Friends, the attacks against Teslas, Tesla dealerships, and sometimes Tesla owners are, of course, symbolic of the vitriol that leftists have poured out against DJT from day one. Elon Musk is the target du jour, but, as we all know, he's just a proxy for Trump himself, and for the populist movement that Trump represents. No doubt the fondest wish of the anti-Trumpers is that they could, via their incessant, blistering assaults, drive a wedge between Trump and Musk -- a dynamic duo if there ever was one. There are, alas, some signs that such a divergence is, in fact, appearing. Musk has criticized Trump's trade policy (or policies, since they seem to change so rapidly). More importantly, Musk has announced that he's stepping back from his leadership of DOGE, to a point, to refocus on his struggling business enterprises, especially Tesla. Tesla sales and profits have slumped in the first part of 2025, almost certainly in response to Musk's alignment with Trump. I question, frankly, whether Tesla will ever recover its footing, because the virtue-signaling progressives who used to be its customer base, domestically and internationally, now see the brand as toxic. Musk can mitigate that stigma somewhat, but it's difficult to imagine that driving a Tesla will be "cool" again anytime soon in places like Los Angeles and New York City, let alone London and Berlin. I would prefer to see Musk move in the opposite direction, therefore. I would prefer to see him take a sabbatical from his businesses to concentrate on bringing efficiency and accountability back to the U.S. government. In any case, that isn't happening, and one has to wonder whether the worldwide campaign of intimidation against Trump and Musk is bearing fruit, in more ways than one...
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0x50yr46lo
In other news, the U.S. is threatening to "walk away" from the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, which is an ambiguous threat, indeed! Does this mean that we would give up on a negotiated settlement, or that we would give up on the conflict altogether and leave Ukraine to fend for itself? The Devil is in the details, as usual. Perhaps the ambiguity is strategic. Perhaps, in the days ahead, both sides will see reason and find a way to stop the bloodshed. I hope so. Three more years of this insanity would be tragic beyond words.
RAY TO DR. WADDY
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. should never have been involved in the Ukraine fiasco to begin with. The only reason it was is because more than a few "U.S. big wigs" were making big bucks off weapons contracts, and still probably are to some extent. I'm sure president Z. is also raking a lot off the top, so he can enjoy his life should he have to leave the area. Again, getting
involved in the Russia-Ukraine mess was and remains a huge mistake. Let the Euro-Weenies take care of this. Hey! Maybe the next Pope can help to straighten things out. Ha!
RAT TO DR. WADDY
ReplyDeleteThis is just my guess of course, but I suspect that Musk's campaign to cut the federal workforce has not set well with some cabinet members who would prefer to make their own department cuts on their own turfs. As it is, Musk is no doubt seen as Trump's hatchet man, which of course he is, to a certain extent. That outfit he wears looks like "The Black Angel of Death". In any event, his role is way too unconventional.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: I would guess that a genius like Musk is moved by factors beyond the maintenance of his personal wealth. His selfless leadership of DOGE, despite even physical hazard and of course limitless vicious excoriation ,shows him to be a generous man so I would guess he harbors much genuine concern for the well being of his employees and stockholders. And he is undoubtedly a super competitive person and moved thereby to great concern for the success of his businesses.
ReplyDeleteHe has shown that , like DJT, he stands for us and says and does the things we want to say and do. For this he richly deserves the kind of gratitude we showed DJT on election day. And if he needs to take time to pay attention to his own affairs we must support him . In part we can do that by assuring the far left that there will be no cessation of our onslaught on their waste and their contempt for taxpaying, law-abiding America. As individuals one way we can do this is by staying in regular contact with our lawmakers , both state and Federal , keeping them informed of waste we know of and how very much we want to see it stifled. It is ESSENTIAL that we maintain the momentum DOGE has generated.
The far left would of course express and enact delight should their execrable violent campaign against Musk's enterprises and the very persons of Musk and his family make them think their deliverance from the bounds of fiscal responsibility and loyalty to America is at hand. Support for our indefatigable President as he fights a happy warrior's battle in this cold civil war in which we are engaged is vital. He won't let us down and what terrible ingratitude we would show by failing to back him and anyone who fights alongside of him, FOR US!
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Oh my, Al Gore is huffing and puffing again. When he debated "W" in 2000 I was able to listen on the radio. Even there his juvenile franticness at being made to endure "W"'s comments was obvious. He simply could not abide the insolence of anyone doubting his comprehensive wisdom.
ReplyDeleteSo now he has said words to the effect of" I know I shouldn't use the example of the Nazis to describe this present administration but, well, I'm gonna do it anyway!" Gee, someone might actually believe him. As for the 15 or 20 people in the country who think him right, I would bid them spend a couple hours with William Shirer's book Rise and Fall of the Third Reich to see how viciously silly Gore's analogy is. He needs to stay retired ,especially after the discrediting of his "Inconvenient Truth" humbug.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: I think Ukraine must reconcile itself to the loss of the Crimea. It really doesn't have much of a historical claim to it.
ReplyDeleteKhrushchev "gave" it to Ukraine on the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Pereyaslav which gave the Ukrainian Cossacks of Eastern Ukraine and Kiev an alliance with Muscovy which afforded them some protection in exchange for some Muscovite control of their affairs. In the totalitarian, centralized USSR, K's magnanimity was a mostly symbolic act. Russia had taken Crimea from the Ottomans by force.
Perhaps Russian possession of that part of Eastern Ukraine which is Russophone can be a bargaining point.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: An article by courageously frank Heather Macdonald appearing in RealClearPolitics dated 4/24/25 today is well worth a look. Its titled "Trump Takes His Biggest Step Yet Toward Meritocracy". Its subtitle is "The administration's executive order eliminating the 'disparate impact theory' restores the 1964 Civil Rights Act to its original meaning" and "eliminates it from civil rights analysis and enforcement." . . and " disempowers " "the preserved hegemony of the 'civil rights community'. "
ReplyDeleteI will not attempt to reprise her entire position on this; I would urge the reading of her article. Several years ago a civil rights commentator said "its time we break open the festering sore and get all the filth and stench out in the open so it can be honestly confronted". I agree completely in that disparate impact theory, mandating the assumption that should members of any minority group be found culpable for lawless offenses more often than those of any other group, especially whites, the difference is by definition correctly held to be purposeful , malign and in violation of civil rights. Any consideration of the concept that objective differences in rates of arrest and conviction are directly correlated with rates of actual COMMISSION of crime, is, with this justification, deemed inadmissable for discussion by those for which "disparate impact theory" as presently manifested,is one of the pillars of their doctrine.
We saw a very similar seque when the term "equality" was disqualified by the left and replaced by" equity"in the left's typically haughty and presumptuous assertions of the unimpeachability of "justice" dictated by them. Equality can be judged with objective standards such as statistics whereas equity is limitlessly subjective and intended to be unendingly termed unaccomplished by the disingenuous. Convenient that; sure does save a lot of careers in professional social fault finding.
I strongly suggest perusal of MacDonald's well founded and expressed essay to gain full appreciation of her reasoning. As usual they Executive Order will be subjected to the customary gauntlet of chose cooperatively unprincipled Federal Trial Court Judges. Can't be avoided - YET! But this order is well argued by MacDonald as being monumental and as such will probably end up with our lawful SCOTUS.
Ray, I share your negative view on U.S. involvement in the Russia-Ukraine War (which never would have happened absent our goading), but I don't think our reasons were as simple as you suggest. Sure, military contractors like to make money, and politicians like to throw money around, but there is clearly some deep-seated ideological conviction involved too. Many Americans and Europeans HATE HATE HATE Putin and Russia, out of all proportion to the threat they pose to us. I don't pretend to understand it, but there's more than just rational self-interest at work here.
ReplyDeleteRay, I'm sure you're right that Musk and DOGE rubbed some of Trump's cabinet officers the wrong way, not to mention plenty of Congressmen and Senators. Still, it's the courts and the media that represent the biggest obstacles to DOGE's work. I will be interested to see if the amount spent by the federal government stabilizes or declines in the coming fiscal year. If it doesn't, then I think we can safely say that DOGE made very little difference, in the final analysis. The fiscal curve needs bending in a big, permanent way, and it was never very likely that DOGE would manage that. Most of the big ticket items, like entitlements and defense, have barely been touched by Musk and Co.
Jack is right: those who support what Trump and Musk are trying to do, against the odds in DC, must stand with them and for them, as often as possible. Their failure would be potentially catastrophic for the nation.
Jack, I never get tired of hearing about what a Nazi I am! Rest assured that the lefties will be going back to that well ad infinitum. They simply can't help themselves.
Jack, everyone knows that Ukraine is never getting Crimea back. Whether Ukraine openly accepts and admits this is another matter. Sometimes people can agree to disagree, after all...
Abolishing "disparate impact theory" (note that the theory never applies to leftist/Democratic policies that harm minorities) would be a glorious thing, BUT, as you point out, Jack, the courts will drag their feet, and the Dems, quite frankly, could always put another shade of lipstick on the same pig and rebrand their idiocy. They have plenty of experience with that.
RAY TO DR. WADDY
DeleteI don't know about your experience, but I had professors in graduate school who were irked with me because I showed more interest in Eastern Europe than the usual "Western Civilization" fixation on what "real" European history should be. Russian history was treated as if it were on some other planet. Not sure I understand this. I could venture a few guesses, but I doubt they would qualify as very convincing. Of course everything depends on what college or university one attends in the U.S.
With that said, I think there is a great deal of resentment lingering around in Eastern European countries who had to deal with 50 years of communist dictatorships sponsored by The Soviet Union. I think that holds true for Poland, with memories of The Katyn Forest massacre reinforced by film.
Ray, I don't blame the Eastern Europeans in the least for being Russophobes, but the runaway Russia hatred of, say, Brits, or Canadians, or Americans makes little sense. The Russians haven't "wronged" us, in any meaningful sense, and they frankly no longer have the ability to do so, except if they want to commit national nuclear suicide, so why the fixation on Russia Russia Russia? I don't get it.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: Perhaps American leftist consignment of Russia to the phantom zone is attributable to Russia's "faithless" renunciation of Marxism? Not having experienced , as did Russia, the transcendent evil of Marxism in practice rather than in smoky salons, they presume to condemn the Russians for apostasy. "Sancta simplicitas".
ReplyDelete