In the past week or so, the courts have begun to try to set some boundaries on the Musk–Miller–Trump administration’s early blitz of recklessness.

. . .

This judicial review provides at least a small reprieve, hope that some of the administration’s most destructive impulses will be stopped. Or at least pared back. But even with the courts stepping up, and even with the reality of the administration’s ineptitude sinking in, this early Musk–Miller–Trump blitz remains very—maybe irreparably—damaging. Of course, there are a lot of moles to whack: the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are being dismantled at an alarming rate, and the court system is not known for being nimble. The administration is betting, perhaps rightly, that at least some of its thoughtless, lawless efforts will slip through the cracks.

But even if the courts caught them all—and even if every court facing each lawless escapade said, “Nope, that’s not a thing”—still the entire process would be doing serious damage to our institutions. Think of it as someone spoofing your identity and going on a shopping spree with your credit cards. Even if the goon gets caught, you still have to go store by store to argue that the fraudulent purchase wasn’t legitimate and hope the debt is forgiven. And all the while, perhaps long after all the debts are dealt with, the torrent of uncertainty kills your credit score.

MBFC
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  • Flying Squid
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    26 days ago

    It’s literally already happening.

    And it’s hard to know what argument you’re making when your responses are one and two words.

    • @nwilz
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      6 days ago

      Regular crashes are not happening. Also they rejected over 1000 applicants for traffic controllers because of there race while having a staffing shortage. Maybe don’t do that

      it’s hard to know what argument you’re making when your responses are one and two words.

      Should be pretty easy when I don’t use words like faa and plane crashes

      • @AbidanYre
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        16 days ago

        rejected over 1000 applicants for traffic controllers because of there race while having a staffing shortage

        Where do you people even come up with this nonsense?

      • Flying Squid
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        06 days ago

        This was your entire argument:

        You didn’t even bother defining what you think is waste. Is every government employee a waste?

        • @nwilz
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          -26 days ago

          This was your entire argument:

          I am aware.

          Is every government employee a waste?

          The government’s job is to protect individuals from aggression by others. If it doesn’t involve that, then probably

          • @jordanlundM
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            06 days ago

            That is not the only job of government.

            • @nwilz
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              -16 days ago

              That’s your opinion

              • @jordanlundM
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                16 days ago

                No, it’s your opinion that the only job of government is to prevent attack and you are objectively wrong in that.

                https://www.ushistory.org/gov/1a.asp?srsltid=AfmBOoohYDSRnj55K4MOK2cBwa3e_tccug5cHcftIT3xTSQapuGbpl2f

                “A country, then, needs to not only protect its citizens from one another, but it needs to organize to prevent outside attack.”

                Notice the order there… The first job of government is to protect its citizens from one another.

                So, no, you can’t burn 110 mph through a school zone. Why? Government. Meat packers can’t sweep up floor waste and sell it as grade A meat. Why? Government.

                These are the things government does when it’s NOT protecting us from exterior threats, because the interior threats are just as pernicious if allowed to be uncontrolled.

                And no, private industry is not a substitute. Why? Because there’s no profit in it. And trust me, you don’t want to live in a country where basic food safety is a for profit industry.

                Government exists to do the things necessary for a society without seeking to profit from it. This is why all the idiots going “Government should be run like a business!” are, in fact, idiots.

                Imagine a for profit police department, or fire department, or DMV, or department of education.

                “911, please enter your credit card now.”

                • @nwilz
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                  6 days ago

                  One another means violent force and fraud.

                  Meat packers can’t sweep up floor waste and sell it as grade A meat. Why?

                  … Because that’s fraud. I support the government protecting individuals from fraud.

                  Imagine a for profit police department

                  Police are here to protect you from others, that’s what I said the government is here for.

                  Actually it’s the left that yells acab abolish the police, abolish ice

                  Organize to prevent outside attack means the military should protect us from foreign enemies. So no I’m not objectively wrong, actually by your own quote you provided with a source, I’m objectively right

                  • @jordanlundM
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                    16 days ago

                    No, you said it was ONLY for that and you’re 100% wrong on it. Government builds streets, installs sidewalks, and street lamps, all the little things we take for granted that the private sector can’t because they can’t monetize it.

                    Unless you want to pay a toll for sidewalk access? Or for lingering under a streetlight?

                    These are the things government does.

          • Flying Squid
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            -16 days ago

            So meat inspectors at the FDA and doctors at the CDC are a waste because they don’t protect others from aggression. Okay then.

            • @nwilz
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              06 days ago

              Is the government the only one capable of inspecting meat?

              • Flying Squid
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                6 days ago

                Yes. That’s how it works in virtually every country on the planet. Who else do you think should be doing it? Should the meat companies inspect themselves? I think you might want to read some Sinclair Lewis if that’s what you think.

                • @nwilz
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                  06 days ago

                  Who else do you think should be doing it?

                  Independent third parties can do it and probably better

                  • Flying Squid
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                    26 days ago

                    What independent third parties? Who pays for them?