Maybe it's not a waste of time to document a few pretty clear examples of administrative idiocy now and then.
> Former FBI Director James Comey spots seashells on a beach arranged to say "8647," and realizes that means "throw out our 47th President." It's cute, so he photographs and posts it. Gotta say a sizeable minority of U.S. citizens would have done the same; and, a year or two ago a different sizeable minority would have done the same with "8646." As most of us likely know, from experience or literature, to "eighty-six someone" is to throw him (or her) out, usually out of a tavern. A convenient on-line dictionary gives as the 4th meaning of "eighty-six:" "Slang. a customer considered undesirable or unwelcome and refused service at a bar or restaurant."
Lacking in taste? Perhaps; but so what?
Desperate, Trump reads that as a call not merely to evict him from office, the obvious meaning, but as a criminal call for his assassination. Two other high officials have threatened or advocated prosecution, including the attorney-general. Prosecution would be an extraordinary waste of time.
[btw, although this would make little difference, i've seen no allegation that Comey actually arranged the seashells, and it apparently was just found art.]
> Is it worth pointing out that while far-right Republicans voted against Trump's budget bill, because they want to save more money at the expense of ill people, Mr. Trump is spending an unnecessary $45 million to celeb rate the anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army, because that anniversary happens to fall on Mr. Trump's own birthday?
The Republicans are all happy with continuing all tax cuts, despite the deficit, but plan to save money by cutting Medicaid and food assistance. Obviously I'm an idiot to wonder why it's so urgent to cut people's food and medical care without for a moment upping taxes on the obscenely rich.
> Speaking of the deficit, while Republicans work to maintain low taxes for rich folks and corporations, Moody's has lowered the nation's AAA credit rating -- for the first time ever. Moody's is in good company: U.S. citizens just listed their confidence in our economy at the second-lowest percentage ever.
I'm no economist, so I asked AI what the consequences of this lowering of our credit-rating are:
While immediate effects are limited, the downgrade underscores potential long-term challenges: I was told that although immediate downturn in market prices was minimal [perhaps because Mr. Trump has already savaged that with tariff idiocy and rampant uncertainty], likely impact will be:
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Higher Borrowing Costs: A lower credit rating can lead to increased interest rates for government and consumer loans.
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Investor Confidence: Persistent fiscal issues may erode investor trust, affecting demand for U.S. debt.
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Policy Pressure: The downgrade may prompt policymakers to pursue more sustainable fiscal strategies.MarketWatch+6Reuters+6Investopedia+6
In summary, Moody’s downgrade serves as a warning about the U.S.'s fiscal health.
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