Fear of Trump made PBS been the knee

[John Clark]

PBS recently aired a documentary about cartoonist Art Spiegelman, two weeks before the show aired Mr. Spiegelman was informed that they had removed 90 seconds from the show that concerned the following cartoon that was critical of Donald Trump that he drew shortly after the 2016 election. Why did PBS do this? Because they were afraid, and the Trump presidency hasn't even reached the six month point yet. Oh well, the Free Press was fun while it lasted. 

John K Clark    See what's on my new list at  Extropolis

wa1

[spudb...@aol.com]

When Spiegelman writes about Billionaire lives mattering, did he mean these billionaires contributing to the D party in 2024? I don't mind you a bit, smashing The Donald at all, John. It's what you do! However, disincluding the Dem Billionaires is misleading. Here is a snippet from US News & World Report for the 2024 election.

To Democrats

Contributor	Democrats	Republicans	Rank
Bloomberg, Michael R.	$43,453,634	$1,000,000	1
Moskovitz, Dustin & Cari	$38,785,700	$0	2
Eychaner, Fred	$31,057,700	$0	3
Simons, James H. & Marilyn	$30,757,103	$0	4
Hoffman, Reid Garrett	$26,659,700	$400,000	5
Mandel, Stephen F. Jr. & Susan Z.	$22,934,500	$63,200	6
Simon, Deborah J.	$19,830,960	$0	7
Jordan, Wayne D.	$14,488,811	$0	8
Larsen, Christian	$13,442,479	$6,600	9
Heising, Elizabeth D.	$12,638,350	$6,600	10

So what? So, as one of  the adults in the room, let me say I am no believer that this is a Republic anymore, but an oligarchy, aka a plutocracy. Or as your fellow Texan, Texas Slim of Hold Em fame liked to say; "I believe in the Golden Rule. He who has the gold makes the rules."

 Like this old Princeton Study, I agree with. 

Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy

Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy What in the World: A new report finds that an elite few dominate US policy, the human error behind South Korea's...

Ja Mon!

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[John Clark]

On Sat, May 24, 2025 at 10:56 AM 'spudb...@aol.com' via Everything List <everyth...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

> When Spiegelman writes about Billionaire lives mattering, did he mean these billionaires 

 

No, none of them are in Trump's administration. The combined wealth of Trump's inner circle is at a minimum $428 billion, while the combined wealth of president Biden's cabinet was only 118 million, about 3000 times less. Trump himself was not a billionaire when he first got into office back in 2017, but thanks to corruption he sure as hell is one now. And one of Trump's many billionaires is Secretary of Education and professional wrestling heiress Linda McMahon, she's so educated in a speech she kept referring to AI as A1 (like the steak sauce) over and over again.

All the President’s Billionaires

John K Clark    See what's on my new list at  Extropolis

ouq81b

[spudb...@aol.com]

John, we can look at the "combined wealth" also. of Bill Gates, Reid Hoffmann, George Soros, Warren Buffet. Gemini and Co-Pilot couldn't answer but Grok did. These 4 are all D contributors in 2024. The  politicians take camapign donations to successfully win campaigns. In exchange for the donations, the very rich get to make policies. This, then, is the American system. Payola! 

Grok-3

What is the combined wealth of George Soros, Reid Hoffman, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett?

Based on available data up to May 25, 2025, here are the estimated net worths for each individual:

• George Soros: Approximately $6.7 billion, as reported by Forbes in October 2023. His wealth has decreased due to significant philanthropic donations, estimated at $19 billion lifetime giving.
• Reid Hoffman: Estimated at $2.5 billion, based on recent Forbes data from 2024, reflecting his wealth from LinkedIn and venture capital activities.
• Bill Gates: Approximately $160 billion, as per Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index in March 2025, slightly trailing Warren Buffett.
• Warren Buffett: Approximately $161 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index in March 2025, boosted by an $18.7 billion gain in 2025.

Combined Wealth Calculation: $6.7 billion (Soros) + $2.5 billion (Hoffman) + $160 billion (Gates) + $161 billion (Buffett) = $330.2 billion

The combined net worth of George Soros, Reid Hoffman, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett is approximately $330.2 billion. Note that these figures are estimates and subject to market fluctuations and differing methodologies from sources like Forbes and Bloomberg. For real-time updates, you can check Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index or Forbes’ real-time rankings.

--For the wealth of Congressional politicians I asked this question.

Do Congeressional Politicians do Insider Trading?

Yes, some congressional politicians have been accused of insider trading, though definitive proof and convictions are rare. The STOCK Act of 2012 was passed to curb this, requiring lawmakers to disclose stock trades within 45 days and prohibiting trading on nonpublic information gained through their positions. However, enforcement is spotty, and loopholes like "blind trusts" or family members trading on their behalf can obscure violations. Data from 2020-2024 shows unusual trading patterns by some members of Congress, with high-profile cases like Senators Kelly Loeffler and Richard Burr facing scrutiny for trades during early COVID-19 briefings. Investigations often fizzle out due to lack of direct evidence or political influence. Critics argue the system still allows lawmakers to exploit privileged information, as their disclosure reports often show suspiciously timed trades outperforming the market. On the flip side, defenders claim these trades reflect normal market activity or personal financial decisions, not insider knowledge. The truth likely varies case by case, but the lack of transparency and accountability fuels suspicion.

John, so The Magic 8-Ball sez YES! 

By the way, I thought the collective plan here was to hang-on till AGI gets running, and, or, Kurzweil's life-enhancing Bio-Bots hit our bloodstream? Let me know if there's been a change in plans? 

Ciao

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[John Clark]

On Sun, May 25, 2025 at 11:34 AM 'spudb...@aol.com' via Everything List <everyth...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

> John, we can look at the "combined wealth" also. of Bill Gates, Reid Hoffmann, George Soros,

None of these people were in the cabinet of any presidential administration Democratic or Republican, nor is there any evidence that they had any substantial or direct influence on presidential policy.  Elon Musk is not in Trump's cabinet either however he has had far far more influence than all the other members of his cabinet combined. Musk is the richest man in the world and yet his principal occupation during the last few months has been to find new ways to almost literally take the food out of the mouths of the poorest children in the world. Compared with Musk, Ebeneezer Scrooge is Santa Claus.  

  > the American system. Payola! 

Yes, let's talk about payola, and talk about double standards too! When Hillary Clinton was first lady the Republicans made a fuss for weeks and insisted that it was a huge scandal that 12 years before her husband became president she made $100,000 from an investment of $1000 in cattle futures. But just a few days ago after a luxurious dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Jeff Bezos agreed to give Melania Trump $28 million in exchange for the right to make a promotional video about her that praised her virtues, that's 280 times as much money as Hillary Clinton got in circumstances that were much less shady, but not a single Republican uttered one ward of protest.

And although the new Trump administration is only a few months old the Trump family have already collected $320 million from a new cryptocurrency scheme which they certainly wouldn't have been able to do if Trump was not president. And Trump has started a new club in Washington called "The Executive Branch" that costs $500,000 to join. If you want to ask Trump for a favor and you told him you were a member of "The Executive Branch" I don't imagine that would hurt your chances of him granting your wish. 

And then there's a small matter of the royal family of Qatar giving Trump the most luxurious private jet in the world worth at least $200 million that he is free to use even after he leaves office, assuming he ever agrees to do so. That one gift was worth more than all the gifts given to all the presidents combined since the time of George Washington.  

And Trump has plans to build a $1.5 billion resort in Vietnam near Hanoi that includes three 18-hole golf courses.

A Trump International Hotel & Tower is planned for Dubai.

 There's going to be a 47 story Trump Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 

In Qatar there is going to be a $5.5 billion 

Trump International Golf Club and Trump Villa

In Oman Trump is building yet another 

Trump International Golf Club and Hotel.

And I remind you the Trump administration is still young, just imagine what the level of corruption will be after four years! Back in the olden days of 2017 Trump hated Muslims and wanted to ban all of them from entering the country, it's amazing how 10 or $15 billion in bribes can change one's point of view.

>  I thought the collective plan here was to hang-on till AGI gets running, and, or, Kurzweil's life-enhancing Bio-Bots hit our bloodstream?

That's still the plan, but I would have a hell of a lot more confidence that plan will work if, during this super critical period, the most powerful man in the world wasn't an amoral ignorant imbecile that lacked an ounce of empathy and was so stupid he didn't realize he was stupid. 

 John K Clark    See what's on my new list at  Extropolis

bt7

[spudb...@aol.com]

The only thing I object to is your sales pitch that Dem funders are magically virtuous and the the Rep funders are wicked capitalists. If one's religion is Marxism, that's the world view. It's innacurate, but as Bill Clinton said, "We play the hand we're dealt." For example, USAID fundiung in Haiti, post quake, looks to have been spent mostly in the US, DC/Maryland. Because something is sold as "virtuous' doesn't mean it actually is carried out in a virtuous manner, nor the cash spent well. 

Where Does the Money Go? A Look at USAID Spending in Haiti

Where Does the Money Go? A Look at USAID Spending in Haiti Discover the significance of USAID spending in Haiti and its implications for US foreign policy. Get expert anal...

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[John Clark]

On Mon, May 26, 2025 at 7:58 AM 'spudb...@aol.com' via Everything List <everyth...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

> The only thing I object to is your sales pitch that Dem funders are magically virtuous and the the Rep funders are wicked capitalists. If one's religion is Marxism, that's the world view. It's innacurate, but as Bill Clinton said, "We play the hand we're dealt." For example, USAID fundiung in Haiti, post quake, looks to have been spent mostly in the US, DC/Maryland.

I'm not saying there is no waste in USAID, there certainly is as there is a waste in every branch of government, but instead of fixing the problem Elon Musk killed USAID with a chainsaw and replaced it with absolutely nothing. And USAID accounts for less than 1% of government spending, if Musk was really serious about reducing government spending by trillions (not billions) of dollars then he'd have to use his chainsaw on military spending and Social Security. The trouble is Trump wants to INCREASE military spending in the next budget by 13%, and reducing Social Security is political suicide, the latest polls indicate 78% of Americans strongly oppose ANY reduction in Social Security. So Musk decided to aim his chainsaw at children in distant lands because, although the savings it produced were negligible, it generated great headlines.  

 John K Clark    See what's on my new list at  Extropolis

3n;

 

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[spudb...@aol.com]

I would say that the funduing fior the trans-men play group in South America was waste. I mean, when JFK started USAID, he believed in the Domino Theory, and The Ugly American. Since then, it was owned by the wealthy and the politicians they fund and job offers. Also their children. Next up from your least favorite Prez? The hunt for the 'untraceable' 4.7 trillion dollars signed out by the US Dept of Treasury. Also, cash for the BBC and The Open Societies Foundation, ain't helpful. Having said that, relax and tolerate corny jokes done by Veo-3!

Jokes Volume 3 -Made with Google Veo3

Jokes Volume 3 -Made with Google Veo3

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[PGC]

How many times has Trump made false claims as a felon? Is it passed 100k already? Look at the spending of the new bill, no need to dive into the past, and compare with the promises and miracles today: The so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" (BBB), the flagship legislative package of the second Trump administration, presents itself as a sweeping economic revitalization effort promising to stimulate growth, reward labor, and restore fiscal responsibility. But beneath the political branding lies a bill that starkly transfers wealth from the poor to the rich, from younger to older generations, and from future taxpayers to present beneficiaries. According to nonpartisan budget analysts, the BBB adds an estimated $4–5 trillion to the national debt over the next decade—largely due to the extension of Trump-era tax cuts and the introduction of new, regressive reductions that overwhelmingly favor high-income households. Roughly two-thirds of the bill’s total tax cut value benefits the top 20% of earners, and a quarter flows directly to the top 1%, even as the bill simultaneously phases out subsidies for healthcare and nutrition programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and ACA premium assistance.

At the same time, the administration markets the legislation as a broad-based tax relief package. In the short term, most Americans will see a modest tax cut—not because their burden is meaningfully lowered, but because the bill prevents scheduled tax increases set to take place if prior provisions expired. This accounting sleight of hand allows the bill to claim “savings” and wide distributional gains while in practice consolidating wealth upward. Furthermore, the BBB sharply undermines America’s clean energy transition by slashing wind, solar, nuclear, and electric vehicle tax credits—industries already vulnerable to Chinese competition. The contradiction at the heart of the bill is especially glaring on trade and debt: while intensifying tariffs that raise consumer prices and strain global supply chains, the administration simultaneously claims the mantle of fiscal prudence, despite a plan that dramatically increases borrowing and places long-term stress on debt servicing, already the second-largest federal expenditure.

Beneath the noise of populist rhetoric and performative governance, the BBB’s true commitments become clear. It doubles down on costly tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy while dramatically increasing funding for ICE detention facilities and deportation operations—signaling a turn away from welfare toward enforcement. Small populist gestures, such as eliminating taxes on tips or social security, are heavily skewed to benefit higher-income households who can game the system or were already tax-exempt under current rules. While working-class voters were courted with promises of affordability and security, many will lose healthcare access, food assistance, and face steeper costs for basic goods. The BBB does not so much reflect a vision for economic rebirth as it does a cynical recalibration of government priorities: rewarding loyalty to Trump’s political brand while mortgaging the nation’s fiscal, social, and environmental future.

As Klein puts it: 

"So when you think about this bill, you should think about risk. This is a bill that increases our risk of a fiscal crisis. What if all these other countries we’re alienating and all these investors we’re scaring stop buying our debt — even as we are creating trillions more in debt we need them to buy?

This bill increases the risk any of us face if we can’t afford health care or food for our families. It guts the safety net that millions of us would have relied on for help if Trump’s tariffs were to cause a recession. It pumps tens of billions of dollars into ICE detention facilities and deportation capacity, so it raises risks faced by immigrants — or anyone else — caught up in the administration’s mass deportation and detention operations.

I’ve been a policy journalist for more than 20 years. I’ve covered more bills than I can count. I cannot remember a more cruel or irresponsible piece of domestic legislation that has been seriously proposed.

And its sins are compounded by its size. If the Republicans’ Big Budget Bomb goes off, we are all in the blast radius."

Nobody here expects you to engage with any of this, Mitch. Let's assume you are correct in proving the evil jewish lib woke conspiracy orchestrated all this evil that also lab leaked the virus in Wuhan that never existed. And that you know enough math to bring manufacturing back the US. 

When will this and the miracles be accomplished? Where is your hydro car? What date is the second coming? And when will all the loyalists own private hydrogen jets and the Jesus in chief perform the miracles? I'm pumped! We're chilling, relaxed, and waiting to see all this perfection emerge with heaven on earth. Poor Jesus has to suffer all this evil hate by the woke? Was the bible Jesus this much of a whiny, sensitive bitch? Seems to me he didn't need to silence anybody, as he just showed the doubters his wounds and let them poke the holes. The Klein would have to stfu, as he'd see for himself that no mortal could survive that loss of blood. Why argue at all? It's a woke thing that demonstrates lack of faith. Do you lack faith in "your side", Mitch? Because that's not a good sign. 

[John Clark]

On Mon, May 26, 2025 at 7:58 AM 'spudb...@aol.com' via Everything List <everyth...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

> The only thing I object to is your sales pitch that Dem funders are magically virtuous and the the Rep funders are wicked capitalists.

The Democrats certainly have their faults, they have often been justifiably accused of virtue signaling, being more interested in demonstrating to the world what a wonderful person they are than of actually helping other people.  However, as bad as that is there is something even worse, vice signaling, MAGA people going out of their way to demonstrate to others how utterly cruel they are. For example:  

South Dakota governor Kristi Noem wanted a bigger role in the MAGA world and figured she could get that if she bragged about killing a puppy. And she turned out to be right.

Trump keeps comparing himself to the gangster Al Capone and to the fictional cannibal Hannibal Lecter, and claiming to have "fallen in love" with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, a non-fictional monster far more evil than Hannibal Lecter. 

Donald Trump aide Johnny McEntee posted a video in which he said "I always keep this fake Hollywood money in my car, so when a homeless person asks for money, and I give them like a $5 bill… and then when they go to use it, they get arrested".

The ultimate douchebag

 

Or consider the practice of "Rolling Coal" where MAGA people modify diesel engines by injecting too much fuel so they belch out huge amounts of jet black exhaust in an effort to make environmentalists cry.  

Rolling coal

 John K Clark    See what's on my new list at  Extropolis

8x1