"Few enter government to make life better for us. Most enter because they need a job and want a pension, or, much worse, like Chuck Schumer, because they believe their raison dêtre is to rule over us." Most enter government employment because the government has lower standards (DEI), and Obama wanted to grow the government by inflating salaries (reparations). He didn't really care about how to pay for it. It's part of his 'redistribution of wealth' effort. When I was in college, those who went into the 'civil service' (what a farce by the way) were the losers, and in the days when all of us were more financially responsible, we would not have expected our grandchildren to pay for it. The only ones who go to work for the government who seem to do it for the right reason--to help our country--are in the military.
A bloated ineffective Gumnit is a must -/ even as productive jobs in private industries are growing — sound so like a winner and as soon as all kicks in the economy will boom !!
Non-Essential" is not a fair description. It doesnt mean "not needed" it just means that their duties can be put off for a short time without a huge impact. My job at DOD for many years was "essential" while some of my co-workers were "non-essential" however almost all of them had jobs required for efficient and effective Defense Contract Administration. An example would be a Govt Property Officer who manages the uitilization, protection, and disposal of property the US taxpayer paid for but may or may not be needed again. Not important? Well, I guess the Russians thought it was as they tried to buy Minuteman Missile tooling through a third party when DOD decided not to build any more MM3. I could write a book here with other actual experiences. I do believe the Govt had to buy back all of the fencing for the border that Biden earlier had declared "excess". The problem isnt with "non-essential" government employees it is with a Congress who passes new legislation for pet projects that repeatedly bend the rules. If you want to clean up "non-essential" personnel and spending I would suggest Term Limits be enacted. The savings of "non-essential" taxpayer dollars would be huge.
Well the Pentagon is huge but not THAT big. My experience has shown that the Active Duty Military machine requires a lot of back up. The military rotates its troops around quite a bit so civilians provide expertise and corporate knowledge that active duty military cannot match. If you think those numbers are too high I would suggest that you add in all of the DOD/DOW contract personnel for instance at Boeing to see how that number plays. Personally I think the military has relied too much upon contractors for "self certification/inspections and process control". Everyone working on DOD contracts would be happy if our Congress could provide a budget process that was reliable for purposes of contract planning. The B2 bomber program is a perfect example of budget cuts causing huge cost increases per aircraft produced. Again, I am back to term limits as a partial answer. Our current USA budget process sucks so hard it blows.
I get where you're coming from, but..... Beginning in the late 1980s, I became a supporter of the new non-profit, non-partisan, Center for Defense Information, founded by a group of retired admirals, generals, colonels and navy captains. It was astounding to read their verified accounts of cost overruns and other waste. CDI is still around now; while all the founders have passed on; as part of a larger Project on Government Oversight(POGO).
I don't doubt that some of those civilians and contractors are needed. But 1 million? Could they get by with just 600,000?
DOGE never got close to the military when it was active earlier this year. But DOGE happily gutted the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and the other federal land management agencies that were already understaffed. I know this because I live out west and lead volunteer trail maintenance crews in the summer, working for the Forest Service.
DOGE was "ham fisted" and cut the meat with the fat not having enough experience with each agency to determine effective areas to cut. ALL Govt agencies are bloated and getting less responsive. A friend is a CPA and tax attorney. He says he cant even get the IRS to answer the phone. Maybe AI will save us all. I dont disagree with anything you have said. Cheers!
Thanks for your polite reply. Audits are the way to go; not the DOGE style hatchet that Musk and his minions did with other agencies, like the National Park Service.
One can assume that there is a big underlying problem when senators from opposite ends of the political spectrum; Rand Paul & Bernie Sanders; agree on something. Both want comprehensive & in-depth audits of the military.
When you have that many people not at work and no one notices the difference something is way wrong. Reminds me of the good ol boy network - when you tried to acquire a really good person that would be an asset to your company and they said - "If you want me or my business you have to find a job for my brother in law".
It may be dangerous to lump all those fellow American Democrats into one ugly category. Just as I do not believe all Republicans are racist and angry I don’t believe all Democrats are socialists and need to be removed from society.
A very good take on the issue. But in the current climate where Christians are called out as an existential threat (Biden), I would like to opine that while it is overkill to wish ALL Dems to be gone from society, I would be happy with just "most!"
Guess you've not read up on the 7 Mountains of Christian Dominionism political theory that calls for a takeover of all elements of American society by fundamentalist Christians. The 7 Mountains lurks behind the religious overtones of the Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership, also known as Project 2025.
Project 25 has some very good elements... and some very bad. Like most of the work that comes out of "Think Tanks" it is very myopic. Does not really matter since project 25 was not elected as our President. As far as Presidents goes, ( He was elected as our President. ) Trump is less ideological than most. However, he has refuted Project 25 as a guiding influence. Barak Obama on the other hand, has said that Bill Ayers was his mentor... Now I hated much of what Obama did, but he certainly did not breathe life into some of the radical ideas of MR Ayers. Even if he had wanted to, the checks and balances of our system still are effective.
Now I am not sure if you are opining that Trump is beholden to "Project 25" like most politicians are to their major donors.. but if you are, I will submit the following as a fair course of action... Some where there is a tree that is working very hard to produce the oxygen you breathe... I suggest that perhaps you apologize to that tree. PS, "Fundamental Christians" are actually quite rare. Far more common are the "Christians in Name Only". And as for the " Biblical Christians", well, can you show me what part of the Bible it is that has you worrying about them? It sounds like you have drank from the "Blue Anon" party's punch bowl.
JD Vance, Russell Vought, Stephen Miller are among the prominent authors of Project 2025. All occupy key positions in the Trump administration. That doesn't equate with any refutation at all by Trump. Our president goes whichever way the wind blows; whoever gets to him last; and who will put the most money into his pockets (he's been a known grifter for decades). How else does one explain Trump's 180 degree turnaround on the new socialist mayor of New York City?
I'll offer that you're not very familiar with fundamentalist Christians who come in many forms. As a free thinker, non-theist, and a recovering Catholic and/or Christian, I track their actions pretty closely. Your "Blue-Anon." reference is humorous. But I'm not a Dem.
Well I did say that many of the ideas in Project 25 were good... I am a fan of both JD and Steven Miller (In Steven's case, his rhetoric more than his delivery.) Your comment on Trump being a "grifter" shows some TDS. I am not disagreeing with you but he NO DIFFERENT than Clinton, GW Bush, Obama, or Biden in that regard. (And most of congress). My eyes glaze over when either side talks about the "Corruption" of the other side. It is almost ALWAYS legal Grift, because that is the way the system is set up. They can... you can't.
That said, Trump is the most EFECTIVE POTUS of my lifetime, and I agree with most of what he does. I wish he was also the Statesman that Reagan was... but he is not.
As for your views... I am just as leery of any self proclaimed "Recovering Christian" as I am of the leftist's who scream about the right doing things that they have done for decades. As the old saying goes... if you want to find an Atheist, look in the Humanities Dept., they are not very easy to find in the Physics Dept.
I've known fools who think that way. Asked one whose version of Christianity they'd impose? The trinitarian kind, the one in which Jesus didn't pray to himself, hand the keys of the Kingdom back to himself, sit at his own right hand, or. . . .
Few that are hired actually do their jobs. Work One hour and draw pay for 8. Agree to lie, cheat and commit fraud knowing they will get away with, because paperwork gets lost conveniently.
The stupidity of allowing mere employees boss the owner around, that is, letting representatives elevate themselves to leaders, can be seen everywhere. Consider a few more examples:
(1) Letting people who are unqualified to discuss health impose the want of lobbies and such on us. Things like deadly covid shots, 6' spacing to fend off covid, mandatory hepatitis shots when only a rare few babies are in danger of it and though all shots pose dangers,. . . .
(2) Requiring every car to carry chains on mountain passes in the winter, even though it is well known, established fact many cars cannot run them because they will tear up shocks, brake lines. . . .
(3) Government agent demands for car and truck equipment that results in lower mileage, offsetting the whole pollution thing, which would be greatly improved by increasing mileage, so burning less fuel to do the same thing.
(4) Invasion of sovereign nations allowed by agents who labor under the erroneous belief nations are theirs to give away.
In our country(south korea) kids start learning about significant wars(e.g. world wars, korean war, etc...) as early as 8. It makes me pitiful that you guys start it later in life! LOL
Great article.
We would be infinitely better off if these 400k buroucratic minions stayed home permenently.
Bulls eye
Which 400,000 are those? Are you including some of the 1 million civilian employees and contractors in the Pentagon; an area that DOGE never got near?
"Few enter government to make life better for us. Most enter because they need a job and want a pension, or, much worse, like Chuck Schumer, because they believe their raison dêtre is to rule over us." Most enter government employment because the government has lower standards (DEI), and Obama wanted to grow the government by inflating salaries (reparations). He didn't really care about how to pay for it. It's part of his 'redistribution of wealth' effort. When I was in college, those who went into the 'civil service' (what a farce by the way) were the losers, and in the days when all of us were more financially responsible, we would not have expected our grandchildren to pay for it. The only ones who go to work for the government who seem to do it for the right reason--to help our country--are in the military.
That's why I became a fed.
On the other hand, it is us civilians who build, refurbish and repair the ships, subs, rockets, torpedoes and so on the U.S. defenses rely on.
Flushing out uneccessry personnel from
A bloated ineffective Gumnit is a must -/ even as productive jobs in private industries are growing — sound so like a winner and as soon as all kicks in the economy will boom !!
Non-Essential" is not a fair description. It doesnt mean "not needed" it just means that their duties can be put off for a short time without a huge impact. My job at DOD for many years was "essential" while some of my co-workers were "non-essential" however almost all of them had jobs required for efficient and effective Defense Contract Administration. An example would be a Govt Property Officer who manages the uitilization, protection, and disposal of property the US taxpayer paid for but may or may not be needed again. Not important? Well, I guess the Russians thought it was as they tried to buy Minuteman Missile tooling through a third party when DOD decided not to build any more MM3. I could write a book here with other actual experiences. I do believe the Govt had to buy back all of the fencing for the border that Biden earlier had declared "excess". The problem isnt with "non-essential" government employees it is with a Congress who passes new legislation for pet projects that repeatedly bend the rules. If you want to clean up "non-essential" personnel and spending I would suggest Term Limits be enacted. The savings of "non-essential" taxpayer dollars would be huge.
So the US really "needs" 1 million civilian employees in the Pentagon?
Well the Pentagon is huge but not THAT big. My experience has shown that the Active Duty Military machine requires a lot of back up. The military rotates its troops around quite a bit so civilians provide expertise and corporate knowledge that active duty military cannot match. If you think those numbers are too high I would suggest that you add in all of the DOD/DOW contract personnel for instance at Boeing to see how that number plays. Personally I think the military has relied too much upon contractors for "self certification/inspections and process control". Everyone working on DOD contracts would be happy if our Congress could provide a budget process that was reliable for purposes of contract planning. The B2 bomber program is a perfect example of budget cuts causing huge cost increases per aircraft produced. Again, I am back to term limits as a partial answer. Our current USA budget process sucks so hard it blows.
I get where you're coming from, but..... Beginning in the late 1980s, I became a supporter of the new non-profit, non-partisan, Center for Defense Information, founded by a group of retired admirals, generals, colonels and navy captains. It was astounding to read their verified accounts of cost overruns and other waste. CDI is still around now; while all the founders have passed on; as part of a larger Project on Government Oversight(POGO).
I don't doubt that some of those civilians and contractors are needed. But 1 million? Could they get by with just 600,000?
DOGE never got close to the military when it was active earlier this year. But DOGE happily gutted the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and the other federal land management agencies that were already understaffed. I know this because I live out west and lead volunteer trail maintenance crews in the summer, working for the Forest Service.
DOGE was "ham fisted" and cut the meat with the fat not having enough experience with each agency to determine effective areas to cut. ALL Govt agencies are bloated and getting less responsive. A friend is a CPA and tax attorney. He says he cant even get the IRS to answer the phone. Maybe AI will save us all. I dont disagree with anything you have said. Cheers!
Which/what should we cut? Just in The State of Washington:
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard [PSNS]
Keyport Naval Torpedo Station [NTS, now Naval Undersea Warefar Engineering Station [NUWES]
Bangor Sub Base
Lockheed (private contractor)
Larson Air Force Base
Lockheed (private contractor0
Hundreds of small business subcontracting to Boeing, Lockheed. . . .
. . . .
Thanks for your polite reply. Audits are the way to go; not the DOGE style hatchet that Musk and his minions did with other agencies, like the National Park Service.
One can assume that there is a big underlying problem when senators from opposite ends of the political spectrum; Rand Paul & Bernie Sanders; agree on something. Both want comprehensive & in-depth audits of the military.
When you have that many people not at work and no one notices the difference something is way wrong. Reminds me of the good ol boy network - when you tried to acquire a really good person that would be an asset to your company and they said - "If you want me or my business you have to find a job for my brother in law".
It may be dangerous to lump all those fellow American Democrats into one ugly category. Just as I do not believe all Republicans are racist and angry I don’t believe all Democrats are socialists and need to be removed from society.
A very good take on the issue. But in the current climate where Christians are called out as an existential threat (Biden), I would like to opine that while it is overkill to wish ALL Dems to be gone from society, I would be happy with just "most!"
Guess you've not read up on the 7 Mountains of Christian Dominionism political theory that calls for a takeover of all elements of American society by fundamentalist Christians. The 7 Mountains lurks behind the religious overtones of the Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership, also known as Project 2025.
Project 25 has some very good elements... and some very bad. Like most of the work that comes out of "Think Tanks" it is very myopic. Does not really matter since project 25 was not elected as our President. As far as Presidents goes, ( He was elected as our President. ) Trump is less ideological than most. However, he has refuted Project 25 as a guiding influence. Barak Obama on the other hand, has said that Bill Ayers was his mentor... Now I hated much of what Obama did, but he certainly did not breathe life into some of the radical ideas of MR Ayers. Even if he had wanted to, the checks and balances of our system still are effective.
Now I am not sure if you are opining that Trump is beholden to "Project 25" like most politicians are to their major donors.. but if you are, I will submit the following as a fair course of action... Some where there is a tree that is working very hard to produce the oxygen you breathe... I suggest that perhaps you apologize to that tree. PS, "Fundamental Christians" are actually quite rare. Far more common are the "Christians in Name Only". And as for the " Biblical Christians", well, can you show me what part of the Bible it is that has you worrying about them? It sounds like you have drank from the "Blue Anon" party's punch bowl.
JD Vance, Russell Vought, Stephen Miller are among the prominent authors of Project 2025. All occupy key positions in the Trump administration. That doesn't equate with any refutation at all by Trump. Our president goes whichever way the wind blows; whoever gets to him last; and who will put the most money into his pockets (he's been a known grifter for decades). How else does one explain Trump's 180 degree turnaround on the new socialist mayor of New York City?
I'll offer that you're not very familiar with fundamentalist Christians who come in many forms. As a free thinker, non-theist, and a recovering Catholic and/or Christian, I track their actions pretty closely. Your "Blue-Anon." reference is humorous. But I'm not a Dem.
Well I did say that many of the ideas in Project 25 were good... I am a fan of both JD and Steven Miller (In Steven's case, his rhetoric more than his delivery.) Your comment on Trump being a "grifter" shows some TDS. I am not disagreeing with you but he NO DIFFERENT than Clinton, GW Bush, Obama, or Biden in that regard. (And most of congress). My eyes glaze over when either side talks about the "Corruption" of the other side. It is almost ALWAYS legal Grift, because that is the way the system is set up. They can... you can't.
That said, Trump is the most EFECTIVE POTUS of my lifetime, and I agree with most of what he does. I wish he was also the Statesman that Reagan was... but he is not.
As for your views... I am just as leery of any self proclaimed "Recovering Christian" as I am of the leftist's who scream about the right doing things that they have done for decades. As the old saying goes... if you want to find an Atheist, look in the Humanities Dept., they are not very easy to find in the Physics Dept.
I've known fools who think that way. Asked one whose version of Christianity they'd impose? The trinitarian kind, the one in which Jesus didn't pray to himself, hand the keys of the Kingdom back to himself, sit at his own right hand, or. . . .
I was invited to leave.
You worded that like only one side could be what the other side accuses them of being.
Gravey train jobs under Democrat rule.
Few that are hired actually do their jobs. Work One hour and draw pay for 8. Agree to lie, cheat and commit fraud knowing they will get away with, because paperwork gets lost conveniently.
Spot on
Government “Service” should be a honorary, non compensated position,
As it was before.
But few if any are honorable, thus we have a corrupt government.
The stupidity of allowing mere employees boss the owner around, that is, letting representatives elevate themselves to leaders, can be seen everywhere. Consider a few more examples:
(1) Letting people who are unqualified to discuss health impose the want of lobbies and such on us. Things like deadly covid shots, 6' spacing to fend off covid, mandatory hepatitis shots when only a rare few babies are in danger of it and though all shots pose dangers,. . . .
(2) Requiring every car to carry chains on mountain passes in the winter, even though it is well known, established fact many cars cannot run them because they will tear up shocks, brake lines. . . .
(3) Government agent demands for car and truck equipment that results in lower mileage, offsetting the whole pollution thing, which would be greatly improved by increasing mileage, so burning less fuel to do the same thing.
(4) Invasion of sovereign nations allowed by agents who labor under the erroneous belief nations are theirs to give away.
(5) [insert DODGE stuff here]
. . . .
In our country(south korea) kids start learning about significant wars(e.g. world wars, korean war, etc...) as early as 8. It makes me pitiful that you guys start it later in life! LOL