Political Post 1/27/2025

[numb3r_5ev3n]

Trump orders sweeping freeze of federal aid.

Including SNAP and food assistance: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/27/trump-freezes-federal-aid-omb-00200891

From the article:

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Miami to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Jan. 27. | Mark Schiefelbein/AP

By Jennifer Scholtes

01/27/2025 09:36 PM EST

One week in, the Trump administration is broadening its assault on the functions of government and shifting control of the federal purse strings further away from members of Congress.

President Donald Trump’s budget office on Monday ordered a total freeze on “all federal financial assistance” that could be targeted under his previous executive orders that pausing funding for a wide range of priorities – from domestic infrastructure and energy projects to diversity-related programs and foreign aid.

In a two-page memo obtained by POLITICO, the Office of Management and Budget announced all federal agencies would be forced to temporarily suspend payments, while making clear that Social Security and Medicare would not be affected.

“The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” according to the memo, which three people authenticated.

This is going to hurt Trumpers, too: but we warned people. We also warned them that Trumpers might not even care, as long as they think they get to say slurs again without consequences. We may see more examples of "he's not hurting the people he needs to be hurting," again, or "we didn't vote for this." At that point, we should be trying to offramp anyone who can be offramped from the Trump Train, as it barrels towards the inevitable cliff.

I still think that the MAGA/Project 2025 endgame is to put average people in such awful straits that they will accept any form of indignity, indenture, penury or serfdom imposed upon them as long as they have a roof over their head and food to eat. It's Our Temporary Supervisor by Thomas Ligotti, but the eldritch abominations doing it are human beings. We're heading for Octavia Butler's Parable Of The Sower in real time.

Basically, what the Reaganites kept warning us would happen to us under communism.

EDIT: I know people are frustrated and angry with elected Democrats right now, and want them to "do something." (Except for AOC, who is doing all that can be reasonably done by now, and may emerge as the new leader of a unified Left. Goddess Willing.) Except what they will be able do now is vastly more limited then it even was before. Trump owns all three branches of government. Which folks helped to hand to him if they withheld their vote for Kamala Harris. Even if they despised her, even if they wanted to punish her for all of Biden's admitted mishandling of the Gaza situation and any of Biden's other perceived failures or faults, was it worth punishing the rest of us? Was it worth what Trump is doing right now?

Fuck around and find out, I guess. I'm just baffled that people here in the USA keep voting to take power away from the supposed opposition party like the election is some kind of satisfaction survey, and then screaming at them to "do something!" But they do need to be doing something, nevertheless.

Here is what Democrats can do, right now:

[Transcript of image, a Skeet from Leah Greenberg:
Dems can:

-oppose all Trump nominees until this EO is withdrawn
-deny unanimous consent to slow senate proceedings
-vote no on all cloture
-force quorum calls at every chance

It’s a constitutional crisis. There is absolutely no reason the Senate should be connecting business as usual.]

Comments

[forests_of_fire]

in the future, can you please put politics behind a cut? I didn't need the anxiety attack that seeing Trump is cutting off all federal financial assistance to people. thank god he hasn't cut off Social Security (half my income) yet.

[numb3r_5ev3n]

Sorry, will do.

[forests_of_fire]

thank you.

I really, really don't know what I'm going to do if my Social Security disappears or if my Medicare and Medicaid disappears. I am so scared right now that I'm going to end up homeless at some point in the next few years.

[sabotabby]

I think most people have given up on anything good ever happening. They can't picture prosperity, so what's left other than revenge?

(And hey, maybe if we clear out enough people, the survivors will prosper and there will be enough for the handful left. You can be the warlord of your own little band of postapocalyptic bikers!)

The Democrats can do something; it looks like they're refusing to do so and just rubber-stamping all of Trump's appointees. You'd think they would introduce some friction into the works, but they're part of the same party in the end.

[numb3r_5ev3n]

I don't think that necessarily true for the younger Democrats/"The Squad," who haven't been around long enough to get invited to the parties at Martha's Vineyard, etc. I'm hoping AOC's actions will cause a sea change. But obviously Fetterman and Sinema are complete wastes.

[sabotabby]

Even Bernie though.

[numb3r_5ev3n]

I know, and that's upsetting. He should be at the forefront of the ones going "fuck you I won't do what you tell me," right now. Definitely not "we have to reach across the aisle."

It's all upsetting.

People just needed to show up at the polls for their neighbors though, and the fact that they didn't is upsetting, too. This election was a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't, or a case of everyone throwing everyone else under the bus to punish someone they hate, and the only people who win at that kind of game are the fascists.

[numb3r_5ev3n]

I edited this entry a lot. I just feel stupid and I'm angry at everything right now.

[sabotabby]

You are not stupid, you're paying attention. They're just insane.