House Passes Trump-Backed Rescissions Package Slashing $9 BILLION in Bloated Spending — FOREIGN AID, NPR, and PBS on the Chopping Block — Two Republic

[rjs330]

Then why shouldn't we do anything about it?

Because its a natural phenomenon that we cant do anything about. What we should be doing is figuring out ways to adapt to it.

 

[JosephZ]

Wrong. USAID was only rhe mechanism by which our tax dollars were given.

This statement tells me that you know very little about USAID, the work it has been doing, and how it responds to crises around the world when they arise.

 

[rjs330]

This statement tells me that you know very little about USAID, the work it has been doing, and how it responds to crises around the world when they arise.

With our money. It was the organization that took our money a funneled it through NGOs. I'm sure USAID did stuff too in other countries as we had USAID workers living there. But they also funneled a LOT of our money and services through NGOs.

 

[Fantine]

See, you are making a difference in rhe world around you. Just as Christ asked us to.

I'm sure Jesus would not prefer weak ineffective measures to bold and visionary action. I'm sure he is embarrassed at the religious right's distortion of his message.

Many of those changes will be good for the country in the long run.

Polls indicate the opposite and hope his "ruinous run" will end ASAP.

I think rhats great!

There's nothing we can do about climate change. Its a natural phenomenon.

95% of climate scientists disagree. The ones who agree with your position are salaried employees of oil companies paid to tell lies to the General Public

 

[Fantine]

Because its a natural phenomenon that we cant do anything about. What we should be doing is figuring out ways to adapt to it.

What an unusual comment. Weren't you just criticizing people with no initiative sitting around doing nothing?

 

[Richard T]

The thing to remember is that 2 Thessalonians 3:10 was addressed to people who were largely self-employed, as small farmers and craftsment. In that situation, one's sustenance was indeed proportional to how much labor one was willing to engage in. To apply it to the industrial model of employment in use today as an argument against safety nets is a degenerate corruption of Scripture.

Though I am aware that there are structural problems with the way employment works in Western nations, I still lean toward the principles of God being universal and for all time. Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
This Psalm seems to support that. The problem with Western society is that most live beyond their means. When their income stream is interrupted they are unable to meet their obligations on unemployment alone. Savings too are destroyed by the expensive health care system in the USA. A mandatory social security system whose returns are only 4% a year if even that and other mandated government programs, taxes and regulations like building codes force people to do things differently than they would otherwise. I think too that families and churches are somewhat broken in their inability to properly share enough within their ranks. Unmarried widows for instance are to find money from their family first. I Tim 5 "But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to fulfill their duty toward their own household and so repay their parents what is owed them."
Even some churches take away resources by their own demands for money. So this area needs serous reforms including raising corporate taxes and making income taxes even more progressive. So I guess I am sort of a mixed bag here.

 

[Richard T]

As it is today. If you are unwilling to work we shouldn't be supporting you. If you are willing to work, often how well you do is also proportional on how much or at least what you are willing to do.

However again that scripture in Thessalonians is not written to be applied to government programs. To apply it to such is a violation and corruption of scripture.

Scripture says NOTHING about safety nets. Safety nets for the general public are a secular invention. Now I'm not saying we shouldn't have safety nets.

And arguments for or against them should be secular.

The bible has safety nets. gleaning in the fields, resources diverted to the poor, sharing all things in common in the church at Acts, certain widows financed by the church.
Isaiah 58:7
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

 

[Larniavc]

"If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat."

Do you know what a side hustle is? It’s when the job an American is insufficient to live on.

People who work very hard every day still cannot make ends meet in America.

 

[Larniavc]

I expect more money in the long run.

Why? When has Trump’s America made anyone but the already rich richer?

 

[Larniavc]

Our mandate as believers has NEVER been to end world wide poverty.

You might get more punters if you did.

 

[Larniavc]

Thinking that will ever be fixed is naive and unscriptural.

This is what many people dislike Christians. The inaction to make the world a better place is very draining to experience.

 

[Larniavc]

Is it?

Yes. A perfect encapsulation.

 

[BCP1928]

With our money. It was the organization that took our money a funneled it through NGOs. I'm sure USAID did stuff too in other countries as we had USAID workers living there. But they also funneled a LOT of our money and services through NGOs.

Most of it, in fact. USAID employees overseas generally acted in management and administration of the dispersals. They lived in county but they weren't actually "in the field" all that much.

 

[perplexed]

1 cent when you need. 2 dollars

 

[BCP1928]

Though I am aware that there are structural problems with the way employment works in Western nations, I still lean toward the principles of God being universal and for all time. Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
This Psalm seems to support that. The problem with Western society is that most live beyond their means. When their income stream is interrupted they are unable to meet their obligations on unemployment alone. Savings too are destroyed by the expensive health care system in the USA. A mandatory social security system whose returns are only 4% a year if even that and other mandated government programs, taxes and regulations like building codes force people to do things differently than they would otherwise. I think too that families and churches are somewhat broken in their inability to properly share enough within their ranks. Unmarried widows for instance are to find money from their family first. I Tim 5 "But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to fulfill their duty toward their own household and so repay their parents what is owed them."
Even some churches take away resources by their own demands for money. So this area needs serous reforms including raising corporate taxes and making income taxes even more progressive. So I guess I am sort of a mixed bag here.

My point still stands. The "work" of 2 Thesssalonians is not the same as "work" in in the sense of emplyoment as we think of it today. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it just is. My point was, that using that equivocation as neolibleral propaganda to gull Christians is disgusting.

 

[rjs330]

I'm sure Jesus would not prefer weak ineffective measures to bold and visionary action. I'm sure he is embarrassed at the religious right's distortion of his message.

Calling your actions weak and ineffective minimizes the impact you are having. If every believer acted the way you do we would make a difference in the world around us because YOU are personally affecting people's lives on a personal level. THAT'S exactly what Christ wants.

Making his commands to his followers to apply to government actions was never his message. We cannot and should not just parse out only the parts if his message we want and ignore the others. If we arr going to use scripture to compel every citizen to give around the world then we should use scripture to compel every citizen to work in order to eat. Or use the government to outlaw adultery and same sex marriage or divorce. We can't just take the things we want and apply them to government action and ignore the things we don't want. Because thats the real distortion of his message.

Which was to show how we all fall short, and are all sinners and the only way to truly change is to repent of our sin and accept his sacrifice as the salvation of our souls. THEN our actions mean something. Until then we can give all we have to the poor and it is nothing more than self-righteousness and filthy rags.

What YOU are doing in your personal life is for the glory of Christ and in the name of Christ. You are making a personal difference for Christ. Thats what really matters.

 

[Say it aint so]

White House Leads Push to Block Watchdog’s Inquiries Into Spending Cuts​

A federal watchdog has opened dozens of investigations to determine if President Trump and his top aides have illegally withheld billions of dollars in congressionally approved funds.​

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Now, Republican lawmakers are working alongside the White House to stymie those inquiries and the officials conducting them, in a move that could help Mr. Trump seize more control over the nation’s budget.​

​

The attacks target the Government Accountability Office, a roughly century-old agency formed to help Congress keep track of federal spending. The legislative office primarily produces detailed reports on ways that Washington can save money, sometimes rankling administrations that are not so keen about its allegations of waste --NYT​

​

Accountability is for suckers.

 

[rjs330]

95% of climate scientists disagree. The ones who agree with your position are salaried employees of oil companies paid to tell lies to the General Public

And who pays for those Climate scientists? You tgey dont get paid if they disagree. And whole all agree is just bogus. The Cilmate scientists find what they want find and what they have to find or they won't get their funding.

No the whole made made catastrophic warming thing is a hoax. Yes the climate is changing, but it natural and not man made. Instead of spending so much money on trying to stop something we can't, we should be taking all those dollars and spending them on things to mitigate its impact.

You are obviously a person who wants to make a difference. Who feels driven to make a difference in the world around you. That is admirable.

I just believe you are hitching your wagon to the wrong horses. Are you influencing your friends and neighbors to give as much as you do? Are they participating in the same charity programs as you are on a personal level? Whats your impact on them?

 

[Say it aint so]

And who pays for those Climate scientists? You tgey dont get paid if they disagree. And whole all agree is just bogus. The Cilmate scientists find what they want find and what they have to find or they won't get their funding.

No the whole made made catastrophic warming thing is a hoax. Yes the climate is changing, but it natural and not man made. Instead of spending so much money on trying to stop something we can't, we should be taking all those dollars and spending them on things to mitigate its impact.

You are obviously a person who wants to make a difference. Who feels driven to make a difference in the world around you. That is admirable.

I just believe you are hitching your wagon to the wrong horses. Are you influencing your friends and neighbors to give as much as you do? Are they participating in the same charity programs as you are on a personal level? Whats your impact on them?

Stop with this canard

Exxon Knew about Climate Change Almost 40 Years Ago​

​

In 2015, investigative journalists discovered internal company memos indicating that Exxon oil company has known since the late 1970s that its fossil fuel products could lead to global warming with “dramatic environmental effects before the year 2050.” Additional documents then emerged showing that the US oil and gas industry’s largest trade association had likewise known since at least the 1950s, as had the coal industry since at least the 1960s, and electric utilities, Total oil company, and GM and Ford motor companies since at least the 1970s. Scholars and journalists have analyzed the texts contained in these documents, providing qualitative accounts of fossil fuel interests’ knowledge of climate science and its implications. In 2017, for instance, we demonstrated that Exxon’s internal documents, as well as peer-reviewed studies published by Exxon and ExxonMobil Corp scientists, overwhelmingly acknowledged that climate change is real and human-caused. By contrast, the majority of Mobil and ExxonMobil Corp’s public communications promoted doubt on the matter.​

​

Who do you think were paying for Exxon's scientists?

 

[rjs330]

What an unusual comment. Weren't you just criticizing people with no initiative sitting around doing nothing?

Sorry that makes no sense. Yes I do criticize people who sit around doing nothing and just taking from others when they could be being productive. Its tge same with climate change. There is NOTHING we can do to stop it. So instead of wasting our time, energy and resources on trying to stop it, we should be spending our time, money and resources on mitigating its impact on people. So as it changes we change with it and lessen its impact on us.