New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #33

It's beyond bad. Its the end of times for the USA.  Zero doubt that trump is leveraged by Putin. Most of his senior generals suspected this in his last administration. That peace meeting is all about giving Putin whatever he wants. You dont find waste with code writers. you find it with accountants. I would be seriously surprised if they don't get into our election system and make this a permanently rigged situation just like Russia.  Very telling one of Trumps verbal slips when he said I don't need to win Pennsylvania. Musk understands those voting machines very well. ... 

This is really bad shit. these tens of thousands of federal jobs that they are eliminating all supported the economy. those people have mortgages. when they default on said mortgages the banks tighten up and the money is no longer available for new projects putting us blue collar guys out of work again just like 2008. Difference being that in 2008 we got a new president that was intent of saving the house instead of burning it down.  Killing USAID just hosed most of the midwestern farmers who were so fucking st000pid they voted for tRump. Just like he did when he killed the soybean market in 2016 with his st00pid tarrifs. Now they have no buyer for all their surplus grain.. You reap what you sow motherfuckers. 

"heart strings of Mr. Trump"

No such thing.

Lori Milaswrote:

Gary, you’re right. And I apologize for continuing to post on a topic that so many really hate.

Just my opinion, but I don't see why we can't have a conversation about what is happening. These are unprecedented times and worthy of discussion.  For the most part, people have been civil in the discussions and unless things go off the rails, I think it's fair game.   In my own circle of friends, we talk about this stuff all the time and find that we often want the same things and may even be closer on how to achieve them than previously thought. I will say that the Trump supporters  have gone eerily quiet recently. I wonder why that might be......

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

It's beyond bad. Its the end of times for the USA.  Zero doubt that trump is leveraged by Putin. Most of his senior generals suspected this in his last administration. That peace meeting is all about giving Putin whatever he wants. You dont find waste with code writers. you find it with accountants. I would be seriously surprised if they don't get into our election system and make this a permanently rigged situation just like Russia.  Very telling one of Trumps verbal slips when he said I don't need to win Pennsylvania. Musk understands those voting machines very well. ... 

This is really bad shit. these tens of thousands of federal jobs that they are eliminating all supported the economy. those people have mortgages. when they default on said mortgages the banks tighten up and the money is no longer available for new projects putting us blue collar guys out of work again just like 2008. Difference being that in 2008 we got a new president that was intent of saving the house instead of burning it down.  Killing USAID just hosed most of the midwestern farmers who were so fucking st000pid they voted for tRump. Just like he did when he killed the soybean market in 2016 with his st00pid tarrifs. Now they have no buyer for all their surplus grain.. You reap what you sow motherfuckers. 

The SAVE act is another attempt to guarantee Republican rule.  There is a gender gap in this country with women voting Dem at higher rates than men. The act would require ones current name to match the name on your birth certificate. Which would disenfranchise 80 million married women. There would be ways for women to regain the right to vote but they would be expensive and time consuming which would depress female turnout. Which is by design.

I've been struggling not to take pleasure when Trump screws his own supporters because I don't want to be like so many of them who take pleasure in hurting others. It's not easy these days though.

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

Zero doubt that trump is leveraged by Putin.

Agreed.

Putin's dreams are coming true, all the way from massive dissent between Americans to America abandoning the rest of the world (and worse).

I never would have thought it possible, but the U.S. is becoming a world bad guy.

Many of the decisions that trump made in his first term senior generals as soon as they retired and were free to speak said that there was no other explanation for those decisions. is what it is. Hunker down and take care of your family's because this shit is getting weirder every day. 

The dismantling of the targeted government agencies isn’t about fraud. It’s not about waste. And it’s certainly not about making government more efficient. Instead, it’s a test case for a new era of governance—one where facts are optional, reality is shaped by cherry-picked narratives, and faith in a leader replaces independent sources of truth.

Rather than conducting actual audits, Musk and Trump are using a familiar tactic—manufacture a scandal, flood the space with selective outrage, and use it to justify dismantling an agency they already wanted gone. It’s an attack on facts themselves—and if it works here, it will be repeated elsewhere.

---

Misinformation doesn’t have to be an outright lie to be effective. The most powerful form of disinformation is cherry-picking—taking a real event or number, stripping it of context, and reframing it for maximum outrage.

As an example, let's take a look at a few of the White House’s official justifications for gutting USAID:

 Claim: “USAID spent $6 million on tourism in Egypt.”

Reality: This funding was for education and economic development in North Sinai, not tourism. The grant was announced in 2019 during Trump’s first administration. Stripping away the date and purpose makes it sound like a recent, frivolous expenditure rather than part of an established economic aid initiative.

 Claim: “USAID spent $1.5 million to promote workplace diversity in Serbia.”

Reality: This was part of a broader economic initiative to increase job opportunities in Serbia—where workplace discrimination limits economic participation. The program focused on helping businesses grow by improving inclusivity—but was reframed as an ideological “waste” rather than an economic development effort.

 Claim: “USAID spent $47,000 on a transgender opera in Colombia.”

Reality: This was not a USAID grant at all—it was issued by the State Department, not USAID. The grant supported an arts program aimed at increasing representation in Colombia’s opera scene. By misattributing the funding to USAID and framing it solely as a “transgender opera”, the claim was designed to provoke cultural outrage rather than discuss arts funding in global diplomacy.

Could  actual audits be conducted on how these funds were used? Absolutely. In a functioning government, there should always be room for debate over whether certain initiatives are priorities or whether they are effective. But that is not what is happening here.

Instead of evaluating whether these programs delivered results or whether better alternatives exist, these numbers were stripped of context and framed for maximum outrage—not to improve policy, but to justify dismantling an agency outright. A real debate would analyze impact and effectiveness, not manipulate selective facts to push a predetermined conclusion.

The biggest red flag? If these agencies were truly corrupt, they would be showing full financial audits, not waving around vague accusations and innuendo.

If the goal were to actually root out inefficiencies, a proper audit wouldn’t be done in a day or two based on cherry-picked spending line items. Audits—even for small organizations—are lengthy, comprehensive, and detail both strengths and weaknesses.

A real audit would:

 Be conducted by independent agencies (GAO, OIG, CBO), qualified and experienced leaders, or objective, appointed and vetted contracted individuals or organizations.

 Use full financial forensic analysis, not cherry-picked line items.

 Compare the target agency to other government expenditures for context.

 Provide publicly available, transparent findings.

 Recommend measured reforms, not mass firings.

Real audits include:

 Positives and negatives—not just failures.

 Strengths and weaknesses—where the agency is effective and where it isn’t.

 Successes and failures—not just the failures someone wants to highlight.

 Annotated findings with full transparency—each claim links back to data.

This takes months, not days—because an audit can’t be done by just extracting data, running it through an algorithm (AI or otherwise), and issuing selective pronouncements.

Instead, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) simply declared USAID “beyond repair” and started shutting it down—no audit needed.

This was never just about USAID—it’s about eliminating institutions. And if they can do this to USAID, they can do it to the CDC, NOAA, or any other agency that provides inconvenient facts.

The attack on USAID was just the beginning. I

The same manufactured outrage playbook is being applied to:

 The CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) – Criticized for interfering in free markets and overregulating financial institutions.

 The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) – Framed as an obstacle to economic growth by restricting corporate and investment practices.

 The IRS – Cast as a weaponized agency persecuting political enemies.

 The Pentagon – Attacked over spending inefficiencies and social policies.

 The Federal Reserve – Accused of economic manipulation and globalist control.

 The DOJ & FBI – Portrayed as corrupt institutions waging partisan investigations.

 The Department of Education – Framed as a wasteful bureaucracy pushing ideological agendas.

 The EPA – Blamed for stifling business growth through overregulation.

Each will be misrepresented and undermined not through comprehensive audits and evidence-based reform, but through cherry-picked data, selective outrage, and preordained conclusions that justify dismantling their authority.

The irony? Real audits of these agencies would be fantastic. If the goal were truly efficiency, effectiveness, and responsible governance, independent reviews would be welcomed. A thorough, transparent audit of USAID, the CFPB, the SEC, the IRS, or the Pentagon would provide critical insights for better decision-making. But that’s not what’s happening.

Instead of pursuing genuine oversight and accountability, the administration is manufacturing outrage and using it as a justification to dismantle institutions outright—not to fix them, but to eliminate their independence.

---

The final step in this process isn’t just about cutting waste—it’s about removing any part of the government that isn’t directly controlled by the executive branch.

 No independent oversight.

 No neutral agencies providing inconvenient data.

 No checks on power.

This isn’t about fraud or waste—it’s about whether any institution will be allowed to exist outside the direct control of a single leader.

The next time an agency or institution is suddenly declared “too corrupt to fix,” ask yourself:

 Where’s the full audit?

 Why is the data missing?

 Who benefits from removing this institution?

When facts disappear, power takes their place. That’s what’s happening here.

fossilwrote:

The dismantling of the targeted government agencies isn’t about fraud. It’s not about waste. And it’s certainly not about making government more efficient. Instead, it’s a test case for a new era of governance—one where facts are optional, reality is shaped by cherry-picked narratives, and faith in a leader replaces independent sources of truth.

Rather than conducting actual audits, Musk and Trump are using a familiar tactic—manufacture a scandal, flood the space with selective outrage, and use it to justify dismantling an agency they already wanted gone. It’s an attack on facts themselves—and if it works here, it will be repeated elsewhere.

---

Misinformation doesn’t have to be an outright lie to be effective. The most powerful form of disinformation is cherry-picking—taking a real event or number, stripping it of context, and reframing it for maximum outrage.

As an example, let's take a look at a few of the White House’s official justifications for gutting USAID:

 Claim: “USAID spent $6 million on tourism in Egypt.”

Reality: This funding was for education and economic development in North Sinai, not tourism. The grant was announced in 2019 during Trump’s first administration. Stripping away the date and purpose makes it sound like a recent, frivolous expenditure rather than part of an established economic aid initiative.

 Claim: “USAID spent $1.5 million to promote workplace diversity in Serbia.”

Reality: This was part of a broader economic initiative to increase job opportunities in Serbia—where workplace discrimination limits economic participation. The program focused on helping businesses grow by improving inclusivity—but was reframed as an ideological “waste” rather than an economic development effort.

 Claim: “USAID spent $47,000 on a transgender opera in Colombia.”

Reality: This was not a USAID grant at all—it was issued by the State Department, not USAID. The grant supported an arts program aimed at increasing representation in Colombia’s opera scene. By misattributing the funding to USAID and framing it solely as a “transgender opera”, the claim was designed to provoke cultural outrage rather than discuss arts funding in global diplomacy.

Could  actual audits be conducted on how these funds were used? Absolutely. In a functioning government, there should always be room for debate over whether certain initiatives are priorities or whether they are effective. But that is not what is happening here.

Instead of evaluating whether these programs delivered results or whether better alternatives exist, these numbers were stripped of context and framed for maximum outrage—not to improve policy, but to justify dismantling an agency outright. A real debate would analyze impact and effectiveness, not manipulate selective facts to push a predetermined conclusion.

The biggest red flag? If these agencies were truly corrupt, they would be showing full financial audits, not waving around vague accusations and innuendo.

If the goal were to actually root out inefficiencies, a proper audit wouldn’t be done in a day or two based on cherry-picked spending line items. Audits—even for small organizations—are lengthy, comprehensive, and detail both strengths and weaknesses.

A real audit would:

 Be conducted by independent agencies (GAO, OIG, CBO), qualified and experienced leaders, or objective, appointed and vetted contracted individuals or organizations.

 Use full financial forensic analysis, not cherry-picked line items.

 Compare the target agency to other government expenditures for context.

 Provide publicly available, transparent findings.

 Recommend measured reforms, not mass firings.

Real audits include:

 Positives and negatives—not just failures.

 Strengths and weaknesses—where the agency is effective and where it isn’t.

 Successes and failures—not just the failures someone wants to highlight.

 Annotated findings with full transparency—each claim links back to data.

This takes months, not days—because an audit can’t be done by just extracting data, running it through an algorithm (AI or otherwise), and issuing selective pronouncements.

Instead, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) simply declared USAID “beyond repair” and started shutting it down—no audit needed.

This was never just about USAID—it’s about eliminating institutions. And if they can do this to USAID, they can do it to the CDC, NOAA, or any other agency that provides inconvenient facts.

The attack on USAID was just the beginning. I

The same manufactured outrage playbook is being applied to:

 The CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) – Criticized for interfering in free markets and overregulating financial institutions.

 The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) – Framed as an obstacle to economic growth by restricting corporate and investment practices.

 The IRS – Cast as a weaponized agency persecuting political enemies.

 The Pentagon – Attacked over spending inefficiencies and social policies.

 The Federal Reserve – Accused of economic manipulation and globalist control.

 The DOJ & FBI – Portrayed as corrupt institutions waging partisan investigations.

 The Department of Education – Framed as a wasteful bureaucracy pushing ideological agendas.

 The EPA – Blamed for stifling business growth through overregulation.

Each will be misrepresented and undermined not through comprehensive audits and evidence-based reform, but through cherry-picked data, selective outrage, and preordained conclusions that justify dismantling their authority.

The irony? Real audits of these agencies would be fantastic. If the goal were truly efficiency, effectiveness, and responsible governance, independent reviews would be welcomed. A thorough, transparent audit of USAID, the CFPB, the SEC, the IRS, or the Pentagon would provide critical insights for better decision-making. But that’s not what’s happening.

Instead of pursuing genuine oversight and accountability, the administration is manufacturing outrage and using it as a justification to dismantle institutions outright—not to fix them, but to eliminate their independence.

---

The final step in this process isn’t just about cutting waste—it’s about removing any part of the government that isn’t directly controlled by the executive branch.

 No independent oversight.

 No neutral agencies providing inconvenient data.

 No checks on power.

This isn’t about fraud or waste—it’s about whether any institution will be allowed to exist outside the direct control of a single leader.

The next time an agency or institution is suddenly declared “too corrupt to fix,” ask yourself:

 Where’s the full audit?

 Why is the data missing?

 Who benefits from removing this institution?

When facts disappear, power takes their place. That’s what’s happening here.

And don't forget - "What are you gonna do about it? Huh? Try and stop me." 

Brad Youngwrote:

Agreed.

Putin's dreams are coming true, all the way from massive dissent between Americans to America abandoning the rest of the world (and worse).

I never would have thought it possible, but the U.S. is becoming a world bad guy.

I'll never forget. Trump is asked: "Who do you believe about Russian interference in the election, Putin or the US intelligence services?" "Trump: I believe Putin." 

I totally agree with Fossil--excellent summary, and most of the others who posted recently on this topic.

The actually biggest test, and the first 'act' is coming very soon, is what the Courts, particularly SCOTUS, are going to do and, if they rule against Trump--and I believe that they will at least try to partially restrain him (I think that Roberts and Barrett, at least, will join the 3 'liberals' in ruling against some of his most serious transgressions), how he will respond. He is clearly laying the groundwork to try to defy them ( or at least by threatening to do so, is hoping to intimidate them into ruling in his favor  to prevent a confrontation). Very dark times indeed.

The big blizzard turned out to be underwhelming. Just two days of wind, snow and single digit temps. about half the accumulation they were predicting but super nasty. Very dense ice crystal snow. I got beat up pretty bad Sat morning shoveling my roof.  Wiped out again after  plowing shoveling and trying to snow shoe some of my paths. Being sick sucks.  Friend of mine was out guiding Willoughby in the thick of it yesterday...  Decided Hugi needed some exorcise and get his paws clean so brought him out for a walk. We went from the back door to the front door. It was windy and nasty. 

Hugi was Not impressed.

Very short walk..

Red Bessie starts a bit rough but once she warms up she purrs pretty gud

Wendy. where we used to live Hugi had a Kat door and went outside quiet a bit in the winter. Did all his bathroom stuff in the snow. Since we moved up here he has declared himself too distinguished to use an outdoor bath in winter.

Alan Rubinwrote:

I totally agree with Fossil--excellent summary, and most of the others who posted recently on this topic.

The actually biggest test, and the first 'act' is coming very soon, is what the Courts, particularly SCOTUS, are going to do and, if they rule against Trump--and I believe that they will at least try to partially restrain him (I think that Roberts and Barrett, at least, will join the 3 'liberals' in ruling against some of his most serious transgressions), how he will respond. He is clearly laying the groundwork to try to defy them ( or at least by threatening to do so, is hoping to intimidate them into ruling in his favor  to prevent a confrontation). Very dark times indeed.

As an 'outsider' I agree with the sentiments here in the last few posts. I agree with Fossil's statements about what audits should actually look like and what the purposes should be.  I also agree that from my perspective the USA (more specifically Mr T and his mate Mr M) are looking foolish, mean spirited and dangerous. I watch YouTube videos almost every night on Mr T's press conferences and they appear to me to be very silly while at the same time appearing downright dangerous.  

I can't believe how close this all looks to the period before WWII; how close this looks to dictatorship. 

Some countries have for a long time viewed Americans as being overly loud and obnoxious. That's an incredible generalisation but it's true that that is some people's perception. What we see now though is this embodied in your leader. 

How a country trillions of dollars in debt can 'buy' the Gaza strip, or acquire Greenland and Canada or can force Ukraine to part with its assets in payment for being supported in defending against a takeover, with the adversary to lose nothing is beyond comprehension. 

Nick, Hugi is very smart. You should take a cue from him.

Lori Milaswrote:

What Trump and Elon planned seems to have worked pretty darn well. Their speed, efficiency, courage, and boldness was impressive and the fact that within three weeks, they have achieved a complete government takedown without the slightest regard for the United States Constitution. 

If only there was some way of knowing what they were planning, like a road map, or document, or videos, or a book even...........

fossil, I agree 100% with what you wrote. What is going on sickens me.

I've read that Elon Musk has a top secret security clearance. How do we feel about that? The WSJ and other sources have reported the guy has been regularly chatting with Putin since 2022. Also: how is it possible for this guy and his team to "audit" the govt when he has massive conflicts of interest (billions in defense contracts)?

Alan, why do you think SCOTUS will rule against Trump? Aren't they the ones who ruled that POTUS can do anything, including criminal activities, and get away with it?

Nick, your photos show the winter that we are NOT having here in the middle reaches of the Sierra Nevada. We've had plenty of precipitation, but snow line has mostly been higher than our elevation (we're at 4,300 feet).

So far we've had three inches of snow once and two inches another time. Otherwise, rain. Will this be the second winter in 29 years here during which I have not used our snow blower (the only one so far was around 15 years ago)?

Here's what a more common winter looks like for us:

dragonswrote:

fossil, I agree 100% with what you wrote. What is going on sickens me.

I've read that Elon Musk has a top secret security clearance. How do we feel about that? The WSJ and other sources have reported the guy has been regularly chatting with Putin since 2022. Also: how is it possible for this guy and his team to "audit" the govt when he has massive conflicts of interest (billions in defense contracts)?

Alan, why do you think SCOTUS will rule against Trump? Aren't they the ones who ruled that POTUS can do anything, including criminal activities, and get away with it?

Dragons, I don't think that SCOTUS will totally limit him, but will try to at least draw some lines, much as they have done in the past--without doing a case-by-case analysis, Trump has actually lost more cases than he has won before SCOTUS. At least a few of them still have at least some respect for the rule of law, the Constitution, and the continuation of democracy. Despite what they tried to teach us in law school, it still comes down to the belief systems of the individual Justices. It is clear that Thomas and Alito will agree with Trump on pretty much everything, and the '3 liberals' will vote against him with pretty much equal consistency. So that leaves 4, while all 'conservatives', somewhere in between. I really don't 'get' Gorscuh and Kavanaugh very much--both are very right-wing but each has broken with Trump on occasion, though I'm not able to discern a consistent 'pattern' with either. But both Roberts and Barrett have shown at least a reasonably consistent level of commitment to the rule of law and the Constitution, especially Robert's--who very much wants to maintain the Court's authority.

Anyway, as hard as it is, let's get back to climbing. Around here it is very much southern New England winter--yesterday we had about 5 inches of snow followed by rain and freezing rain on top, followed by heavy wind--so pretty awful conditions ( unless you are an ice climber, but I gave that up over 30 years ago!!), but fortunately I have a good gym 15 minutes away --Ward is also a regular there, so was able to enjoy a very good session today despite the 'unpleasantness' outside. The forecast is for moderating conditions starting later this week, so maybe, just maybe Spring is just over the horizon.

Alan Rubinwrote:

Anyway, as hard as it is, let's get back to climbing. Around here it is very much southern New England winter--yesterday we had about 5 inches of snow followed by rain and freezing rain on top, followed by heavy wind--so pretty awful conditions 

I’m sorry, my friend. (Photo credit D. Wilson)

Weather here in pa makes staying inside and sorting the Seneca rack much more appealing than actually climbing! (My dog is not a crag dog, btw. She hates cliffs of any sort, as you can see from her worried expression. Also, I’m not a fan of dogs at crags.).

Elon has the golden shower video now. Thank Putin for that.