What did Democrats do wrong?

[theprestige]

There seems to be this recurring idea that no one ever looks at the Federal Budget and so lots of waste, fraud and abuse must be in it. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Every President, Senator and House Representative has staffers going through the budget on a regular basis looking for things to cut. Not because they care about the deficit (anyone in DC who actually cares about the deficit is a sucker, but that's a whole other story), but because they want to free up money for their own projects. Anything in the budget that does not have political support from somebody is quickly cannibalized for resources. One man's "waste, fraud and abuse" is another man's "vital constituent interest".

In theory, Congress has the power of the purse and decides amongst the People's Representatives where the money should go. Everyone gets a say in what should be spent where.

That is... not what is happening now.

You're just making it sound like the waste, fraud, and abuse is far more pervasive, and far more normalized, than we thought.

 

[Thermal]

And I say the same thing about the private sector.

Agreed. And?

Republican propaganda?

Maybe. Maybe apolitical observation from any experience with government at any level.

Source: Trust me, bro. There's research that says anywhere between 20-50% jobs over all (but mostly in the private sector) are generally useless.

Agreed. And?

Maybe it says something about our economic system when the richest man in the world is a vaporware salesman. Do you really belief wealth is a direct result of actual value to society?

No. Why do you ask?

Plundering our treasury for their personal benefit?

Yup.

 

[Random]

You're just making it sound like the waste, fraud, and abuse is far more pervasive, and far more normalized, than we thought.

I'm saying waste, fraud, and abuse is subjective. If you think government payments to disabled veterans is pouring money down a rathole, then you are going to find more "waste" in the budget than someone who has basic human empathy.

Truely worthless spending that no one likes gets wiped out pretty quickly. Anything in the budget that has been around for a while probably has a few people who could give you a good argument for why it should remain (at least in their opinion).

 

[TragicMonkey]

You're just making it sound like the waste, fraud, and abuse is far more pervasive, and far more normalized, than we thought.

Sounds like the medieval church attempting to root out heresy and finding it absolutely everywhere it looked, whether it was there or not.

 

[Donal]

Agreed. And?

Maybe. Maybe apolitical observation from any experience with government at any level.

Agreed. And?

Doesn't that all kind of shoot down your premise that the government is so horribly wasteful and private businesses aren't?

No. Why do you ask?

Because you correlated Musk's wealth with him being valuable to society or a good businessman. Much like Trump, it seems the only thing he's ever been really good at is self-promotion.

Yup.

Can we agree that is a bad thing?

 

[Thermal]

Doesn't that all kind of shoot down your premise that the government is so horribly wasteful and private businesses aren't?

I didn't say that private businesses aren't. You are either actively hallucinating, or we have a language barrier.

Because you correlated Musk's wealth with him being valuable to society or a good businessman. Much like Trump, it seems the only thing he's ever been really good at is self-promotion.

I said nothing of the kind. You are either actively hallucinating or we have a language barrier.

Can we agree that is a bad thing?

It is. Extremely so.

 

[johnny karate]

Sounds like the medieval church attempting to root out heresy and finding it absolutely everywhere it looked, whether it was there or not.

“Fraud, waste, and abuse” has become another article of faith like “rigged election” and “fake news”. We will hear it repeated over and over again by the faithful, but not one of them will provide any evidence to support it.

 

[theprestige]

Sounds like the medieval church attempting to root out heresy and finding it absolutely everywhere it looked, whether it was there or not.

If every single politician has been looting each other's programs to fund their own pet projects, then by this point we're lucky if there *isn't* waste, fraud, and abuse all the way down. That's the scenario @Random is describing.

Also I don't think the medieval church scenario you're describing is accurate, but whatever.

 

[johnny karate]

If every single politician has been looting each other's programs to fund their own pet projects, then by this point we're lucky if there *isn't* waste, fraud, and abuse all the way down. That's the scenario @Random is describing.

It’s literally not, as made clear by the original post and the one that followed it up to clarify.

Also I don't think the medieval church scenario you're describing is accurate, but whatever.

You don’t need to agree with premise to prove it over and over again.

 

[Donal]

MAGA won the election.

So tell me again how smart Democrats were, to campaign on "progressive" and "liberal".

Yes, when Harris was running around with well known progressive...*checks notes*...Liz Cheney

And when she shouted the well known progressive mantra "I will always ensure America as the strongest, most lethal fighting fore in the world"

So. Far. Left.

 

[Random]

Yes, when Harris was running around with well known progressive...*checks notes*...Liz Cheney

And when she shouted the well known progressive mantra "I will always ensure America as the strongest, most lethal fighting fore in the world"

So. Far. Left.

When Democrats win, it is because they ran as Centrists, and everyone loves Centrists. When Democrats lose, it is because they ran as Liberals, and everyone hates Liberals. How the Democrats actually campaigned compared to how they performed does not matter to this narrative.

 

[The Don]

Like those in the military, on medicare, medicaid and social security?

Or those who rely on infrastructure.

 

[dirtywick]

I'm saying waste, fraud, and abuse is subjective. If you think government payments to disabled veterans is pouring money down a rathole, then you are going to find more "waste" in the budget than someone who has basic human empathy.

Truely worthless spending that no one likes gets wiped out pretty quickly. Anything in the budget that has been around for a while probably has a few people who could give you a good argument for why it should remain (at least in their opinion).

well there’s supposedly trillions of dollars of it. it would be pervasive and everywhere, the evidence would be overwhelming and obvious.

and now a team of the best ceos of on earth running the most cutting edge tech companies with access to unlimited resources and the best accounting practices the private sector has to offer have the power to fix it. this should be a slam dunk

and as airplanes fall from the sky and the economy collapses and we capitulate to russia in only a few weeks i wonder how long we keep this charade up

 

[theprestige]

well there’s supposedly trillions of dollars of it. it would be pervasive and everywhere, the evidence would be overwhelming and obvious.

If only the people responsible for gathering and publishing the evidence didn't have a vested interest in not doing so.

 

[Reformed Offlian]

If only the people responsible for gathering and publishing the evidence didn't have a vested interest in not doing so.

Why would offices like the Inspectors General and the Government Accounting Office have a vested interest in not doing the job that justifies their existence?

I think we both suspect why Trump fired all those IGs. He wasn't afraid of them not doing their job; he was afraid that they would.

 

[johnny karate]

If only the people responsible for gathering and publishing the evidence didn't have a vested interest in not doing so.

If only republicans didn't habitually allege a massive conspiracy to explain the lack of evidence for the things they believe.

 

[The Don]

If only republicans didn't habitually allege a massive conspiracy to explain the lack of evidence for the things they believe.

It's like voter fraud.

The Republicans claim that it is widespread, extensive and exclusively committed by Democrats.

When it's investigated, it turns out to be rare, small scale and largely committed by Republicans.

Regardless, measures are put in place to prevent it which has no effect on the fraud (because it's mostly absent) but does further Republican objectives in other areas.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

If only the people responsible for gathering and publishing the evidence didn't have a vested interest in not doing so.

but they HAVE a vested interest, as there are (or used to be before Musk) programs to pay whistle-blowers for showing fraud/waste and get paid as a percentage of the savings.
You are assuming that about 50% of all people or more are in on a conspiracy, and would rather live in poverty than cash in.

 

[Tero]

They forgot to resist Trump on eggs and transgender. Only...nobody would have heard them by then. "You send your boy to school and they send him back as a girl."

 

[Donal]

If only the people responsible for gathering and publishing the evidence didn't have a vested interest in not doing so.

The lack of evidence is the evidence?