I’ve often criticized our modern politics for having a very short “vision” of basically the two years between elections. Reading about DOGE’s bumbling with the oil drilling has helped me realize that situation is going to get much worse, as they cripple or eliminate features of our government that actually had a long view. Along those li…
I’ve often criticized our modern politics for having a very short “vision” of basically the two years between elections. Reading about DOGE’s bumbling with the oil drilling has helped me realize that situation is going to get much worse, as they cripple or eliminate features of our government that actually had a long view. Along those lines, I think more attention needs to be paid to the closure of our seed storage bunker, after 100 years of keeping a wide variety of seeds viable in case of unforeseen crop disasters. Most of DOGE actions seem to have a strong ingredient of malevolence, without discernible purpose.
This isn’t about government efficiency. It’s about building the case (no matter how flawed and inaccurate) that will be used to make the case for budget reconciliation so that the billionaires can continue to receive massive tax cuts. Medicaid will be annihilated in the dead of night before they Jam the tax bill through the House. Mark my words. And they still will increase the deficit by $2.5T. Imagine if Biden or Harris would have suggested that plan.
Thanks for including the link, Joe. I think that’s where I read about it. Next time I’ll try to remember to include links. I wish it was getting more attention, even though it’s probably too late. Imagine the grief of those employees, beyond losing a job. Same with so many other cuts, like USAID and the VA. This all feels so giantly malevolent.
During the selection of Trump’s cabinet, it became obvious that incompetence was the goal. I’ve read a few explanations, like it’s easier for Trump to control people who have dicey backgrounds. Or was it playful shock value to provoke liberal tears? For once I don’t have an opinion beyond bafflement.
This seed bunker shut down is probably 100% DOGE. Trump is probably clueless as to its existence. But, wouldn’t Musk have wanted to take some samples to Mars for colonization? Oopsie.
Haha! We are having to constantly update the “conditioned response” software in our brains. I’m having Deja vu that my vital statistics wind up whenever I see “Breaking News” in my Inbox. There was a four year break . . . but the brain remembers.
Team Trump has all kinds of problems with their energy policy. Some reports that the long meeting with industry did not go well. Team Trump thinks breakeven costs are $50/bbl, but industry says it closer to $70 bbl. Team Trump think less regulation lowers their cost $10/bbl, that seems optimistic. Likewise the Saudis want/need oil prices higher (like $90!). There is a real threat that the Saudis break with OPEC quotas, flood the market with oil in order to force high cost (US shale oil) to shut down.
Oh man; I haven’t been following that. It really is overwhelming to keep up. Thanks for shining some light on an important topic I don’t understand very well.
And last night there was a new threat that is (so far) below the radar; a Trump executive order to states demanding access to voter rolls and demanding changes to the way states run elections, like proof of citizenship - which begs the question if that would be retroactive. We know what’s coming; withholding federal funding until compliance (submission). And voter suppression.
Musk’s only long term plan is to access our taxes to pay for his ‘trip to Mars’ fantasy - which I’d be happy to finance if the timeline moved at the speed of light.
Yes, it's the old "Ready, Fire, Aim" classroom exercise or AKA 'going off half-cocked'. Hmmm...spitballing here. How 'bout renaming Elmo "Ejaculatory Mindlessness". Just sayin'
I’m guessing auto correct didn’t recognize “Elon”. Poor Elmo! He’s completely innocent; Elmo should be in this cabinet, to bring some calm and integrity.
OMG! Apologies! I just saw on NYT that they ARE going after Elmo. These people are mentally ill. I never realized Elmo was a Communist. Of course.
I think the technology is there. Let's put Musk in a rocket and just push the send button. Move fast, break things, disruption! Let's run space travel like a business ya know? DOGE style!
Agreed... I hadn't heard about the seed storage bunker closure, egads! The more I learn, the more it feels to me that the only real 'purpose' is to kill as many of us as possible, so that, I guess, they can get on with moving their multi-billionaire 'elites' to Mars. Or something.
This story got overwhelmed by other events. It might be too late; I assume the seeds have perished without the TLC provided by the employees. But the story should still be kept alive because it’s so revealing. And devastating.
I know.... it definitely shows the absence of both long-term thinking and survival-based planning. Lately I've been mulling over the idea that the high point of this country was roughly the 1930's through the 1960's. The high point in terms of caring about the actual American people and not just the ultra-wealthy, and caring about long-term plans and the ideals this nation was founded upon. It certainly wasn't perfect (Vietnam War, Nixon's first election, assassinations) but when I look back it does seem to me that that was a time in which our elected leaders were sober people who cared about the country and its future.
I wonder if The Great Depression was a needed shock to the system, because your evaluation seems similar to mine. 9/11 was another shock to the system, but the wrong leader was in place. Imagine if the rightful winner, Al Gore had been the president then; our response would have been more long range planning for alternative energy, instead of “Go shopping!” to preserve our consumer economy. What a sign of how shallow and short sighted we have become over the intervening years.
I’ve often criticized our modern politics for having a very short “vision” of basically the two years between elections. Reading about DOGE’s bumbling with the oil drilling has helped me realize that situation is going to get much worse, as they cripple or eliminate features of our government that actually had a long view. Along those lines, I think more attention needs to be paid to the closure of our seed storage bunker, after 100 years of keeping a wide variety of seeds viable in case of unforeseen crop disasters. Most of DOGE actions seem to have a strong ingredient of malevolence, without discernible purpose.
This isn’t about government efficiency. It’s about building the case (no matter how flawed and inaccurate) that will be used to make the case for budget reconciliation so that the billionaires can continue to receive massive tax cuts. Medicaid will be annihilated in the dead of night before they Jam the tax bill through the House. Mark my words. And they still will increase the deficit by $2.5T. Imagine if Biden or Harris would have suggested that plan.
Thank you, JF. I hadn't even heard of the seed storage bunker closures. Here's a NY Times article with more info: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/22/opinion/doge-elon-musk-usda-crops.html
Thanks for including the link, Joe. I think that’s where I read about it. Next time I’ll try to remember to include links. I wish it was getting more attention, even though it’s probably too late. Imagine the grief of those employees, beyond losing a job. Same with so many other cuts, like USAID and the VA. This all feels so giantly malevolent.
I didn’t even know about the closure of the seed storage bunker! WTF! These people are so narrow minded and dim witted.
And, an incredible level of incompetence.
During the selection of Trump’s cabinet, it became obvious that incompetence was the goal. I’ve read a few explanations, like it’s easier for Trump to control people who have dicey backgrounds. Or was it playful shock value to provoke liberal tears? For once I don’t have an opinion beyond bafflement.
Trump probably believes there’s ’rare earths’ under the bunker
This seed bunker shut down is probably 100% DOGE. Trump is probably clueless as to its existence. But, wouldn’t Musk have wanted to take some samples to Mars for colonization? Oopsie.
I’d like to rant - starting with, “Do they realize…” but, well, anything that follows ‘do they realize’ is pretty much self evident.
Haha! We are having to constantly update the “conditioned response” software in our brains. I’m having Deja vu that my vital statistics wind up whenever I see “Breaking News” in my Inbox. There was a four year break . . . but the brain remembers.
Team Trump has all kinds of problems with their energy policy. Some reports that the long meeting with industry did not go well. Team Trump thinks breakeven costs are $50/bbl, but industry says it closer to $70 bbl. Team Trump think less regulation lowers their cost $10/bbl, that seems optimistic. Likewise the Saudis want/need oil prices higher (like $90!). There is a real threat that the Saudis break with OPEC quotas, flood the market with oil in order to force high cost (US shale oil) to shut down.
Oh man; I haven’t been following that. It really is overwhelming to keep up. Thanks for shining some light on an important topic I don’t understand very well.
And last night there was a new threat that is (so far) below the radar; a Trump executive order to states demanding access to voter rolls and demanding changes to the way states run elections, like proof of citizenship - which begs the question if that would be retroactive. We know what’s coming; withholding federal funding until compliance (submission). And voter suppression.
Thanks, I hadn’t heard about the seed storage bunker either. But Musk’s businesses don’t seem to have much long term thinking either.
Musk’s only long term plan is to access our taxes to pay for his ‘trip to Mars’ fantasy - which I’d be happy to finance if the timeline moved at the speed of light.
Yes, it's the old "Ready, Fire, Aim" classroom exercise or AKA 'going off half-cocked'. Hmmm...spitballing here. How 'bout renaming Elmo "Ejaculatory Mindlessness". Just sayin'
I’m guessing auto correct didn’t recognize “Elon”. Poor Elmo! He’s completely innocent; Elmo should be in this cabinet, to bring some calm and integrity.
OMG! Apologies! I just saw on NYT that they ARE going after Elmo. These people are mentally ill. I never realized Elmo was a Communist. Of course.
I think the technology is there. Let's put Musk in a rocket and just push the send button. Move fast, break things, disruption! Let's run space travel like a business ya know? DOGE style!
Agreed... I hadn't heard about the seed storage bunker closure, egads! The more I learn, the more it feels to me that the only real 'purpose' is to kill as many of us as possible, so that, I guess, they can get on with moving their multi-billionaire 'elites' to Mars. Or something.
This story got overwhelmed by other events. It might be too late; I assume the seeds have perished without the TLC provided by the employees. But the story should still be kept alive because it’s so revealing. And devastating.
I know.... it definitely shows the absence of both long-term thinking and survival-based planning. Lately I've been mulling over the idea that the high point of this country was roughly the 1930's through the 1960's. The high point in terms of caring about the actual American people and not just the ultra-wealthy, and caring about long-term plans and the ideals this nation was founded upon. It certainly wasn't perfect (Vietnam War, Nixon's first election, assassinations) but when I look back it does seem to me that that was a time in which our elected leaders were sober people who cared about the country and its future.
I wonder if The Great Depression was a needed shock to the system, because your evaluation seems similar to mine. 9/11 was another shock to the system, but the wrong leader was in place. Imagine if the rightful winner, Al Gore had been the president then; our response would have been more long range planning for alternative energy, instead of “Go shopping!” to preserve our consumer economy. What a sign of how shallow and short sighted we have become over the intervening years.