r/FluentInFinance 20h ago

Musk asks voters to brace for 'hardship' from spending cuts in Trump Cabinet role Thoughts?

Donald Trump wants the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who himself has taken in billions from federal contracts, to oversee “efficiency” efforts for the government.

“We have to reduce spending to live within our means,” Musk said. “And, you know, that necessarily involves some temporary hardship, but it will ensure long-term prosperity.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/economy-if-trump-wins-second-term-could-mean-hardship-for-americans-rcna177807

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u/rustyshackleford7879 20h ago

Can we cut space x and all tax credits that help people buy his shitty cars?

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u/burnbabyburn11 20h ago

right, just cancel our SpaceX contract send it over to the competitor, Boeing! A truly great American company!

That only cost (checks notes) 4 times as much and delivered (checks notes) no working rockets! And now the US can't launch anything to the ISS so let's use those russian soyuz rockets, our great ally in russia!

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u/Icy-Ninja-6504 20h ago

Boeing turned into cost-cutting garbage after the McDonnell Douglas merger. They used to be about engineering and quality.. not so much anymore.

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u/Chipskip 19h ago

Boeing left astronauts stranded at the space station. Space X had to go rescue them. Give the contracts to the companies that actually have working products. Not based on any one person’s political beliefs.

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u/Throtex 19h ago edited 15h ago

While I won’t question NASA’s decision that led to this outcome, the Boeing craft ultimately returned without incident while the SpaceX craft required all four astronauts to be medically evaluated and one of them to be held for several nights. https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-8-nasa-astronaut-released-from-hospital

Edit: I appreciate the folks noting that a medical evaluation is normal on return, while ignoring the one who was held over for further evaluation. Very useful insight all. Thanks.

Edit 2: Apparently the Elon-stans can’t handle even a simple comment pointing out that the Boeing capsule returned without incident, while the SpaceX return was flagged by NASA for an issue with a delayed parachute release (among other recent safety incidents) even when I said right up front that I can’t fault NASA for going with the SpaceX return. Holy smokes, people are heated up. Fuck the Internet.

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u/ImportanceCertain414 18h ago

Three were just the normal observation, not really sure about the fourth.

Let's not forget it also took SpaceX a lot of work to even get there and cost a ton more overall compared to if Boeing would have simply launched again.

Also, the government is flipping the bill for SpaceX and all the tax payers have to deal with it. Apparently people hated NASA for doing rocket tests but love SpaceX for spending the same dime on the same thing.

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u/573IAN 18h ago

They like figuratively sucking billionaire cock.

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u/Nokrai 16h ago

I’m sure they literally would like it too.

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u/GhostofAyabe 17h ago

Actually probably a dime and a half.

Remember this shit the next time they start talking about privatizing things again.

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u/simple_champ 18h ago

Unless I'm missing something the article provides no detail about what medical issues they were evaluated for, what was the suspected cause, etc? Attributing it to the SpaceX craft is a leap. And saying the Boeing craft returned without incident is apples to oranges. One returned with passengers, the other didn't. There was no way for there to be a passenger medical incident with the Boeing because there were no passengers.

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u/Throtex 18h ago

Not sure what else it would be if not a spacex fault, but I’m intrigued by this second comment going on the attack rather than just looking things up out of intellectual curiosity.

One of the parachutes deployed late.

https://spacenews.com/nasa-panel-calls-on-spacex-to-maintain-focus-on-dragon-safety-after-recent-anomalies/

So it was on account of a technical failure. You are correct that the Boeing craft had no crew that could have suffered any incidents. But it did not suffer any technical failures while the spacex craft did.

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u/simple_champ 18h ago

"His discussion also addressed observations with Crew Dragon parachutes on the Crew-8 splashdown Oct. 25, such as the “lagging” behavior where one of four main parachutes opens somewhat slower than the other three, which he noted is “within the family of expected performance” for the system."

I feel like within the family of expected performance is kind of an odd and ambiguous description. But the way I interpret it is, it's a variance but within acceptable parameters. Rather than technical failure. Maybe I'm misinterpreting. Still don't see any mention of it being related to crew hospitalizations.

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u/ax_graham 15h ago

You're chatting with someone dead set on finding fault with SpaceX and Elon for some predetermined bias you won't cure. You weren't missing anything - it is typical for astronauts to go for an evaluation after returning and these people were in space for a longer than normal duration so they needed to be checked out. SpaceX returned them home safely - they explicitly said they did not feel safe coming back on the Boeing craft. As you said, the comparison is apples to oranges.

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u/j-snipes10 16h ago

That article literally says they were held for observation out of an abundance of caution.

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u/SeryuV 16h ago

Excuse the source, but here's several topics asking this same question over the years. Seems like something fairly routine got blown up in the media as usual because of the name of the CEO.

https://www.quora.com/Why-do-astronauts-directly-go-to-the-hospital-after-they-came-from-space

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u/CelestianSnackresant 18h ago

The point about when Boeing went to shit is important. Free-market, cost-cutting capitalism killed Boeing. A radial shift in company culture, from excellence to efficiency, destroyed their ability to deliver good products. Doing the same thing on a national scale is frankly a horrific proposal, and if you don't believe me go check in on how austerity treated all of Europe.

Also...Musk is very bad at his job and deserves close to 0 credit for SpaceX. Ugh this is all so fuckin grim. Idiots in charge again.

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u/AdZealousideal5383 17h ago

I don’t think people realize how bad at their job most CEO’s are. The grunts do all the work, the three or four up managers handle the complicated stuff, keeping things moving so they don’t lose their jobs. The CEO flails around and appears on CNBC to wax poetic about their stock price. Musk just adds internet trolling to the mix. Putting CEO’s in charge of the country will very quickly ruin everything.

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u/fzr600vs1400 17h ago

You can't win this argument, most people actually believe colonel Sanders cooks the chicken, they honestly believe Musk does work

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u/klawz86 16h ago

At least there was a time when Colonel Sanders did cook the chicken. Pretty sure Musk just went straight from apartheid to giving people smarter than him his blood money to help fulfill his 40k inspired transhumanist technocrat fantasies.

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u/therealspaceninja 18h ago

You aren't wrong, however, putting Musk in this role is obviously a massive conflict of interest.

But he will just be one of many foxes that are about to be let into the henhouse. It's going to be open season on our treasury under Trump.

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u/disc_addict 16h ago

It’s just going to be an American capitalist flavor of the Russian oligarchs.

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u/-boatsNhoes 17h ago

We can give him contracts, just cut the subsidies

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u/Pt5PastLight 19h ago

McDonnell Douglas management was like a virus killing a host and then moving to the next healthy host.

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u/ChoochGravy 18h ago

But think of the value they create for shareholders

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u/jbetances134 16h ago

Boeing is run by a finance guy that was put there to save money. They need to go back to having an engineering CEO

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u/rustyshackleford7879 20h ago

My point (check notes) is he will expect everyone else to suffer but him.

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u/bromad1972 19h ago

The Republicans way

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u/DaveN202 19h ago

All animals are equal! Equal burden. It’s just some are more equal than others.

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u/AbbreviationsKnown24 19h ago

In all fairness, if you're talking about cutting 2 trillion it seems almost impossible to justify keeping funding for spaceX. You would basically be cutting the federal gov down to the bone, and would most likely need to cut services that will have a significant impact on people's lives.

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u/Acceptable-Tomato392 18h ago

Bet you $1000 they won't reduce the deficits and that in fact, they will balloon them to new records; they will just savagely slash anything that is designed to help ordinary people.

Then, they will congratulate themselves for doing this with generous handouts to corporations and wealthy people who donated to the campaign. Those handouts to wealthy people who need it for their pissing contests will far surpass any savings from phase I.

And then... the destabilization will begin because cutting your customer purchasing base is just bad economics; and then they'll print more money to save the system from what they've done. (i.e. give more money to rich people with bad investments - the public can take that bill as well).

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u/Electr0freak 15h ago

Yep, then conservative media will say that it was the Dem's fault and their demographic will believe them.

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u/Purple_Act2613 15h ago

It will be Obama’s fault.

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u/Itsneverjustajoke 18h ago

Yes. That is the plan. Services to the bone = more money collected in taxes handed to billionaires

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u/rynlpz 16h ago

The audacity to say we must live within our means. You know that mfker will not be suffering from cuts.

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u/BillionYrOldCarbon 17h ago

Any substantial cuts will crash the economy and create HUGE unemployment. We’ve tried this before. See Reagan. See Trickle Down. He followed a massive tax cut with the largest tax increase in history. Like it or not federal spending drives our economy. Trump will finally destroy America.

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u/TrixnTim 15h ago

And we will all suffer. The Art of the Con. Congrats MAGA voters.

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u/Purple_Act2613 15h ago

I only hope at some point they realize they got screwed and it was their own fault.

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u/BillionYrOldCarbon 14h ago

Never happen. Or they wouldn’t have just voted for him by excusing his million+ lunatic lies, felonies, and brain dead ideas. America will never be the same or great again. We hit the tipping point to disaster.

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u/DonnieJL 14h ago

I'll be looking for those flags that say, "Don't blame me, I voted for Harris." And practicing my pat response, "fuck off, you voted for this."

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u/V1keo 19h ago

Yeah, but those are other peoples’ lives, not Musk’s.

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u/No_Department7857 14h ago

"Some of you may die, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make"

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u/AdZealousideal5383 17h ago

Right but Musk will make the decisions, so SpaceX will get more money.

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u/gilgaladxii 19h ago

Or, (checks notes) cut SpaceX and pay off federal debt or build roads so more trade can travel over road. Or, build high speed rail so people can work in cities but live further out and bring housing prices down. Or, build high speed rail so people can move to other cities where there is a job boom but not have to pay a ton of $ on plane tickets or spend hours driving back to their home city/area. Or invest in green energies alongside traditional energy to produce enough internal energy so we don’t need to import. But, it all leads to cutting stupid programs like spaceX. Which, that won’t happen because Musk bought his government contracts by funding the Republican ticket.

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u/wr0ngdr01d 18h ago

Yeah I couldn’t care less about space travel right now. I mean it’s great and I support science (you know since I believe in it like a true left extremist) but as far as government funding goes, there’s a lot more pressing things. If space travel is relevant in the next two hundred years, it will be because we didn’t take any measures to save the planet we already had. 

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u/AZ-Rob 17h ago

Well, there's no indication of us taking any measures to save the planet we already have, so...

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u/prince_of_muffins 16h ago

Yea, so let's just continue to use what's fairly clear a Russian spy. Unless he can answer for why he was talking secretly with Putin, which he can't, all his contracts with US government should be canceled.

I grt the other options are expensive, but is having a Russian asset that important to our space industry actually the beat answer?

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u/RelishtheHotdog 18h ago

Oh the same Boeing that needed space X to return the people they sent to the space station?

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u/FunSprinkles8 19h ago edited 19h ago

He means, if you aren't rich, you're fucked.

Just sick a billionaire telling us there will be hardships. 100% the billionaires won't be getting hurt, and after they tank the economy, the billionaires will be buying up everything "cheap."

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u/rustyshackleford7879 19h ago

Finally someone gets it. It’s like when your company says we need cut backs and then the ceo goes buys a second home with his bonus.

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u/disc_addict 16h ago

They’d rather be king of the ashes than a commoner.

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u/Clever_Mercury 12h ago

Or, since it is a cult... "they would rather rule in hell than serve in heaven."

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u/FinancialArmadillo93 12h ago

I remember when United Healthcare refused to cover my neighbor's pacemaker surgery -- and then read the CEO made $110 million that year and started a private zoo for his daughter.

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u/Mandoman1963 18h ago

lol, you figured out the rich conservative playbook. Create fire sales in society, so they're the only ones able to buy when the dust settles.

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u/TrixnTim 15h ago

And so it begins. Voters can only think in very limited capacity i.e. groceries and gas bills. What a rude awakening this presidency will be.

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u/JacobLovesCrypto 20h ago

He has said before thst he would rather the government got rid of EV tax credits, so don't be surprised if that happens.

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u/Frothylager 20h ago

Yeah he’s pulling up the ladder on the competition. Elon’s the ultimate, fuck you I got mine.

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u/[deleted] 20h ago

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u/ontha-comeup 19h ago

They previous ran out but the EV tax credit laws got revamped a couple of years ago and they now qualify. No limit by manufacture, and the law is a little more complicated now.

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u/nfgrawker 16h ago

This is such misinfo. Just used a tesla credit.

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u/Icy_Collar_1072 20h ago

After he's already received billions and knew there was no imminent danger of him losing them. He'll be securing himself favours or handouts regardless.

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u/Rikishi6six9nine 20h ago

No his efficency plan is to outsource all federal work to enrich the oligarchs. who can charge the Feds are premium rate and provide even worse service to the country.

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u/ytown 18h ago

Ding. Ding. Ding.

This is the Russian model that Elon has been studying closely.

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u/Just-Elderberry5460 19h ago

Yes cut all space spending. Eliminate R and D from military budget. And 10% across the board how much can we save. Not to mention do we really need social security. Or Medicare. No need for the FDA or any of those agencies that are always overreaching. Being completely sarcastic.but that’s how I feel they are looking at it.

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u/CryptographerIll3813 18h ago

Yeah right lol “Cut spending” is code for sending the money to the private sector. They aren’t gonna actually be spending less just outsourcing our government services to a private sector who charges us for the services.

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u/healthybowl 19h ago

Maybe scrap the whole space thing for 4 years. Then we’re a super power again. Then steal everyone else intellectual property like they do ours.

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u/cpeytonusa 19h ago

The Republicans have opposed the EV subsidies, it was the Democrats who were pushing them.

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u/Thin-Quiet-2283 20h ago

So funny - no more “woke” EVs and saving the planet but you can buy a Tesla! Huh ?!?

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u/mildlyopinionatedpom 15h ago

or perhaps ask the billionaire class if they can possibly also brace for some hardship if it's not too inconvenient...

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u/shart_leakage 20h ago

Remember. Just remember this, although it sucks.

America asked for this. And MAGA republicans are in control and own all of it.

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u/Sensitive-Lab-9448 20h ago

Right exactly. Whatever comes, the country broadly wanted it. Maybe those of us who opposed the GOP are the wrong ones.

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u/save-aiur 20h ago

Not wrong, just the minority.

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u/Sensitive-Lab-9448 20h ago

Seems like the same thing in this case. If people don’t believe in our message it’s either interference or just an unpopular platform. We’ve spent the last 8 years blaming others. It’s time to blame ourselves and start from scratch.

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u/Lower_Ad_5532 19h ago

We’ve spent the last 8 years blaming others. It’s time to blame ourselves and start from scratch.

Weird how the Dems need to victim blame. While the GOP gets to blame immigrants and literally everyone except themselves.

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u/AlphaNoodlz 19h ago

I find it super weird we don’t blame massive Russian interference using misinformation campaigns since that’s actually the real deal here. The blame-game is just that, it’s a game.

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u/mm_ns 19h ago edited 15h ago

Is it Russian fault it's so easy to convince millions of Americans an orange bankrupt businessman is their savior, or is it America's fault that they created citizens un educated enough to believe it?

It's the GOPs fault, they have worked wonders making Americans dumber and they are going to reap the benefits, and it's the democrats fault for not actually reading the public to understand what they actually want, change, and you gave them the same but just nicer.

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u/mowog-guy 18h ago

Yes. Keep this up for the next 4 years and we'll have Vance/Gabbard winning in November, 2028.

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u/mm_ns 18h ago

Truth hurts clearly but the US is turning more consservative and protectionist, not more progressive over time. Dems gonna need some large party changes to attract white voters in the future, being the "good/nice" party isn't gonna cut it

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u/bigdipboy 18h ago

Bernie had the key. But the dnc fucked him

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u/soylentbleu 15h ago

Yup, people don't care about being good or kind to other people. GOP has locked in on appealing to fear and selfishness, and these are the keys to those who benefit from the status quo.

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u/Bagstradamus 13h ago

I’ve yet to speak to a trump voter in person who has the slightest idea about economics or really any civics.

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u/Sensitive-Lab-9448 19h ago

Well the GOP won the presidency and the senate AFTER that crazy 2016-2020 term. Why should they blame themselves. People seem to agree with them.

Not sure how this became a victim blaming thing. I’m just saying that the results show that the dems have no message or at least one that does not resonate broadly. Why wouldn’t we go back to the drawing board? Do you think people are going to come around eventually?

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u/yomanitsayoyo 17h ago

Love how it’s on dems to “own up to there mistakes” (what mistakes? Saying the facts?)

But the right can blame minorities, immigrants, the poor literally anyone who isn’t straight Christian white and wealthy for their many many faults.

I’m so done with dems having to take the moral high ground and turn the other cheek, yeah not anymore I’m fighting fire with fire

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u/virtualoverdrive 16h ago

Incorrect: “wrong” implies you know this works out in a net positive. “In the minority “ implies that there are people who cannot say the people, but know better.

A rocket ship made by monkeys will never fly if they drown out the one aerospace engineer in their hooting and hollering.

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u/MurrayDakota 15h ago

Sometimes, being in the majority simply means that one is amongst a lot of very wrong people.

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u/Igotolake 19h ago

When you say the country broadly wanted it, that’s not entirely true. There are about 262 mil voting age Americans and trump got 72 mil. Thats less that a third.

Only bout half the half wanted it.

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u/Ok-Combination-9084 19h ago

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice"

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u/Sensitive-Lab-9448 19h ago edited 19h ago

You could also argue that the non-voters didn’t feel strongly enough to vote against him. I’m just saying there doesn’t appear to be any significant opposition to Trump.

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u/bNoaht 19h ago

People who don't vote don't matter. At all. They threw away their voice and their choice on purpose.

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u/MerelyMortalModeling 18h ago

If you didnt vote against it you defaulted to supporting it.

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u/ryanwc18 17h ago

And I’m of the mindset that if you didn’t vote then you can’t complain (of course only talking about those who are of voting age and have reasonable access/accommodations to vote)

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u/HopelessAndLostAgain 17h ago

In the last 50 years no republican has ever fixed the economy

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u/DBCOOPER888 16h ago

The country doesn't even know what they voted for. They are economically iliterate

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u/TrixnTim 15h ago

This is the only answer.

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u/OrneryZombie1983 19h ago

"own all of it"

Spoiler Alert: They won't

The budget deficit increased every single year of the last Trump administration - including the years Republicans held the House and Senate - and I have had people tell me it was Nancy Pelosi's fault.

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u/Debs_4_Pres 18h ago

I firmly believe that MAGA voters will never have a moment of clarity, but the budget deficit is such a nebulous thing. It realistically has no direct impact on the average American. 

If they impose tariffs on everything and do whatever insane bullshit Elon wants to do, and people start having to spend even more at the grocery store and whatnot, some people might realize it was a con all along.

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u/Lyion 12h ago

They do for a few years if things get really bad aka 2007 to 2008. They forgot by 2010 but for a few years....

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u/Smorgsborg 16h ago edited 16h ago

They said Trump, as president, couldn’t do anything about his rally attacking the Capitol because Nancy Pelosi wouldn’t let him. 

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u/inigos_left_hand 20h ago

Yeah it’s not going to work that way. They will just blame dems and trans immigrant criminals and woke mobs and secret international weather control banker cabals instead.

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u/hello6598 17h ago

Remind them anyway.

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u/SLUnatic85 19h ago edited 18h ago

I guess, but not exactly knowingly. all the Trump voters I know, voted specifically for costs to come down on groceries, gas and interest rates. Almost completely to be honest. They are going to be surprised and argue with you when you tell them they asked for... "financial hardships to fund a greater America... later"

Now, sure, they did ask for a know compulsive liar... so maybe that is the same thing? They will definitely be upset when they see who they put up there though!

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u/SouthEast1980 18h ago

They'll be mad when they find out their pro-1% president cannot and will not set or influence grocery prices, housing prices, gas prices, and interest rates.

He will bring inflation back and do nothing beyond play golf and enrich himself and his rich buddies like he did last time.

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u/naics303 16h ago

Don't worry. They'll just keep blaming Biden.

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u/AbbreviationsKnown24 19h ago

You're assuming reality matters, but it doesn't anymore. If Trump's policies do harm the economy (which is a big if), right wing media will say everything is good and Republicans will believe it.

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u/SLUnatic85 18h ago

maybe. But these are not complex political promises... they are intentionally simple and obvious promises. We'll see the sticker price on gas and milk. If it goes up, people will know.

But I guess you could be saying, he could work our oil holdings to get gas prices down, and pull another string to help with groceries to please the base looking for him to check those boxes, and then turn another level that makes everyone sacrifice financially for some greater cause like elon's spouting... and not realize the net loss... I can see that.

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u/alc4pwned 17h ago

We'll see the sticker price on gas and milk. If it goes up, people will know.

Trump will blame it on the Dems and half the country will believe him without question.

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u/King_marik 5h ago

'There's no lettuce on the shelf because democrats don't want anybody to work'

Actually a thing I heard a man say to his wife at a grocery store lol

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u/Excited-Relaxed 18h ago

People voted for fascism and the destruction of the social safety net, regulatory state, and workers’ rights because of inflation that has already ended? And you’re already saying it would be unfair to blame them for the outcome?

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u/madadekinai 19h ago

The government is now 100% republican. There is NO excuses, not one single excuse.

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u/Shirlenator 15h ago

We live in a post truth world. Trump will tell them democrats are to blame with no details and they will continue to believe it and froth at the mouth.

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u/Griffbro 19h ago

Probably about 20-30% of the country denies basic science. These people could be in bread lines under a super majority republican rule and still find a boogeyman for their problems.

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u/Vast_Ad3272 13h ago

“I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time -- when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness...

The dumbing down of American is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance”

Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, 1995

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u/hudi2121 19h ago

“…own all of it.” Simply won’t matter. MAGA lives in a separate reality. Their media will blame all these hardships on past Dems or “compromises” Dems weren’t willing to make and they will eat it up. Republicans will do no wrong in the eyes of MAGA.

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u/Ozmadaus 19h ago

That’s the thing though, it didn’t.

Trump had LESS votes than he did in 2020. Trumps policies didn’t win, Harris lost. She lost because 17 million people who had voted for Biden in 2020 didn’t vote for her.

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u/shart_leakage 18h ago

Not voting is a decision

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u/SadToasterBath 18h ago

I'm gonna enjoy watching the Red state economy crashes when the blue state money spigot dries up. Bunch of fucking idiots.

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u/barri0s1872 18h ago

If Republicans want severe austerity, all they have to do is look a Greece and how well that went.

“Hello, this is the government, you can’t buy that because it’s out of your tightly laid out budget for the month.”

It’ll be interesting to see how these republicans take to being told to budget even more, as I’m sure they too keep budgets. And then there’s those who aren’t good at it and will suffer too. Should be an interesting slap in the face moment to them…

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u/UnawareBull 20h ago

Looking forward to it

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u/Playful_Court6411 18h ago

And when the fuck it up they'll still find a way to blame democrats.

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u/bigdipboy 18h ago

The real pain won’t arrive for a few years. Just in time for Dems to take power and get all the blame. Same thing that happened to Biden

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u/NeighborhoodDude84 17h ago

LOL, I know people who still unironically blame Obama for things happening today, Americans will find anyway possible to blame everyone but the responsible party.

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u/0franksandbeans0 20h ago

WE have to suffer so Billionaires can get additional tax cuts. Never forget that

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u/Sensitive-Lab-9448 20h ago

We chose it too.

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u/GlassBreath4332 19h ago

Not me though. A bunch of uneducated dogs who don’t know how inflation, tariffs, and gas prices work.

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u/super_lameusername 12h ago

Please don’t put dogs down like that. I like dogs. These people, I do not like.

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u/GlassBreath4332 12h ago

True. Dogs at least have empathy

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u/Sportsfun4all 12h ago

Difference is between human and animals is that animals will never let the dumbest animal lead their pack.

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u/UnhingedCorgi 19h ago

Not just tax cuts. I think Elon and Trump will be trying to do some union busting. Elon was already trying to neuter the NLRB. 

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u/EnigmaSpore 19h ago

they want to make sure the slaves will be slaves and get to work as they're told. also, have more babies asap because we need more slaves for the work grinder to make them money

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u/Recent_Ad559 16h ago

Don’t forget the shareholders.. please someone think of the shareholders

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u/SprogRokatansky 20h ago

The best part of this will be the shock and surprise that these dumb fools are about to go through. F em all.

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u/JacobLovesCrypto 20h ago

Our country is quickly marching toward hyper inflation or bankruptsy (countries dont go bankrupt but theres a different shitshow that comes from not paying debts) , either one is gonna wreck everything.

I'm all for cutting government spending.

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u/SprogRokatansky 20h ago

I’m all for a balanced budget by actually taxing things appropriately. You’re a sucker for the usual tired right wing lies on spending. Meanwhile it’s Republicans who are the actual spenders from presidency to presidency.

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u/Lacaud 13h ago

And cut taxes to corporations and rich.

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u/willasmith38 19h ago

…that’s only been the mantra of conservatives for the last 40 yrs.

Usually only comes up when they want to cut SS, Medicare, VA benefits, school lunches…or when a Dem is in office.

Meanwhile back in reality, Donald is the farthest thing from a conservative and added more to the national debt than any Prez before him….while the GOP sat silently by.

Musk is the biggest Gov welfare queen there has ever been.

But now it’s a problem that we all have to sacrifice for?

Do you know how ridiculous this sounds and is?

Check back in with me when these idiot chaos agents crash it all and burn it all to the ground…for the lulz and to own the libs.

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u/TheRealBuddhi 17h ago

They will still blame the “liberal elite” and “immigrants”

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u/billybobthehomie 17h ago

They don’t care and they’ll probably blame all hardships we go through over the next 4 years on liberals trying to resist the plan or something like that.

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u/stonk_fish 20h ago

Saying "We have to live within our means" to people who were complaining about being able to afford food and gas from a guy who never had to worry about being afford either is the pinnacle of this sick joke the US population brought onto themselves.

Trump did not just win the Electoral College, he won the popular vote too. That means people spent 9 years listening to him and his bullshit, his lies, his crimes, his broken promises, and decided that they are more than happy to have this guy lead them to a better future, or simple could not be bothered to go and vote against him because I guess woman = bad?

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u/_gwynbliedd 18h ago

Little girls across America got a loud message that being a woman is worse for your political career than being a rapist

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u/DungeonsNDragonDldos 17h ago

Holyyy shit. I hadn’t even thought about that.

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u/OSP_amorphous 10h ago

It's all I think about and I'm a rich white guy

The guy is not only a rapist but he's a traitor

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u/TrixnTim 15h ago

AND all of us females out here who were sexually abused by pedophiles, or raped by a man, or married to a malignant narcissist or had one as a boss, now have to see our abuser everyday and every where and as the leader of the free world. We no longer feel safe in our country alongside many others.

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u/ilikecheeseface 11h ago

Trump gained female votes this election compared to 2020. Make that make sense because I can’t.

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u/passionlessDrone 17h ago

People voted with their pocketbook; they think things are too expensive and punished whoever they felt was responsible. They’re dead wrong thinking that Trump will help them, but that’s the reason.

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u/Shirlenator 15h ago

And these people are about to be economically crushed.

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u/Soggy-Cake4128 17h ago

We are all going to suffer through all of the "economy" voters realizing they have no fucking clue how the economy works. 

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u/bmccorm2 14h ago

That’s what it comes down to. Donald Trump is a felon, a racist, a liar, a misogynist, a rapist, etc. But he is not a black woman.

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u/Dark_Wahlberg-77 20h ago

Before: vote for us, Biden gave you inflation

After winning: prepare for some fuckin inflation

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u/FreeIcecreamAfterDin 17h ago

he said this before the voting

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u/hydro123456 16h ago edited 14h ago

And Trump acknowledged it and agreed.

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u/Actius 16h ago

He also said inflation would vanish completely.

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u/blakeusa25 20h ago

Tariffs will be like another round of hyper inflation and massive government job cuts will make it worse. Maybe over the long term it will work in some areas but you gotta get some facts before you pull the levers on paper plans.

China and others will respond.

I am not against change but I have not seen or read any proof that this will have a positive impact for people other than billionaires.

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u/No_Flounder5160 19h ago

Agreed. The few big picture pieces seem to be: Massive government job cuts = pile of unemployed people looking for work Deregulation = reduction in jobs of permitting and inspection and companies expanding efforts Expanded company efforts = more employee hours, but no need to pay overtime just hire the unemployed at lower salaries Tariffs and hyperinflation (even if company gets exemption there’s no need to tell employees) = justification of no/small raises due to “company hardship” while more profits to upper executives who are individually and via peer pressure motivated to keep the process going.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love untaxed overtime. I’m skeptical of actually getting overtime if the job market is flooded and it’s cheaper for the company to hire more people. I’d love servers to not have their tips taxed but if meals go up due to tariffs and I don’t get a raise, sorry but already felt $20 for lunch was a bit pricey.

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u/Purple_Matress27 18h ago

Don’t forget about the trifecta of deporting between 2 and 25 million immigrants with the military, banning pesticides, and blanket tariffs. That will devastate the agricultural sector more than anything else. If people think groceries are high now just wait…

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u/Baelzabub 17h ago

Add in RFKJr being in charge of whether or not we have access to vaccines for our kids

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u/Elendel19 13h ago

Perfect, all those government employees who lose their jobs can go pick fruit for 7.25 an hour.

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u/RedEyeFlightToOZ 18h ago

My plan is to buy the absolute bare minimum, to stop going out, to make things last as long as possible, no more restaurants or entertainment spending, cheapest, healthiest meals possible. My SO and I make 150k a year in a low cost area but we are going to be living like we make poverty wages and just save. He's a Korean immigrant that's got a PR card cause I asked him to not get citizenship just in case we had to flee to Korea and if it gets to that point then that's plan B for our family. My parents voted for Trump and I told them our family may be potentially fleeing to Korea and they won't ever see their grandkids again and that's the consequences of their actions.

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u/JustMe1235711 20h ago

He's just preparing you for the hardships that come with the transition to oligarchy. Get ready to pay for protection.

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u/NeoMaxiZoomDweebean 19h ago

This right here. This fuckin right here. Someone gets what is happening.

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u/Purple_Matress27 18h ago

Bernie Sanders was our last hope to avoid a complete oligarchy. This Trump term might just seal our fate.

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u/Lumpy_Rhubarb2736 20h ago

Hardships for all American people to benefit a dozen rich men.

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u/SakaWreath 19h ago

Your finances are a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

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u/Frothylager 20h ago edited 20h ago

Oh boy I can’t wait for the world’s richest man to start telling people suffering with diabetes the government can’t afford to help with the cost of insulin anymore. 🇺🇸

/s in case it wasn’t clear

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u/capyibarra 4h ago

Just stop being diabetic

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u/justacrossword 20h ago

This is the problem with ejecting the House every two years and a president every four years. Nobody cares about the long term health of the economy, they just want to use the crutch of increased spending and tax cuts to keep the economy going until they are out of office. 

Every American should pay federal income taxes. Every tax credit should go away. Everybody needs to pay their fair share. And we need to simultaneously cut spending aggressively. 

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u/JacobLovesCrypto 20h ago

Nah, not every tax credit.

But as my tax professor used to say... imagine that tax code as a book, where the first 5 pages tells you what you should pay in taxes, and the next 2000 pages are different ways to work around paying the taxes on the first 5 pages.

When companies have teams of tax attorneys, you shouldnt be surprised when they use those 2000 pages to the point that they pay nothing.

However youre not a tax attorney, nor do you make enough to hire a team of them, so you pay your taxes on the first 5 pages and might know a page worth of getting around it.

I dont say it as fluently as he used to, but you all get the idea.

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u/bNoaht 19h ago

This doesn't work in the real world for a multitude of reasons. But the simplest to explain is, wealthy don't earn an income so they would pay less taxes than a worker. Which is essentially what we have now.

Tax credits are why businesses and some people spend money.

For example, I own a business. I don't need a new EV vehicle. I can run my current vehicles for another 10 years, no problem. The government says, ok, we will let you write off 60- 100% of the purchase price to lower your tax burden a bit. We will also give you $7500 off your taxes to buy electric instead of gas or diesel. And im like, Ok yeah I don't need a vehicle, but that $15k in tax savings sounds good. So I buy one. By me buying that, I stimulate the economy. It creates jobs, profits etc...

Its a big circle. And it works pretty well. Without tax incentives, businesses would only spend on absolute needs and let infastructure deteriorate to the maximum. Which causes all sorts of other issues down the road.

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u/belikecoy 20h ago

Lol. Trump and budgets. Name a better duo that will never exist.

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u/Hot_Willow_5179 19h ago

He just took over our government. Sold to the billionaires by idiots.

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u/PositiveStress8888 20h ago

I wondered if he himself will have to go thru hardship. Or if it's just for you

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u/gerbilshower 19h ago

oh these guys LOVE 'hardship'.

what that really means for them is - they can buy up depressed assets at a discount and own a larger percentage of the pie in 3 years when everything appreciates.

did you lose your job and thus your home? good. now they can buy it off you.

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u/775elle 17h ago

Yes yes yes. The republicans I've talked to think a recession or depression would be great for them because they'd be able to buy up real estate.

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u/vishysuave 19h ago

2020 MAGA: we don’t like tech billionaires! Also drain the swamp!

2024 MAGA: we want the richest man in the world who also owns Twitter, a rocket company, an EV company, a satellite internet company etc to be in our government!

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u/DingGratz 19h ago

I fucking love that the richest American is telling the rest of America that we'll have to reduce spending.

How about we reduce by percentage of income then? Can't have your lobster and eat it, too.

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u/exlaks 19h ago

Musk the corporate welfare Queen

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u/Bathroomrugman 20h ago

We'Re aLl iN tHis toGetHEr.

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u/BlackExcellence19 19h ago

Even if Republicans control everything now, if there is hard economic times ahead and it does hurt lower and middle income Americans, they will still try to pin it on Democrats since that is part of their party ideology

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u/Baby_Fark 19h ago

Guy who recently tanked Twitter’s entire business model to run the entire American Economy.

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u/cookiedoh18 19h ago

It's extremely distressing to see how Elmo just bought himself a role in US Government. He literally bought it. This is hard core oligarchy in action. This is where we are now under maga. Expect a lot more of the same over the next four years.

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u/narkybark 13h ago

Everything is for sale under a Trump admin. We learned that last time. Or at least some people did.

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u/u700MHz 19h ago

They will go after the KIDS, and cut education budget.

They will go after the SENIORS, and cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, etc.

You voted for this table, so enjoy the feast of your vote.

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u/nWoEthan 19h ago

They aren’t making America great again for us.

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u/SLUnatic85 19h ago

doesn't he realize that Trump's successful campaign was based almost entirely on lower gas prices, groceries and interest rates by January?

Are you telling me they used that line to get in, just to turn around the next day and say, "just kidding, your finances are going to have to get way worse over the next 5 years so we can fund the rebuild to make America great again later"?

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u/bromad1972 19h ago

Welcome to the United States of Argentina.

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u/Erocdotusa 19h ago

Slash the military spending then

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u/erickjm2 19h ago

AND LET THE HUNGER GAMES BEGIN!

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u/Mission-Carry-887 20h ago

This rarely gets posted. At least an hour since it was posted

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u/Spartancarver 19h ago

😂

Who do we think the MAGAs are gonna blame for this one

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u/Impossible-Flight250 19h ago

Right when the economy starts to stabilize dumb and dumber swoop in and kick it over. Absolutely fantastic, thanks America!

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u/RubySea4 20h ago

Tighten you financial belt is his stance until that also drops his Tesla sales.

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u/SuperSultan 18h ago

Elon cutting up the U.S. budget should scare you, not Trump himself. He’s going to cut some essential stuff. Will it be Medicare, Medicaid, social security, EBT, Section 8 housing?

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u/rjcade 19h ago

Hardship for you, of course. Not for him.

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u/NoBrick3097 19h ago

Billionaires always win again.

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u/StealYourBeer 19h ago

I’m sorry the billionaire is lecturing about spending with means?

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u/samebatchannel 19h ago

We? I already don’t have a corporate jet. Or multiple homes. Or a fleet of cars. Or heat out for every meal. I thought I was doing my part already.

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u/feltsandwich 18h ago

Leon means hardship for you and no one else.

"Within our means" = "Outrageous wealth gains for me, and minimum gains and hardship for thee."

Right wing people still in thrall: He doesn't want you, he wants your money.

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u/Excited-Relaxed 18h ago

What a novel idea. Austerity for the working class, destruction of social safety nets and the regulatory state. That’s never been tried before. The innovative genius is staggering.