Voting data in 2024 US election according to education level.

[Zaha Torte]

Headline doesn't say they're bad; headline says they raise risks of ethical conflicts. Whose general welfare will they seek to promote? The American people's or their own; how will they ethically dance that line when they are personally involved? Take for example...

The barely billionaire half of DOGE has come out against federal subsidies to electric car makers not named Tesla, which is owned by the centi-billionaire half of DOGE.

That half of DOGE also owns SpaceX, which receives huge contracts from NASA.

Trump's pick for NASA is another billionaire, Jared Isaacman, who has hired SpaceX for his own personal space launches.

Will Musk find some cost-cutting to be done in the NASA budget for SpaceX launches? Will he tell his friend and business partner who heads NASA to send fewer taxpayer dollars his way? SpaceX has done successful launches, should it get 5% more this year, or maybe 8%?

Will Musk be hiring out of work coal miners to help SpaceX grow? Or do the unemployed coal miners get new work requirements to earn their food stamps, so we can save a little money by not feeding some of them?

These same concerns can be said of any pick - not just the wealthy ones.

Everybody has friends and everybody likes money.

 

[essentialsaltes]

These same concerns can be said of any pick - not just the wealthy ones.

Not entirely. The Trump transition team has not signed ethics pledges that align with the Presidential Transition Act. That's step one.

Step two is that traditionally, people in high office place their assets in a blind trust, so they cannot know whether they are enriching themselves by their official actions. Trump didn't do that in term one, and term two is looking to be even less subject to any attempt at distancing Trump from his businesses while in office.

Likewise, Elon Musk can hardly sell Tesla and SpaceX, or pretend that he doesn't know that he owns them.

New Cryptobro Czar David Sacks is a billionaire owner of a venture capital firm. All his business does is bet money on firms hoping they will succeed. Being in control of (and knowing ahead of time) government decisions that will help businesses succeed is an obvious ethical conflict.

Incoming Energy Secretary Chris Wright owns a fracking company. 'Frack baby frack' lines his pockets.

I mean, what is 'The Swamp' other than people influencing government to make money for themselves to the detriment of the average taxpayer? You don't drain the swamp by putting the moneyed interests in the Cabinet.

 

[Palmfever]

An interesting statistic in the 2024 US election was voting polarization based on education level which was even greater than gender (Women 57% Democrat, 42% Republican, Men 46% Democrat, 53% Republican).

Education Level​	Democratic Support​	Republican Support​	Key Observations​
College Degree (Bachelor’s or Higher)​	61%​	37%​	Strong Democratic support, especially among postgraduate degree holders EL PAÍS English Pew Research Center​
No College Degree​	33%​	63%​	Predominantly Republican support, especially among White voters without a degree​ Pew Research Center​

So why the divide, an explanation given is that educated voters tended to on prioritize issues like climate change, diversity, social equality, and international cooperation and found Trump’s often polarizing language on social media and in campaign rallies off-putting.

1 Cor 1:26
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

 

[Zaha Torte]

Not entirely. The Trump transition team has not signed ethics pledges that align with the Presidential Transition Act. That's step one.

Step two is that traditionally, people in high office place their assets in a blind trust, so they cannot know whether they are enriching themselves by their official actions. Trump didn't do that in term one, and term two is looking to be even less subject to any attempt at distancing Trump from his businesses while in office.

Likewise, Elon Musk can hardly sell Tesla and SpaceX, or pretend that he doesn't know that he owns them.

New Cryptobro Czar David Sacks is a billionaire owner of a venture capital firm. All his business does is bet money on firms hoping they will succeed. Being in control of (and knowing ahead of time) government decisions that will help businesses succeed is an obvious ethical conflict.

Incoming Energy Secretary Chris Wright owns a fracking company. 'Frack baby frack' lines his pockets.

I mean, what is 'The Swamp' other than people influencing government to make money for themselves to the detriment of the average taxpayer? You don't drain the swamp by putting the moneyed interests in the Cabinet.

I believe 'The Swamp' is referring to those public servants that became wealthy as a result of them using their authority and influence for their personal gain to the detriment of the country - like the Clintons, Bidens, Obama and Pelosi.

It refers to war hawks, pay-to-play, shady deals with foreign powers and selling information to our enemies - or using government agencies to seize more power for themselves.

Let's say for the sake of argument that Musk would somehow use his influence to help Tesla and SpaceX - how would that be to the detriment of the country?

Haven't people on the Left been screaming for more electric cars and alternate fuel sources? How is Tesla and SpaceX a detriment?

If one of the pillars of Trump's campaign is becoming energy independent - with fracking being a huge part of that - why couldn't he bring somehow with a history of fracking?

Is an "expert" someone who only deals in theory and no application? Why not bring someone into the team who knows what they are doing?

Were you this critical of Fauci when he and the pharmaceutical companies made so much money off of the government's response to the pandemic?

That is a perfect example of 'The Swamp'.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Were you this critical of Fauci when he and the pharmaceutical companies made so much money off of the government's response to the pandemic?

How did Fauci make "so much money" from the pandemic?

Even this relatively unfriendly article does not suggest any corruption.

Beyond his salary, Fauci also earned income from outside groups, such as the Israel-based Dan David Foundation, which in 2021 awarded him $901,400 for "speaking truth to power" and "defending science" during the Trump administration.

This is not something that Fauci had any control over.

 

[Zaha Torte]

How did Fauci make "so much money" from the pandemic?

Even this relatively unfriendly article does not suggest any corruption.

Beyond his salary, Fauci also earned income from outside groups, such as the Israel-based Dan David Foundation, which in 2021 awarded him $901,400 for "speaking truth to power" and "defending science" during the Trump administration.

This is not something that Fauci had any control over.

I never suggested any corruption. You are the only person here suggesting corruption.

And I could when we get into taxpayer gain of function research that led to the pandemic - but that was not the point that I was making.

Fauci's net worth more than doubled during the pandemic. That is an indisputable fact.

If Trump's goals involve electric cars, space travel and fracking - why can't he go to the experts like we did when the pandemic hit us?

If those experts happen to make more money as a result - how is that any different than when we went to Fauci?

Do you believe that none of the experts should make any money when the government requires their expertise?

Everyone in the government should be paid for their time and efforts, but the experts?

Why is it corruption if Trump supporters who happen to be experts make money from government policy - but not when Fauci does?

 

[essentialsaltes]

I never suggested any corruption. You are the only person here suggesting corruption.

Right, because I can distinguish between illegal self-dealing and unethical corruption, and legal and ethical ways of making money.

Do you believe that none of the experts should make any money when the government requires their expertise?

Certainly they get paid a salary, that's not what we're talking about. Not are we talking about 'offering expertise', we're talking about these people making decisions for the government that they will directly profit them.

 

[Zaha Torte]

Right, because I can distinguish between illegal self-dealing and unethical corruption, and legal and ethical ways of making money.

Everything you are "distinguishing" is solely in your mind. You are imagining all of these scenarios.

Certainly they get paid a salary, that's not what we're talking about. Not are we talking about 'offering expertise', we're talking about these people making decisions for the government that they will directly profit them.

Like Fauci did? You don't remember the vaccine mandates? Big pharma and the NIH made a killing.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Like Fauci did? You don't remember the vaccine mandates?

Fauci did not issue any vaccine mandates. At the federal level, they were issued by Executive Order, Presidential Proclamation, the Secretary of Defense, OSHA, and Medicare/Medicaid. Fauci controls none of these. Neither does he control any of the states, municipalities and private companies that issued vaccine mandates.

 

[Zaha Torte]

Fauci did not issue any vaccine mandates. At the federal level, they were issued by Executive Order, Presidential Proclamation, the Secretary of Defense, OSHA, and Medicare/Medicaid. Fauci controls none of these. Neither does he control any of the states, municipalities and private companies that issued vaccine mandates.

Yet you believe that Elon Musk, David Sacks and Chris Wright will control everything?

Are you honestly saying that Fauci had absolutely no effect on any of the decisions made by any government or company?

 

[essentialsaltes]

Yet you believe that Elon Musk, David Sacks and Chris Wright will control everything?

I know that the Trump transition team so far has not held itself to the ethical guidelines required by the Presidential Transition Act.

I know that it would be impractical for Musk or these other billionaires to put their companies in a blind trust and pretend they don't know they own them.

 

[Zaha Torte]

I know that the Trump transition team so far has not held itself to the ethical guidelines required by the Presidential Transition Act.

I know that it would be impractical for Musk or these other billionaires to put their companies in a blind trust and pretend they don't know they own them.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/11/health/us-coronavirus-monday/index.html