Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
These same concerns can be said of any pick - not just the wealthy ones.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?
Not entirely. The Trump transition team has not signed ethics pledges that align with the Presidential Transition Act. That's step one.These same concerns can be said of any pick - not just the wealthy ones.
1 Cor 1:26An 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).
(Bachelor’s or Higher)
EL PAÍS English
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.
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.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.
How did Fauci make "so much money" from the pandemic?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?
I never suggested any corruption. You are the only person here suggesting corruption.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.
Right, because I can distinguish between illegal self-dealing and unethical corruption, and legal and ethical ways of making money.I never suggested any corruption. You are the only person here suggesting corruption.
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.Do you believe that none of the experts should make any money when the government requires their expertise?
Everything you are "distinguishing" is solely in your mind. You are imagining all of these scenarios.Right, because I can distinguish between illegal self-dealing and unethical corruption, and legal and ethical ways of making money.
Like Fauci did? You don't remember the vaccine mandates? Big pharma and the NIH made a killing.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?
Yet you believe that Elon Musk, David Sacks and Chris Wright will control everything?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.
I know that the Trump transition team so far has not held itself to the ethical guidelines required by the Presidential Transition Act.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.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?