The high was nice while it lasted. But False Hopium is an ephemeral drug.
In the first few weeks, we were maddened – but also gladdened – by the disclosures regarding how our money (which is forcibly extracted from us) was “wasted” on various execrable things by USAID and the subsequent closing of USAID. How grand! But the high caused us to forget about our money – which of course has never been given back. What does it matter to a man who has been mugged how the mugger spends the money he’s stolen?
This is the DOGE dodge – and it worked, for awhile. People – especially people who wear the Red Hat – were cheered by the thought that Elon Musk, that arch rent-seeker and endorser of carbon taxes – was making the mugger (government) more “efficient.” This being of a piece with “repeal and replace” Obamacare. Not less government – or lower taxes. Just more efficient government. Including a more efficient (AI driven) system of income extraction. Instead of some wiggle room to “get away” with paying something less than “your fair share,” a more efficient system that knows exactly how much you earned so as to assure you are forced to pay precisely what the government says you “owe.”
Is it not astounding? The inheritors of 1776 now generally accept that they owe a large portion of what they worked to earn to the state. And do not object, provided their money is spent efficiently. How long before they stop objecting to penetrative rape, provided the rapist is skilled and makes sure the victim orgasms?
Back to DOGE. It is interesting to note that none of its attentions were focused on the most wasteful and extravagant expenditures of our money – on what is ludicrously styled “defense” spending. This country not having had to defend itself since December the 7th, 1941.
Interestingly, that was around the time the War Department became the Defense Department and – since that time – has gobbled up about 15 percent of the money we’re forced to pay to the mugger (government). This goes to pay for such things as several aircraft carrier battle groups and an estimated arsenal of 10,000 nuclear weapons – which are as needed for “defense” as traffic cops need full Fallujah kit to hand out speeding tickets.
If we were actually talking about defense – as opposed to offense – the amount of money that is sluiced to Boeing and Raytheon and various other “defense contractors” (some of which is then sluiced to purchase the politicians who vote to continue the sluicing) could probably be reduced by two-thirds and every American taxpayer (a term that is obnoxious in that it suggests the paying was done voluntarily) could be issued a refund much larger than the $5,000 payment that was briefly, tantalizingly dangled in front of the dupes – who’ve already forgotten all about it. Just as they appear to have forgotten all about Epstein’s list and the “COVID” criminals who have not and likely never will pay for their crimes.
There has been no attempt by DOGE to make “defense” spending more efficient. Probably because Musk is very much in the process of transitioning to his new grift, which involves getting the government to subsidize rockets rather than electric vehicles.
It’ll be very efficient, of course.
But there won’t be less of it. Except insofar as what’s left in our pockets. And of the freedom we’ll never get back by expecting those who’ve taken it from us to give it back to us.
This article was originally published on Eric Peters Autos.
