Rebane's Ruminations
March 2025
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George Rebane

DOGE is the new leftwing hysteria du jour.  It has displaced climate change as the issue that gets most folks’ undies in a bundle.  The whole ‘Resist!’ movement of the Left is based on Democrat politicians’ lies and gratuitous fake news reports by the lamestream media.  DOGE is a new government agency charged with discovering fraud, waste, and abuse in the vast federal government bureaucracy.  Such abundant discoveries are documented, archived, and reported online (here) and to executive branch agents, from the president on down, who are lawfully empowered to take actions they deem appropriate – DOGE has no power to implement its recommendations.  But that is not what EVERY Democrat scumbag and their media minions tell the American people – and the lightly-read swallow the whole pack of lies hook, line, and sinker.

Idiots on Parade.  Today many of the above gently described ‘lightly-read’ are taking to the streets and concentrating on Elon Musk’s Tesla EV enterprises.  These are targets the rock apes have recently fire bombed, shot up, and vandalized, and by their silence condoned by the Democrat leadership.  These people are ALL abysmally ignorant and have no cognitive skills for critical thinking.  Unfortunately, they comprise about half of our citizens and at this stage are completely uneducable – hence why Rebane Doctrine has held that we are two divided countries within a single border.  (A wag from the past has more generously concluded that leftwingers are not necessarily ignorant, only that when they try to think they just have bad luck.)

Fox News and its conservative media cohorts (e.g. NewsMax) continue to be fearful mealy-mouthed journalists.  In their attempt to be ‘fair, balanced, and unafraid’ they are a fearful lot.  Examples of such reportage abound by the hour.  When they report on an issue, say, DOGE activities, they properly also broadcast some Democrat lying his ass off on camera, for example about DOGE gratuitously firing thousands of federal workers who have provided critical services to the public (without ever citing a single such readily available action).  Then for their fearless balance Bret Baier et al go on to state that “Elon Musk CLAIMS” that no such firings have occurred.  The properly balanced response would be to report that DOGE cannot fire anybody, and that no such firings have occurred – that is not a politically biased statement, just a readily verifiable fact that is necessary to accurately complete the news item.  And when they report on the socialists’ ongoing lie that DOGE is cutting Social Security and Medicare, they never balance that with the correction that no such cuts have occurred nor are they planned by the Trump administration.  And the double dummies just lap it up.

[30mar25 update] The New York Times has long been the nation’s leftwing canon.  It is then noteworthy that it has finally taken the Democrats and their message to account.  The newspaper’s criticism is what conservatives have been saying for years about how Democrats portray themselves and their political opponents.  Now it has become so bad that their beloved scripture has started admonishing their sins.  (more here)

[4apr25 update] Milton Friedman on tariffs from a 27apr78 speech at Kansas State University (here)

“We call a tariff a protective measure. It does protect; it protects the consumer very well against one thing. It protects the consumer against low prices. . . . 

[W]hen people talk about a favorable balance of trade, what is that term taken to mean? It’s taken to mean that we export more than we import. But from the point of view of our well-being that’s an unfavorable balance. That means we are sending out more goods and getting fewer in. Each of you in your private household would know better than that. You don’t regard it as a favorable balance when you have to send out more goods to get less coming in. . . .

[I]f you eliminate government from these matters you enable individuals to deal with one another. If you introduce protection, tariffs, restrictions on trade, they become matters for government-to-government wrangling and they are an enormous source of division. So in the name of both prosperity and world peace there are few steps that we could take which would contribute more than a complete move toward free trade.”

Posted in , , ,

172 responses to “Scattershots – 29mar25 (updated 4apr25)”

  1. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    So Punch, do you concede that if countries come back and negotiate, the tariff debacle will turn positive?
    Yes or no, of course.

    Like

  2. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Thanks to creepy grampa joe and the socialist interns –
    Hamas leaders asked Iran for $500 million in 2021 to destroy Israel within 2 years, documents revealed by Katz show
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/hamas-leaders-asked-iran-for-500-million-in-2021-to-destroy-israel-within-2-years-documents-revealed-by-katz-show/ar-AA1CoxWJ?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=e5f521dd7cd34a709173a14c068d44a3&ei=307
    😉

    Like

  3. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Punch, where did you see anything about the markets dropping today?
    Sunday isn’t a trading day.

    Like

  4. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Here’s today’s numbers from Market Watch
    Stock futures plunge as ugly stretch for Wall Street looks set to worsen
    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/stocks-crashed-in-the-two-days-after-trump-revealed-tariff-plans-investors-brace-for-the-week-ahead-1037e1ca

    Like

  5. fish Avatar
    fish

    Time for your “Mike Krukow Horse Laugh” moment…..

    Everybody is asking why it’s all white boomers at these protests.
    People. There hasn’t been a Jimmy Buffett concert in two years. TWO YEARS they’ve gone without a Cheeseburger in Paradise.
    It was only a matter of time before they started rioting. It’s gonna get worse.

    https://x.com/Oilfield_Rando/status/1908989867318477003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1908989867318477003%7Ctwgr%5Edc29fb5a133b755f538bd2d923cb4ed81d3503fe%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Finstapundit.com%2F712834%2F

    Like

  6. Resurrected Hillbilly Avatar
    Resurrected Hillbilly

    Panican Alert! Don’t jump Bessee!

    Like

  7. fish Avatar
    fish

    My shocked face……it’s……shocked!

    CA Fails Audit Of Federal Programs, 66% Of COVID Unemployment Benefits In Question

    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ca-fails-audit-federal-programs-66-covid-unemployment-benefits-question

    Like

  8. Scott O Avatar

    fish 7:56 – “CA Fails Audit Of Federal Programs, 66% Of COVID Unemployment Benefits In Question”
    But – gee, didn’t that make for a great economy?
    Everyone had the dough to buy the latest i-phone and plenty of avocado toast!
    Kunstler hits it again:
    “What else would you expect in a system that has dedicated itself for decades to mis-pricing the value of just about everything? The snap-back is sure to be harsh.”
    https://www.kunstler.com/p/farewell-fugazy

    Like

  9. Scott O Avatar

    scenes 8:02 – That article is hilarious!
    How will we eat food and breathe air if there isn’t a gigantic, corrupt, bloated fed govt?
    And the lady that thought that the Dept of Ed had something to do with the actual education of children?
    I’m not surprised a bit at all of this. You cut the junkie off cold turkey from his drugs and it will be hell for him.
    All sorts of imagined demons will fill their heads.
    These are the goobers that actually believed that Biden was ‘sharp as a tack’. Reality is the greatest fear of all to these people.
    It will not go well.

    Like

  10. fish Avatar
    fish

    From everyone’s favorite “tiny economist”…….

    The richest 0.1% own 17% of stocks
    The richest 1% own 50% of stocks
    The bottom 50% own 0.7% of stocks
    Repeat after me:
    The stock market is not the economy.
    12:22 PM • Dec 16, 2020

    Someone needs to notify legendary Leonard Cohen pest and street economist Paul Raymond Emery.
    https://x.com/Jude_62/status/1909240298762281059

    Like

  11. fish Avatar
    fish

    The world to which progressives aspire…..

    ” There is much, MUCH more in the Times story on the fallout from Roma Abdesselam’s traumatic trauma, and yoga hydration in general, including (of course) expert commentary from a college professor. The only thing missing — and frankly, as a longtime Times reader, I was disappointed — is a scientist connecting this issue to Global Climate Change.”

    …..well not “our” progressives? I mean physical activity that involves more than bobbing like a cork in the pool is discussed!
    You’ve been warned!
    https://davebarry.substack.com/p/yoga-trauma

    Like

  12. Resurrected Hillbilly Avatar
    Resurrected Hillbilly

    All I can say about Drumph is…
    Hellava Job Brownie!
    Exit question…
    Do working stiffs benefit from pension funds?

    Like

  13. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Scott
    Do you “actually believe” that Trump is supported by over 70% of voters as he contends? Direct quote:
    “I had an approval rating today of 71 and another one of 69,” Trump bragged at the Republican governors dinner in Washington on Thursday. ”
    https://www.yahoo.com/news/delusional-trump-openly-mocked-newest-063813961.html

    Like

  14. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Winning –
    “Because if you think about how restricted it’s been in Germany alone or in Switzerland or France about getting U.S. cars into those markets. They’ve been so punitively oppressed with tariffs, and they’re willing to wipe those out.”
    “The Eurozone has been brought to its knees,” he continued.
    “It’s willing to go zero-zero and open its markets up, and that’s the key. The idea that you would open up the markets and set the path for every other negotiation of the other 59 countries… This is the opportunity. This is the moment.”
    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday that the EU has offered the U.S. a deal to remove tariffs on industrial goods as a part of trade negotiations.
    EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič clarified that the zero-for-zero deal could include cars and other goods, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, rubber and plastic machinery, according to Politico.
    https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/kevin-oleary-says-trump-off-ramp-bid-ease-trade-tensions
    😉

    Like

  15. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    “Do you “actually believe” that Trump is supported by over 70% of voters as he contends?”
    That’s not what Trump claimed.

    Like

  16. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Regarding “global climate change”… it ain’t happening. At all.
    Expecting a global cooling beginning this year and lasting maybe 30 years.

    Like

  17. fish Avatar
    fish

    From the always indispensable Iowahawk….

    ” Look I’ve been as critical of tariffs as anyone but if the long term vision is domestic Nike sweatshops filled with fired DC bureaucrats, I’m willing to listen”

    https://x.com/iowahawkblog/status/1909323512340234651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1909323512340234651%7Ctwgr%5E286c837d83a64afdce9ec50fe9a9d21196893594%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Finstapundit.com%2F713027%2F

    Like

  18. Scott O Avatar

    BeerBelly 11:12 – “All I can say about Drumph is…
    Hellava Job Brownie!”
    Hold on, bro – he’s only started!
    Just wait until his 3rd term – yer poor lil’ noggin will jes es-plode!

    Like

  19. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    What did Trump “claim” Gregory when he said ““I had an approval rating today of 71 and another one of 69,”
    https://www.yahoo.com/news/delusional-trump-openly-mocked-newest-063813961.html

    Like

  20. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Approval of what, exactly? Who were the subjects? Age, sex? Registered to vote?
    You filled in the details according to your druthers.

    Like

  21. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    So the next time a lib snivels about cuts to medicaid and social security this is what they are really talking about that will end –
    Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) official Antonio Gracias says millions of migrants, who were welcomed to the United States under former President Joe Biden, are now on the nation’s Medicaid rolls and voter rolls — with some having voted in last year’s election.
    Most recently, DOGE chief Elon Musk said that potentially millions of illegal aliens who arrived in the U.S. under Biden have secured Social Security numbers.
    😉

    Like

  22. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    “Approval of what, exactly? Who were the subjects? Age, sex? Registered to vote?”
    We took a poll in our home about whether psul is a boring old poop or not.
    Surprisingly, 100% said ‘yes’.
    It’s not often that a political poll is so clear-cut.

    Like

  23. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Words mean things.
    Yes, Punchy is a boring old poop who continually takes snippets of Trump out of context and gets agitated.
    His challenge to me was “What did Trump “claim” Gregory when he said ““I had an approval rating today of 71 and another one of 69,”… I have no idea what polls Trump was referring to and neither does anyone here.

    Like

  24. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Bessee
    What proof does Musk have to support his contention that “potentially millions of illegal aliens who arrived in the U.S. under Biden have secured Social Security numbers.”
    Anyone can say that something is “potentially” whatever they contend it to be without offering any factual basis for their contentions. Just because Musk says it doesn’t mean it’s true.

    Like

  25. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Patience, grasshopper. Patience.
    Take a nap.

    Like

  26. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    I trust Musk more than I trust Paul.
    So should everyone.

    Like

  27. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Gregory
    Since there are no polls that have shown Trump with a 71 or 69 percent approval rating then it’s a safe assumption that Trump is lying like he so often does. Since you are a fake Libertarian it doesn’t matter to you if the President lies to the American people.

    Like

  28. fish Avatar
    fish

    Since you are a fake Libertarian it doesn’t matter to you if the President lies to the American people.
    Paul Raymond….I see that self awareness remains…..”not your thing”!

    Like

  29. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    So Punch, you think all polls are published?
    That slander is worth a free punch from me.

    Like

  30. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    So Gregory do you then believe that Trump is telling the trutn when he says “I had an approval rating today of 71 and another one of 69” ?

    Like

  31. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Punch, don’t know enough to bet on it.

    Like

  32. Scott O Avatar

    “Since there are no polls that have shown Trump with a 71 or 69 percent approval rating”
    So now Paul is claiming he absolutely knows about every single solitary poll taken.
    Even private polls that don’t publish openly.
    Amazing.
    What a maroon.

    Like

  33. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Scott
    You will be a Trump loyalist to the end. It is a FACT that there are no published polls that even comes close to what Trump claims. You can check out RCP polls and they cover about a dozen different polls to confirm that fact. In fact out of about a dozen different polls only three come out in Trumps favor at all and they only show him ahead by three or four points not the 20 or so that Trump contends. Quite simply Trump is lying and you are falling for it. Here’s a link to RCP polls to confirm my contention. Check it out and tell RR readers what you find.
    https://www.realclearpolling.com/latest-polls

    Like

  34. Resurrected Hillbilly Avatar
    Resurrected Hillbilly

    Former circle of jerks subject of derision, now maga hero, Elon musk gets schooled.
    WRM (world’s richest man) keeps getting his ass kicked.
    “Even after turning himself into a laughing stock in the gaming world for blatantly cheating, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hasn’t given up the hobby just yet.
    During a Saturday livestream of himself playing the free-to-play action RPG Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2) — which allegedly served as an “airborne continuity test” of SpaceX’s Starlink on board his private jet — Musk was ruthlessly bullied by other players in the game’s chat, as spotted by Polygon.
    After repeatedly dying to the game’s first boss, Musk rage quit roughly 30 minutes into the stream.
    Gamers reportedly accused the billionaire of having “NO FRIENDS” and charge that he “WILL DIE ALONE,” while also looking “DUMB AND UGLY.” Touché!
    One player said that his estranged daughter Vivian Wilson “was right” for having recently claimed that Musk was terrible at “Overwatch.”
    Musk’s personal path of exile from the gaming community kicked off earlier this year when gamers started to catch on that the richest man in the world was secretly paying talented PoE 2 gamers to build up highly-leveled characters that made it look like he was proficient at the RPG — a bizarre scheme Musk later admitted to.
    Considering the latest commentary, little love has been lost since then — especially now that anti-Musk sentiment has risen to all-time high levels. Gamers, after all, aren’t immune to his abhorrent behavior and indiscriminate dismantling of the US government with the help of his so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
    Musk appeared rattled during Saturday’s stream, saying little in response to the barrage of mockery. He did, however, use a disgusting slur against the intellectually disabled to take a stab at his haters, a term he has seemingly grown fond of.
    “There’s a lot of r*tards in the chat,” he said at one point.
    Despite several users encouraging the CEO to activate the game’s “Do Not Disturb” command or hide the chat, Musk allowed the bullying to continue. It remains unclear whether he knows how to use either of those functions.
    And his gaming chops on the whole? They left plenty to be desired.
    “Elon Musk just rage quit his Twitter stream after repeatedly dying to a tutorial boss in the new PoE2 patch on hardcore,” one X-formerly-Twitter user wrote.
    The schadenfreude among PoE 2’s established player base was very real.
    “Based on his current gameplay, there’s no possible way he’s getting out of Act One,” said New Zealand game streamer who goes by Quin69TV during a response video, referring to the opening section of the game’s storyline.
    Quin69TV had already raked Musk over the coals, calling him out as a fraud earlier this year.
    “He’s just going to keep dying over and over again,” he added gleefully.”

    Like

  35. Scott O Avatar

    Typical Paul – you state one thing and when you are called on it, you come up with a new line.
    First it’s ALL polls – then it’s the polls you know about. How do you know what poll Trump was referring to?
    “You will be a Trump loyalist to the end.”
    Let’s see – I voted for him 3 times because the other choice was sheer insanity.
    And I call out stupid people such as Paul saying stupid things.
    Has nothing to do with Trump himself.
    But of course for a TDS sufferer such as Paul – it’s always about Trump.

    Like

  36. Scott O Avatar

    BeerBelly 10:05 – Pretty hard-hitting stuff!
    Next you’ll show up here telling us about Musk getting a parking ticket or something.

    Like

  37. fish Avatar
    fish

    Posted by: jefftendly manboobicus | 09 April 2025 at 06:29 AM
    Oh Dear, another local gun nut gets put on time out…sardine?

    Alas jeffy no. It was interesting though….not usual sort of collection that dampens progressive panties…..shotgun, shotgun, lever action rifle, couple of semi automatic pistols, cowboy revolver….pretty mundane. Not a single AR style with “that thing that goes up” to make Democrat hearts flutter and breaths come in tiny little orgasmic gasps. Sad…..!
    I would like to take a brief moment though to thank you for publicly admitting that under those flabby man tits beats the heart of a menopausal woman. Feels good to be out of the closet doesn’t it?

    Like

  38. Scott O Avatar

    Fun times in the financial market. Our “best economy ever” was printed money and debt – lots of debt. Federal, state, and personal. Seems the “leveraged” bond market is doing wacky stuff. The reason we had such a bad fall in ’29 and ’30 was all the “leveraged” or debt-financed stock trading. It works until it doesn’t. The “gold-backed” securities market is just as bad because a lot of that crap is not backed by actual, physical gold but just a “promise to deliver”.
    If you don’t like the fall out from Trump’s actions just keep in mind the house of cards was bound to fall sooner or later and later it will be far worse. Anyone who thinks the wise govt leaders would reform the whole deal given time are naive fools. It’s been getting worse and worse for decades and no one wants to do anything but sweep the dirt under the rug and hope it doesn’t blow out until after they are gone.
    Here’s just one story today:
    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2025-04-09/stop-what-youre-doing-and-watch-bonds-now

    Like

  39. fish Avatar
    fish

    Love me some “Babylon Bee”…….!

    Tragic: Doomsday Prepper Dies Before The World Ends

    https://babylonbee.com/news/tragic-doomsday-prepper-dies-before-the-world-ends

    Like

  40. Resurrected Hillbilly Avatar
    Resurrected Hillbilly

    How is your fat Orange Hero doing today?
    Bringing lots of sweatshop jobs back to ‘Murica! MAGA!
    But will A.I. be sewing the Levi’s?
    How about wages? I guess he thinks those sweatshop workers will be making so much money they will be able to afford those $2,000 iPhones.
    Cali has a new steel mill breaking ground – no thanks to the Orange Douchebag.

    Like

  41. fish Avatar
    fish

    Posted by: Scott O | 09 April 2025 at 08:37 AM
    Next week should be a lot of fun!
    I eagerly await our local idiot and street economist’s vigorous defense of the bond arbitrage contingent.

    Like

  42. fish Avatar
    fish

    Somebody needs to tend to poor addled Jimmy Carville…..

    James Carville Warns Americans Should Be On ‘High Alert’ — After Listeners Suggest Trump Will ‘Rig’ Midterms and Declare ‘Martial Law’

    Sounds like a psych hold may be in order…..I’m surprised Mary Matalin lets him speak publicly after some of the more recent “Jimmyisms”.
    Won’t link ….sorry Paul Raymond….I know how important proper link delivery is to you! Read a nice poll and settle….it’ll be better soon! For the truly intrepid link chaser…..Jimmy is rambling Conspiracy Theorist style over at Mediaite.

    Like

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