patrick.net

Eric Holder says

How hard is it for a bunch of geniuses who posess the superpower of working on weekends to connect a fucking record in the SS database with a bank account where money are supposedly going to and verify who that account belongs to*? And if the whole fraud thing is real, where is the fucking prosecution? So yeah, I fault Elon Musk for being sloppy, prone to sensationalism and not following through.

Geeze dude - they have been at it for only a few weeks with judges and government bureaucrats doing everything they can to hide the ball and obfuscate. Talk to us in about 6 months to see if they are truly making an impact or just making false statements.

Besides, are you really arguing that our various government agencies and entitlements are firing on all cylinders and are managed well?

Were you one of the Boomer Commies carrying Nazi signs protesting in front of a Tesla store last weekend?

Even if these estimated DOGE savings YTD are just 50% of what has been reported - this is more legitimate cost savings in government than most of us have seen in our lifetimes.

Remember when the Democrats, Republicans and Media were saying $7 billion was too big of a price tag to build a border wall back in 2019? Doge is finding that in about a week so far.

https://doge.gov/savings

socal2 says

Even if these estimated DOGE savings YTD are just 50% of what has been reported - this is more legitimate cost savings in government than most of us have seen in our lifetimes.

Remember when the Democrats, Republicans and Media were saying $7 billion was too big of a price tag to build a border wall back in 2019? Doge is finding that in about a week so far.

https://doge.gov/savings

Sadly, there is no evidence it's even 10% of claimed "savings". The little fucks simply don't understand what are they looking at and make wild claims which don't pan out at the end. They confuse billions with millions, credit lines with contracts, list shit already paid as something current, etc. Which is no surprise seeing how the bungled the SS "audit" and still have no answers to basic questions there.

RWSGFY says

The little fucks simply don't understand what are they looking at and make wild claims which don't pan out at the end. They confuse billions with millions, credit lines with contracts,

Right - keep believing that Elon and the people in DOGE are just a bunch of dumb 20 year olds that are too stupid to understand Government contracts and spending.

Are you bummed that all that USAID spending was uncovered and put out in the open by DOGE?

socal2 says

RWSGFY says

The little fucks simply don't understand what are they looking at and make wild claims which don't pan out at the end. They confuse billions with millions, credit lines with contracts,

Right - keep believing that Elon and the people in DOGE are just a bunch of dumb 20 year olds that are too stupid to understand Government contracts and spending.

I see what I see. They don't inspire a lot of confidence TBH. They did manage to not understand a relatively simple SS data model so there's that.

RWSGFY says

I see what I see. They don't inspire a lot of confidence TBH. They did manage to not understand a relatively simple SS data model so there's that.

It's about citizenship and voting. Your age is not on the SS card. In IL you at least have to provide that. No ID of course. So if you have a 120 year olds SS card you can vote.

Waste isn't alway about $$$ now. SS needed an audit. If Dems can get 10M of those fraudulent SS numbers, that's a lot of votes. If you place them in the right states and districts that's huge.

What was the reason for Biden hiring so many more IRS agents? My taxes got done just fine before he was in office. Quick returns if I got one. Was it to cover up SS fraud? Even if Musk and his team were wrong on something, there's more there, there if that makes sense.

Nothing will come of it, but the amount of votes Biden got in 2020 is obscene. We all knew he was delusional. No logical person would vote for him. This whole thing with SS is more about voter fraud than anything. We've sent $100B+ to Ukraine for a war they couldn't win. 10-20M people getting $1,500/mo at 120 is nothing. The vote is more expensive in the long term because Dems will keep the scam going and threaten that Republican want to end SS. It's a game.

Has nothing to do with citizenship or voting. They made stupid claim based on archival records and now hiding from acknowledging the fact. Because apparently none of the 19 yo geniuses (or their autistic boss) are capable of a sanity checking the data they present to the public and too pussy to admit they fucked up. And I'm being asked to "just believe them" after this show of incompetence? I'm old enough to remember when I was told to believe the good Dr. Fuckyoucci. Spoiler: I didn't.

RWSGFY says

Has nothing to do with citizenship or voting.

100% does. Really not debatable. If Juan from Mexico gets paid $100 to registered to vote by an NGO under "John Doe's" SS number who is already dead, and not a legit ID, you bought a vote.

You get 10M Juan's or Maria's in the right places, you lose elections.

The money for SS real or not is trivial. We just saw Wisconsin donations for a supreme court election get into 8 figures. You don't think some of those voters were part of the 120 and older club? They move them around. The Dems have the game pegged. It's 100% about votes. Why are there even sanctuary cities? Always in Dem regions? They move the people around. Then they vote.

Maybe there's some SS fraud, but Trump is looking to destroy voters that are here illegally. Which is brilliant and some are too dumb to realize this. There was a 7% jump in voter turnout in 2020. I'm sure these 10M 120 year olds had nothing to do with it.... specifically placed in the right spots. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/data/voter-turnout-in-presidential-elections

SS is not about money really. It's votes. Trump may not be marketing it well, but there may be a reason for that. We'll see next year in the midterms. If the R's don't make a slam dunk of the election I'd be surprised. Also I don't know a single person that volunteered to state they voted for Harris. Only Trump. I don't know where these other 70 million voters are hiding.

"SS is votes"? How?

If GOP is not marketing it correctly, market it correctly to me. I don't understand the premise and don't see the connection.

How is the retarded assertion by wet-behind-the-ears "geniuses" that archival records in the SS database mean that 120-369 yo folks are getting paid SS benefits is related to votes? Except for stirring up some misguided outrage among some gray matter deficient voters, but I'm sure you weren't referring to that.

RWSGFY says

"How is the retarded assertion by wet-behind-the-ears "geniuses" that archival records
in the SS database mean that 120-369 yo folks are getting paid SS benefits is related to votes?"

You are looking at two different frauds here:
1. Stealing money from the Social Security system.
2. Give the Social Security numbers to fake voters to steal an election.

The_Deplorable says

RWSGFY says

"How is the retarded assertion by wet-behind-the-ears "geniuses" that archival records
in the SS database mean that 120-369 yo folks are getting paid SS benefits is related to votes?"

You are looking at two different frauds here:
1. Stealing money from the Social Security system.
2. Give the Social Security numbers to fake voters to steal an election.

Elon and his autists didn't prove either.

PS. Do illegals use fake SSNs? Yes they do. Are these provided by SSA to them? No, they aren't. They use either completely fake SSN or somebody else's real SSN.

RWSGFY says

"PS. Do illegals use fake SSNs? Yes they do. Are these provided by SSA to them? No, they aren't."

No need to use fake SSNs.
The illegals were provided with social security numbers, credit cards in order to enable the
Globalist Nazis to steal our elections. That is why we had open borders the last four years
with millions of illegals pouring in.

The_Deplorable says

The illegals were provided with social security numbers

Musk never provided any proof of it being true.

I asked my H1-B co-workers about them obtaining SSN and they said the SSA practically crawls up your ass to verify the validity of your visa, employment authorisation, etc. And the card they get has "not valid without employment authorisation" stamped on it.

But illegals somehow waltz into the SS office and get a legit SS card without any documentation? Again, I'd like to see proof of that happening.

Eric Holder says

"But illegals somehow waltz into the SS office and get a legit SS card without any documentation? Again, I'd like to see proof of that happening."

Where were you the last four years? The Biden administration was flying the illegals in at 2 am
taking them to hotels, giving them credit cards, free healthcare and SSNs. Or did you forget we
were a country without borders all that time?

The_Deplorable says

Where were you the last four years? The Biden administration was flying the illegals in at 2 am
taking them to hotels, giving them credit cards, free healthcare and SSNs.

Was here. Never seen any evidence of illegals getting legit SSN, just assertions of this supposedly happening from some twatter clowns. You don't have it either, do you? Elon sure doesn't.

Eric Holder says

"Never seen any evidence"

Yes, keep denying the obvious because when you do, it will go away.

The_Deplorable says

Eric Holder says

"Never seen any evidence"

Yes, keep denying the obvious because when you do, it will go away.

Sorry, bud, I don't trade in "obvioius". The only currency accepted is evidence. Served me well during the coof scamdemic. So, does or doesn't Elon have it? He's knee-deep in SSA databases and works on weekends, what takes him so long?

Eric Holder says

"Sorry, bud, I don't trade in "obvioius". The only currency accepted is evidence"

A while back (was it you?) people were demanding evidence that Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)
cured Covid-19. And this despite a database with over 400 medical studies proving that
HCQ, cures Covid! Again, denying the obvious, does not change the fact.

Musk no happy:

In the early hours of Saturday morning, Musk took to his social media platform X to launch an apparent attack at the president’s senior trade counselor, taking jabs at Navarro under a video in which he explained the Trump administration’s logic in levying tariffs during a CNN appearance.
“A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing. Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem,” Musk wrote in one post. (Navarro earned a PhD in economics from Harvard in the 1980s.)
The Department of Government Efficiency head replied to another user’s comment on the video lauding Navarro’s explanation, writing of the economist: “He ain’t built shit.”

Musk also responded to another user posting a quote attributed to well-known conservative economist and commentator Thomas Sowell as saying “in every disaster throughout American history, there always seems to be a man from Harvard in the middle of it.”
“Yup,” Musk wrote under the post, seemingly referring to Navarro.

Tech mogul Elon Musk, who has served as a close advisor to President Donald Trump, on Saturday broke with the president's decision to impose expansive tariffs on most foreign nations, saying that he hopes to see a 'zero tariff situation' between the United States and Europe.

"I hope it is agreed that both Europe and the United States should move, ideally, in my view, to a zero tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America," Musk told "The League Congress" on Saturday, an event hosted by right wing Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.

"That's what I hope occurs, and also more freedom of people to move between Europe and North America if they wish, if they wish to work in Europe or wish to work in America, they should be allowed to do so, in my view. So that has certainly been my advice to the president," Musk added.

RWSGFY says

"That's what I hope occurs, and also more freedom of people to move between Europe and North America if they wish, if they wish to work in Europe or wish to work in America, they should be allowed to do so, in my view. So that has certainly been my advice to the president," Musk added.

Cool. Then they can take care of their own security. More of a money saver on military for us. No issue dropping the new tariffs if they drop theirs. They'd be the loser in this outcome but whatever. Outside of car sales I cannot remember the last time I thought to buy a European made product.

RWSGFY says

"I hope it is agreed that both Europe and the United States should move, ideally, in my view, to a zero tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America,"

No problem there, since Europe has similar labor and environmental laws - no phony comparative advantage due to slave labor and lax pollution enforcement. But also with the caveat that Europe reimburses the US for any military bases and related costs or take full responsibility for their security.

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1909110195302899812

HeadSet says

with the caveat that Europe reimburses the US for any military bases and related costs or take full responsibility for their security

Fun fact: Europe tried to establish their own defense alliance called WUDO back in 1948. The US insisted on creating NATO where it would dominate by design and rolling WUDO into it. So they probably would have no problem going back to the original idea, especially after witnessing the USA's feebleness wrt even mild stuff like providing permission to hit an aggressor across the border with US-provided weapons. No point in hiring a gunslinger who might have second thoughts wrt showing up for the fight.

PS. They might also charge the US for 20 years of participating in the Afghanistan campaign - the only rime Article 5 of NATO was ever used. And that was definitely not their war.

Eric Holder says

Fun fact: Europe tried to establish their own defense alliance called WUDO back in 1948.

Get serious. In 1948. without the US and the US atomic capability, the Red Army would have easily taken Europe.

Eric Holder says

Fun fact: Europe tried to establish their own defense alliance called WUDO back in 1948.

They had 3 operations, the only two worth a damn was where US B-29s pretended to be Soviet Aggressors.

Without US financial and military support, including all the dumped WW2 surplus, it was a joke. The French are still pissed we didn't subsidize their colonial efforts on top of most of their entire military logistics and much of their economy back in Western Europe in the 40s and 50s.
Eric Holder says

PS. They might also charge the US for 20 years of participating in the Afghanistan campaign - the only rime Article 5 of NATO was ever used. And that was definitely not their war.

Oh no, the battalion of infantry or the company of medics expense... much of that load being logistical and borne by the USA. For a year or two before they left. Piddling compared to the massive investment in Military and especially nuclear umbrella over Europe since 1945 by the USA.

We made sure they remain weak and dependent because it suited our "keep the USA in, USSR out and Germany down" policy. I'm pretty sure absent NATO WUDO would be pretty viable long term. And Germany would be nuclear-armed.

Put whatever monetary cost on it, but they did go to war for us and spilled their blood defending the US interests.Blood >> treasure.

PS. And while we at "who ever did what for us" Ukraine has provider the third largest contingent in the coalition forces during Iraq war and did lost men in action.

RWSGFY says

Put whatever monetary cost on it, but they did go to war for us and spilled their blood defending the US interests.Blood >> treasure.

I'm sorry, a company of Belgian Nurses offering free Gynecology exams for Kabul Women for a year or two is not the equivalent of tens of billions/year in nuclear umbrella and military deployment costs in Europe for 50 years.

AmericanKulak says

tens of billions/year in nuclear umbrella and military deployment costs in Europe for 50 years.

Already discussed above: the setup was foisted on them after they tried to create their own defense block.

PS. And then "the end of history" arrived and everybody became stupid: the US started cozying up to the KGB fucks, looking for "soul in their eyes", engaging in "resets" and deep talks about "global warming" and disarming their neighbors while Yurp basically decided there is no need for defense from there on (ignoring Poles and Balts who were warning them the sheep on the East is still the same wolf wearing sheep's skin, but what do they know?).

Eric Holder says

Already discussed above: the setup was foisted on them after they tried to create their own defense block.

No, the US wanted a say because it knew it was on the hook anyway for the defense of Europe, especially in 1948 given the END OF THE SOVIET UNION and the poor performance of the Russian Army.

The Cold War is over! Now the Europeans can have their own Block. Why don't they want it now that it's easier?

You're right, it's time for us to go - now, not then.

AmericanKulak says

it knew it was on the hook anyway for the defense of Europe, especially in 1948 given the END OF THE SOVIET UNION and the poor performance of the Russian Army.

This is a weird sentence I'm not sure I follow. 1948 and headfake known as "the end of USSR" are 45 years apart.

Anyway, nobody forced the US to want to dominate Yurp. Apparently it was deemed beneficial to do so.

https://x.com/UveBeenNudged/status/1895253405192618249

Eric Holder says

Anyway, nobody forced the US to want to dominate Yurp. Apparently it was deemed beneficial to do so.

80 years later, it is less beneficial to do so.

Especially after seeing how pathetic and impotent the Russian military's performance has been in Ukraine!

https://x.com/OwenSparks/status/1910842722597863760

Tesla’s profits have plummeted to a five year low ...

The electric car company’s net income slumped by 71pc to $409m (£307m) in the three months to the end of March, marking its least profitable quarter since 2020.

Sales came in at $19.3bn, down 9pc and well below market estimates.

The company warned: “Uncertainty in the automotive and energy markets continues to increase as rapidly evolving trade policy adversely impacts the global supply chain and cost structure of Tesla and our peers.”
...

Tesla also admitted that “changing political sentiment” was damaging sales. Deliveries of its vehicles fell 13pc in the first three months of the year, Tesla reported earlier in April.

The company warned that the twin impact of tariffs and boycotts “could have a meaningful impact on demand for our products in the near-term.”
...

The results came hours after Scott Bessent, the US Treasury Secretary, said that America’s trade war with China was not sustainable...

The admission is a sign that officials are growing wary of the economic cost of Mr Trump’s aggressive trade war, which has prompted a sell-off of US stocks, debt and the dollar.
....
The car company’s stock is still down 40pc on record levels it achieved in December in the wake of Mr Trump’s White House victory.

The US can wait out China, which is facing the greatest demographic collapse since the Black Plague.