Regardless of your political views, there is so much that is being done that makes zero sense.
Like many Americans, I am sick and tired of waking up each day to read of how our country, as a result of actions by its tyrannical government, has chosen to do something idiotic. And in the last three months, the pace of that stupidity is accelerating.
Sometimes, there is a clear-cut evil motive. For example, the effort to redistrict Texas is being done for a very apparent reason: to keep the House in Republican hands and prevent any accountability for the bad laws and crimes that are taking place in the White House.
But so much of what is being done today makes no sense at all — even if you are a Trump supporter. Writing in Esquire Magazine, Dave Holmes pointed this fact out exceptionally well.
These are times of austerity in the wealthiest country the world has ever known, and we’re cutting back. Not on defense contracts or presidential golf outings, of course; those are vital to national security. Instead, we’re canceling scientific studies, research grants, university financial-aid programs, health care for the neediest, foreign aid, and more. At the same time, we’re handing our institutions to people who have no idea what to do with them besides starving them to death. And we’re taking a defensive posture against the world’s smartest and most ambitious international students. The immediate result is that America’s greatness is missing in action.
These actions make no sense. And the list of stupid actions is long and not distinguished. Consider what we have done since May:
Our deranged Secretary of Health and Human Services has just canceled approximately $500 million of research into MRNA vaccines. There is NO good reason to do this, and it will kill people. RFK Jr claims that MRNA technology is dangerous. Reputable Scientists tell us differently.
Dr. Michael Osterholm:
Well, let me just set the stage.
I have been in this business for over 50 years on the front lines of public health. I have served seven different presidential administrations advising them, and I have been through several pandemics. And I can say unequivocally that this was the most dangerous public health decision I have ever seen made by a government body.
It’s really a very, very significant challenge for us.
Conservatives don’t want to die of preventable diseases any more than liberals do. So why do this? Not to mention that MRNA technology is showing considerable promise in the fight against cancer.
Experts inside the government know this — and still we did it.
“Mr. Kennedy continues to use words that make it sound like he knows what he’s talking about, but, in fact, he doesn’t.”
He’s a dangerous idiot.
But wait, there is more!
- Trials of cures for cancer and AIDS have been frozen, just as those cures seem tantalizingly within reach.
- Our feckless Secretary of Defense is having the Navy fire 60 civilian professors at the Naval Academy, thereby undermining their ability to teach at an accredited academic level.
- We are attacking universities and freezing their research funding, as well as preventing them from enrolling foreign students.
- Elon Musk and his unconstitutional and illegal DOGE organization gutted funding for the National Park Service a jewel of American beauty to accomlpish what exactly? Make it harder for American tourists and others to see the natural beauty of our continent?
- Just today, Trump signed an order allowing crypto investment products to be included in 401K retirement plans, a perilous and disturbing move. It’s bad enough that the financial lobby got us into the mess where companies walked away from pension obligations, but as a rule, retirement investing should be about stability. Crypto is anything but.
- Musk’s lackeys have actively worked to destroy continuity in the Federal Government. People like Russ Vought and others have politicized the civil service and undone 130 years of work to make it apolitical. Many of the changes will take years to fix.
- The NIH has been virtually destroyed due to Trump’s cuts. Many officials have quit or been fired, and every month, more are choosing to leave. The agency’s ability to award and administer research grants has been devastated.
- Renewable energy is being attacked mercilessly — at a time when our demand for electric power is increasing. Despite what our shitbag Energy and EPA secretaries tell us, fossil fuel cannot and will not be able to meet that demand. That’s a fact. Trump’s tirades about windmills are just nonsensical — as Europe has demonstrated.
- Budget cuts funding for the Forest Service by 65% and would gut funding for critical firefighting programs, forcing cash-strapped states and local communities to fend for themselves and bear the cost of wildfires, endangering families and communities.
The list goes on and on. These are not changes that reflect a thoughtful approach to policy.
Look, I get that there are conservative folks in America ( and may God have mercy on their souls for being so), but even if one is that way, what does cutting the utilities that sustain our society actually prove? ( And make no mistake, health research, health care insurance, roads and infrastructure, firefighting, parks and recreation are all utilities that help sustain a modern society.).
Government exists to provide services. That’s the fundamental truth. When radical Republicans try to tell you some other bullshit theory about the need for and existence of government, they are glossing over that basic fact. Some services should only be provided by the government. In the 21st century, with a mobile society, standards must be uniform across states.
There is something else, too. When evil Russ Vought stands before a microphone and criticizes NIH grants as worthless, he overlooks a crucial fact about scientific research: one does not always know where research will lead or what it will open up. Penicillin was discovered by accident; it is now quite valuable. Plenty of other similar stories. That’s why you need experts with a solid scientific background to evaluate and approve where the money goes. It cannot just be another slush fund for corrupt donors and political hacks ( like Russ Vought).
The United States has a gross domestic product of nearly $ 30 trillion. Our money flow rate ( the total amount of money flowing through the economy to produce that GDP) is twice that. We have the resources to support scientific research, maintain our national parks, and fund critical medical research. It does not advance the cause of conservatism or so-called American greatness to destroy these foundational building blocks of American scientific leadership.
Indeed, it’s a better use of money than giving tax breaks to worthless billionaires.