Do you feel like the winds of change are blowing today too?
POSTED BY: 6ixStringJack
UPDATED: Sunday, September 6, 2026 16:05
VIEWED: 185382
PAGE 26 of 479
Wonderful.
Thanks, Joe Biden*. Couldn't have done any of this without you.
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"I don't find this stuff amusing anymore." ~Paul Simon
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Trump ran for office on the premise of non-intervention and resolving global military conflicts peacefully, not more American adventurism.
Trump just openly committed American arms, honor, and credibility to forcibly expel Gaza’s Palestinian population and redevelop the territory into a glittering tourist hub. It may torpedo any remaining hope of an enduring Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. It also hands every Islamist militant group an airtight propaganda victory: proof, in their eyes, that the United States is indeed the 'Great Satan.'
One of the most telling reactions to Trump's Gaza proposal came from his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, a longtime GOP strategist with a reputation for whipping those around her into ruthless discipline; she looked on at Trump, her eyes bulging and her expression astonished.
The widely photographed look on Susie Wiles’s face spoke volumes.
https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/donald-trump-gaza-riveria-34619
962
The winds of change are indeed blowing:
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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What Donald Trump really looks like without his hair and fake tan
https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/donald-trump-hair-transplant-34
517536
Winds of Change are Blowing his hair away
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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The duty of stating the obvious
Trump’s proposal for the US to “take over” Gaza and expel its inhabitants is, like nearly everything else Trump has said and done over the past two weeks and indeed the past decade, completely batshit insane. As with countless other Trump proposals, I don’t see that it will actually happen — both because most Gazans will refuse to leave, and because Arab countries will refuse to take them.
https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=8636
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Of course it’s a coup
Miss the obvious, lose your republic
Timothy Snyder | Feb 05, 2025
https://snyder.substack.com/p/of-course-its-a-coup
. . . The ongoing actions by Musk and his followers are a coup because the individuals seizing power have no right to it. Elon Musk was elected to no office and no office would give him the authority to do what he is doing. It is all illegal. It is also a coup in its intended effects: to undo democratic practice and violate human rights.
In gaining data about us all, Musk has trampled on any notion of privacy and dignity, as well as on the explicit and implicit agreements made with our government when we pay our taxes or our student loans. And the possession of that data enables blackmail and further crimes.
In gaining the ability to stop payments by the Department of the Treasury, Musk would also make democracy meaningless. We vote for representatives in Congress, who pass laws that determine how our tax money is spent. If Musk has the power to halt this process at the level of payment, he can make laws meaningless. Which means, in turn, that Congress is meaningless, and our votes are meaningless, as is our citizenship.
If Musk controls these digital systems, Republican elected officials will be just as helpless as Democratic ones. The institutions that they voted to create can also be “deleted,” as Musk puts it.
President Trump, for that matter, will also perform at Musk’s pleasure. There is not much he can do without the use of the federal government’s computers. No one will explain this to Trump or to his supporters, of course.
A coup is underway, against Americans as possessors of human rights and dignities, and against Americans as citizens of a democratic republic. Each hour this goes unrecognized makes the success of the coup more likely.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Oh, puhleez!
More overwrought analogies and handwringing?
Nobody that's getting fired or suspended was elected to that office.
NOBODY.
So who gave them the authority to decide foreign policy, collect info on us all in the first place, autopay terrorists, and lawfare public figures? Where does this authority derive from, Constitutionally? AFAIK they serve at the pleasure of the only person in the entire appx 1.7 million employee executive branch, and that's the President.
The President's power is limited by legal review and separation of powers. As long as what Trump is doing falls under legal review, it's not a coup, bc a coup by definition is ILLEGAL usurpation of power. And if ultimately it is Trump authorizing these activities, then it's not Musk taking control of the government.
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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger
AMERICANS SUPPORT AMERICA
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What Trump said about Gaza was not only horrific, if implemented it would be as self- serving as anything Biden did.
What he said
Quote:
I’m delighted to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back to the White House. It’s a wonderful feeling and a wonderful event. We had fantastic talks, and thank you very much, with your staff.
“I want to say it’s an honour to have you with us. Over the past four years, the US and the Israeli alliance has been tested more than any time in history, but the bonds of friendship and affection between the American and Israeli people have endured for generations and they are absolutely unbreakable.
“I’m confident that, under our leadership, the cherished alliance between our two countries will soon be stronger than ever. We had a great relationship. We had great victories together four years ago, not so many victories over the past four years, however. In my first term, prime minister and I forged a tremendously successful partnership that brought peace and stability to the Middle East like it hadn’t seen in decades.
“Together, we defeated ISIS [ISIL], we ended the disastrous Iran nuclear deal, one of the worst deals ever made, and imposed the toughest ever sanctions on the Iranian regime. We starved Hamas and Iran’s other terrorist proxies, and we starved them like they had never seen before, resources and support disappeared for them.
“I recognised Israel’s capital, opened the American embassy in Jerusalem and got it built. We got it built. It’s beautiful, all Jerusalem stone right from nearby and it was – it’s something that’s very special.
“And recognised Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, something that they talked about for 70 years and they weren’t able to get it. And I got it. And with the historic Abraham Accords, something that was really an achievement that was, I think, going to become more and more important because we achieved the most significant Middle East peace agreements in half a century.
“And I really believe that many countries will soon be joining this amazing peace and economic development transaction. It really is a big economic development transaction. I think we’re going to have a lot of people signing up very quickly. Unfortunately, for four years, nobody signed up. Nobody did anything for four years except in the negative.
“Unfortunately, the weakness and incompetence of those past four years, the grave damage around the globe that was done, including in the Middle East, grave damage all over the globe. The horrors of October 7th would never have happened if I were president, the Ukraine and Russia disaster would never have happened if I were president.
“Over the past 16 months, Israel has endured a sustained aggressive and murderous assault on every front, but they fought back bravely. You see that and you know that. What we have witnessed is an all-out attack on the very existence of a Jewish state in the Jewish homeland. The Israelis have stood strong and united in the face of an enemy that has kidnapped, tortured, raped and slaughtered innocent men, women, children and even little babies.
“I want to salute the Israeli people for meeting this trial with courage and determination and unflinching resolve. They have been strong. In our meetings today, the prime minister and I focused on the future, discussing how we can work together to ensure Hamas is eliminated and ultimately restore peace to a very troubled region.
“It’s been troubled, but what has happened in the last four years has not been good.
“I also strongly believe that the Gaza Strip, which has been a symbol of death and destruction for so many decades and so bad for the people anywhere near it, and especially those who live there and frankly who’s been really very unlucky. It’s been very unlucky. It’s been an unlucky place for a long time.
“Being in its presence just has not been good and it should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have really stood there and fought for it and lived there and dNOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:The authority comes from Congress, not the President.
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Where does this authority derive from, Constitutionally? AFAIK they serve at the pleasure of the only person in the entire appx 1.7 million employee executive branch, and that's the President.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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SIX, this for you
Quote:
"This Is Where The Big Money Fraud Is Happening": DOGE Dives Into Medicare Payment Malarkey
Wednesday, Feb 05, 2025 - 08:00 PM
Representatives of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) - who just obtained security clearances, have been embedded at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) this week, gaining access to critical payment and contracting systems, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing multiple individuals familiar with the situation.
The DOGE representatives have been on site at the agency’s offices this week, the people said, and they are looking at the systems’ technology as well as the spending that flows through them, with a focus on pinpointing what they consider fraud or waste. DOGE representatives are also examining the agency’s organizational design and how it is staffed, the people added.
Musk confirmed his interest in CMS oversight in a social media post, writing on X: "Yeah, this is where the big money fraud is happening."
The White House and DOGE officials declined to comment on the matter. In the last week, Musk’s DOGE team has been moving swiftly to gain access across multiple federal agencies, including the Treasury Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to uncover fraud, abuse, and excessive spending.
A CMS official told the Journal that the agency has assigned “two senior agency veterans who are leading the coordination with DOGE," and that leaders are "taking a thoughtful approach to see where there may be opportunities for more effective and efficient spending in line with meeting the goals of President Trump."
CMS sits at the heart of the nation’s healthcare economy, managing a budget of approximately $1.5 trillion in fiscal 2024 - roughly 22 percent of total federal spending. The agency employs around 6,710 people and administers Medicare, Medicaid, and other healthcare programs vital to millions of Americans. Many of its employees have spent decades navigating the complex regulatory and operational framework underpinning the healthcare system.
Among the systems DOGE representatives have accessed is CALM, the CMS Acquisition Lifecycle Management system, which contains contract data, sources said. However, they noted that DOGE personnel have not yet gained entry to databases containing personally identifiable health information of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. They also have not accessed HIGLAS, the Healthcare Integrated General Ledger Accounting System, a key accounting platform for CMS payments.
One person familiar with DOGE’s work at CMS emphasized that the current level of access is "read-only," preventing Musk’s team from making modifications to the systems.
The intervention has raised concerns among CMS veterans and healthcare policy experts. The agency’s payment structures are notoriously complex, involving multiple layers of contractors and private insurers, especially within Medicare. Medicaid, jointly administered by federal and state governments, follows different financial pathways, with federal funding typically flowing to state agencies.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/where-big-money-fraud-happening-do
ge-dives-medicare-payment-malarkey
One thing I see on my EOBs is that actual healthcare providers don't seem to be getting paid enough, at least not for an expensive region like southern California. Many no longer acceot Medicare insurance. If there is fraud, abuse, and waste occurring, and it's wrung out of the system, that could preserve funding for legitimate health care.
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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger
AMERICANS SUPPORT AMERICA
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Quote:Signym, you are full of shit: In 2024, 1,912 active physicians in California opted out of Medicare, out of a total of 114,238 active physicians.
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
SIX, this for you
One thing I see on my EOBs is that actual healthcare providers don't seem to be getting paid enough, at least not for an expensive region like southern California. Many no longer acceot Medicare insurance. If there is fraud, abuse, and waste occurring, and it's wrung out of the system, that could preserve funding for legitimate health care.
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+doctors+in+california+do+not+
accept+medicare
Nationwide: How Many Physicians Have Opted Out of the Medicare Program?
By Alex Cottrill, Nancy Ochieng, and Tricia Neuman
Published: Jan 17, 2025
https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/how-many-physicians-have-opte
d-out-of-the-medicare-program/
Nationwide, the numbers are not much different than California. There will always be American doctors who would let you die rather than accept even $1.00 less payment. In other countries, such doctors would be kicked out of the profession and then pissed in the face by their former colleagues.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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