7 ms·

Which institutions has Trump burned down?

by flanked-evergl 24d ago

financetechbro 24d ago
The federal government? Ever heard of DOGE??
- nick49488171 24d ago
  I'm not a psychopath but how are we supposed to fix the deficit without something like DOGE that can cut programs.
  - AnimalMuppet 24d ago
    Well, how much did DOGE cut? If you're dependent on something like DOGE, it's hopeless, because as a method of cutting the federal budget, DOGE didn't work.
  - forestry 24d ago
    Most spending is legislated and can’t be cut without congressional approval.
  - budman1 24d ago
    Responsible budget from congress. Social Security / Medicare need to reduce benefits and increase taxation. Let's start with the easy one; social security taxes. Make every dollar of income be taxed for social security. If you make over $150k (pick a number, I don't care where it is), then 100% of your social security is taxed as income. Or maybe tax it a little more. Cut the federal government. (mini-doge, for lack of a better term). Stop the growth in the budget of each department. Pull back 10%; done sanely by assessing what the department is doing, what it is required to do, and what it doesn't need to do. Cut the military. Do we need both a land based and sea based nuclear deterrent? Get rid of 1 of them. Cut active duty strength 10%. Stop ridiculous projects like "B-52 Re-engine and Radar update". (So, I am going to put money into my 1950 ford, when I can buy a 2026 model (B21) at a reasonable price... this is absurd) Raise taxes. Not a lot, but raise them. Bring in more revenue. You don't have to eat the rich, just reach a little deeper into their pockets. (also, I don't care how you define rich. Pick a number) Do all of these in a moderate amount, and you will be OK. The yearly deficit will shrink, and some of the outstanding bonds will be paid. It doesn't have to be fixed in a year; a 20 year plan, executed, is fine.
  - throw0101d 24d ago
    > I'm not a psychopath but how are we supposed to fix the deficit without something like DOGE that can cut programs. Reverse the taxes of Trump and Bush to start. Then perhaps reverse the tax cuts of Reagan. A major plank of the GOP's game plan has long been cutting taxes and then complain about too much spending: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starve_the_beast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starve_the_beast Another plank has been voter suppression: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REDMAP https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REDMAP * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy
  - toast0 24d ago
    You can fix a deficit by reducing spending or increasing income. Things like not cutting taxes when or letting tax cuts expire would help. Ending programs can help, but not when it's done in unconstitutional ways that result in court expense, the program being reinstated, and backpay for no work. I'm sure some programs have fraud and waste, too; but the fiscally optimal amount of fraud and waste is not usually 0%. Related: government shutdowns are also a big waste of money. You can blame those on whoever you like, but having them regularly is not fiscally responsible.
  - throwawayqqq11 24d ago
    Where does all the wealth come from? I remeber, as a small boy, i learned Bill Gates was the richest man on earth with 8bn$. Today, Alon is ~120x that much. Where did all this came from? "Money printer" is usually used negatively by right wingers to argue against debt driven social spending. The point missing in economics and politics is, that this money printer never stopped and it doesnt work for the many but for privileged elites. The superficial right wing response is just a reminder, whos in charge of their world view and fiscal policy. The distortion of the public debate is reflected in your lopsided stance too, that you think you need DOGE to tackle the problem by cutting spending. There is another way. Think about it this way, you have a money source, thus you should have a money sink, otherwise it migho get out of hand [1]. What could such a sink be? (i know you know it too.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financialization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financialization EDIT: I want to hint at modern monetary theory, very "controversial".
- flanked-evergl 24d ago
  [flagged]
  - forestry 24d ago
    You can’t be serious.
  - kstrauser 24d ago
    Behold, the sea lion in its natural habitat.
smcg 24d ago
Scientific funding is in crisis.
- flanked-evergl 24d ago
  Let's ignore the fact that congress and not the president that allocates funding, and the fact that "scientific funding" is not a recognized obligation or even right of any branch of the US government, and therefore hardly qualifies as an institution, and the fact that "scientific funding" included things like spending $14,000,000 to have monkeys play a "Price Is Right"-inspired video game[1]. Can you share exactly how much less was spent on "scientific funding" by the US government in 2025, and how exactly that amounts to Trump burning down the institutions? [1]: https://www.independent.org/article/2025/12/30/2025-festivus-wasteful-spending/ https://www.independent.org/article/2025/12/30/2025-festivus...
  - smcg 24d ago
    you're the one using the line "burning down institutions". they are not burning down, but they are on fire, and we are already feeling very significant effects from this. The Trump admin is illegally witholding allocated funds. Take the EPA for another example. There have been so many layoffs, so many departments that just don't answer the phone any more because they don't have any staff. Over 20% of the EPA staff was laid off. A lot of this is in research departments. The downstream effect will be felt for decades even if you aren't feeling it now.
    - flanked-evergl 24d ago
      > you're the one using the line "burning down institutions No. I'm not. The post I responded to literally said: "By burning the institutions down", which is why I asked "Which institutions has Trump burned down?" > Take the EPA for another example EPA is not an institution, it's a regulatory body which is part of the executive branch of the US government. Also very odd that you did not actually address my question: how much less was spent on "scientific funding" by the US government in 2025?
cosmicgadget 24d ago
CFPB

Which institutions has Trump burned down?

financetechbro 24d ago

The federal government? Ever heard of DOGE??

nick49488171 24d ago
I'm not a psychopath but how are we supposed to fix the deficit without something like DOGE that can cut programs.
- AnimalMuppet 24d ago
  Well, how much did DOGE cut? If you're dependent on something like DOGE, it's hopeless, because as a method of cutting the federal budget, DOGE didn't work.
- forestry 24d ago
  Most spending is legislated and can’t be cut without congressional approval.
- budman1 24d ago
  Responsible budget from congress. Social Security / Medicare need to reduce benefits and increase taxation. Let's start with the easy one; social security taxes. Make every dollar of income be taxed for social security. If you make over $150k (pick a number, I don't care where it is), then 100% of your social security is taxed as income. Or maybe tax it a little more. Cut the federal government. (mini-doge, for lack of a better term). Stop the growth in the budget of each department. Pull back 10%; done sanely by assessing what the department is doing, what it is required to do, and what it doesn't need to do. Cut the military. Do we need both a land based and sea based nuclear deterrent? Get rid of 1 of them. Cut active duty strength 10%. Stop ridiculous projects like "B-52 Re-engine and Radar update". (So, I am going to put money into my 1950 ford, when I can buy a 2026 model (B21) at a reasonable price... this is absurd) Raise taxes. Not a lot, but raise them. Bring in more revenue. You don't have to eat the rich, just reach a little deeper into their pockets. (also, I don't care how you define rich. Pick a number) Do all of these in a moderate amount, and you will be OK. The yearly deficit will shrink, and some of the outstanding bonds will be paid. It doesn't have to be fixed in a year; a 20 year plan, executed, is fine.
- throw0101d 24d ago
  > I'm not a psychopath but how are we supposed to fix the deficit without something like DOGE that can cut programs. Reverse the taxes of Trump and Bush to start. Then perhaps reverse the tax cuts of Reagan. A major plank of the GOP's game plan has long been cutting taxes and then complain about too much spending: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starve_the_beast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starve_the_beast Another plank has been voter suppression: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REDMAP https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REDMAP * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy
- toast0 24d ago
  You can fix a deficit by reducing spending or increasing income. Things like not cutting taxes when or letting tax cuts expire would help. Ending programs can help, but not when it's done in unconstitutional ways that result in court expense, the program being reinstated, and backpay for no work. I'm sure some programs have fraud and waste, too; but the fiscally optimal amount of fraud and waste is not usually 0%. Related: government shutdowns are also a big waste of money. You can blame those on whoever you like, but having them regularly is not fiscally responsible.
- throwawayqqq11 24d ago
  Where does all the wealth come from? I remeber, as a small boy, i learned Bill Gates was the richest man on earth with 8bn$. Today, Alon is ~120x that much. Where did all this came from? "Money printer" is usually used negatively by right wingers to argue against debt driven social spending. The point missing in economics and politics is, that this money printer never stopped and it doesnt work for the many but for privileged elites. The superficial right wing response is just a reminder, whos in charge of their world view and fiscal policy. The distortion of the public debate is reflected in your lopsided stance too, that you think you need DOGE to tackle the problem by cutting spending. There is another way. Think about it this way, you have a money source, thus you should have a money sink, otherwise it migho get out of hand [1]. What could such a sink be? (i know you know it too.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financialization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financialization EDIT: I want to hint at modern monetary theory, very "controversial".
flanked-evergl 24d ago
[flagged]
- forestry 24d ago
  You can’t be serious.
- kstrauser 24d ago
  Behold, the sea lion in its natural habitat.

smcg 24d ago

Scientific funding is in crisis.

flanked-evergl 24d ago
Let's ignore the fact that congress and not the president that allocates funding, and the fact that "scientific funding" is not a recognized obligation or even right of any branch of the US government, and therefore hardly qualifies as an institution, and the fact that "scientific funding" included things like spending $14,000,000 to have monkeys play a "Price Is Right"-inspired video game[1]. Can you share exactly how much less was spent on "scientific funding" by the US government in 2025, and how exactly that amounts to Trump burning down the institutions? [1]: https://www.independent.org/article/2025/12/30/2025-festivus-wasteful-spending/ https://www.independent.org/article/2025/12/30/2025-festivus...
- smcg 24d ago
  you're the one using the line "burning down institutions". they are not burning down, but they are on fire, and we are already feeling very significant effects from this. The Trump admin is illegally witholding allocated funds. Take the EPA for another example. There have been so many layoffs, so many departments that just don't answer the phone any more because they don't have any staff. Over 20% of the EPA staff was laid off. A lot of this is in research departments. The downstream effect will be felt for decades even if you aren't feeling it now.
  - flanked-evergl 24d ago
    > you're the one using the line "burning down institutions No. I'm not. The post I responded to literally said: "By burning the institutions down", which is why I asked "Which institutions has Trump burned down?" > Take the EPA for another example EPA is not an institution, it's a regulatory body which is part of the executive branch of the US government. Also very odd that you did not actually address my question: how much less was spent on "scientific funding" by the US government in 2025?

cosmicgadget 24d ago

CFPB