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[diablos991]

Hey, you still haven't answered me about how the Goldman Sachs and rich people cabinet Trump is building is great.

I'm sure you find it very comforting right now that your tax dollars will be sliding into the pockets of the evermore rich.

I never saw your question.
I don't hate rich people.

The Goldman Sachs exec advisor appointment was a disappointment. Though the man will undoubtedly have experience in economics I feel he is likely to try and exploit the position.

 

[kamineko]

The way out of Hell is at the bottom, guys

We all gotta keep digging

 

[diablos991]

What fat is there to cut? Name names and stop being absrtract

Payroll and a review of all current contracts (Renegotiations or cancellations included).

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Payroll and a review of all current contracts (Renegotiations or cancellations included).

Wouldn't focusing on the military be a much more useful way to "trim the fat" payroll in the Dept of Energy? What thousandth of a percent is that of the federal budget?

 

[Dierce]

Payroll and a review of all current contracts (Renegotiations or cancellations included).

How does it feel to be fucking the world over? I know you only voted for that turd but how do you sleep at night ignoring how corrupt, incompetent and ignorant that monster is?

What more evidence do you need to see that?

 

[dapperbandit]

Imagine if he'd given it to Jeb!

Department of Low Energy

 

[Ourobolus]

I'm currently at the DOE and people are talking about the end of the world lol. At this point all I can do is laugh as the world burns. Secretary Moniz is awesome; from him to Peryy, hahahha.

DOE is my major customer. It's going to be interesting going from Moniz to him.

EDIT: I also used to work at NNSA. Gonna have to get in touch with the CIO and his team to see what they think

 

[CrunchyB]

isn't this basically Trump making sure he's not the only incompetent person in governmental office?

He's probably insecure about his (relatively limited) knowledge and intelligence, so he surrounds himself with yes-men.

 

[Steeped in a Sea of Games]

So having a bunch of people who's sole motivation is to better their own position at the cost of every single other person around them will somehow magically lead to good for everyone else?

Hey, it's bound to work one of these days, right? The rich just don't have enough money yet to start trickling it down to all the rest of us!

 

[diablos991]

Wouldn't focusing on the military be a much more useful way to "trim the fat" payroll in the Dept of Energy? What thousandth of a percent is that of the federal budget?

Not singling out this department.
Every department needs this same kind of review.

I hope all of Trumps appointments have the initiative and are empowered to trim the fat.

 

[Neoweee]

Payroll and a review of all current contracts (Renegotiations or cancellations included).

Nice vague punt there. Which national labs are on the chopping block for you? Which National Science Foundation grants? That is what the DOE does.

 

[Esiquio]

Wouldn't focusing on the military be a much more useful way to "trim the fat" payroll in the Dept of Energy? What thousandth of a percent is that of the federal budget?

You're absolutely correct. Did you see that Washington Post article recently about the Pentagon covering up an audit?

http://www.npr.org/2016/12/06/504590398/washington-post-finds-the-pentagon-buried-evidence-of-wasteful-spending

Edit: I have a hard-on for the military but shit like that is painful to see. The DoE certainly would have things that could be cut, but not like the budgets of other, larger Departments.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

Hey, Ron Swanson wanted to eliminate the Pawnee Parks Department when he was in charge of it, and it some of its best work then. Maybe Trump is a big P&R fan?

 

[epmode]

The effects of this election read like a dystopian novel.

"The man who couldn't remember the name "Department of Energy" while calling for it to be abolished now leads the Department of Energy. So it goes."

I miss Kurt Vonnegut.

 

[diablos991]

Nice vague punt there. Which national labs are on the chopping block for you? Which National Science Foundation grants? That is what the DOE does.

If I had access to those contracts and an appropriate amount of time to review them I could answer your question.

 

[Blader]

cmon now no reason to get nasty about it. Again - not a fan of Rick b/c i truly think he's not smart but if we bring in the business dream team like Trump is doing and still not turn this ship around, I would be surprised. I think we're headed for better times. Don't believe me, check the market.

Why exactly does the ship need to be turned around? We've been posting quarterly gains in economic and job growth for the last 5+ years.

Sounds like an appointment meant to trim the fat out of the department.

I just hope it's trimmed appropriately and doesn't impede the nation's pursuit of renewable energy.

Perry is a climate denier, the new EPA head is a climate denier, and the Trump transition team was specifically looking to single out DOE employees with any ties to climate action policies (I'm guessing not to reward them for their hard work on the Paris accord). Meanwhile, Trump continues talking about ramping up oil, natural gas, and coal production while complaining about how wind turbines kill birds and ruin his golf courses.

The nation's pursuit of renewable energy over the next four years is going to fall entirely into the hands of cities and the private sector. The federal government is going to abandon all climate action and renewable energy efforts, and move hard in the opposite direction.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Payroll and a review of all current contracts (Renegotiations or cancellations included).

Then why not want someone who is an expert in the field to know what is and is not needed?

 

[Delt31]

The market? Trump's not president yet.

market was a direct reaction to trump. That's not even a contested point even by the most liberal media.

 

[radios shipping overview]

You know, I never expected this election to turn me into a states'-rights, gun-ownership kind of guy, but here we are.

 

[entremet]

I really don't the modern Republican conceit.

"Starve the Beast!"

"Government is Bad"

and so on. Yet these guys work in government lol. Go into the private sector and stay there, please. But right now they're basically about making sure these services and agencies are sabotaged from within and then saying, "See, Government is bad!"

What dunderheads.

 

[Ourobolus]

I really don't the modern Republican conceit.

"Starve the Beast!"

"Government is Bad"

and so on. Yet these guys work in government lol. Go into the private sector and stay there please.

self-fulfilling prophecy

Claim government doesn't work and that private companies are the beacon of freedom
Get elected to government positions
Ensure that the government doesn't work

 

[metareferential]

One step closer to extinction.

We should start putting all of the other nations' budget toward space travel and leave this rock as soon as possible. xD

 

[hypodrmage]

oops

Took way too long to get to this response.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

So having a bunch of people who's sole motivation is to better their own position at the cost of every single other person around them will somehow magically lead to good for everyone else?

Hey, it's bound to work one of these days, right? The rich just don't have enough money yet to start trickling it down to all the rest of us!

I wondering what exactly is going to be the moment where America as a whole finally realizes that they're putting their hand over the fire when they keep falling for this lie.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

B/c money is no incentive for these guys means they are doing it to be successful which is what makes them work hard. If they're successful, America is successful. Why would you not want this?

So you actually believe in trickle down economics, the models for which were the Reagan administration and more recently, Kansas. Because if someone is already a billionaire, they couldn't possibly be interested in self-enrichment? What?

 

[tuxfool]

Why are people arguing with diablos?

If it isn't known by now that he is full of shit, then it is on you for actually expecting a worthwhile answer from him.

 

[diablos991]

Than why not want someone who is an expert in the field to know what is and is not needed?

I would want a scholar in the field for research ideas.
I would want a person with knowledge of how the private sector operates to decide the budgets and negotiate the contracts.

 

[Maxim726X]

I would want a scholar in the field for research ideas.
I would want a person with knowledge of how the private sector operates to decide the budgets and negotiate the contracts.

So you have neither.

Because again, his only experience is in the oil industry. You at least seem superficially aware of what the Department of Energy is actually responsible for.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Why are people arguing with diablos?

If it isn't known by now that he is full of shit, then it is on you for actually expecting a worthwhile answer from him.

It's better to talk about the problem than to ignore it.

Ignoring it is not the right thing to do.

 

[xxracerxx]

I have been very supportive of Trumps picks as I love injecting proven business folks who have no money incentive to do harm

What in the fuck? Jesus.

 

[Palette Swap]

The next 4-8 years are going to be an amazing stres test for American institutions and their robustness to sheer idiocy and willful destruction.

Considering things have managed to get to this stage, their odds aren't good.

 

[jond76]

First order of business is to shut down the portal to the upsidedown.

 

[tuxfool]

It's better to talk about the problem than to ignore it.

Ignoring it is not the right thing to do.

What possible outcome here are you expecting? I view it less as a solvable problem, but more like noise, there is nothing useful to extract there.

 

[Arkeband]

Why are people arguing with diablos?

If it isn't known by now that he is full of shit, then it is on you for actually expecting a worthwhile answer from him.

If shitposters are left unchallenged, then they win.

 

[GurgleBot20]

You know, I never expected this election to turn me into a states'-rights, gun-ownership kind of guy, but here we are.

I feel you. Here I am hoping that corporations will buy into renewal energy and push back against civil rights violations like they did with North Carolina.

 

[Flui111]

I would want a scholar in the field for research ideas.
I would want a person with knowledge of how the private sector operates to decide the budgets and negotiate the contracts.

But none of these people have any kind of experience in these fields so how would they know what to do.

I might just have to agree with that person that you are full of shit and have no concise counter argument for your points

 

[Nafai1123]

market was a direct reaction to trump. That's not even a contested point even by the most liberal media.

You do realize why those markets reacted, right?

 

[tuxfool]

If shitposters are left unchallenged, then they win.

I would classify him less as a shitposter, than a troll that winds people down a disingenuous chase but never actually answering people's rebuttals or points. Happily willing to deflect to the nth degree and never admitting error. He'll happily engage with you but don't expect sincere answers.

 

[Blader]

market was a direct reaction to trump. That's not even a contested point even by the most liberal media.

Wall Street is reacting positively to Trump because he's going to gut Dodd-Frank and all the other regulations around their industry. I fail to see how that's any kind of win for the economy at large, and especially blue-collar working-class voters, given that the last time the country cultivated a hyper-deregulated market like that, it resulted in a global economic disaster -- which happened *less than a decade* ago!

 

[numble]

I would want a scholar in the field for research ideas.
I would want a person with knowledge of how the private sector operates to decide the budgets and negotiate the contracts.

He was never an executive in the private industry, he was just a lifetime politician that got a cushy advisor position like many revolving door politicians get. He does not have business experience. That is like saying Al Gore has business experience because he sits on the board of Apple.

 

[Macam]

He was Texas governor. Texas is big into oil and gas.

So this is a perfectly logical and reasonable pick for someone who play a role in an administration that will deregulate oil and gas companies.

This is a bit of a failure of understanding of how the DOE works and a limited view of Texas' energy market (omitting wind power, which is big up in north Texas; see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_Texas).

 

[tuxfool]

This is a bit of a failure of understanding of how the DOE works and a limited view of Texas' energy market (omitting wind power, which is big up in north Texas; see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_Texas).

I'm sure. But it certainly seems to be their way of thinking (if they did any of that at all).

 

[Delt31]

How about, I don't know... Putting someone in power who understands the fucking industry and science behind it?

Would you go to a plumber to diagnose heart disease?

Not just with this pick, but with almost every single position he's filled.

For these cabinet positions, I think a high work ethic, smarts, common sense and most importantly being well versed in business and the ability to make deals and be stern is very important. I think the majority of people in the gov lack many of these qualities especially work ethic and being competent in business skills and negotiations. It's exactly these types of people that I think will do us well so the fact they have no "gov" experience is a great thing. I worked in the gov during an internship and although it was limited, I can tell you it was the biggest waste (judging the full time employees and how they worked). They were just milking the system.

 

[Delt31]

Turn this ship around? But we've had economic growth month after month. If they turn it around then we'd be back in a recession.

google GDP and obama and you will see what I'm referring to.

 

[sixteen-bit]

what a twist

 

[Barzul]

market was a direct reaction to trump. That's not even a contested point even by the most liberal media.

The market reacted to Trump on Nov 8 and 9, now however he is not president. He gets no credit for any economy wins that happen between now and the Jan 20th. I'd tone down the celebrations till we actually see how his policies shape up 6-8 months down the line from his inauguration.

 

[Delt31]

I damn near spit my coffee all over my monitor when I got to the bolded. Careful where you're slinging them hot takes, breh.

just mentioning that I'm not someone with no experience in what I'm saying. That's all.

Also - I see I'm getting a lot of feedback likely b/c I'm not pushing the same liberal views on this as everyone else here. I'm fine with that and like good dialogue but let's keep it clean and respectful.

 

[Magwik]

Rick Perry? The embodiment of a steaming pile of shit?
Jesus Christ

 

[Htown]

oh liberal gaf I love you.

yes - I am very supportive of business people who have proven themselves in the private industry to lead us to success. No question about it. No I'm not sarcastic. Private industry is as challenging as it gets. These guys are great at what they do and I want them to channel those skills and help this country be the best it can be. I'm in the private industry as well so I'm speaking from first hand knowledge.

Just b/c someone is very wealthy doesn't make them evil. B/c money is no incentive for these guys means they are doing it to be successful which is what makes them work hard. If they're successful, America is successful. Why would you not want this?

Government is not a business. Nor should it be run like one.

The purpose of a business is to maximize profit. The purpose of a government is to maximize the well-being of its citizens.

Being good at one thing is not the same as being good at the other.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

my favorite pitfall people get themselves into is thinking the health of the stock market has a 1:1 correlation on how well the economy is doing and how well a country's citizens are doing.

Stock market at all time highs while the average person isnt seeing much of anything of that..