This has been roundly debunked all over social media, by far more credible sources than Elon plucking random numbers out of thin air.
Other stats circulating recently refer to the costs to enable Agent Orange and his demon spawn to attend the Super Bowl (even though he left halfway through the game)….
Stadium security upgrade (inc. metal detectors/enhanced checkpoints/bomb sweeps) - $2million
…. and let’s not even get into what it costs American taxpayers to haul his arse down south to go play golf at his resort almost every weekend (estimated total in his first term was at least $120million)
Just sayin’! …..
Maddog said
Feb 11 4:12 PM, 2025
Vam wrote:
Maddog wrote:
FEMA is for disaster relief.
It has nothing to do with housing migrants..
This has been roundly debunked all over social media, by far more credible sources than Elon plucking random numbers out of thin air.
Other stats circulating recently refer to the costs to enable Agent Orange and his demon spawn to attend the Super Bowl (even though he left halfway through the game)….
Stadium security upgrade (inc. metal detectors/enhanced checkpoints/bomb sweeps) - $2million
…. and let’s not even get into what it costs American taxpayers to haul his arse down south to go play golf at his resort almost every weekend (estimated total in his first term was at least $120million)
Just sayin’! …..
Has it been debunked? I haven't seen it. I've seen upset people who don't like Musk railing against it..
And yeah, moving the President costs money. Should they just stay in the White House?
With modern communications we could just let them work from home I guess..
Just listen to him respond to a question and .ake up your own mind about his answer..
jackb said
Feb 12 4:16 AM, 2025
So Maddog the important thing here for you isn't what is happening with your presidents
n the oval office it's the guy who runs the YouTube channel being a progressive
that's the real problem?
Goodnight back to bed!
Maddog said
Feb 12 4:38 AM, 2025
jackb wrote:
So Maddog the important thing here for you isn't what is happening with your presidents n the oval office it's the guy who runs the YouTube channel being a progressive that's the real problem? Goodnight back to bed!
I don't need propaganda from a political operative to form an opinion.
Do you?
Just listen to what Elon or whoever says and form your own opinion.
Anonymous said
Feb 12 10:36 AM, 2025
Maddog wrote:
If we crash and burn it will be because of our sovereign debt. Not because of our foreign policy (except for how fucking expensive our foreign policy can be)..
Reducing that national debt is obviously important but so quickly and at any cost?
President Musk is playing with fire as his actions seem likely to cause rampant asset price inflation as interests rates comes down. Great for asset holders (generally older people with houses / stock portfolios / rich people) but terrible for anyone else.
All we are seeing is a continuation of one of the biggest heists in history - the transfer of wealth from the young to older, wealthy people - which became bad during COVID - and is getting worse. I feel really sorry for young people in Western economies. It is unlikely they will be able to afford what I took for granted without having an elite job and / or wealthy parents, that being a home of their own and a family without decades of endless drudgery. I don't blame young people for opting out of that shooting match altogether.
The top 5% will be ok, The rest of the population will be locked into some weird Hunger Games style game of survival.
Sounds terrific.
jackb said
Feb 12 11:35 AM, 2025
Maddog wrote:
jackb wrote:
So Maddog the important thing here for you isn't what is happening with your presidents n the oval office it's the guy who runs the YouTube channel being a progressive that's the real problem? Goodnight back to bed!
I don't need propaganda from a political operative to form an opinion.
Do you?
Just listen to what Elon or whoever says and form your own opinion.
I think you're missing the point.
Anonymous said
Feb 12 11:51 AM, 2025
Maddog wrote:
Vam wrote:
This has been roundly debunked all over social media, by far more credible sources than Elon plucking random numbers out of thin air.
Other stats circulating recently refer to the costs to enable Agent Orange and his demon spawn to attend the Super Bowl (even though he left halfway through the game)….
Stadium security upgrade (inc. metal detectors/enhanced checkpoints/bomb sweeps) - $2million
…. and let’s not even get into what it costs American taxpayers to haul his arse down south to go play golf at his resort almost every weekend (estimated total in his first term was at least $120million)
Just sayin’! …..
Has it been debunked? I haven't seen it. I've seen upset people who don't like Musk railing against it..
And yeah, moving the President costs money. Should they just stay in the White House?
With modern communications we could just let them work from home I guess..
Yes, much debunking flying around all over the joint I can’t do links here, but just as one example…
“The claim that FEMA sent $59 million last week to luxury hotels in NYC for migrants is incorrect. FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program operates separately from disaster relief and is funded through congressional allocations. No laws or executive orders were violated in this process.”
~ reuters.com/fact-check
Even at that batshit Oval Office presser yesterday where that irrelevant limp dick old sidekick was sitting at the Resolute Desk pretending to be the President, the Ketamine King himself stated that some of the shit he says/posts on X ”will be incorrect”.
Anyway…I just keep wanting to reiterate the same point: No one should be against government reform and excess spending measures. It’s way past time. BUT shouldn’t DOGE just be doing the work, and then present its findings to CONGRESS for review? Congress is MANDATED to make the necessary changes/appropriations, and decide what fat to trim on a case-by-case basis.
FFS, Republicans have the White House, the Senate and the House, so why not just let the elected representatives do what they’re there for - to make/change the rules?
Or is it the Musk/trump regime‘s intention to make Congress, and even the Judiciary, completely irrelevant and surplus to requirement?
Three COEQUAL branches of government? Maybe after the next election (if there is one), cos that sure as fuk ain’t happening now.
Anonymous said
Feb 12 12:28 PM, 2025
Barks dale wrote:
Maddog wrote:
If we crash and burn it will be because of our sovereign debt. Not because of our foreign policy (except for how fucking expensive our foreign policy can be)..
Reducing that national debt is obviously important but so quickly and at any cost?
President Musk is playing with fire as his actions seem likely to cause rampant asset price inflation as interests rates comes down. Great for asset holders (generally older people with houses / stock portfolios / rich people) but terrible for anyone else.
All we are seeing is a continuation of one of the biggest heists in history - the transfer of wealth from the young to older, wealthy people - which became bad during COVID - and is getting worse. I feel really sorry for young people in Western economies. It is unlikely they will be able to afford what I took for granted without having an elite job and / or wealthy parents, that being a home of their own and a family without decades of endless drudgery. I don't blame young people for opting out of that shooting match altogether.
The top 5% will be ok, The rest of the population will be locked into some weird Hunger Games style game of survival.
Sounds terrific.
^^ THIS - a million times over!
I‘m always aware of giving Syl/Diggs extra stuff to approve, so I’ll just add a couple more points and then step away for now…..
”While Elon Musk, the wealthiest man alive, is illegally denying food for the poorest children on earth, SpaceX received another $38 million supplemental federal contract yesterday, paid for by your taxes. Elon loves corporate welfare for himself, rugged individualism for the poor.”
~ Warren Gunnels, Majority Staff Director for Health, Education, Labour & Pensions Committee Chairman (on 12/2/2025)
(and all over social media today)… “The White House has designated Mr Musk’s office, the US DOGE Service, as an entity protected from public records requests and most judicial intervention until at least 2034, by classifying its documents as presidential record.”
Transparency? Yeah, that could take a while….
Anonymous said
Feb 12 1:06 PM, 2025
Vam wrote:
Anyway…I just keep wanting to reiterate the same point: No one should be against government reform and excess spending measures. It’s way past time. BUT shouldn’t DOGE just be doing the work, and then present its findings to CONGRESS for review? Congress is MANDATED to make the necessary changes/appropriations, and decide what fat to trim on a case-by-case basis.
FFS, Republicans have the White House, the Senate and the House, so why not just let the elected representatives do what they’re there for - to make/change the rules?
Right, it's the lack of oversight / transparency that's the main issue. I doubt many taxpayers disagree in relation to getting value for money.
Apparently DOGE needs to do it in this way because it is "'urgent" and "the last chance to save America." Therefore the American people are supposed to just trust Donald Trump and Elon Musk because of this. I don't really know about Musk but Donald Trump's personal and business dealings don't really give cause for confidence that he can be trusted. If the national debt is an existential issue then why did Trump add more to it in absolute terms, and even COVID adjusted, than Biden? Did he just not realise what he was doing? The whole thing sounds shady as hell.
MAGA is a cult. That wouldn't be so bad except the seeming to be sweeping up otherwise thoughtful and sensible Americans with them who are all up in their feelings and not using their natural skepticism. I wonder f this is what it was like watching the UK from the outside during Brexit?
Hello BTW!
Maddog said
Feb 12 2:46 PM, 2025
jackb wrote:
Maddog wrote:
jackb wrote:
So Maddog the important thing here for you isn't what is happening with your presidents n the oval office it's the guy who runs the YouTube channel being a progressive that's the real problem? Goodnight back to bed!
I don't need propaganda from a political operative to form an opinion.
Do you?
Just listen to what Elon or whoever says and form your own opinion.
I think you're missing the point.
I'm not missing the point. I'm forming my own opinion..
Maddog said
Feb 12 2:53 PM, 2025
Vam wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Vam wrote:
This has been roundly debunked all over social media, by far more credible sources than Elon plucking random numbers out of thin air.
Other stats circulating recently refer to the costs to enable Agent Orange and his demon spawn to attend the Super Bowl (even though he left halfway through the game)….
Stadium security upgrade (inc. metal detectors/enhanced checkpoints/bomb sweeps) - $2million
…. and let’s not even get into what it costs American taxpayers to haul his arse down south to go play golf at his resort almost every weekend (estimated total in his first term was at least $120million)
Just sayin’! …..
Has it been debunked? I haven't seen it. I've seen upset people who don't like Musk railing against it..
And yeah, moving the President costs money. Should they just stay in the White House?
With modern communications we could just let them work from home I guess..
Yes, much debunking flying around all over the joint I can’t do links here, but just as one example…
“The claim that FEMA sent $59 million last week to luxury hotels in NYC for migrants is incorrect. FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program operates separately from disaster relief and is funded through congressional allocations. No laws or executive orders were violated in this process.”
~ reuters.com/fact-check
Even at that batshit Oval Office presser yesterday where that irrelevant limp dick old sidekick was sitting at the Resolute Desk pretending to be the President, the Ketamine King himself stated that some of the shit he says/posts on X ”will be incorrect”.
Anyway…I just keep wanting to reiterate the same point: No one should be against government reform and excess spending measures. It’s way past time. BUT shouldn’t DOGE just be doing the work, and then present its findings to CONGRESS for review? Congress is MANDATED to make the necessary changes/appropriations, and decide what fat to trim on a case-by-case basis.
FFS, Republicans have the White House, the Senate and the House, so why not just let the elected representatives do what they’re there for - to make/change the rules?
Or is it the Musk/trump regime‘s intention to make Congress, and even the Judiciary, completely irrelevant and surplus to requirement?
Three COEQUAL branches of government? Maybe after the next election (if there is one), cos that sure as fuk ain’t happening now.
Why were we using FEMA cash for something outside of the purview of FEMA? I know it was authorized, that's the problem.
You are probably correct in how DOGE should present findings, but the executive branch has a great deal of leeway how it's departments.are run.They don't have to wait for congress on many of these matters..Congress handed off control to the executive years ago on many things..
Take tariffs..Until the late 70s they required an act of congress. Congress literally passed a bill giving Carter and all future presidents the power to enact or change them..
Maddog said
Feb 12 3:00 PM, 2025
Barks dale wrote:
Maddog wrote:
If we crash and burn it will be because of our sovereign debt. Not because of our foreign policy (except for how fucking expensive our foreign policy can be)..
Reducing that national debt is obviously important but so quickly and at any cost?
President Musk is playing with fire as his actions seem likely to cause rampant asset price inflation as interests rates comes down. Great for asset holders (generally older people with houses / stock portfolios / rich people) but terrible for anyone else.
All we are seeing is a continuation of one of the biggest heists in history - the transfer of wealth from the young to older, wealthy people - which became bad during COVID - and is getting worse. I feel really sorry for young people in Western economies. It is unlikely they will be able to afford what I took for granted without having an elite job and / or wealthy parents, that being a home of their own and a family without decades of endless drudgery. I don't blame young people for opting out of that shooting match altogether.
The top 5% will be ok, The rest of the population will be locked into some weird Hunger Games style game of survival.
Sounds terrific.
The debt is the biggest problem facing the US..Is Elon going too hard? Maybe, but after decades of ignoring the problem, going hard might be the only way anything gets done.
Our interest rates are a reflection of our inflation which needs to be brought under control. Out of control borrowing from the government makes that difficult. Bringing us right back to the need to reign that in. That's why Trump's tariff threats are dangerous..If he goes through with them they can be inflationary. The last thing we need right now..
Maddog said
Feb 12 3:23 PM, 2025
Speaking of inflation, our January numbers were released this morning..
Not good at all.
And there's likely not a pain free way to tackle it. Americans have no tolerance for short-term pain they don't even understand for long term stability.
Especially since we don't have a president that can explain to them why certain measures are necessary.
Anonymous said
Feb 12 3:36 PM, 2025
Maddog wrote:
Barks dale wrote:
Maddog wrote:
If we crash and burn it will be because of our sovereign debt. Not because of our foreign policy (except for how fucking expensive our foreign policy can be)..
Reducing that national debt is obviously important but so quickly and at any cost?
President Musk is playing with fire as his actions seem likely to cause rampant asset price inflation as interests rates comes down. Great for asset holders (generally older people with houses / stock portfolios / rich people) but terrible for anyone else.
All we are seeing is a continuation of one of the biggest heists in history - the transfer of wealth from the young to older, wealthy people - which became bad during COVID - and is getting worse. I feel really sorry for young people in Western economies. It is unlikely they will be able to afford what I took for granted without having an elite job and / or wealthy parents, that being a home of their own and a family without decades of endless drudgery. I don't blame young people for opting out of that shooting match altogether.
The top 5% will be ok, The rest of the population will be locked into some weird Hunger Games style game of survival.
Sounds terrific.
The debt is the biggest problem facing the US..Is Elon going too hard? Maybe, but after decades of ignoring the problem, going hard might be the only way anything gets done.
Our interest rates are a reflection of our inflation which needs to be brought under control. Out of control borrowing from the government makes that difficult. Bringing us right back to the need to reign that in. That's why Trump's tariff threats are dangerous..If he goes through with them they can be inflationary. The last thing we need right now..
Right, but our conversation outlines the very real danger for ordinary Americans of what we are seeing right now.
Assets aren't ordinarily reflected in inflation figures and based instead on consumer prices. Federal spending needs to be brought under control meaning Musk is rapidly taking money out of the economy to bring inflation down and interest rates fall. Trump is threatening tariffs which could raise prices. There is little by way of protection for rent or house price rises.
Result - houses becomes attractive investments for overseas / institutional investors as interest rates fall. They buy up properties and rent them out to ordinary US citizens which reduces their supply. Rent rises, house prices rise, ordinary buyers are priced out and home ownership recedes into the distance (personally I think we will see a marked increase in house prices in both the US and UK of over 50% in the next 5 years or so anyway but that's a different conversation...) They then get also hit on the head with higher prices due to tariffs mean life gets more expensive and the reality of the expense of having children manifests.
That sounds like a terrible deal to me and a lose of hope for the young.
Anyway, nice to chat and thank you to the Mods for approving my posts today, much appreciated.
Syl said
Feb 12 5:13 PM, 2025
To guests and Vam...you can always join the forum.
It's no hardship for us to approve your posts, but sometimes you have to wait hours when neither Digs nor myself are online.
No doubt some Central Americans will be upset..
This has been roundly debunked all over social media, by far more credible sources than Elon plucking random numbers out of thin air.
Other stats circulating recently refer to the costs to enable Agent Orange and his demon spawn to attend the Super Bowl (even though he left halfway through the game)….
Stadium security upgrade (inc. metal detectors/enhanced checkpoints/bomb sweeps) - $2million
Additonal police resources (inc. overtime) - $1million
Air travel + motorcades - circa $5million
Secret Service details - circa $8million
…. and let’s not even get into what it costs American taxpayers to haul his arse down south to go play golf at his resort almost every weekend (estimated total in his first term was at least $120million)
Just sayin’! …..
Has it been debunked? I haven't seen it. I've seen upset people who don't like Musk railing against it..
And yeah, moving the President costs money. Should they just stay in the White House?
With modern communications we could just let them work from home I guess..
This is a 17 hour old article from the AP..🤷
President Musk takes questions in the Oval Office....
A little bit about the guy making those videos.
He runs a progressive PAC.
And why do we care what he thinks about any situation? Can't we just watch it and decide for ourselves?
Just listen to him respond to a question and .ake up your own mind about his answer..
n the oval office it's the guy who runs the YouTube channel being a progressive
that's the real problem?
Goodnight back to bed!
I don't need propaganda from a political operative to form an opinion.
Do you?
Just listen to what Elon or whoever says and form your own opinion.
Reducing that national debt is obviously important but so quickly and at any cost?
President Musk is playing with fire as his actions seem likely to cause rampant asset price inflation as interests rates comes down. Great for asset holders (generally older people with houses / stock portfolios / rich people) but terrible for anyone else.
All we are seeing is a continuation of one of the biggest heists in history - the transfer of wealth from the young to older, wealthy people - which became bad during COVID - and is getting worse. I feel really sorry for young people in Western economies. It is unlikely they will be able to afford what I took for granted without having an elite job and / or wealthy parents, that being a home of their own and a family without decades of endless drudgery. I don't blame young people for opting out of that shooting match altogether.
The top 5% will be ok, The rest of the population will be locked into some weird Hunger Games style game of survival.
Sounds terrific.
I think you're missing the point.
Yes, much debunking flying around all over the joint
I can’t do links here, but just as one example…
“The claim that FEMA sent $59 million last week to luxury hotels in NYC for migrants is incorrect. FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program operates separately from disaster relief and is funded through congressional allocations. No laws or executive orders were violated in this process.”
~ reuters.com/fact-check
Even at that batshit Oval Office presser yesterday where that irrelevant limp dick old sidekick was sitting at the Resolute Desk pretending to be the President, the Ketamine King himself stated that some of the shit he says/posts on X ”will be incorrect”.
Anyway…I just keep wanting to reiterate the same point: No one should be against government reform and excess spending measures. It’s way past time. BUT shouldn’t DOGE just be doing the work, and then present its findings to CONGRESS for review? Congress is MANDATED to make the necessary changes/appropriations, and decide what fat to trim on a case-by-case basis.
FFS, Republicans have the White House, the Senate and the House, so why not just let the elected representatives do what they’re there for - to make/change the rules?
Or is it the Musk/trump regime‘s intention to make Congress, and even the Judiciary, completely irrelevant and surplus to requirement?
Three COEQUAL branches of government? Maybe after the next election (if there is one), cos that sure as fuk ain’t happening now.
^^ THIS - a million times over!
I‘m always aware of giving Syl/Diggs extra stuff to approve, so I’ll just add a couple more points and then step away for now…..
”While Elon Musk, the wealthiest man alive, is illegally denying food for the poorest children on earth, SpaceX received another $38 million supplemental federal contract yesterday, paid for by your taxes. Elon loves corporate welfare for himself, rugged individualism for the poor.”
~ Warren Gunnels, Majority Staff Director for Health, Education, Labour & Pensions Committee Chairman (on 12/2/2025)
(and all over social media today)… “The White House has designated Mr Musk’s office, the US DOGE Service, as an entity protected from public records requests and most judicial intervention until at least 2034, by classifying its documents as presidential record.”
Transparency? Yeah, that could take a while….
Right, it's the lack of oversight / transparency that's the main issue. I doubt many taxpayers disagree in relation to getting value for money.
Apparently DOGE needs to do it in this way because it is "'urgent" and "the last chance to save America." Therefore the American people are supposed to just trust Donald Trump and Elon Musk because of this. I don't really know about Musk but Donald Trump's personal and business dealings don't really give cause for confidence that he can be trusted. If the national debt is an existential issue then why did Trump add more to it in absolute terms, and even COVID adjusted, than Biden? Did he just not realise what he was doing? The whole thing sounds shady as hell.
MAGA is a cult. That wouldn't be so bad except the seeming to be sweeping up otherwise thoughtful and sensible Americans with them who are all up in their feelings and not using their natural skepticism. I wonder f this is what it was like watching the UK from the outside during Brexit?
Hello BTW!
I'm not missing the point. I'm forming my own opinion..
Why were we using FEMA cash for something outside of the purview of FEMA? I know it was authorized, that's the problem.
You are probably correct in how DOGE should present findings, but the executive branch has a great deal of leeway how it's departments.are run.They don't have to wait for congress on many of these matters..Congress handed off control to the executive years ago on many things..
Take tariffs..Until the late 70s they required an act of congress. Congress literally passed a bill giving Carter and all future presidents the power to enact or change them..
The debt is the biggest problem facing the US..Is Elon going too hard? Maybe, but after decades of ignoring the problem, going hard might be the only way anything gets done.
Our interest rates are a reflection of our inflation which needs to be brought under control. Out of control borrowing from the government makes that difficult. Bringing us right back to the need to reign that in. That's why Trump's tariff threats are dangerous..If he goes through with them they can be inflationary. The last thing we need right now..
Not good at all.
And there's likely not a pain free way to tackle it. Americans have no tolerance for short-term pain they don't even understand for long term stability.
Especially since we don't have a president that can explain to them why certain measures are necessary.
Right, but our conversation outlines the very real danger for ordinary Americans of what we are seeing right now.
Assets aren't ordinarily reflected in inflation figures and based instead on consumer prices. Federal spending needs to be brought under control meaning Musk is rapidly taking money out of the economy to bring inflation down and interest rates fall. Trump is threatening tariffs which could raise prices. There is little by way of protection for rent or house price rises.
Result - houses becomes attractive investments for overseas / institutional investors as interest rates fall. They buy up properties and rent them out to ordinary US citizens which reduces their supply. Rent rises, house prices rise, ordinary buyers are priced out and home ownership recedes into the distance (personally I think we will see a marked increase in house prices in both the US and UK of over 50% in the next 5 years or so anyway but that's a different conversation...) They then get also hit on the head with higher prices due to tariffs mean life gets more expensive and the reality of the expense of having children manifests.
That sounds like a terrible deal to me and a lose of hope for the young.
Anyway, nice to chat and thank you to the Mods for approving my posts today, much appreciated.
It's no hardship for us to approve your posts, but sometimes you have to wait hours when neither Digs nor myself are online.