Trump Versus Reality, Part Two, by Robert Gore
All eyes are on Trump and team, and that’s the problem. The government is the star around which everything else orbits. In the U.S., as in the rest of the world, government is the dominant fixture in the lives of those who must live under it. Trump promises to Make America Great Again. Effective as that slogan has been, that’s all it is, an advertising bromide. Nations and other collectives are never great; once in a great while individuals are. The only role governments have in the quest for greatness is to stay out of the way of the individuals capable of achieving it.
This is an excerpt. For the complete article, please click the above link.
This is an excerpt. For the complete article, please click the above link.
I would have to label ALL governments of the world, including ours, a Kakistocracy.
government by the worst or least qualified and I have asserted that the "Or" be replaced with "AND".
I wish that honesty, integrity, and ethical rational thought would take hold in the fedgov.
But I don't expect it.
1,200+ pages vs 120 pages.
Call me IMPRESSED.
Apparently Musk had Grok break it down. LOL, friggin' awesome already.
And he saw what was in there.
If we can get THESE types of results. I am ALL IN.
Also, this is before President Trump takes power.
This is AMAZING to me.
This should remind ALL OF US what the potential is, to have Musk, with his PLATFORM, IQ, and AI to help redefine the future.
Imagine when the goal is "reduce government" to allow innovation... And use Technology to guide the way (100% impartial technology).
Imagine Grok Being trained to report on these bills as fast as Congress creates them. With a full analysis. Highlighting issues.
What if Grok could be trained to summarize into a few simple graphs:
Helps Congress vs. Helps You
Reduces Govt vs. Increases Govt.
Wastefulness...
Oh, imagine. Pretty soon, AI will be peeling open the sausage and making it easy/obvious what is going on.
Welcome to this Brave New World!
I love your article. But, I don't have to love the truth, do I? You're saying some things I've been thinking. Trump got elected on these ideas because they're good ideas. But, "reality" is more than an idea. The momentum of this overstuffed, grossly overpriced pig of a government is probably too great. And, Trump (IMO) really only has two years for reform. Literally...two years to save the country. Anything less than a total reversal of several programs, including the COMPLETE elimination of several federal departments, will not save us. The minute I realize Trump's back at it sending mean tweets from his toilet in response to Marxists reporters saying mean things about him I'll know we're cooked. But...I have "hope"...
And, FWIW, I've never been a fan of tariffs. There's not substitute for slashing taxes and regulations to allow our manufacturing to compete. Resorting to tariffs this early feels like we've already thrown in the towel on this necessary reforms. They're not optional. They're necessary. Like breathing.
Reducing the strangling effect of overblown regulation can help reduce the price of goods, and inflation to further reduce financial pressure on individuals.
Tariffs are stupid, period.
But when other countries hit us with Tariffs, and think nothing of it...
In this case. Tariffs are on the table, because they are part of the big stick.
But I am 1,000% in support of tariffs, especially the way I understand Trump to want to use them. HE WILL, just to create an EXAMPLE out of one country. Which will give him more leverage with the other countries.
Finally, I think Trump is smart enough to know that if we need a 300% Tariff for US Companies to compete... We need to look a little a deeper.
With 100% Tariff... I don't think you would change your supplier. But others will...
The 25% tariffs Trump and Biden put in China did nothing really given that in our experience Chinese items cost 1/3 of what items manufactured in USA cost. Tariffs would have to be 300% to bring manufacturing back to the USA and make it uneconomic to buy from China and ship the items here
It IS felt by China. In many cases we know the Chinese govt funds these companies to keep the Overly Competitive, to employ their people. not caring about the wages their people get, because once they are the last producers, the prices creep up.
again, it's a tool. Like a gun. You can shoot yourself in the foot with it. But you can negotiate with it as well.
The same thing can be said on taxing corporations. They don't ultimately pay the taxes, the push it into the price of their products.
It's literally the same thing, but without the leverage for negotiation, IMO.
The way I see it, you could be addicted to the drug of Cheap Chinese materials. And for me, this is where Marketing comes in. Sell on being made in the USA and sourced in the USA and not on price. also, if ALL of your competitors face the same problems, then you all have to raise your prices.
Finally, I would personally consider buying 20%-50% more than I need each month, for the potential, while simultaneously seeing if we could outsource from S. Korea or some other country.
This could turn out to be an opportunity. At least that's how I believe Trump would interpret it. And if you did get a new source... You would reduce the support we send our Mortal Enemies who don't care how many Americans are dying from their Fentanyl.
The claim that American made products can't compete with Chinese goods is based on the harsh fact that Chinese goods don't have the burden of excessive regulation that American companies do. Chinese labor costs aren't really so much lower than American labor costs, but their overhead cost of dealing with regulatory burdens is a lot less. Relieving American companies of regulations that cost far more than the supposed benefit they provide would do a lot to level the playing field.
Tariffs, if used as a scalpel instead of a steamroller, do make sense.
And this is DOUBLY True for Antibiotics!
I find it PURE Insanity that the USA did not maintain the infrastructure/ability to produce ALL of the antibiotics we could need during a war...
We are literally going to have a hard wake up call.
But it IS Trumps Problem. and I am glad he is working on it.
Quick question. If you knew that your companies profits via China were leading to 100 of those people dying per day... Would you change your mind, or is it still not your problem.
Back to the Objectivist Point. You are seeking your own goals. And Trump his seeking his. If your goals are a net negative on society. You don't have to care. And if Trumps goals are a net negative on you. Does he have to care? (Honestly Curious, I am not suggesting you become a collectivist. And I am assuming Trump negotiating on our behalf is not making him a Collectivist because he is acting on his values)
Until the medical system gets people addicted to opiods. Then cuts them off.
I've lost family and friends to these drugs.
FWIW, it's not the drugs. It's the ability the government has to make people feel disconnected.
Rats in a happy environment don't get addicted to cocaine. But put them alone in a cage and they all do.
If you've truly met someone struggling to stop their pain... They are not thinking straight enough and quite frankly once they have gone so far, death is inevitable and often welcome. Even if it just stops the pain.
We've got lots of problems... Hating each other should not be one of them.
But freedoms must also include the freedom to make bad choices.
A tariff isn't the same as sales tax, as the former often elicits a response with positive results, while the latter is in effect no matter what the conditions are. A tariff can produce a negative response, such as "revenge" tariffs on the other nation's goods, but those have a negative effect on the vengeful party by creating a trade war that could result in killing sales to the other nation altogether.
The US has been far too lenient to tariffs imposed on American goods by other nations, with the only response being an occasional weak complaint. This is like the "white guilt" emotion expanded to the entire nation: we're too successful, and have no right to complain when less successful nations (even if they're developed countries) deliberately restrict our trade to protect their own domestic production.
I am however hoping I’m wrong and Americans will wake up and end the madness.
I think he needed the Hero's Journey that we got.
I KNOW the country needed it.
I KNOW MAGA needed it.
You are 1,000% correct. Only if we educate enough people as to the Pure Destructruction government HAS BEEN and WILL BE, unless We The People vote with Conscious towards these things.
The goal should not just be to fire 80% and prove they were wasteful. The Goal needs to be to CHANGE how things are down, to automate them, simplify them. And build a MAGA MOTTO that includes automating government out of it's growth phase and into its reduction phase.
We must wake up! That the government doing less, and we individually doing more is always the better answer.
I am, to this point, thinking FEMA should be based on GoFundThis... Where Americans speak by sending their money to fund it, which then allows FEMA to use a "Multiplier". (So that HI and NC would have seen a generous flow, but NOT for housing illegals or Fake Asylum seekers)
TRANSPARENCY [DISCLOSURE] AND ACCOUNTABILITY [JUSTICE] IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD.
FUTURE OF OUR REPUBLIC AT STAKE.
WATERGATE x1000
SEPT 14-18, 21-25 [track & follow events]
Did Kevin set his alarm?
Q
Merry Christmas CaptainKirk