The Prospects for Meaningful Change

Over the last year, I have written at length about my reservations concerning Donald Trump.  Like many others, I have embraced his policies while being troubled by his personal foibles.  The theme I always seemed to come back to was…. Yes, he is better than the Democrats; but we should set the bar higher.  While being sympathetic to Trump’s complaints about media rot and Democrat dirty tricks, I was constantly looking around for that candidate that would have similar inclinations policy-wise but less baggage to hold him or her down.  I was looking for a more conventional Republican candidate.  I honestly thought that’s what it would take for a Republican to win the presidency.  Looking back, I see now that was a mistake on my part.

 

While many of the criticisms that myself and others voiced against Trump were totally justified and remain valid today, the simple fact is that it took someone uniquely like Donald Trump to accomplish what he has.  There were times during the presidential primary season when I was drawn towards DeSantis or even Haley because of their more respectable political personas.  But I must confess that I now have serious doubts if either one of those two could have accomplished the degree of success that Trump managed in last year’s election. 

 

Against all odds….and I do mean all odds….Donald Trump rose from the ashes of a being a defeated incumbent, a victim of oppressive DOJ lawfare, a target of a biased and unethical media, and in many respects…an outcast of his own party.  He rose to not only defeat the same man that defeated him four years earlier, but he defeated that man’s hand chosen replacement who was essentially coronated as the next president during her first 30 to 60 days of campaigning.  Not only did he win the presidency, he did it in emphatic fashion by sweeping all of the so-called swing states, prevailing in the popular vote, and carrying into office with him Republican control of Congress.  There is simply no way to diminish the width and breadth of what Donald Trump did.

 

Does this mean that he is somehow absolved of his faults and flaws?  Of course not.  Does it mean that he has somehow been transformed into a statesman of epic proportion that will gloriously lead America to a new golden age?  That is doubtful.  What it does mean is that eight years of Obama and four years of Biden had created such a rot in the government of our nation that weak syrup which tastes good was not going to cure the illness.  It took some strong Trumpian penicillin to galvanize the anti-progressive sentiment that was lying just beneath the surface of the American citizenry.  Anything less may not have been…or will be…sufficient to get the job done. 

 

After watching much of the Senate confirmation hearings for Trump’s cabinet nominees, I see the same theme playing out.  Point in case is DOD nominee Pete Hegseth.  Goodness knows that the man…like all of us…has made some regrettable mistakes.  For a burgeoning department like defense, it is not unreasonable to seek someone with a stronger background in management than that possessed by Hegseth.  After all, the department has failed its last seven federal audits.  But watching Hegseth’s performance during the hearings convinces me that the same necessity for a catalyst like Trump to reverse the wayward course of our current government is present in the need to address similar problems within the departments of that government.

 

Kumbaya chanting and illusions of pretentious bipartisanship will not be sufficient to turn America away from the direction it has been trending.  It will take strong, principled, and bold action to rediscover the true essence of constitutional governing in our country.  We can only hope that beneath the change agent department heads that will serve President Trump in his upcoming Administration, there will be a sufficient number of ethical, seasoned, and intelligent professionals who will help them chart the murky and turbulent waters of our federal bureaucracy.  The political window of opportunity is short for Trump and his cast of warriors and time is of the essence.  Voices of change are now welcome and will be quickly embraced; but the entrails of our governmental organism will be impossible to navigate without true and tested guides to help show the way.  It is sad but true to acknowledge that there will be a significant portion of our culture, society, and government that will look for every opportunity to slow down, sabotage, and diminish the necessary reformation that is beginning.

 

Donald Trump has a tremendous amount of support and good will as he enters into his second term.  His ability to harness this momentum, strengthen it, and effectively direct it in a productive fashion will determine his prospects of success.

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/01/13/trumps-agenda-is-even-more-popular-than-he-is/

 

Trump and his maverick Cabinet officials have their work cut out for them.  Are they up to the task of conquering the formidable bureaucratic beasts they will inevitably confront? 

 

The Department of Defense…

 

https://reason.com/2025/01/12/materiel-loss/

 

The Department of Education…

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/tools-for-conservative-education-reformers/

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/the-great-dumbing-down-of-american-education/

 

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/education/education-department-forgives-45-billion-student-loans-over-200000

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/01/16/student-loan-bailouts-and-the-119th-congress-time-to-ask-tough-questions/

 

The State Department…

 

https://victorhanson.com/joe-bidens-bizarro-world-of-foreign-policy-achievements/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/01/12/lying-about-history-efforts-to-whitewash-bidens-foreign-policy-failures/

 

https://www.jns.org/dealing-with-the-devil/

 

https://thefederalist.com/2025/01/17/marco-rubio-is-right-the-postwar-liberal-order-was-a-dangerous-delusion/

 

U.S. Intelligence…

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/01/17/how-president-trump-can-make-american-intelligence-great-again/

 

The Department of Health and Human Services…

 

A single-payer health care system is NOT the answer to our health care concerns: https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/canadas-socialized-health-care-culture-of-death-15000-plus-die-awaiting-care-15000-plus-euthanized/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/01/12/more-government-is-not-the-answer-to-americas-healthcare-woes/

 

The Department of Energy…

 

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/experts-say-when-you-factor-hidden-costs-intermittent-wind-power-trump-right

 

https://mrctv.org/blog/craig-bannister/energy-prices-spike-bidens-last-full-month-office-fueling-cpi-increase

 

U.S. Economy…

 

https://reason.com/2025/01/16/the-way-out-of-our-inflation-mess/

 

https://www.grumpy-economist.com/p/unsolicited-advice

 

The Department of Justice…

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/weaponizing-law-enforcement-against-americans/

 

The pure idiocy of DEI initiatives; the WOKE lunacy; the erosion of governmental ethics and efficiencies…that pervade our government and constitute a cancer eating away at it from the inside….

 

https://victorhanson.com/woke-dei-green-nihilism-dresden-in-california/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/01/11/doge-and-how-we-can-address-the-entitlement-culture/

 

https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/few-federal-employees-work-regularly-office-wasting-taxpayer-dollars

 

And despite their best efforts to be conciliatory and transparent; despite their positive impacts on the departments and agencies they will command; despite the common sense policies they might implement…the story of their efforts will be filtered through a mainstream media that sees their role as being agenda-driven, partisan opponents of the upcoming Trump Administration.  You will have to dig the truth out for yourself if you expect to know the real story of the upcoming government reform efforts.

 

https://mrctv.org/blog/craig-bannister/majority-americans-dont-trust-tv-reporters-honesty-and-ethics-just-13-do

American Imperialism Rears Its Attractive/Hideous Head

Donald Trump has had a pronounced and significant impact on our mainstream media and, to a similar extent, our social consciousness.  One can legitimately argue that his bombastic and egotistical approach to issues and rhetoric in general have had positive and negative impacts on the political environment in America.  What one cannot deny is the fact that he has certainly had an effect on it…a huge effect.  One large aspect of that effect is the increased knee-jerk tendency of the journalistic community to leap upon words or phrases uttered by celebrities or politicians, ignore the context within which they were presented, and then expand on their meanings in ways that reflect their own personal agendas.  In other words, they shape their reporting to their own liking.

 

A lot of folks who track and comment about such things submit that it is Trump’s strategy to intentionally raise the rhetorical level…with the full intention of settling for some things that are far less controversial.  He aims high and settles for the middle.  This may be true, but I must wonder whether this Trumpian characteristic is intentional or simply his basic nature.  Whatever the case, he has resurrected some issues that have been lurking around for decades. Those issues involve the territorial domain of the United States, how that particular map was arrived at, and how that concept might change in the foreseeable future. 

 

The recent discussions involving Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal fall largely into this category of news matter.  Any rational discussion of the USA acquiring, one way or another, part or all of these territories must take into account not only America’s history since its inception, but also world history from the beginning of time.  And of course, the current state of the global environment should also be considered.  The absolutes are few and the provisional contingencies are many. 

 

It is not my intention to take a position on any of these issues.  I am certainly not qualified to offer any type of rational nor educated opinion about these particular complex and layered subjects.  However, I do find the studied and thoughtful discussion of them fascinating and I would urge anyone who is interested in the past, current, and future status of America in the context of the global community to avail themselves of the many varied opinions surrounding these matters.  Once again, the avoidance of clinging to absolutes is important if this exercise in study is going to be enlightening.  That is not to say that principle must be abandoned; it is simply to say that principle must be studiously applied. 

 

Greenland is occupied by approximately 60,000 residents and is currently a territory owned by Denmark.  I believe it is geographically closer to the USA than it is to Denmark.  Its real and potential strategic importance to the economic and territorial security of our nation is beyond debate.  The Canadian province of Quebec has in the past flirted with seceding from Canada.  What would be their plans if that secession effort were ever successful?  There are thoughtful people who say that the Canadian province of Alberta is more like America than the rest of Canada.  Is it really that far-fetched to imagine them as the future North Montana?  The strategic importance of the Panama Canal is inestimable.  Is there any common sense to be found in our nation sacrificing resource, both blood and treasure, to construct it and then handing it over to a nation that is more opposed to us than friendly? 

 

To me, it is fascinating to listen to people whose opinions I respect discuss these issues.  It broadens my appreciation of how our country was founded, how it evolved, and where it might be headed for future generations.  We are all fortunate in today’s climate of information overload to have access to many and varied views about any subject matter imaginable.  It goes without saying that assessing the qualitative value of these musings is a very personal and debatable matter.  Aside from reading selected journalism on the internet, I greatly enjoy listening to various podcasts that I find interesting.  A podcast is something that is enlightening, entertaining, and convenient.  You can take it or you can leave it…and I oftentimes do both.  In regards to the aforementioned subject of this post, I would urge you to avail yourself of the following podcasts and following that, seek out others that you might find substantive. 

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/the-editors/going-for-greenland/

 

https://podcast.charlescwcooke.com/episodes/episode-77-this-podcast-is-huge-in-greenland

 

https://podcast.charlescwcooke.com/episodes/episode-59-ukraine

 

Now on to some other news of the day…….

 

What is the current status of our mainstream media?  Is it becoming more balanced…is it becoming more divided…is it becoming more professional…or is it continuing its descent into chaos and irresponsibility? 

 

https://reason.com/2025/01/10/facebooks-new-free-speech-policy-shows-business-getting-back-to-business/

 

https://www.racket.news/p/why-is-russiagates-origin-story-redacted

 

https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2025-1-7-the-most-under-reported-story-of-the-biden-presidency

 

Want to hear a brief, informed, and succinct illustration of Trump Derangement Syndrome via Democrat/Liberal/Progressive Lawfare?  Listen to this podcast: https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/the-mccarthy-report/lawfare-remnants/

 

Is there a chance in hell that the DOGE can stem runaway federal spending or is it just “barking at the moon”?

 

https://reason.com/2025/01/09/will-2025-be-the-year-of-u-s-fiscal-sanity/

 

In fairness to Biden and the Dems, this piece of legislation had a whole lot of Republican votes also.  Our Congresspersons surely do love them so time at the trough: https://reason.com/2025/01/08/bidens-infrastructure-bills-leave-a-legacy-of-big-spending-and-little-payoff/

 

The evolution of our national education continues…

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/colleges-will-have-to-adjust-to-a-new-normal/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/why-colleges-resist-change/

 

It cannot be repeated often enough... “We will get the government we deserve”

 

https://ewerickson.substack.com/p/a-progressive-hellscape

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/how-policy-decisions-exacerbated-the-devastating-los-angeles-wildfires/

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNU3v-yRTOo

 

Sharpening the DOGE Scissors

Over my lifetime, there have been numerous attempts by various folks to make government “more efficient”.  The closest to success that any of them came was probably the mid 1990’s effort by President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich that actually resulted (briefly) in a balanced federal budget.  Although there were some structural changes made in the federal bureaucracy as a result of that effort, most of the positive effects of it were realized by focusing attention on federal spending as opposed to federal structure.  It was all about the “Benjamins”.

 

If the upcoming DOGE effort concerned with making our government work more efficiently and more effectively is going to be successful, then certain things are going to have to happen.  Otherwise, the effort will be filed with the dusty reams of past and similar pursuits.  First and foremost, the plan must be two-fold.  The first step is to curtail federal spending.  The second step is to fundamentally change the structure or hierarchy of the federal government.

 

Let’s look at spending.  There are twelve separate appropriation authorities that should be passed annually by the Congress and the President https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/open-government/statement-of-disbursements/glossary-of-terms#:~:text=Congress%20passes%2012%20annual%20appropriation,U.S.%20Treasury%20for%20specific%20purposes.  This funding is the absolute lifeblood of federal departments and agencies.  Without it, offices will not be maintained and staff will not be paid.  Quite simply, if you want to stop a federal agency or program from functioning, cutting off its funding is pretty damn effective.  It won’t kill it permanently, but it will paralyze it. 

 

Let’s consider government structure.  At the end of 2023, the federal government (state and local employees NOT included) employed about 3 million people; representing approximately 1.7 percent of the total U.S. workforce.  It is estimated that a President will hire/appoint approximately 3,000 employees; these are termed patronage appointments.  They serve at the pleasure of the President.  These folks will in turn hire or delegate the hiring of thousands more federal employees. 

 

The ability of a President to influence the persona of our government in this fashion is a two-edged sword.  On the one hand, it is perfectly reasonable for a President to hire those people that he or she respects, considers of a like mind, and most importantly…are competent to perform the jobs they are hired to execute.  This is why we have elections and the spoils go to the victor.

 

The downside to this process is the harsh reality that many times, the loyalty and ideology of the person selected outweighs their competence and they are placed in positions of power and authority where they are simply incapable of performing in a satisfactory fashion.  They are in way over their heads. It is essential to point out that these patronage appointments typically occur at the higher levels of federal departments and agencies and their influence is therefore quite significant as compared to a “rank and file” federal employee. Depending on how aggressive these patronage appointees choose to be, they can have an immediate impact (positive or negative) on the performance of the departments and agencies they run.  There are fifteen federal executive departments run by these folks with literally hundreds of federal agencies serving below them on the organizational chart. 

 

It is the laws of our nation that dictate our lives.  It is the framework within which our government functions.  Those laws are created by Congress and the President, and then flow to the federal departments and agencies that will administer them to the citizenry https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/the-legislative-process .  But when it comes to living with the law, the devil is truly in the details.  Once the House and Senate agree on a bill and pass it, and the President subsequently signs it, it is the law of the land.  The literal text of legislation is the language contained in the actual bill approved by Congress and signed by the President.  But the administration of that bill…the real life effect it will have on those citizens impacted by its content…is largely dictated by the instructions contained in the Federal Register.  Those instructions are quite simply a step-by-step guide for federal departments and agencies used to implement that law.  Needless to say, the precise (or oftentimes, imprecise) language contained in the actual legislation is not always accurately reflected in the Federal Register instructions.  The Federal Register product is the interpretation and translation of that legislation https://www.federalregister.gov/uploads/2011/01/Office_of_the_Federal_Register_brochure_web.pdf .

 

The fact is that Congress does not always do a thorough and precise job of writing legislation that fills in the all the blanks, dots all the I’s, and crosses all the T’s.  In fairness, that is just not always feasible…but they could certainly do a far better job of it.  They have an idea of what they want the bill to do, but they simply do not always spell out the full detail of how they want that idea to become reality.  The how part of that equation is what the Federal Register publishes and places in the hands of the department and agency leadership of our government…who just happen to be the aforementioned patronage appointees.  We would all like to assume that the original intent of the Congress and the President is upheld when those laws actually make contact with the citizenry; but that assumption would be incorrect.  The actual administration of those laws will run through filters of legitimate disagreements over interpretation, complex dynamics of translation, partisan and ideological influences of high-ranking officials, and the simple inability to comprehend exactly what the intent was to begin with.  In other words…the rules we end up living by do not always reflect the intent of the laws passed by Congress and signed by the President.

 

This system creates a generous opportunity for individuals in positions of power and authority to intentionally subvert and distort the law.  The remedies for these improper actions are to terminate their employment due to malfeasance or to overturn their decisions through the Judicial Branch of our government.  Because they are patronage appointees and their actions are, by and large, dictated by the President who hired them…they don’t often get fired.  Additionally, reality dictates that attempting to address these abuses of power through the Judicial Branch is a slow and methodical process and that by the time the improper actions are overturned, the real damage has already been done. 

 

These facts simply highlight the essential importance of not only electing high quality and competent people to serve in office, but also that of elected officials hiring high quality and competent individuals when they make patronage appointments and hires.  It does not always work out that way and that is why “we get the government we deserve”. 

 

If the DOGE is going to fundamentally change our government, they can nibble around the edges with funding, but the big and significant bites will require actual votes in Congress that change the laws under which our government operates.  The Constitution provides the framework for the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches of our government and how they interact.  It is within that existing framework, the creation/elimination/functioning of federal departments and agencies, where the key to improving government efficiency and effectiveness lies.  As long as America adheres to its Constitution, the true test of government performance will not so much be the system as it will be the people within the system.

 

Congress and the President must decide which functions in our lives need to be impacted by the federal bureaucracy. There can be little doubt that our government is too big and has its fingers in parts of our lives where it has no business being.  This can be remedied by the elimination of federal departments and agencies.  Alas, that is far easier said than done.  Before any new federal departments or agencies are created, there should be a serious consideration of whether or not we actually need them.  Even more importantly, we should ask the question: Is there currently a federal department or agency that is responsible for addressing that need?  The lack of this seemingly fundamental step has resulted in an exorbitant amount of redundancy and duplication of processes and authorities throughout our government.  We now have a situation where multiple departments and agencies are responsible for the same areas, do not communicate or coordinate with each other, and oftentimes do not even realize they are plowing the same ground.  This is the true essence of government waste.

 

The other aspect of improving government effectiveness and efficiency lies in the areas of exactly how they function.  As should be obvious to us all…when you consider the entire process of creating laws through to the implementation of those laws…there is a wealth of opportunity for abuse, waste, and dysfunction.  The civil service system which rules the careers of most rank and file federal employees needs to be carefully examined and reformed.  There need to be fewer patronage appointments and those jobs need to be replaced by high quality and competent career employees.  This change alone would dramatically increase the benefits of policy and administrative continuity and, at the same time, lessen the poisonous impact of partisan and incompetent patronage appointees. 

 

There is one final and additional point I would like to make in regards to federal department and agency function.  U.S. Presidents, Senators, and Representatives come and go.  Some stay in office longer than others, but they all have a fleeting influence in the long run.  On the other hand, rank and file government employees typically have careers in the range of 25 to 30 plus years.  They see elected officials come and go and they experience the morphing and evolution of their departments and agencies over time.  One would think that if you were considering a thoughtful assessment of how efficient and effective our government performs, you would select from amongst this rank and file group of employees some qualified and capable individuals to offer input on government reform.

 

Unfortunately, this is not how it works.  Any decision for serious government reform will most likely come from Presidents, Senators, Representatives, and patronage appointees who simply do not have a full and firm grasp of how the “legislative law” rubber meets the road.  They may have some great concepts and ideas, but they have no practical experience in transforming those concepts and ideas into reality...as least not in the governmental context. 

 

An abundance of experience, knowledge, and ability is lying at their fingertips in the form of the federal workforce; but those folks will have little if any input on any reforms that may come forth.  That reform will be driven and authored by elected officials with noble notions of a new and improved government and from outside interests such as Vivek and Elon who are remarkable talents, but have no concept of precisely what is required for the actual administration of a government program.

 

I heartily endorse the notion of government reform and sincerely hope that the DOGE may provide the impetus for that process to begin in earnest.  However, when it comes to the possibility of involving the true experts on government program administration…the rank and file employees…in the process, I am not hopeful.  These people are there, they are represented by employee organizations, and they would heartily welcome the opportunity to materially participate in this reform process.  Failure to consult with these folks will hamper any actual and significant improvement and will diminish the potential of any reformation.  Now let’s move on to a few links about some other issues of the day.

 

One thing is for certain: Our national education system needs some serious reform. 

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/higher-education-reforms-we-hope-to-see-next-year/

 

https://victorhanson.com/elementor-27858/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/whats-the-purpose-of-higher-education/

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/american-education-is-political-education/

 

Is California just another state…or is it actually another planet?

 

https://www.commentary.org/articles/rick-marin/taylor-sheridan-anti-woke-director/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2025/01/03/california-rings-in-the-new-year-with-new-push-to-block-voter-identification/

 

The world is on fire and the Biden Administration is slinging gasoline on the way out…

 

https://reason.com/2025/01/03/is-biden-teeing-up-an-iran-war-for-trump/

 

https://www.thefp.com/p/what-will-trump-do-about-iran-israel-hamas-hezbollah

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14239889/NIALL-FERGUSON-historian-World-War-Three-climate-change-nuclear.html

 

Upon further reflection for needed reformation, consider the FBI and the CIA…

 

https://tomklingenstein.com/how-group-quotas-transformed-the-cia/

 

https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2025/01/06/fbi_is_still_hiding_details_of_russiagate_newly_released_document_shows_1082631.html

 

https://thefederalist.com/2025/01/07/the-legacy-of-jan-6-should-be-massive-reform-of-the-fbi-and-doj/

 

The Legislative Branch of our government must seize back the power and authority that it has ceded to the Executive Branch…

 

https://nypost.com/2025/01/06/opinion/why-we-must-expose-the-criminal-fraud-of-those-behind-bidens-presidency/

 

https://reason.com/2024/12/23/a-decaying-joe-biden-underlines-the-need-for-a-less-powerful-presidency/

 

You Say Goodbye…and I Say Hello

My goodness, how different this world would feel today if Kamala Harris had been elected president.  Instead of Gloom, Despair, and Agony on me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAAKPJEq1Ew , we have Goodbye/Hello https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbh4MC_o-wU . 

 

Goodbye to what?  So long to the Obamas; please, JUST LEAVE.  Twelve years (Obama/Biden) of your warped philosophy were more than enough, while your arrogant attempts at rewriting what America is all about ran their course.  So long to Joe Biden and his Administration full of idiots.  He did something I admittedly never thought would be possible; he replaced Barack Hussein Obama as the worst president in my lifetime.  Good riddance to the stupid, immoral, illogical, arbitrary, inequitable, racially-biased, genderly-stupid agenda of the Democrat Party, their allies scattered all across our society and culture, and their marionette poster boy Joe Biden.  These fools made four years seem like four centuries.  So long to Democrat rule in the U.S. Senate where any problem could apparently be solved by additional federal spending, any incompetent doofus could be confirmed for a federal appointment if they were a Democrat, and the obligation of Constitutional oversight was lost in the nether regions of the anal cavity. Adios to Blinken, Nod, and the rest of the intellectual clowns who have been running our foreign policy for the last four years.  No matter what the Trump Administration does, the world is now a safer place with these clowns gone.  Godspeed (hopefully) to our burgeoning and autocratic federal bureaucracy as it goes on a slimming diet that eliminates waste, redundancy, and obsessive controlling tendencies that trample the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens.

 

Hello to what?  First and foremost, hello to federal appointees who actually have meaningful life experience in the areas they are directed to supervise.  Bonjourno to an Executive Branch of government that will not always be correct, but will always be available to answer questions about what they are doing.  Buenas noches to secure American borders and the reestablishment of legal immigration into our country.   Howdy do to a Department of Justice that seeks to enforce written laws in a fair, equitable, transparent, and constitutional fashion.  Shalom to a new American foreign policy that speaks plainly and carries a big stick.  A policy that recognizes and values those nations who respect the dignity and rights of their people and strive to be good neighbors…and one who calls out and deals effectively with those nations that foster hate, turmoil, repression, and world terrorism of all types.  A huge open-arms welcome to an American economy that recognizes free market dynamics, fosters investment and small business, rewards hard work with good pay, and is based on the fundamental principles of meritocracy.

 

With an optimistic, yet realistic expectation for the next four years of the Donald J. Trump Administration, I must admit that for one such as myself who was never enamored with the Donald to any large extent…I look forward to the immediate future of our country with high hopes.  Perhaps it will prove to be ephemeral, but there is an undeniable breath of fresh air blowing across our nation with the expectation that some dark days are behind us and brighter days are ahead.  We can only hope and pray it is so.   Let us round up the news for the final post of 2024.

 

Consider the year that will soon be past us. 

 

https://www.culturcidal.com/p/the-25-most-obnoxious-quotes-of-2024

 

https://thefederalist.com/2024/12/24/the-most-politically-absurd-things-americans-had-to-endure-this-year/

 

https://thefederalist.com/2024/12/19/check-yourself-politifact-here-are-the-biggest-lies-of-the-year/

 

Looking back on what might very well prove to be the most corrupt presidential administration in American history.

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2024/12/look-back-in-anger-biden-family-business-ed.php

 

https://thefederalist.com/2024/12/20/joe-biden-met-with-hunters-business-associates-more-times-than-with-his-cabinet/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/biden-continues-the-student-loan-gravy-train-on-his-way-out-the-door/

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/3266727/weaponization-committee-releases-sprawling-17000-page-final-report/

 

https://reason.com/2024/12/20/covid-19-lockdowns-unleashed-a-wave-of-murder/

 

https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/trump-notches-several-court-victories-eve-return-white-house-lawfare-sputters

 

https://technofog.substack.com/p/fani-willis-is-disqualified

 

https://amgreatness.com/2024/12/23/fixing-the-biden-border/

 

Never forget the Wizard behind Biden’s curtain… https://www.tabletmag.com/feature/rapid-onset-political-enlightenment

 

Are the good feelings about the upcoming Trump Administration illusory and transitory, or is there a real cause for optimism…

 

https://amgreatness.com/2024/12/20/trump-mentum/

 

https://tomklingenstein.com/trumps-rhetoric-will-shape-the-future/

 

Will our energy sector meet the challenge of adequate and affordable energy sources for an increasing demand?

 

https://reason.com/2024/12/24/we-need-more-three-mile-islands/

 

Will our national education system reorient itself and rededicate itself to its primary and essential function of preparing our youth to be responsible and productive citizens?

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/plumbing-the-depths-of-our-dysfunctional-higher-ed-system/

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/reviving-new-college/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/how-well-are-students-taught-economics-today/

 

Will our national fiscal policy return to fundamental and practical principles that value the positive aspects of capitalism and minimize the corrosive influence of government control? 

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/3264606/repealing-dodd-frank-for-something-better/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2024/12/22/musk-derangement-syndrome/

 

Will our state and national elections continue to evolve with reforms that guarantee free, fair, efficient, and transparent elections?

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/12/keep-the-electoral-college/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2024/12/23/election-reform-the-way-forward-and-a-call-to-action/

 

Will the Supreme Court of the United States continue to be the wise arbiter of the laws and mandates approved and administered by our Executive and Legislative branches of government?

 

https://reason.com/2024/12/27/the-government-took-a-developers-land-and-gave-it-to-a-competitor-in-new-york-thats-business-as-usual/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2024/12/19/eminently-overdue-the-supreme-court-considers-new-york-case-that-could-overturn-the-infamous-kelo-decision/

 

Will our foreign intelligence and policy-making officials forget their rainbows and unicorns fantasies and once again apply principled, thoughtful, and wise decisions in how our nation coexists with other nations on this planet?

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/make-europe-great-again/

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/dei-and-the-cia/

 

How will the myriad incidents of gross injustice from the Biden Administration Department of Justice be dealt with?

 

https://reason.com/2024/12/18/trumps-january-6-pardons-could-address-some-real-injustices/

 

How will our government deal with an increasingly serious issue of elected officials continuing in office far past their shelf lives and an increasing usurpation of Congressional legislative authority by the executive branch? 

 

One man chooses to voluntarily step down from what might arguably be one of the most powerful positions in the world: https://freebeacon.com/culture/mcconnells-record-is-nothing-to-snort-at/

 

…While another man insists on clinging to the trappings and benefits of elected office while clearly being incapable of performing elected duties and shirking critical responsibilities: https://reason.com/2024/12/23/a-decaying-joe-biden-underlines-the-need-for-a-less-powerful-presidency/

 

Our American ideal is the best system of government on the planet; but it is not unlike making sausage.  Democracy is difficult at best and infuriating at worst.  For all the promises and good intentions of incoming legislators and victorious presidential candidates, the bottom line for fundamental change in American government is…“do you have the votes?”  It is a far simpler task to be the minority Party in our government with the role of being chief complainer and criticizer than it is to be the majority Party in our government and be held responsible for keeping the lights on.  Trump and his Republican Party now have the opportunity to “walk the walk”. 

 

Until the Legislative Branch of our government can reestablish the principles of statesmanship, bipartisanship, principled debate, responsible fiscal policy, and dedication to the constitutional duties assigned to it…it will be a heavy lift for Trump or any other future president to significantly alter the off-line trajectory that our federal government is currently on.  We will get the government we deserve.  Power corrupts…and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  This will not change.