Thanks for this gem of an interview. I will certainly be looking forward to the written piece Cliff plans to write. I remember his expose of World Vision when he was at the MEF.
Unfortunately, many Resistance types are responding to Trump/ Musk's irresponsible slash - and - burn methods by not only criticizing the methods, but claiming that USAID has no problems requiring reform at all, and that all reports about their real problems are just MAGA propaganda. And so the initial inaccurate attack is countered by a defense that's also inaccurate.
Not the first time this has happened, and won't be the last. So it was refreshing to hear from a USAID critic who also doesn't support throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Very good interview and I have read several pieces by Smith. He's an excellent writer with many ideals I can agree with.
We all know that entitlements are the biggest expense at the federal level which goes without saying. The chances of our congress, with the ignorant masses we have voted in, implementing programs designed to reach a balance budget will never happen in my lifetime. And this is my problem with Idealistic Conservatives. We can preach about it, but it's not happening.
We can all support the good USAIDS does. But once the focus is off a program such as this, it would grow again, and money will pass through to illogical and dangerous causes. It is the inevitable result of organizations to grow beyond administrative control. And the only way to control this is by shrinking the size. In this case smaller government. In Minnesota our state smoked through $500 million in fraud through do-goody programs. Now we have another program that has smoked through a number we don't even know yet through Medicaid fraud. Certainly, in the millions.
I am all for Musk's investigations. It is the first analysis of government wasteful spending. The Mine that houses billions of social security documentation is an example of a department that is out of any reasonable controls. It will take a serious implementation costing billions to install a reasonable electronic system to manage and control this massive system.
Smith wrote a good article on this website, but he lost me pertaining to George Floyd. I suggest he read the Liz Collins book "They Lied".
Good episode. The entire Elon Musk/DOGE operation has bothered me from the beginning as it had the ring of an all-to-familiar Machiavellian principle:
“For although the act condemns the doer, the end may justify him…”
And I believe Smith is correct in that Trump is just ratchetting up our future of alternating authoritarian regimes making wild swings of public policy and actions.
Mr. Smith spoke of the many issues with agencies such as USAID. He also commented on the need to reform Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and "things like this." What are the solutions to these situations?
But if the president and congress are dead set against touching entitlement spending (even as it implodes), nothing's going to happen. The supposedly "fiscally responsible" Republican party holds every branch of government right now, and all they're doing is this rinky dink stuff.
Thank you for the link Mr. Daly. The article has a lot of information to process. Many of our elected officials (regardless of party affiliation) have no interest in the difficult chore of governing responsibly to address these issues. It is so much easier for them to grandstand on tv and social media so they can be re-elected over and over again.
I completely agree with you. Politicians are supposed to be problem solvers. That requires those individuals to have integrity and to do the hard work necessary to initiate positive results. There might be a few individuals elected to the House and the Senate who want to accomplish the difficult tasks, however it appears that most of them would rather abdicate their responsibilities to bureaucratic agencies with little to no oversight of these agencies. Because it is Trump who is bringing this to attention Schumer, Waters and others with the assistance of the media are demonstrating manufactured hysterical outrage to deflect from their incompetence.
I'm mean, I'm sure there's a role a president can play in all kinds of government oversight, but in our system of divided government, this falls more in line with Congress.
Also, Cliff saw my previous comment to you and passed this additional info along:
"FWIW: Trump illegally fired the IG for pointing out DOGE's approach was counterproductive, and the IG was one of the few people who was making real progress on trying to root out waste, fraud and abuse."
I don't think Congress is effectively doing its job in any arena. And whenever someone stands up and does something important and noble, they get taken to the woodshed for their trouble, typically by their own party.
At some point it would be great if the executive and legislative branches actually did their jobs, and stayed in their lanes, so we wouldn't have to rely on an overwhelmed judiciary to clean up the mess.
Thanks for this gem of an interview. I will certainly be looking forward to the written piece Cliff plans to write. I remember his expose of World Vision when he was at the MEF.
Unfortunately, many Resistance types are responding to Trump/ Musk's irresponsible slash - and - burn methods by not only criticizing the methods, but claiming that USAID has no problems requiring reform at all, and that all reports about their real problems are just MAGA propaganda. And so the initial inaccurate attack is countered by a defense that's also inaccurate.
Not the first time this has happened, and won't be the last. So it was refreshing to hear from a USAID critic who also doesn't support throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Very good interview and I have read several pieces by Smith. He's an excellent writer with many ideals I can agree with.
We all know that entitlements are the biggest expense at the federal level which goes without saying. The chances of our congress, with the ignorant masses we have voted in, implementing programs designed to reach a balance budget will never happen in my lifetime. And this is my problem with Idealistic Conservatives. We can preach about it, but it's not happening.
We can all support the good USAIDS does. But once the focus is off a program such as this, it would grow again, and money will pass through to illogical and dangerous causes. It is the inevitable result of organizations to grow beyond administrative control. And the only way to control this is by shrinking the size. In this case smaller government. In Minnesota our state smoked through $500 million in fraud through do-goody programs. Now we have another program that has smoked through a number we don't even know yet through Medicaid fraud. Certainly, in the millions.
I am all for Musk's investigations. It is the first analysis of government wasteful spending. The Mine that houses billions of social security documentation is an example of a department that is out of any reasonable controls. It will take a serious implementation costing billions to install a reasonable electronic system to manage and control this massive system.
Smith wrote a good article on this website, but he lost me pertaining to George Floyd. I suggest he read the Liz Collins book "They Lied".
Good episode. The entire Elon Musk/DOGE operation has bothered me from the beginning as it had the ring of an all-to-familiar Machiavellian principle:
“For although the act condemns the doer, the end may justify him…”
And I believe Smith is correct in that Trump is just ratchetting up our future of alternating authoritarian regimes making wild swings of public policy and actions.
Mr. Smith spoke of the many issues with agencies such as USAID. He also commented on the need to reform Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and "things like this." What are the solutions to these situations?
Fully scored plan right here (from a past Daly Express guest):
https://manhattan.institute/article/a-comprehensive-federal-budget-plan-to-avert-a-debt-crisis-2024
But if the president and congress are dead set against touching entitlement spending (even as it implodes), nothing's going to happen. The supposedly "fiscally responsible" Republican party holds every branch of government right now, and all they're doing is this rinky dink stuff.
Thank you for the link Mr. Daly. The article has a lot of information to process. Many of our elected officials (regardless of party affiliation) have no interest in the difficult chore of governing responsibly to address these issues. It is so much easier for them to grandstand on tv and social media so they can be re-elected over and over again.
Any person with a reasonable solution to this area would never get elected to office.
I completely agree with you. Politicians are supposed to be problem solvers. That requires those individuals to have integrity and to do the hard work necessary to initiate positive results. There might be a few individuals elected to the House and the Senate who want to accomplish the difficult tasks, however it appears that most of them would rather abdicate their responsibilities to bureaucratic agencies with little to no oversight of these agencies. Because it is Trump who is bringing this to attention Schumer, Waters and others with the assistance of the media are demonstrating manufactured hysterical outrage to deflect from their incompetence.
Who is responsible for oversight of US AID?
Primarily the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Agency for International Development, though Congress clearly has a role to play.
Does not the President of the United States have a judicious responsibility of all oversight of our governments?
Not really.
I'm mean, I'm sure there's a role a president can play in all kinds of government oversight, but in our system of divided government, this falls more in line with Congress.
Also, Cliff saw my previous comment to you and passed this additional info along:
"FWIW: Trump illegally fired the IG for pointing out DOGE's approach was counterproductive, and the IG was one of the few people who was making real progress on trying to root out waste, fraud and abuse."
Mr. Daly, do you believe Congress is effectively doing its job in overseeing federal agencies?
I don't think Congress is effectively doing its job in any arena. And whenever someone stands up and does something important and noble, they get taken to the woodshed for their trouble, typically by their own party.
I guess the Supreme Court will be the final arbiter
At some point it would be great if the executive and legislative branches actually did their jobs, and stayed in their lanes, so we wouldn't have to rely on an overwhelmed judiciary to clean up the mess.