Elon Musk deletes own, SpaceX and Tesla Facebook pages after #deletefacebook

https:// truepundit.com/elon-musk-deletes-own-spacex-and-tesla-facebook-pages-after-deletefacebook/

Vachel Lindsay

@VachelLindsay

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1. One thing many are missing.

This Omnibus pork barrel has a shelf life of 6 months. Renewal ? End of September.

Just before the mid-terms.

1. Trump & Mattis have secured the $700 bn for the military. That is locked in, a fantastic outcome for #MAGA.

But all other spending is up for review & can be cut in late September.

1. If we are correct, the political landscape facing Trump then, will be very different than the one we have given him now.

'We'? YES. Were the ones who voted these people in. Not Trump.

1. We need to consider the shit storm coming down the line with OIGGate, ClintonGate, ObamaGate and other scandals. There's no way that these won't touch Congress itself.

More than a few Congress critters are implicated, especially on the Dem side (also GOPe).

1. Each hit the Uniparty takes, makes Trump stronger.

Each hit the Dems take, makes Trump stronger.

Removing GOPe swamp creatures also makes him stronger.

Keep that in mind, as the next few months unfold.

1. So let the Uniparty crow today. It's known as a pyrrhic victory. Their last barrel of pork, if you will.

By the time Sept arrives, they'll watch in horror as Trump cuts every spending appropriation that they won today.

Oh, be in no doubt. That's what he's going to do.

1. And their horror will only increase when he puts in increased military spending, wall spending, defunds sanctuary cities etc etc.

Again, just before the mid terms.

TIMING, folks.

1. Think of today as part of a process, not as an isolated event. This Omnibus is like a piece of driftwood, floating on the ocean surface.

These are NOT normal times.

Going forward, focus less on the surface. More on who controls the tides beneath.

1. 'When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum.

When the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing.'

Sun Tzu was 100% correct.

Think mid-terms. Trust Trump. Hold the line, patriots.

#MAGA The end.

https:// threadreaderapp.com/thread/977325762087813120.html

Unrolled thread from @LarrySchweikart #s

@LarrySchweikart

1) There have been some crazy theories going around so let's look at what is actual law.

2) Congress has a two-step program for spending money. Technically, the President doesn't spend anything.

3) First, there is the "Authorization" process. The House, then the Senate . . .

3) contd: . . . AUTHORIZE every department and agency to spend up to a certain amount of money. Think of this as giving your kid permission to spend the money in his piggy bank.

4) The APPROPRIATIONS process then actually allocates how much of that authorized $ can be spent.

5) So, you "authorize" your kid to spend $10 . . . but there is nothing in the piggy bank to spend. Then you put in $5 that you have "appropriated." He still can only spend $5, because that's all that has been appropriated.

6) Departments turn in their budgets yearly.

6) contd. Typically, Congress does what's called "baseline budgeting," wherein they assume a department starts with LAST year's budget #s, and Congress works up from there. (another reason for constant deficits).

7) "Zero-based" budgeting would require a dept be reviewed . . .

7) contd. . . . annually with new hearings. Actually, as much as we hate "baseline," it would be almost impossible to run any government of any size on "zero." But a five-year zeroing out would be reasonable.

8) So, DoD gets its budget:

8) contd. You have $xm for tanks, $ym for planes, $zm for pay.

DoD CANNOT willy-nilly just "move" money from tanks to planes. That hasn't been AUTHORIZED.

9) You say to your kid, "Sure, spend $5 on a movie ticket." But you didn't authorize spending $5 on candy.

10) Sometimes, authorization/appropriation is conditional upon meeting conditions set by Congress. Don't meet the conditions? Don't get the money.

11) This COULD be the basis for, if Congress had a spine the basis to deny virtually ALL federal funding to "sanctuary cities."

12) It has been the basis on which the feds get involved in ALL education: don't accept our rules on transgenders? No $$.

13) Anyway, the point is, Trump CANNOT simply "take" money from DoD and apply it to the Wall. The Army Corps of Engineers is funded, and they have

13) contd. already submitted their list of projects/payroll for which money is authorized. If ANY of that is spent any other way, Congress simply would not APPROPRIATE any further of the AUTHORIZED money til Army CoE straightened up.

14) Further, Richard Nixon thought he had a way to contain spending on what he thought was extravagant stuff in 1973. He "impounded" the AUTHORIZED and APPROPRIATED money, but wouldn't spend it.

it sat there.

15) Nixon cited Truman, Ike, JFK, and Johnson, all of whom impounded funds. However, in each case they did so on the basis of "economy and efficiency." Nixon impounded money on grounds that in the future it would raise taxes.

Likely, but not provable.

16) Further, it was subsequently concluded by courts that the illegal acts by Truman, Ike, JFK, and LBJ were not precedent for another illegal act.

17) In other words, just cuz Zero "got away with it" once or twice doesn't make it legal precedent.

18) Nor would it make it likely Trump, with a semi-hostile congress, could get away with it.

19) There is no Constitutional wiggle room for Trump to arbitrarily build the wall.

20) Actually, that's a good thing. If an when it's built, it will be on firm Constitutional and legal foundation as well as on its physical foundation.,

21) And remember, the Founders took all these precautions to empower the LEGISLATURE to control all spending.

22) We have ourselves, the voters, to blame for the legislature that has taken full advantage of its Constitutional powers.

23) Not until we have people in there who genuinely think like us will we have change.

https:// threadreaderapp.com/thread/977312884874084352.html

Unrolled thread from @VachelLindsay

1. Everyone calm down. Trump signed this POS Omnibus Bill for one reason : to get $700 billion for the military. It's his #1 priority.

And the largest increase in defense spending in 15 years. That's a VERY good outcome.

Trump: Military Funding Top Priority in Avoiding Government Shutdown | Military.com

Trump went to the Pentagon to send a message that funding the military is his top priority in any deal to avoid a shutdown.

https:// www. military.com/daily-news/2018/01/18/trump-military-funding-top-priority-avoiding-government-shutdown.html

1. Pentagon appropriations include $589.5 billion in the base budget and $65.2 billion in the overseas contingency operations (OCO) budget — an increase of $61.1 billion over the 2017 enacted level, when combined with other previously enacted funding.

2. From the same article (below), 'the bill surpasses Trump’s fiscal 2018 request for the Pentagon by $15.5 billion. Defense makes up more than 50% of the entire bill.'

Congress races to pass $1.3T defense-friendly omnibus and avoid shutdown

The sweeping $1.3 trillion spending bill that congressional leaders unveiled Wednesday includes $654.6 billion for the Pentagon. But it’s unclear whether Congress can pass the proposal without shutti…

https:// www. militarytimes.com/congress/2018/03/22/congress-races-to-pass-13t-defense-friendly-omnibus-and-avoid-shutdown/

1. To all the pearl clutchers out there baying at the moon & weeping that all is lost, ask yourselves : do you want America's military men and women to be treated properly? Do you want American military defense stronger or weaker?

2. Because POTUS Trump DOES support those who put themselves in harm's way, so we can whine about Omnibus.

And unfortunately, Omnibus is the price he has to pay. For now.

Is Omnibus a perfect bill? No. At least 45% sucks. But is it the end of the world?

HELL NO.

1. Do you have any idea what Obama did go America's military?

His sequestration cuts gutted military capability. As far back as 2015, America had already lost the capacity to fight two major wars at once.

U.S. military decimated under Obama, only ‘marginally able’

The U.S. military is shedding so many troops and weapons it is only “marginally able” to defend the nation and falls short of the Obama administration’s national security strategy a shocking new stud…

https:// www. washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/24/us-military-decimated-under-obama-only-marginally-/

1. But it's worse than just a degradation of capabilities and equipment etc.

Obama destroyed morale.

The will to fight.

As this article puts it, Obama 'destroyed unit integrity, cohesiveness and the “will to win.”'

Military readiness was undermined by Obama experiments

The Trump administration came to power with a clear mandate to restore U.S. military credibility, effectiveness, and capabilities. Such a mandate involves reversing not only the debilitating impact o…

https:// www. washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/23/military-readiness-was-undermined-by-obama-experim/

1. As we have learned since Trump's inauguration, Obama's weakness meant that America's enemies grew stronger in capability, effectiveness & morale.

In particular, China, NK, Iran, Russia.

Obama trashed our allies and rewarded our enemies, 24/7.

1. It amazes me how some people are whining today, after we have seen the economy boom, unemployment tank, wages grow, business confidence increase, not to mention massive success against America's enemies abroad.

It truly astonishes me.

1. Trump has done all this in less than 14 MONTHS.

'But Omnibus Bill wah wah wah'.

Some so-called MAGA supporters are just crying, spoiled children.

More respected voices are right to point out the weaknesses in the Bill. Yes, much of it does suck BIGLY. Trump knows that.

1. But ask yourself: will the wall be built eventually? YES. Are sanctuary cities being cleared ? YES. Are the Obama & Clinton gangs in a world of pain (about to get worse)? YES.

Will #MAGA happen overnight? NO.

Everyone get some perspective.

1. The worst so-called MAGA supporters are those today screeching that 'I will never vote again', or 'Trump has betrayed us'.

Two words: SCREW YOU.

Yes, I said it.

The reason why Trump had to play this hand is because he has a bad deck of cards to deal with. Congress.

1. And the ONLY way to clear these jerks out is to VOTE them out, starting with the Democrats. They're a truly corrupt, despicable group of individuals. I have no doubt they'll be thrashed in the mid terms, because of the hammering that's coming their way in the coming months.

2. BUT it's not going to happen if some #MAGA people (so-called) refuse to vote, is it?

NO, IT WON'T.

So, yes. Omnibus sucks in some ways. But it's good in others.

Take the good with the bad, get some perspective and get behind Trump to #MAGA.

HOLD THE LINE.

The end.

https:// threadreaderapp.com/thread/977279429532467200.html

On the run everywhere

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

The natives are restless everywhere, and they’re frightening the elites. The political parties of the social democrats, and even the Socialists, are crumbling all across Europe. A new version of class war is shaping a new kind of politics, and the implications are worldwide.

Trying to find clues to what’s ahead for America by examining the entrails of European politics is a fool’s errand. Europe, even with its treasures of arts, literature and music, is after all what the first settlers escaped from.

Barack Obama and his friends set out to “transform” America into a version of the European welfare state, but the republic was saved, at least for a while, by the bell that tolled in November 2016.

The Trump phenomenon, with all its populist bells and whistles, echoes across Europe. The Socialist Party in France was the governing majority only two years ago, and last year it won only 7 percent of the vote. The party has all but disappeared in the parliament. Germany’s prevailing Social Democrats fell to winning only 20 percent in elections this year, and the Democratic Party in Italy didn’t do much better.

The story is similar in Poland, Hungary and the Czech State, with echoes in Spain, the Netherlands and Scotland, where liberal, leftist, and progressive (pick a label) parties were kings of the mountain only yesterday.

full article at https:// www. washingtontimes.com/news/2018/mar/21/editorial-the-reign-of-the-elites-is-crumbling-in-/