Summary
Vivek Ramaswamy, recently appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has proposed defunding federal programs that lack current congressional authorization.
This could affect programs like veterans’ healthcare, NASA, and early education initiatives, which still receive funding despite expired authorizations.
Ramaswamy argues that cutting these programs could save billions, and he’s committed to targeting expenditures that “don’t advance the interests of American citizens.”
DOGE, co-led by Elon Musk, aims to curb government spending, with Musk estimating potential cuts of up to $2 trillion.
Could you picture that little runt Ramaswami in basic training? He’d wash out on the first day.
Specifically about veterans’ healthcare: Veterans surveyed supported Trump 61% to 37% Harris with 2% undecided. And it’s not like the plan to screw up VA benefits was hidden, it was there in Project 2025.
Days after the election, I was talking to coworkers who literally said that was just propaganda and he’s not actually going to do it. Because he said that.
Turns out all people needed was a little bit of plausible deniability…
The clown is inviting more clowns and they are building up the circus, this could be funny if it wasn’t so serious.
Trump: “What is the worst idea we can implement?”
Ramaswamy:“Let’s make all the people that know how to use the most complex and deadly weapons mad at us as quickly as possible!”
Wait, a firearm is complex or am I misunderstanding?
Firearms aren’t really that complex.
When it is connected to a f-16 it might be complex.
I can’t make one.
Ask Tetsuya Yamagami. Likely he can give you some pointers.
/s please don’t.
Entirely typical.
Republicans have already dicked veterans over so hard that private charities have to try to make up for all of the broken promises.
And it’s still not enough for them.
Touching NASA very well might be the thing that finally pushes me to actual violence.
Scientific endeavors, but specifically research and exploration of space are pretty much the only things in life I really have a passion for.
The last conservative government silenced the government scientists from discussing climate change and destroyed decades of research as they didn’t believe in it and it didn’t fit their Alberta oil jobs first objectives.
We are looking at another Conservative government coming our way again in the next year and it’s going to be a super shit storm when our Cons and the US Cons are firing on all cylinders destroy everything they don’t like or believe in. I fear it’s going to take decades again to come back on the science again.
NASA is and has always been a way for the US to maintain a literal military high ground. If it gets defunded, I don’t think you’ll have to resort to violence, our rivals will do it for us.
Back in the day they funded NASA because they were worried about being eclipsed by the USSR. Now they may worry about belong eclipsed by China. But yes they might move a shit ton to spacex.
NASA is definitely a target. Musk wants to make SpaceX America’s privatized space agency.
you’ll know nasa is doomed when space-lasers greene or flat earth boebert get tagged for nasa admin.
At least in that case, we could look forward to one of them saying something dumb like, “The moon is fake, it’s not like I could actually go there.” NASA leadership could launch a mission to send them to the moon to prove it real and just go, “Oops, we missed. Darn thing moved on us.”
Maybe we can convince them to send her to the sun.
Why miss and give them more fuel. Hit it
For sure
Please, keep pissing off the military, sounds like a FAFO-prone strategy.
Is the tide changing? I feel like the GOP has been dicking the veterans over my whole life and they’re still like their biggest and strongest supporters. Leopards and faces and all that.
There is a reason Trump is talking about replacing all of our generals (can you imagine the national security risk?) and replacing them.
I’ll let you work it out on your own…
I don’t think he’s ever heard of “fragging”, “mutiny” and the extreme disdain the enlisted already have for REMFs.
So DOGE is getting cut then?
As a US citizen, paying for veterans healthcare and early education programs advance my interests a whole fucking lot more than paying this jackass.
Stupid piece of shit, you don’t speak for us.
I know what you mean but he does, quite literally, speak for us now. This is what we asked for.
I sure as fuck didn’t, I voted against every single fascist asshole on my balot. I’m just angry.
In like a 3rd party way or an actual way?
Thanks for voting. You’re justified in being angry. There’s a lot to be angry about. Right now we need to focus on blocking every action of this government. We need to shine a light on candidates doing the right thing and bring them up to positions of leadership.
Suggestions?
Pick an issue, or a few, you care about. Find the local or regional group that is already fighting for that issue. Join their newsletter. When they have events or meetings near you, go. Meet people and network. Someday you will find a way you can help in a way that fits your skill set, say yes.
It really is that easy to get involved, and these organizations need volunteers way more than they need money. People make the world move forward, not money, not votes. I mean voting and giving helps too, but giving your time is often way more important with activism.
I’ll see what I can do… Appreciate the input.
One more thing I might suggest is to start attending some of your town/city council meetings. You can also ask the clerk to put you on their mailing list for meeting minutes. Some have a sign up on their website. Just getting a feel for what your locality is dealing with can help you to understand what the local issues are. Local politics are often more accessible to change.
This is an unusual question, but do you know any way I can get more involved if I’m not awake when people meet and organize?
I have a severe circadian rhythm disorder and as a result am not awake during the day. All I’ve been able to come up with in terms of contributing is writing cards to potential voters (I got a couple in the mail when I updated my voter registration), and maybe calling potential voters on the other side of the country who are in a different timezone.
I feel really powerless to contribute, but I don’t wanna sit back and do nothing, disability or not :( if you can’t think of anything, that’s okay, I will keep looking for way to be involved
Voting is a small part of political change, it needs to be done but that’s not where the work is. Getting involved in your community and pushing for changes is far more productive, activism of all types.
I would start by getting on mailing lists for things you care about and email for local city council meeting minutes. You might be surprised by some of the meeting times of local orgs. Some events are evening, but you can still learn about what is needed if you are staying engaged with local things. I can’t tell you what will work, but I reiterate I would start by getting on mailing lists for things you care about and take opportunities when they come.
Edit: and don’t be so hard on yourself, you can only do what you can do. Take your wins when they come and focus on those.
Right there with you
So did I but unfortunately we lost. That’s democracy in action. The country we live in (the collective we) asked for this.
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I already do that cause I’m broke as shit 😅 most of what I let myself buy is stuff that makes it a little easier to manage my sleep disorder
If Fuckface 45 and his cronies actually take office on Jan 20, then this country as we know it is gone. It’s over. It’s cooked.
They need to be jailed for their crimes before getting into office.
They do universal healthcare, right? Right?
Universally leave you to die if you don’t pay, sure.
Typo. Then, not they.
If they really go whole hog and sell off the hospitals and stuff then I would think the next president would just go to a Veteran’s Public Option. There’s a world in which 5 years from now we prove Medicare for All works because they deleted the entire side of the VA that does healthcare.
As someone with just as much federal authority as the non-existent DOGE, I also propose defunding expenditures that “don’t advance the interests of American citizens.”
And I would like to start with fucking Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon fucking Musk.
as equal authority, I propose we just lock them up.
I’m sure we can find something to actually justify it. Like, you know, betraying classified secrets to the russians, as well as providing intelligence and military aid;
Wait long enough, and neither will pass the nationalist purity test. The leopards will turn inwards for face-eating sooner than some fasc-allies think, I suspect
Unfortunately, that implies they’ve already run out of people outside to deport or murder…
If we’re all just doing things without authority, why does it even need a legalized justification? Home Depot sells dog cages and padlocks.
Because kidnapping is one thing and seeing them convicted is another.
I want him convicted in a court of law. Legitimately.
All of these stupid fucks, to be clear. Musk. Trump. Vivek. There’s a long list of assholes that need some justice.
I want him convicted in a court of law. Legitimately.
And I want a pet pig that flies. There’s nothing legitimate about how the US courts treat the rich and powerful.
Even the ones that get convicted tend to go to cushy Club Fed prison resorts unless they mess with the money of other rich and powerful people like Bernie Madoff did.
And it’s just going to get so much worse now.
Newly added colluding with Iranian representatives outside official government channels
grab a shovel and start digging. Also, bring the tigerbalm, there’s gonna be a lot of nasty shit.
if elon lied on immigration forms, strip his citizenship, seize his wealth and assets ‘earned’ after committing that crime, and kick him tf out.
I like this idea, too.
Donate it to something like habitat for humanity.
I don’t think they accept donations in the form of ideas about Elon Musk…
oh, i was saying musk’s money.
Give 'em an Archie Slap for even suggesting that shit.
Karma
This is a c/leopardsatemyface moment.
America: Our soldiers are heroes! Also America: But they don’t deserve a penny and should pay exorbitant prices for healthcare…
I know this isn’t all Americans, but it’s more than I thought.
This next two years of “FO” realizations for the FA crowd will bring me no pleasure. Unfortunately we’re past the point of return now in participative democracy due to a menially literate population that has had the capacity for rational and forethought drowned out for 3+ generations.
Time, yet again history, to teach people lessons the same, hard way. 😔
The problem is that it appears as though there are tens of millions of Americans who are literally unable to FO. Or they FO, but are entirely unable (or perhaps unwilling at this point) to connect it to all the FA they’ve been doing.
