this post was submitted on 26 Apr 2025
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politics

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[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 68 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I bet we could have gotten $160 billion if we made Elon pay his taxes

[–] knightmare1147@lemmy.world 37 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Daily reminder that everyone in America could have UBI if billionaires just paid what they currently owe in taxes.

[–] Thrashy@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Got a reference? Pro-UBI and anti-billionaire as I am, I’ve done the math and I don’t think that checks out. Meaningful UBI has an annual price tag in the trillions, and even if you assume 90%+ top bracket tax rates there aren’t enough billionaires in the US to foot that bill. Other programs would have be discontinued and/or rolled in, and tax rates increased across the board.

[–] Madison420@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There's enough billionaires that without changing your taxes and mine much you could easily pay for ubi and honestly most perspective social benefit programs.

[–] WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 19 hours ago

Not doubting, but do you have a source where I can read more about this?

[–] Wazowski@lemmy.world 86 points 2 days ago (5 children)

How much would it cost to construct a guillotine? I bet the ROI on that would be fucking astronomical.

[–] glitch1985@lemmy.world 23 points 2 days ago (4 children)

I could probably build it for $500. Less if it only needs to work once or twice and I can cut corners.

[–] caboose2006@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago

No, you'll be cutting cylinders, basically.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 21 points 2 days ago

It's supposed to cut necks, tho. A guillotine that cuts corners is practically useless.

[–] NABDad@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Damn, looks like I forgot to sharpen the blade. Eh, just keep raising it and dropping it. It will get through eventually.

[–] Hayduke@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

$110 at harbor freight. Light and compact enough to bring it to any event. No power? No problem! For an additional $25 you can pick up a 20v cordless version. Variable-speed trigger and 6-speed dial provide adjustment for different applications. Additionally, you conveniently receive a complimentary 5 gallon bucket with purchase this weekend!

[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (3 children)

If Harbor Freight weren't explicitly referened, I would have expected this to end in "shop smart, shop S-Mart."

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[–] LeninOnAPrayer@lemm.ee 2 points 2 days ago

It cost nothing because by then we've seized the means of production. I'll be happy to build one with no labor cost. The benefits of its use are payment enough.

Just save Elon for last and run the blade against a brick to dull it a little first.

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[–] Bogasse@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago

Is there a competition for the dumbest hat slogan somewhere?

[–] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 56 points 2 days ago (1 children)

With domestic terrorists like these, who needs foreign adversaries?

[–] Hegar@fedia.io 9 points 2 days ago

Since russia took over the government, we the population of the US are the foreign adversaries. And boy howdy are we being treated like it.

[–] Freshparsnip@lemm.ee 20 points 2 days ago

And with the money they're allegedly saving, they're paying for a foreign prison to torture people without trial

[–] boreengreen@lemm.ee 31 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

In the same vane, I can also save by geting rid of my home, car, job, investments, spouse and start eating dirt instead of food. I'd be homeless and misserable. But I'd have no expenses right now. Would it make me wealthier? No. What about later? Again, no. In fact I will quickly get poorer.

He is running the department of shutting down whatever Musk personally dislikes. Enabling corruption, extracting data for hostile foreign interests and loosing the peoples and contrys wealth.

[–] fake_meows@lemm.ee 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I can also save by geting rid of my home, car, job, investments, spouse and start eating dirt instead of food. I'd be homeless and misserable. But I'd have no expenses right now.

Turns out that the typical life people enjoy in Haiti is the ideal they are going for. Stupid libraries.

[–] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 38 points 2 days ago

I really wish the mainstream media would describe this with historical context. Alfred Hugenberg gutted the German bureaucracy when hitler took power to allow the Nazis free reign, and that is absolutely the point of DOGE today.

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I’m sure this doesn’t even calculate the downstream damages done when agencies like FEMA can no longer do their jobs effectively. But I’m sure some for-profit enterprise will fill the gaps where possible to screw people out of their money.

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 11 points 2 days ago

Cost taxpayers $135 billion so far...

[–] turnip@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 days ago

Per year versus one time cost?

[–] PunkRockSportsFan@fanaticus.social 14 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Why does it appear that every member of our military has betrayed their oath?

[–] not_that_guy05@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (6 children)

No they haven't. If you were in military you would know that they can't demonstrate against the president while in service. So don't take their silence as submitting.

This is coming from a vet and with a cousin still serving right now. Not saying all are against but there are people.

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When you're recruiting for an organisation that makes it its entire mission to spread suffering and destruction around the world, you're not going to get the best people.

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Don't blame it on the little guy

Is an oath binding or just words

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago

Cost us 135 billion so far, it is going to be much much higher now that they have gutted the IRS and countless investments into our economy. The truth is they are going to cost us tens of trillions of dollars.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I still think they lost more than they cut just in money terms and this is missing costs or overstating savings. The military ads have disappeared that I have been complaining about. Either they met their headcount or realized they were spending to much or they realized they can't appeal to patriotism with such a treasonous administration. EDITED 2/27 - the ads are back. Looks like they just disapeared for sat 2/26. mentioning because its still creepy to me and I did not want to incorrectly give the impression they stopped.

[–] spooky2092@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

We've already lost something like half a trillion dollars in tax revenue. And that's just the people Leon Skum fired to stop billionaires from paying taxes. And that's not even counting the TRILLIONS of dollars the US is going to lose to tarrifs, fucking up our trade relationships, and burning any desire for American manufactures equipment.

There's a ton of gallows humor in knowing the people that the braindead elected to mAkE aMeRiCa GrEaT aGaIn are going to be responsible for ruining the country. Sucks that it's going to burn down around my ears, but at least I can find some humor in it I guess.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 10 points 2 days ago

So far. Because the damage from completely fucking everything up is still ongoing, and will cost even more to fix, once the war is over.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 6 points 2 days ago

Picking up pennies in front of a steamroller.

[–] j0ester@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

So not $2 Trillion like they initially said?

[–] BrokenGlepnir@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

"says". I'd like it if articles were more clear about this. 160 is the max range for the "savings". It's not that much and I'd prefer that get broken down whenever mentioned. 135 they acknowledge doesn't include the costs of the legal issues it's caused. In the meantime the debt goes higher faster, which was the whole point according to them if you take their word. You shouldn't. I'd guess interest rates on the debt went up because of the instability, but that's just my guess.

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[–] Kurious84@eviltoast.org 6 points 2 days ago

I get treason vibes.

[–] GhostPain@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

So they found the F-35s? lol

Yea, that's like saying you fixed the cut on your hand by amputating your arm.

That's still not how you wear a hat, idiot. Go die twice in a tutorial.

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