You can get rid of USAID and honor existing obligations. The typical strategy for handling that is to announce a ramp down period and a shutdown date. That way, entangled parties can make plans. This is common in the tech world. A company announces that after a particular date, it will no longer support a particular product. It might even announce that it will no longer provide patches or upgrades after a particular date. With that information, customers can make plans. What the emailer described provides no ability to do planning. That’s bad policy and bad business.
Super reminiscent of Elon's Twitter cost cutting strategy. Turns out they didn't really pay a price for stiffing people, so I guess he's decided that's the right way to go.
Good news. We have a free market economy in which, assuming he provides a quality good and/or service, he can procure new clients. (Plenty of people get stiffed in the real world all the time, this isn't new, there are plenty of avenues by which to adjudicate particulars which can and will operate).
To the extent those claims are valid or not will be robustly adjudicated in court, as we all know. Contracts are invalidated/fall through with people not getting paid out in the real world all the time. It is generally not considered to be good business practice (and not Elon's fault) for one to have all of their eggs in the basket of one client.
Thank you for including that Email of the Week in its entirety, and thank you to the writer for taking the time to walk us through the disastrous direct effects of some swashbuckling reckless action that's taking place, JFC.
Ken Klippenstein just posted this: "Elon Musk was at USAID this weekend trying to access a SCIF [Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility], State Department source tells me"😬. It's Groundhog Day but I can't place any of this in the category of déjà vu
Mostly correct! Core snek design is from the original snek graphic, but I added the book, glasses, and arms, under the direction and commission of @JayeBM, the chief dictator of Fif’ book club.
Emailer of the week (who won’t see this): Become a paid subscriber for god’s sake. Hope you get paid for your work (seriously). And thanks for reminding us of Dick Swett, the New Hampshire congressman the most unforgettable name in congressional history (although his by fellow Texas congressman Dick Armey comes in a close second).
Foreign aid accounts for 1% of the US budget. It may not all be well managed or well spent (what government program is?) but it’s not like freezing this will impact our rising debt, but it will impact our allies. The “America first” crowd really doesn’t get it.
There are many parts of this I don't like, particularly the abruptness, but can you perhaps see this is the result of the "it's really not that much money, so who cares?" coupled with "this will make a huge difference with our allies" argument that's been going on over years of fraud and unaccountability.
It is either one or the other - surely our allies won't miss such a miniscule amount of money. Or, perhaps, $40 billion dollars annually really is a sizable chunk of change for which We the People should KNOW what we're getting and who is getting it.
It's always "it's so small a part of the budget, it doesn't really matter" or "it's such a large part of the budget, good luck touching it." Either way no actual cuts ever occur or are substantively advocated for, but as long as you say you support theoretical cuts you've said your classical liberal Hail Marys. Good luck to your kids though.
Leaving aside whether or not foreign aid is something the government should be involved in, eroding foreign/domestic confidence
that the US will pay its debts is *bad*. I'm brave enough to say it. Phew.
Trump isn't a skilled enough politician to change these things through Congress, so he's doing it the only way he knows how. Autocratically. Whether or not it will ultimately work? Who knows. We'll just have to wait a few months/years and we'll find out. Ezra Klein had a pretty decent take on this in his most recent podcast.
It's interesting because I have taught about McKinley and aside from the Spanish American War, he was very much supported by big business types such as Carnegie and Rockefeller. Lots of comparisons one can make with him and Trump (which would be an upgrade from calling DJT "Hitler" all the time)
No one elected Elon Musk. He’s acting in a way that, if the roles were reversed, would have Republicans up in arms. Imagine if George Soros were not only granted access to government programs and sensitive data but also given the power to unilaterally terminate them? Fox News would be covering it 24/7! I hope there’s hell to pay for Musk’s actions, and that those who cheerlead Trump’s efforts finally wake up to the incredibly dangerous precedent being set here.
The Twitter Files rightly exposed government overreach into the private sector, highlighting attempts to stifle free speech. Now, we’re witnessing an alarming overreach by the world’s richest man—someone who was never on any ballot and appears to operate outside traditional guardrails like the Federal Records Act or Congressional oversight. For years, MAGA railed against “unelected bureaucrats.” Ironically, Elon Musk seems to have taken those complaints as a playbook rather than a critique.
It is a disgusting horrific clown show...but...It is also absolutely what the country needs and the obvious result of 20-25 years of the two parties basically ignoring large swathes of the populace and treating governing the country as a sideshow to lining their and their friends' pockets and perpetuating their two parties grip on power.
IDK, we absolutely needed someone to come in an autocratically take a torch to things because reform is simply not possible through the two parties otherwise. This is where Matt and Reason folks are delusional.
Their incrementalist approach to reform is not leading anywhere but more and more progressively less and less effective government.
So we needed something like this...it is just too bad it is such low quality individuals who ended up on top, we needed an Agustus not a Caligula.
Very probably we will end up in a worse place. But there is at least some possibility that either the DOGE stuff is a net positive, or at least this complete shitshow convinces the Democrats to pull their heads out of their asses and try to run the country like someone who cares about the future and the opinions of the people who live there.
IDK there were a million paths to avoid Trump that mostly just needed the Democrats not to be a bunch of contemptuous selfish idiots...and they just couldn't manage that.
It would be like your 12 year old coming crying that an 8 year old beat him up...on the one hand that is horrible people shouldn't beat other people up...on the other hand, it is an eight your old and if he is going to beat you up you kind of deserve it.
The PBS Newhour had three reports concerning USAID last month. Here is the first report:
“ The U.S. has long been one of the world’s largest donors of foreign aid. But in recent years, its effectiveness has been called into question by a chorus of critics who say the impact of assistance programs falls well short of their intended goals. They blame what some have called the "aid industrial complex." Fred de Sam Lazaro reports for his series, Agents for Change.”
I sympathize with the USAID folks, but this is a problem that’s been brewing since the mid-90s. Elon thinks that a shock can get things back closer to level; count me as skeptical.
((Excuse doomsday bits, and give a hat tip to Cato’s Doomslayer….))
Take care of the people you love. The government’s not going to do it.
How do we get a msg to Mr. Kyrgyzstan? I would *LOVE* to hear more about what life was like for him when he lived there. I bet he has some wild stories to tell.
Reason is right - we are so F'ed. It is service cuts for Americans and austerity for other countries now, or austerity for Americans later. (You know what will be really really bad for poor people and people on fixed incomes? Austerity.) Big programs, small programs, USAID - it all has to get cut. There is no money. I don't freak out easily, and I don't have kids to worry about, but I am teetering on freaking-out for all y'all's kids.
I hope Mr. Kryg gets reimbursed, and I hope he finds another job - or better yet starts another company soon. Best wishes to him. But, the fed gov is screwing us all every day. Why he is surprised this is happening to him now is beyond me.
Got my RSVP in for the Gainesville event. The good news is you guys are coming when Gainesville's weather is at its best, so it should be a nice change up from New York. Hope y'all have a good time here.
And remember to honor the message of Snek. Our humble and wise host was certain he knew a thing was true, yet, it was not a true thing. Our other hosts had to research, as they too were unsure.
You can get rid of USAID and honor existing obligations. The typical strategy for handling that is to announce a ramp down period and a shutdown date. That way, entangled parties can make plans. This is common in the tech world. A company announces that after a particular date, it will no longer support a particular product. It might even announce that it will no longer provide patches or upgrades after a particular date. With that information, customers can make plans. What the emailer described provides no ability to do planning. That’s bad policy and bad business.
Super reminiscent of Elon's Twitter cost cutting strategy. Turns out they didn't really pay a price for stiffing people, so I guess he's decided that's the right way to go.
It's really too bad about that guy's company.
Closing USAID is good, actually.
He needs to be paid
Good news. We have a free market economy in which, assuming he provides a quality good and/or service, he can procure new clients. (Plenty of people get stiffed in the real world all the time, this isn't new, there are plenty of avenues by which to adjudicate particulars which can and will operate).
This is an abhorrent position and you should be ashamed.
The entitlement with which people about American taxpayer money is what is actually abhorrent.
The government has outstanding invoices. He should be paid what he's owed. It's no different than if Elon withheld your tax refund.
To the extent those claims are valid or not will be robustly adjudicated in court, as we all know. Contracts are invalidated/fall through with people not getting paid out in the real world all the time. It is generally not considered to be good business practice (and not Elon's fault) for one to have all of their eggs in the basket of one client.
Thank you for including that Email of the Week in its entirety, and thank you to the writer for taking the time to walk us through the disastrous direct effects of some swashbuckling reckless action that's taking place, JFC.
Ken Klippenstein just posted this: "Elon Musk was at USAID this weekend trying to access a SCIF [Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility], State Department source tells me"😬. It's Groundhog Day but I can't place any of this in the category of déjà vu
That is an A+ snek drawing.
iirc the artist is Nika S. :)
Mostly correct! Core snek design is from the original snek graphic, but I added the book, glasses, and arms, under the direction and commission of @JayeBM, the chief dictator of Fif’ book club.
Matt did not post the gay version, a mistake that shall never be forgiven
I don't *see* sexual orientation, so....
You’re not looking in the right places.
Thank Christ.
homophobic
Strong Trogdor vibes, I love it
Or Strong Bad Trogdor vibes?
Emailer of the week (who won’t see this): Become a paid subscriber for god’s sake. Hope you get paid for your work (seriously). And thanks for reminding us of Dick Swett, the New Hampshire congressman the most unforgettable name in congressional history (although his by fellow Texas congressman Dick Armey comes in a close second).
Brings to mind the legendary Alec Baldwin SNL skit "Schweddy Balls"
Anthony Weiner erasure smh
Foreign aid accounts for 1% of the US budget. It may not all be well managed or well spent (what government program is?) but it’s not like freezing this will impact our rising debt, but it will impact our allies. The “America first” crowd really doesn’t get it.
There are many parts of this I don't like, particularly the abruptness, but can you perhaps see this is the result of the "it's really not that much money, so who cares?" coupled with "this will make a huge difference with our allies" argument that's been going on over years of fraud and unaccountability.
It is either one or the other - surely our allies won't miss such a miniscule amount of money. Or, perhaps, $40 billion dollars annually really is a sizable chunk of change for which We the People should KNOW what we're getting and who is getting it.
It's always "it's so small a part of the budget, it doesn't really matter" or "it's such a large part of the budget, good luck touching it." Either way no actual cuts ever occur or are substantively advocated for, but as long as you say you support theoretical cuts you've said your classical liberal Hail Marys. Good luck to your kids though.
Leaving aside whether or not foreign aid is something the government should be involved in, eroding foreign/domestic confidence
that the US will pay its debts is *bad*. I'm brave enough to say it. Phew.
Trump isn't a skilled enough politician to change these things through Congress, so he's doing it the only way he knows how. Autocratically. Whether or not it will ultimately work? Who knows. We'll just have to wait a few months/years and we'll find out. Ezra Klein had a pretty decent take on this in his most recent podcast.
It's interesting because I have taught about McKinley and aside from the Spanish American War, he was very much supported by big business types such as Carnegie and Rockefeller. Lots of comparisons one can make with him and Trump (which would be an upgrade from calling DJT "Hitler" all the time)
No one elected Elon Musk. He’s acting in a way that, if the roles were reversed, would have Republicans up in arms. Imagine if George Soros were not only granted access to government programs and sensitive data but also given the power to unilaterally terminate them? Fox News would be covering it 24/7! I hope there’s hell to pay for Musk’s actions, and that those who cheerlead Trump’s efforts finally wake up to the incredibly dangerous precedent being set here.
The Twitter Files rightly exposed government overreach into the private sector, highlighting attempts to stifle free speech. Now, we’re witnessing an alarming overreach by the world’s richest man—someone who was never on any ballot and appears to operate outside traditional guardrails like the Federal Records Act or Congressional oversight. For years, MAGA railed against “unelected bureaucrats.” Ironically, Elon Musk seems to have taken those complaints as a playbook rather than a critique.
It is a disgusting horrific clown show...but...It is also absolutely what the country needs and the obvious result of 20-25 years of the two parties basically ignoring large swathes of the populace and treating governing the country as a sideshow to lining their and their friends' pockets and perpetuating their two parties grip on power.
IDK, we absolutely needed someone to come in an autocratically take a torch to things because reform is simply not possible through the two parties otherwise. This is where Matt and Reason folks are delusional.
Their incrementalist approach to reform is not leading anywhere but more and more progressively less and less effective government.
So we needed something like this...it is just too bad it is such low quality individuals who ended up on top, we needed an Agustus not a Caligula.
Very probably we will end up in a worse place. But there is at least some possibility that either the DOGE stuff is a net positive, or at least this complete shitshow convinces the Democrats to pull their heads out of their asses and try to run the country like someone who cares about the future and the opinions of the people who live there.
IDK there were a million paths to avoid Trump that mostly just needed the Democrats not to be a bunch of contemptuous selfish idiots...and they just couldn't manage that.
It would be like your 12 year old coming crying that an 8 year old beat him up...on the one hand that is horrible people shouldn't beat other people up...on the other hand, it is an eight your old and if he is going to beat you up you kind of deserve it.
The PBS Newhour had three reports concerning USAID last month. Here is the first report:
“ The U.S. has long been one of the world’s largest donors of foreign aid. But in recent years, its effectiveness has been called into question by a chorus of critics who say the impact of assistance programs falls well short of their intended goals. They blame what some have called the "aid industrial complex." Fred de Sam Lazaro reports for his series, Agents for Change.”
https://youtu.be/0IeiY7g1esE?si=B21aI2VYYt6w_ZfP
I sympathize with the USAID folks, but this is a problem that’s been brewing since the mid-90s. Elon thinks that a shock can get things back closer to level; count me as skeptical.
((Excuse doomsday bits, and give a hat tip to Cato’s Doomslayer….))
Take care of the people you love. The government’s not going to do it.
Before the wars, Medicare Part B., the Obama-Biden ARRA — https://youtu.be/zDgRRVpemLo?si=xG17aQUUCdne6utB
How do we get a msg to Mr. Kyrgyzstan? I would *LOVE* to hear more about what life was like for him when he lived there. I bet he has some wild stories to tell.
Also, if you haven't seen this epic debt issue/cover of Reason, you should: https://d2rcrhh0hg7408.cloudfront.net/2024-08-01.jpg
Reason is right - we are so F'ed. It is service cuts for Americans and austerity for other countries now, or austerity for Americans later. (You know what will be really really bad for poor people and people on fixed incomes? Austerity.) Big programs, small programs, USAID - it all has to get cut. There is no money. I don't freak out easily, and I don't have kids to worry about, but I am teetering on freaking-out for all y'all's kids.
I hope Mr. Kryg gets reimbursed, and I hope he finds another job - or better yet starts another company soon. Best wishes to him. But, the fed gov is screwing us all every day. Why he is surprised this is happening to him now is beyond me.
RFK Jr has knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry the same way David Irving has knowledge of the Holocaust.
Got my RSVP in for the Gainesville event. The good news is you guys are coming when Gainesville's weather is at its best, so it should be a nice change up from New York. Hope y'all have a good time here.
RIP Marianne Faithfull. Broken English a masterpiece!
And remember to honor the message of Snek. Our humble and wise host was certain he knew a thing was true, yet, it was not a true thing. Our other hosts had to research, as they too were unsure.