really adept at staying calm and in the golden hour after a significant trauma, getting a patient stabilized and into a L1 trauma center where they can be attended to by the full team.

Now here's the test. What if the EMT is gay? What if they are trans? Jewish? Atheist? Pick your least favorite marginalized group. Now...they're still the crack EMT that saved lives in battle. But their identity is something that people with way too much fucking time on their hands harp about when their bigot mask slips.

So who do you call? Joel Osteen, Dr. Oz, RFK Jr., and company?

We all know the answer.

Now here's the test. What if the EMT is gay? What if they are trans? Jewish? Atheist? Pick your least favorite marginalized group. Now...they're still the crack EMT that saved lives in battle. But their identity is something that people with way too much fucking time on their hands harp about when their bigot mask slips.

You can be whoever one wants to be, I don’t give a rats behind.
I DON’T want a trans, who is actually a man sharing the bathroom with me.

I was born and raised in NYC, trust me, I’ve seen it all growing up in Manhattan, you just don’t
pay attention to it or as kids we laugh and giggle with my best girlfriend as we roamed Central Park or riding the subways.
Tourists and visitors see the sights, the empire state building, times square etc. They don’t see
what goes on in the inner city, they are in protected areas.

As a mam you want to dress as a woman? Fine, I don’t care, just stay out of the ladies room when I am in there.

Being gay or whatever, I don’t care. If you can help me in a time of need, I welcome your help.

If you’re a trans female, I don’t care, if my next door neighbor is a trans, I don’t care, s/he
just might help me with my garden work and we share a cola while out in the back yard.

While I am in a public bathroom and you’re a trans..stay the hell out till I am done and left the bathroom. Do I make myself clear?

Got it, limited scope bigotry. Duly noted.

While I am in a public bathroom and you’re a trans..stay the hell out till I am done and left the bathroom. Do I make myself clear?

How often have you been in a public bathroom with a trans woman? And what happened?

She hasn't, or she didn't know. Nothing.

Got it, limited scope bigotry. Duly noted.

No, you don’t get it, you’re a liberal following what the lib bosses tell you to think.

Well count me in on being fixated on a trans sharing the ladies room with me.

You suggest that this has been a problem that you have personally endured? Or your family? Friends?

Don't the lady's room all have stalls?

Where is the problem?

Where is the problem?<i/>

Projection. They think everyone is as much of a deviant sexual predator as are the people Trump is filling his cabinet with.

How often have you been in a public bathroom with a trans woman? And what happened?

Approx two years ago at a well known restaurant frequent by truckers in Rochelle, IL.
Rochelle is a trucker hub and the town my grandparents retired to.

I entered the ladies room to wash my hands before lunch and following right behind me,
whom I didn’t notice at first was a trans wo/man, with makeup overly applied.
I quickly exited the ladies room as this was not a place I wanted to share with s/him.

I was told by the waitress this trans frequents the restaurant and
and once the boss ask him to leave because there were young girls in the ladies room and he didn’t want any trouble because of him.

Otherwise he was ignored by the patrons in the restaurant.

And you’re worried about a few fucking transgenders????

What the hell is wrong with you? - AW

-------------------------

So you think it should go unnoticed that girls are losing athletic scholarships to males and worse than that being forced to share showers, bath rooms, and locker rooms with males. What if it was your own daughter.

What the hell is wrong with you?

Lapsody asked for ideas and that is what I gave him. Your position is significantly out of step with main street, nut you just keep doing what you are doing and hope for a different result.

There's a good chance she never has. And she wouldn't know if she had. It's not like they wear a scarlet "T" on their blouses. And the proportion of the population that is trans is so small (<1%), there's a good chance any given person has never met one, much less shared a bathroom.

Also, with stalls in most bathrooms, I don't see the problem in any event.

While I am in a public bathroom and you’re a trans..stay the hell out till I am done and left the bathroom. Do I make myself clear?

But she helped you with your make up, ya ingrate.

No, you don’t get it, you’re a liberal following what the lib bosses tell you to think

I used to wonder why people said stupid things like this.

Especially now, when we are screaming at the “lib bosses”, telling them it’s time for THEM to say something.

If you want to see a party that truly says what the boss says, just look at MAGA

How many of them are willing to say something different from the boss’ lie that he actually won the 2020 election?

Some…… but only a few

Not a liberal, never been a registered Democrat, you're a bigot.

Don't get between a bigot and her phantoms, mmmkay?

Is it hard to go to the bathroom whilst simultaneously clutching your pearls?

While I am in a public bathroom and you’re a trans..stay the hell out till I am done and left the bathroom. Do I make myself clear?

Always concentrating on the really important issues. Sheesh.

bighairymike: So you think it should go unnoticed that girls are losing athletic scholarships to males and worse than that being forced to share showers, bath rooms, and locker rooms with males.

NCAA President Charlie Baker testified to a Senate committee in December that he is aware of fewer than 10 transgender athletes among the more than 500,000 student-athletes who compete in NCAA championship sports.

Fewer than 10 in a field of a half-million.

Is there a single example of a woman losing an athletic scholarship to a transgender athlete? Or being "forced" to share showers, bath rooms, and locker rooms with males?

Has there has been a bigger mountain made from a smaller mole hill? Trump has convinced his cult to despise the most marginalized individuals in society -- transgender and gay people, asylum seekers, and people of color -- while, at the same time, getting them to fondly embrace murderous dictators and enemies of freedom and democracy.

Remarkable.

Don't the lady's room all have stalls?

Where is the problem?

When I was traveling in New Zealand some of the newer campgrounds had 'all gender' restrooms. Everything (showers, toilets) were stalls. Seemed to be working just fine.

BHM: "The best way would be to win elections by offering a platform that main street voters will find attractive. This would require dropping the fixation on gender and identity politics, supporting the common sense view that biological males should be kept out of women's sports and out of their bathrooms and locker rooms, opposing sanctuary states and cities to name a few, agreeing that schools should embrace parental rights concerning the education of their children, especially opposing schools keeping secrets from parents. To name a few."

Every one of those "issues" was manufactured and focus-group tested to appeal to your amygdala. They have zero to do with the primary responsibilities of the President of the United States, which are to ensure our national security and promote the welfare of our citizenry. With respect to those genuinely central issues, your guy has done more in the past few weeks to undermine our national security than Putin has in the last decade. And the only welfare in which he and his gang of C-list appointees are interested is their own.

As for the sensible opposition, they should focus, first, on preventing global catastrophe. Then, should we succeed in keeping things under reasonable control for the next 18 months, we'll be fine. Reality bites, and it will bite Republicans hard. Trump voters didn't vote for prolonged inflation fueled by stupid tariffs and even stupider deportation of millions of law-abiding immigrants who provide our food and repair our homes. They didn't vote for gutting Medicaid in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires. They didn't vote for measles epidemics or $300 insulin. They sure as hell didn't vote for literally the richest man in the world trying to throw thousands of VA staffers, Medicare clerks, passport processors, and natural disaster first-responders out of jobs.

Assuming we can succeed at forestalling World War III, we'll be fine.

I used to wonder why people said stupid things like this.

You mean like the two ridiculous post of yours I laughed at recently?

So you think it should go unnoticed that girls are losing athletic scholarships to males and worse than that being forced to share showers, bath rooms, and locker rooms with males. What if it was your own daughter.

Exactly, the lib male left here think it’s funny when a trans take advantage of young females in the locker room, sports, or using a public lady’s room until it happens to one of their own.

The only people fixated on transgenders and bathrooms are right-wing wackos.

I don't think that's true. If it were, I wouldn't have seen an animated and giddy Kamala talking about "free transgender surgery in prison" commercials during the election... over and over and over again. Same for all the transgender sports commercials, ad nauseam.

You guys fell for all this crap (OMG! Eggs are so expensive!!!) and thought that a good solution would be to elect a sexual predator and convicted 34-count felon who has placed the biggest retards (I hope that is politically correct) in positions that will endanger our safety, our health, our lives, our rights, our standing in the world, and our national security.

Exactly! So many people did decide to vote for a 34-count felon. So many people went to the polls NOT wanting to vote for Trump and doing it. It really is food for thought, no?
If we are lucky - maybe the current president will screw up so badly that Democrats take back one or both branches of the legislature in two years. Maybe.
Maybe so many unqualified cabinet appointees won't get 4 years to screw things up. Maybe climate change can still be mitigated if we can get it together in the next 4 years. Maybe our reputation won't be shredded internationally.
Maybe Taiwan won't be in China's possession. Maybe the dollar won't be shredded and the economy won't implode by 2029. Maybe.

Then again, we still have a party that doesn't seem to learn. Maybe we can have a platform that decries the unfairness of society against Therians and the misuse of their pronouns.

All of these huge issues mentioned in your post - threatening stability worldwide - there is no one to stand up against them. Why?
Karl Rove used gay marriage and abortion to get George Bush elected twice (I'd kill to have George Bush in office right now). Now, gender issues, immigration, and yes, the economy were used masterfully - MASTERFULLY - and a 34-count felon was the choice of the voters.
We can sit around and blame people for their ignorance and stupidity OR we can take a long hard look at our own team and stop the unforced errors.

Is Karl Rove available?

Exactly, the lib male left here think it’s funny when a trans take advantage of young females in the locker room, sports, or using a public lady’s room until it happens to one of their own

Any reason why you are not commenting about your leader's sexual assault conviction and his behavior for grabbing female genitalia area? Surely far more serious behaviour.

Aussi

So you think it should go unnoticed that girls are losing athletic scholarships to males and

I looked, hasn't happened. And the trans losing a scholarship can't be verified either.

You suggest that this has been a problem that you have personally endured? Or your family? Friends? - Bill

-----------------

I will grant you it is rare, but if you are one of victimized girls or their parent, the issue is very real to you. There are lots of examples if you care to do an internet search. Here is one to get you started.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2025...

A Sex Offender Was Allowed to Enter Women’s Locker Rooms in VA.

A Tier III registered child sex offender visited two schools and two county-owned recreation and fitness centers in the Northern Virginia region late last year, according to WJLA.

The sex offender, Richard Kenneth Cox, 58, was charged for allegedly exposing himself to women and girls in a female locker room at Washington Liberty High School in September.

A mother in Arlington, Virginia told the outlet that Cox “exposed his fully naked body in front of her and her 9-year-old daughter” after swimming lessons for children.

"We walked into seeing a man changing in the girls locker room," the mother told the outlet. "Completely naked facing the doorway.

I just watched another report, no link yet, where a boy, his best showing in the boys division was fifth place, but after claiming to be a girl, he won first place in a girls competition. A track and field coach provided perspective by comparing the record heights of the boys and the girls divisions. He said the difference is four feet between the men's and women's records. Your daughter doesn't have a chance if she is forced to compete with one of these men, let along having to share a locker room with an intact male.

It simply astounds me how anyone could be for allowing this travesty to continue.

>I?There's a good chance she never has. And she wouldn't know if she had. It's not like they wear a scarlet "T" on their blouses. - 1pg

When he is standing in your daughters locker room, naked with his dick hanging out, you don't need anything else.

I?There's a good chance she never has. And she wouldn't know if she had. It's not like they wear a scarlet "T" on their blouses. - 1pg

“When he is standing in your daughter’s locker room, naked with his dick hanging out, you don't need anything else.” bhm

Amazing these lefties here don’t see there is a problem and think your description is perfectly normal.

When he is standing in your daughters locker room, naked with his dick hanging out, you don't need anything else.

Either we're talking about different things, or one of us is confused (or both). Trans-gender involves surgical alteration. So, if a trans-gender woman, there is nothing to "hang out". As opposed to a transvestite, who wears women's clothing, but underneath is still male. I have been assuming "trans" meant the former.

Don't the lady's room all have stalls?
Where is the problem?

You might hear a lady fart. That would destroy the world order you have set up in your mind.

Ok, so the sex offenders won't go where they shouldn't be if our POTUS gets his way? He can install a magic barrier to repel them? He's going to ship them all to the Mar A Greenland penal colony? Is the problem someone's gender identity, or that we should all collectively be looking out for those who have malicious intent?

Either we're talking about different things, or one of us is confused (or both). Trans-gender involves surgical alteration. So, if a trans-gender woman, there is nothing to "hang out". As opposed to a transvestite, who wears women's clothing, but underneath is still male. I have been assuming "trans" meant the former.

I guess we will have to wait for the MAGA thought police to help on what trans means. And the answer will be what can bring on the most rage from people who blindly follow without thinking.

Aussi

Either we're talking about different things, or one of us is confused (or both). Trans-gender involves surgical alteration. So, if a trans-gender woman, there is nothing to "hang out". As opposed to a transvestite, who wears women's clothing, but underneath is still male. I have been assuming "trans" meant the former. - 1pg

--------------

When a boy decides he is a girl, usually you start with a long series of hormone treatments and it a long time before you get your pee pee cut off. And even that doesn't eliminate your advantage. If your body's already has been bathed in male hormones for 15 years, your advantage is locked in even after you have your pee pee removed.

How about those two trans boxers who took gold in the last Olympics, both by TKO's One real female said she never has been hit so hard, she was forced to stop the fight after less than a minute. Have some empathy for the many girls who trained for years finally earning a spot on their Olympic team only to realize too late they had no chance of winning.

Trans Am -- is the sole legit trans.

A Sex Offender Was Allowed to Enter Women’s Locker Rooms in VA.

A Tier III registered child sex offender visited two schools and two county-owned recreation and fitness centers in the Northern Virginia region late last year, according to WJLA.

The sex offender, Richard Kenneth Cox, 58, was charged for allegedly exposing himself to women and girls in a female locker room at Washington Liberty High School in September.


I looked. This is a good one, messy. As far as I can tell, the fellow declares he identifies as female, and he's a sex offender tier 3. His license now says F. So he can go into ladies rooms, etc., but what is the sex offender tier 3 and how does that play out. It's all Virginia law. Messy.

I don't care for Trump or his mouthy approach to issues.

However, the government, as Jamie Dimon shared, is basically wasteful and incompetent. So Trump's team may misfire on many fronts, but this is still better than the status quo.

I do believe that Musk is well intended in trying to help.

“I will grant you it is rare, but if you are one of victimized girls or their parent, the issue is very real to you. There are lots of examples if you care to do an internet search.”

And you think some Sharpie-signed executive order will prevent some weirdo somewhere from doing something like this?? Get a grip, man.

So Trump's team may misfire on many fronts, but this is still better than the status quo.

Oh, hell no it is not. It's chaos and stupid and continuing the transfer of the nation's wealth into the hands of an oligarch class. And in foreign policy? An utter disaster for the US. Trump is an IDIOT.

I do believe that Musk is well intended in trying to help.

You're delusional and that statement would be hilarious if it weren't so pathetically sad.

“I will grant you it is rare, but if you are one of victimized girls or their parent, the issue is very real to you. There are lots of examples if you care to do an internet search.”

And you are going to make this a central core - make or break - of your policy? So you're going to allow medicare,, health care, social security, even our agreed upon alliances to be shredded for an issue we have difficulty dealing with? When I brought trans in sports up a long time ago, before it became a wedge issue, you and Dope, etc., were silent. Why? Because you didn't have orders yet. I inherently sensed, as we all do, that it's unfair to let men compete against women. But all of us have met women who could kick our asses around the room. Because we need to let this issue evolve and deal better with it doesn't mean we throw everything out the window for it.

And it looks like we need to come to grips with this at the state level. It looks like this fellow is using one part of the law against the other. But doesn't it seem that a tier 3 sex offender can't use a fake "identify with" to cover his offenses? How do we know it's fake? I dunno for sure yet, seems fake, but we make a rule that if you get convicted of sex offense, you use the bathroom assigned at birth. Try that, see how it works. It'll evolve. But right now it's your daily dose of outrage to manipulate you and get you to vote in such a way that oligarchs get big tax breaks. Capiche?

I will grant you it is rare, but if you are one of victimized girls or their parent, the issue is very real to you. There are lots of examples if you care to do an internet search.

Sanctimonious BS.

Your MAGA heroes...
News Flash: Trump is a rapist! If you were one of victimized girls or their family members, the issue would be very real to you. There are other examples if you care to do an internet search.

News Flash: Multiple women reported that RFK Jr. had touched them inappropriately or exposed himself to them.
A former babysitter for the Kennedy family accused RFK Jr. of sexually assaulting her in 1998 when she was 23 years old. RFK paid her money to keep quiet.
If you were one of victimized girls or their family members, the issue would be very real to you. There are lots of examples if you care to do an internet search.

News Flash: In February 2025, Elon Musk was accused of engaging in inappropriate relationships and retaliatory actions against female employees at SpaceX. This includes allegations of sexual relations with an intern and asking an employee to have his babies. A SpaceX flight attendant accused Musk of exposing himself and propositioning her for sex during a massage session on a company jet in 2016.
SpaceX paid $250,000 to settle this claim. If you were one of victimized girls or their family members, the issue would be very real to you.
There are other examples if you care to do an internet search.

News Flash: Pete Hegseth was investigated by police for "Rape: victim unconscious of the nature of the act" Hegseth reached a private settlement with the accuser, which included payment and a non-disclosure agreement. There are other examples if you care to do an internet search. If you were one of victimized girls or their family members, the issue would be very real to you.

News Flash: Matt Gaetz, A House Ethics Committee report found substantial evidence that Gaetz violated House rules and other standards of conduct, including allegations of paying for sex with multiple women, one of whom was 17 years old at the time. If you were one of victimized girls or their family members, the issue would be very real to you.
There are other examples if you care to do an internet search.

I inherently sensed, as we all do, that it's unfair to let men compete against women. But all of us have met women who could kick our asses around the room. Because we need to let this issue evolve and deal better with it doesn't mean we throw everything out the window for it.

This used to be called “common sense”.

This used to be the way government dealt with things and most folks agreed with the method. But with the advent of the outrage industry-primarily on the right, but also on the left………… everyone is afraid of all those hordes of rabid camels trying to stick their noses under our tents.

However, the government, as Jamie Dimon shared, is basically wasteful and incompetent.

As good as Jamie Dimon is, I have to disagree. When I turn on the faucet, clean water flows. When I get in my car I can drive across the country and feel reasonably assured that most of the other cars on the road are roadworthy and being driven safely. Without a competent government in place life would be completely different. Are some decisions not optimal? Yes but that does not mean the organisation is not competent.

Is the government basically wasteful? Surely there is some waste, it happens in my household as well, but that does not mean, basically wasteful.

At the margin, there can be improvement, but it requires thoughtful review of processes, refining the processes and then reviewing the process change to ensure no unintended consequences.

Aussi

Hegseth violated article 134 of the UCMJ when he committed adultery, while a commissioned officer. This isn't one of the petty matters I occasionally admonished troops for, once upon, when I was in command (I commanded twice, him zero times, but he's qualified for SECDEF somehow). Petty matters were administrative in consequence, handled under Article 15. I did dozens of those. Fighting in formation, cursing out the First Sergeant, etc.

He unambiguously broke a law that is punishable in trial by courts martial. Extramarital sexual contact. Look it up. I only sent one troop to the brig, after proffering a courts martial against him. One. In over four years of command.

But all good 'cause Pete's a good xtian and is a friend of the King.

I do believe that Musk is well intended in trying to help.

What are you basing that belief on? What evidence dou you have that his intentions are good?

You're arguing with a flat-earther.

You're arguing with a flat-earther.

Technically, I'm not arguing. I'm just asking a question.

Argument may or may not follow. ;-)

What I'm really doing is trying to more fully expose his thinking (or lack thereof).

--Peter

“I will grant you it is rare, but if you are one of victimized girls or their parent, the issue is very real to you...."

Why does this whole kerfuffle look like a (bad) answer in search of a problem? These people are so scared of a trans person and what he/she may do in some statistically tiny way! They sound like the same people who cross the street when they see a black man that may be approaching them from the opposite direction while walking on the sidewalk. He hasn't done anything, but, you know, he might...

Pete

What a hilarious thread. Bunch of condescending, smug, and blissfully unaware people that have no idea what the debate is really about.

And so, since libs gonna lib, they take a complex issue, boil it down to 'ur a bigotttt' and proceed to tell each other how Awesomely Awesome and Smart And Brave and all that they are.

But everyone else got the memo.

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-cou...


It's a far, far bigger issue over who's using what bathroom but our resident experts have got it covered.

Gator, please don’t fall for the scam. Jamie Dimon is saying what he needs to say on CNBC in order to stay out of the line of fire. The purpose of DOGE is not to identify and eliminate inefficiencies or abuse. It’s to traumatize government. The objective is to concentrate power to benefit Musk, Trump, and the rest of the patriarchy. Just as Orban did in Hungary or Putin in Russia. They’re following the playbook exactly.

From Prof. Tim Snyder, an authority on the subject:

“No one in or around DOGE, or in or around the White House, is talking about the good things that government does for people, how government can ease lives, how government can liberate. No one speaks about the benefits of workplace safety or consumer protection or disease control or public schools or public highways or health care or pensions. "Fraud" becomes a paradigm, undermining the sense of having a government. The implication is that only a lone oligarch can be pure and uncorrupt. The opposite, of course, is the case.

…If government is dirty, we are meant to think, then the oligarch is pure. Only a centibillionaire can carry out the necessary cleansing, the happy purge.

…Musk's "fraud" rhetoric is presented as an anti-politics, as something fresh and exciting. But it is in fact a politics, a very old sort, the politics of oligarchy. As he himself has made clear himself, Musk is a politician with a program. It is to disable the rule of law, leaving no barriers to his oligarchical power. In this scheme, the only parts of government meant to function are the ones used to silence people who point out this obvious truth.”

I don't care for Trump or his mouthy approach to issues.

However, the government, as Jamie Dimon shared, is basically wasteful and incompetent. So Trump's team may misfire on many fronts, but this is still better than the status quo.

I do believe that Musk is well intended in trying to help.

Dimon said not efficient and incompetent. But Dimon needs to score points with Trump.

SNIP
JPMorgan weathered the 2008 financial crisis better than most. It was perhaps the healthiest of America’s big banks but felt compelled to join others in taking billions of dollars in a government bailout—a plan meant to avoid singling out banks with truly dire problems. To this day it irritates Dimon that his bank was lumped in with the ones that got themselves in deep financial trouble.

He suffered a reputational hit of his own in 2012, when a trader in JPMorgan’s UK office—nicknamed the “London Whale”—made a series of derivative transactions that mushroomed into $6.2 billion in losses. In a letter to shareholders Dimon called the episode “the stupidest and most embarrassing situation I have ever been a part of.” SNIP

This is to remind you that banks got into trouble in the GFC and no one has a perfect record. Remember Greenspan scolding Congress just before the GFC and waving at the bankers saying they are Professionals as we deregulated? The creative destruction of capitalist economies is WASTEFUL - that's why they use the term destruction. But it works. I'd ask you though - how can destruction be competent? Answer: it isn't. The Scandinavian countries have shown us a blend of socialism and capitalism works best, the people are happier and get a good bang for their buck, but it has waste too. Was the London Whale competent? Not according to Dimon.

You seem to be saying that anything that isn't status quo is better than the status quo. We've had a good run up in the economy since the GFC except for the pandemic - that's the status quo and that's bad? I think we're doing great - but I think we are going to stumble into a recession now.

If your body's already has been bathed in male hormones for 15 years, your advantage is locked in even after you have your pee pee removed.

You just pivoted. First you were talking about "hanging out", and now you're talking about advantages due to hormones. Two different issues.

The former is easily addressed. The latter should probably be addressed, but it isn't exactly a number one priority given that it affects less than 1% of the population. I think sporting organizations should figure it out. There is nothing (to my knowledge) about weight classes in federal statutes. The boxing associations figured it out for themselves, and apparently it works for them.

It's not that I don't have sympathy for them. But it seems like it's being used as a foot in the door for the larger issue of DEI, trans rights, etc. That I can't agree with. Yes, it should be addressed. I also think some allowance should be made for persons who matured under one set of hormones (e.g. males that subsequently trans-ed to female). Sporting organizations can, and do, create different categories for competitors. I don't necessarily know the correct resolution.

That's no excuse to forbid a trans person from using a bathroom based on their current plumbing.

However, the government, as Jamie Dimon shared, is basically wasteful and incompetent.

Completely disagree.

Just like any large organization, there is bound to be some waste and some incompetence. That goes for Intel, McDonald's, government, the military, Costco, or any other large entity you care to name. But the vast majority of all of them are staffed with employees trying to do their jobs with professionalism to the best of their abilities.

And, unlike most companies, government has suffered your mischaracterization for so long that they are chronically under-staffed. Firing people will just make it worse. We need to staff-up our government. By a lot. Even more, now that Chainsaw Musk is -often times illegally- firing everyone.

LOL Jamie Dimon wants to talk about wastefulness and incompetentence?
Dimon paid himself $40 Million last year!
How did he "earn" such a massive paycheck?
In large part by selling crappy, high-fee, tax inefficient, incompetently run, underperforming active mutual funds to investors who don't know any better.

Take a look at some of the wasteful garbage that Dimon/JP Morgan is selling:
One of my favorites is the JPMorgan SMID Cap Equity C Fund ODMCX
Morningstar rates it 1 star. (A monkey with a dartboard could beat it!)
The expense ratio is 1.59%. (10X what a comparable index fund would charge.)
It has underperformed the index in every time period imaginable, YTD, 1-Year, 3-Year, 5-Year, 10-Year and 15-Year!
https://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/odmcx/quote

Another incompetent, joke of a Fund is JPMorgan Small Cap Value R2 JSVZX.
Morningstar rates it 2 stars. (A monkey with a dartboard...)
The expense ratio is 1.49%. (10X what a comparable index fund would charge.)
It has underperformed the index in 1-Year, 3-Year, 5-Year, 10-Year and 15-Year! Wasteful and incompetent.
https://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/jsvzx/quote

How about JPMorgan Corporate Bond C CBRCX?
Morningstar rates it 1 star.
The expense ratio is 1.25%. (10X what a comparable index fund would charge.)
It has underperformed the index in every time period imaginable! YTD, 1-Year, 3-Year, 5-Year, and 10-Year!
https://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/cbrcx/quote

One more, JPMorgan Emerging Markets Debt C JEDCX
Morningstar rates it 2 stars.
The expense ratio is 1.55%. (10X what a comparable index fund would charge.)
It has underperformed the index in 5-Year, 10-Year and 15-Year periods!
https://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/jedcx/perfo...

I could write a book. Go to Morningstar and see for yourself how many JP Morgan funds are nothing more than money grabs.
JP Morgans wasteful, garbage, active funds have cost American investors billions of dollars and for him to pretend like he knows anything about wastefulness or incompetence is truly laughable...

John Bogle: "If the data do not prove that indexing wins, well, the data are wrong." And Jamie Dimon damn well knows it.

bighairymike: When a boy decides he is a girl, usually you start with a long series of hormone treatments and it a long time before you get your pee pee cut off. And even that doesn't eliminate your advantage. If your body's already has been bathed in male hormones for 15 years, your advantage is locked in even after you have your pee pee removed.

Good grief. The NCAA does not allow individuals assigned male at birth to compete on women's teams: A student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team. https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2022/1/27/transgender-...

Women undergoing hormone treatment as they transition to men also are prohibited from competing on women's teams: A student-athlete assigned female at birth who has begun hormone therapy (e.g., testosterone) may not compete on a women’s team. If such competition occurs, the team is subject to NCAA mixed-team legislation, and the team will no longer be eligible for NCAA women’s championships.

You keep arguing about something that does not exist.


bighairymike: How about those two trans boxers who took gold in the last Olympics, both by TKO's One real female said she never has been hit so hard, she was forced to stop the fight after less than a minute. Have some empathy for the many girls who trained for years finally earning a spot on their Olympic team only to realize too late they had no chance of winning.

The Algerian boxer, Imane Khelif, was born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female, and has a female passport. She is not trans. Khelif's boxing record was 37-9. If she's some super testosteroned asskicker, how'd she lose 9 matches?

Lin Yu-ting was 41-14 over her career when she made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, where she did not advance beyond the round of 16.

Keep tilting at those windmills, buddy.


https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40707847/...

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/false-accusation...

Sanctimonious BS.

Your MAGA heroes...

News Flash: Trump....

News Flash: Multiple women reported that RFK Jr.....

News Flash: In February 2025, Elon Musk...

News Flash: Pete Hegseth ...

News Flash: Matt Gaetz,.... - Banksy

=========================

News Flash: The incidents you cite have nothing to do with men wrecking women's sports by inevitably losing to men no matter how much they train, or women being forced to sacrifice their modesty and share their private spaces with men.

You appear to think that citing these other issues, absolves you from even expressing an opinion, let alone expressing actual empathy for the women being impacted. Maybe you would be more persuasive if you threw in some profanity.

"I don't care for Trump or his mouthy approach to issues."

He got your vote though so you care for him enough.

"However, the government, as Jamie Dimon shared, is basically wasteful and incompetent."

There are always religious zealots who believe things without evidence.

I would posit that in general the U.S. federal government is one of the most efficient and COMPETENT governments in the world. Which government do you think is better?

Can it be improved? Absolutely. There is always waste. There is always fraud. There is always incompetence that could be rooted out. That could be said of any government though. The same could be said about Chase Bank.

"So Trump's team may misfire on many fronts, but this is still better than the status quo."

Planes falling out of the sky, veterans unable to get medical care, national parks closed due to staffing shortages, nuclear weapons not maintained due to layoffs, rule of law being broken etc. etc. etc. How is that better than the status quo? I think you are one of those people who have no clue just exactly what the government does, how it does it, and what they are going to end up missing when it is broken.

"I do believe that Musk is well intended in trying to help."

LOL

I am sure at some level Musk genuinely believes he is trying to help. Everyone thinks that about themselves. People are always fooling themselves first and foremost.

However I think Musk's real motivations are much more subtle and selfish.

Even before he started working for the government in December he got the Republicans in congress to eliminate restrictions on companies that do business in China (like Musk's Tesla) in the compromise bill to keep the government open. So far he has been successful at intimidating the regulators at the SEC, FCC, FDA, and FAA who regulate his various companies. He is doing his best to make it so that the FAA can no longer interfere with his SpaceX launches and he can do them whenever and however he wants to no matter how much it puts the public at risk. He is doing his best to make it so that the SEC cannot regulate him and he can defraud lenders by manipulating Tesla's stock price. He is doing his best to make it so that the FDA cannot interfere with his Neuralink company. He is doing his best to make it so that the Department of Transportation won't interfere when he wants to declare Tesla's to be full self driving and allow them on any roads throughout the country no matter how much it might put other people at risk.

Hegseth violated article 134 of the UCMJ when he committed adultery, while a commissioned officer

“None of this happened while Hegseth was in the military, so he would have faced no military legal consequences.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/15/fact-chec...

Not true. He was married to #2 wife, when still in, and had his bastard kid out of wedlock with now-#3, when in uniform. Try again. Keep trying to justify it. Jesus is going to toss you in a ring of fire himself.

Oh, I forgot! He also cheated on #1, with future #2, while still married to #1. And with other women too. And #2 unlocked three achievements, as side piece, wife, *and* cheating victim!

Not true.

Sez you, show me where it says otherwise with credible links.

“ News Flash: The incidents you cite have nothing to do with men wrecking women's sports by inevitably losing to men no matter how much they train, or women being forced to sacrifice their modesty and share their private spaces with men.”

They have everything to do with it. These same men who blow isolated, or even nonexistent, incidents involving women all out of proportion to short-circuit your brain are men who have demonstrated repeatedly that they don’t give a shit about women’s honor or modesty. They are men who would disgust you if you thought clearly about it for a moment. You’d want to keep young women miles away from them.

Musk is offering his services to help for FREE! His time is pretty valuable, maybe the most valuable of any of us in the whole USA.

I owned JPM all through the London Whale episode. While it was embarrassing it was a financial rounding error. The largest cost was the arbitrary fine from your beloved government. I mean arbitrary. There was no reason to enact a fine but greed from the government, They just used this as an excuse to rob from shareholders.

Speaking of governments being unfair to JPM. How about the WAMU takeover. JPM steps in while the whole world is spiraling into a depression and what do they get, another big fine from the government for WAMU misdeeds before the purchase that show up on JOM doorstep.

You may not believe it but the government is not only incompetent, but they are also basically thieves. I am not saying that we don't need government, but we need quality people to participate. The most ridiculous statement is that the government represents themselves a public servants. Hogwash. They are highly compensated employees and need to perform accordingly. In fact most of the government hire a consultant at an even higher cost to do what little work they do.

Musk is offering his services to help for FREE!

That's a joke, right? SpaceX alone has billions in contracts with the US government. He has positioned himself to secure many more.

"Musk is offering his services to help for FREE! His time is pretty valuable, maybe the most valuable of any of us in the whole USA."

That just might be the funniest thing I have ever read on the internet.

Just like Trump in 1st term saying he'd donate his salary to charity ( never been verified he
did that, of course, but his word is just so good, lol ) while raking in probably $100 million from having the taxpayers for housing SS details on his property during his many.many,many golf excursions.

Musk/Starlink landing a $2.5 Billion contract with FAA.
No conflict of interest there,lol.

Don't have the link handy, but read that Musk and his companies have been paid
over $38 Billion in government contracts and subsidies.
No conflict of interest there.

As Elon Musk guts entire government agencies and fires thousands of federal workers that deliver vital services to the country,
remember that his corporations have received at least $38 billion in government contracts.
Will any of his contracts be touched by DOGE? Of course not.

Musk is engaged in flagrant self-dealing.
But it's no worse than what Joe Biden was accused of doing but didn't actually do...
Forehead slap!

Gator1984: Musk is offering his services to help for FREE! His time is pretty valuable, maybe the most valuable of any of us in the whole USA.

What now?

Consider this: Musk pushed the White House to fire hundreds of FAA employees — at the same time taking loyalists from SpaceX and installing them in the FAA — and wrangled away a $2.4 billion multi-year contract to replace antiquated, legacy systems from Verizon to award to his own company, Starlink. The original contract with Verizon dates back to 2023. Unwinding that contract will be complicated and expensive... and likely end up in court.

Not a bad return on his valuable “FREE” time, eh?

Perhaps you could become better informed of other Musk self-dealing, such as the $400 million US government contract for “armored Tesla” vehicles.

And here's just one of many articles detailing how his businesses have collected more than $38 billion in government funds — including millions loaned to Tesla when it was struggling: https://fortune.com/2025/02/26/elon-musk-companies...

That guy's “FREE” time is pretty darn expensive.

And unethical.

And in some cases, perhaps illegal.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/26...

https://electrek.co/2025/02/26/teslas-400-million-...

Musk is offering his services to help for FREE! His time is pretty valuable, maybe the most valuable of any of us in the whole USA.

LMAO. For free! Too funny.

Gator, are you here just for comic effect? You don't realize how Elon is going to benefit from this administration? Already has?

Gator should go to work writing for The Onion. His satire is priceless.

and wrangled away a $2.4 billion multi-year contract to replace antiquated, legacy systems from Verizon to award to his own company, Starlink. The original contract with Verizon dates back to 2023. - CO

--------------------

Could it be that Starlink simply won the business because they offered a superior product than the "antiquated legacy systems from Verizon".

Is it even possible that the Starlink alternative was only discovered and moved to finalized contract during the six weeks following Trumps inauguration?

The profit margin on the $2.6 deal, even if as high as 50%, will lead to $1.3B going into to Elon's net worth. That $1.3B, when added to Elon's existing $400B fortune will finally allow Musk to buy nice things.

Lastly, something does not seem quite right with the Verizon deal made in 2023, yet somehow, in less than two years, the Verizon solution is already antiquated.

Is it even possible that the Starlink alternative was only discovered and moved to finalized contract during the six weeks following Trumps inauguration?


You're missing the point. It's a conflict of interest. Government officials are not supposed to be involved in anything that might enrich them personally. Which is why, except for the Felon, newly-elected POTUSes put their assets in blind trusts.

And that's just one thing. While they denied it when it become public knowledge, there are indications it is not off the table...cybertrucks. The amounts involved would be about enough for the trucks, and "armoring them up". Let's see if he wins the "bidding"...even though electric vehicles would not be suitable for "hostile environments".

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/24/nx-s1-5305269/tesla...

bighairymike: Could it be that Starlink simply won the business because they offered a superior product than the "antiquated legacy systems from Verizon".

Well, sure, I suppose you could believe that... if you're an idiot.

Verizon did not create the legacy system. The communication system in question was actually developed by L3Harris, a defense contractor, not Verizon. Verizon earned the contract to develop a replacement system to rectify the system issues.

Billionaire presidential adviser Elon Musk on Thursday falsely accused Verizon, a rival contractor of his SpaceX Starlink system, of putting U.S. air safety at risk through a communications system that is actually operated by L3Harris.

Musk admitted that he made a mistake when he said Verizon operated the Federal Aviation Administration's communications system.

In short: you gobbled down the big fat lie but passed on the more nutritious but less satisfying correction.


bighairymike: Lastly, something does not seem quite right with the Verizon deal made in 2023, yet somehow, in less than two years, the Verizon solution is already antiquated.

The new Verizon system is not yet operational let alone "antiquated". Verizon is at the beginning of a 15-year contract to build “the next generation system for the FAA.” Verizon has been working with the FAA’s technology teams and is set to begin deployment. Or was, until Musk stole the contract away.



https://www.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-falsely-accus...

Lastly, something does not seem quite right with the Verizon deal made in 2023, yet somehow, in less than two years, the Verizon solution is already antiquated.

https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-public-...

This was the original deal:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Verizon Public Sector today announced a 15-year critical infrastructure contract with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) worth over $2 billion to design, build, operate and maintain the FAA’s next-generation communications platform.

Under the terms of the Federal Aviation Administration Enterprise Network Services (FENS) contract, Verizon will build the FAA a dynamic, highly available and secure enterprise network to support all of the agency's mission critical applications across the National Airspace System (NAS), which includes providing Air Traffic Management (ATM) to more than 45,000 flights and 2.9 million airline passengers traveling across the more than 29 million square miles that make up the U.S. national airspace system.

Without agreeing with the libs, I will say that your point about how weird it is that it's old already is interesting. Also, we have no idea of the system requirements in play here - it would be more than just network bandwidth and availability; there's also an element of security at play.

Post New

Berkshire Hathaway FAQ

---

Contact Shrewd'm
Contact the developer of these message boards.