I always look forward to Friday’s Journal, because at the top of the “Opinion Page,” is Kimberley Strassel’s column. She’s a frequent visitor to Fox News, and her opinions are always well researched and totally valid. Last Friday, she took on DOGE, or “Department of Government Efficiency,” and pointed out that according to the Supreme Court, maybe 50% of absurd regulations were ‘written by people who never were elected, so we’re going to rescind them, and they are hereby null and void.’ That would get rid of 50% of regulations, and thereby 50% of those who wrote and enforce them. As an example, she took on the IRS. Here’s a quote.
“When it comes to controlling the ranks of bureaucrats, the biggest priority isn’t re-organization, or even cutting numbers. It’s about destroying their power. The IRS was able to target conservatives, because its mission is to police an insanely complex tax code that, counting regulations and guidelines, runs to an inconceivable 16 million words. This provides some 90,000 functionaries stunning discretion to snoop, question, dispute and penalize. Want to end targeting? Create a flat income tax; eliminate the corporate tax; abolish tax credits; simplify non-profit rules. Take away the mission, and you take away both the power and need for most of that workforce.” Simple? You bet!
Here’s an idea I have had, regarding the “Department of Education,” installed by Harry Truman. It has proven to be a godsend to unions, but a horrible interference to education. It cannot be gotten rid of without a vote from Congress? Fine. Let the new Secretary fire all employees, cut off all money dispersions, and let her sit at her desk and play ‘Free Cell.’ Wouldn’t that fix the problem without a Congressional vote?
Syria is Free
I woke up at 2 AM Saturday morning, and NPR was excitedly telling me that Damacus had been overthrown, Assad was gone, and the jails had been opened, freeing thousands of innocent prisoners. Guns had been confiscated from arsenals, and soldier uniforms were scattered on the streets by former soldiers who were overjoyed to be part of overwhelming a 15 year-old slave state, which had been inherited by the elder Assad for a 30 year period before the young Assad took over. Guns were being fired into the heavens, and tens of thousands of Syrians which had escaped, were coming home, with no restrictions on border crossing. Turks were rejoicing as were Israelites.
Think about this revolution and its possible consequences. First of all, Putin’s reputation is vastly weakened, and his ruble is no longer worth a U.S. penny, but a mere fraction of a U.S. penny. Ukrainians were dancing in the streets, and Hezbollah was beginning to feel that their end was at hand, since Israel has already selectively destroyed their leaders. Iran has been shaken to its core also, since Israel had already bombed its nuclear possibilities to smithereens. I haven’t kept up with developments, but I am sure that the vast Russian air bases located in Syria near the Mediterranean will be captured. Would Russian planes have their tires shot out preventing their takeoffs?
Just imagine how it would have happened, if Trump had been President last week! Would he have made mince meat of anything Russian in non-Russian states? Will Georgia throw out the Ruskies, and be free again? After all, only a bit more than 1% of Georgians speak Russian. Will Crimea throw out the Russians, and be free again? This small, determined little group of rebels, has destroyed Assad’s too-long held dictatorial enslavement, causing his soldiers to throw off their uniforms and join the rebels. BBC interviewed many Syrians who had stuck it out, with weeping and crying of joy, while reciting terror stories of the Assad terror rule. This could be the awakening of the entire Mediterranean coast line, and enslaved states adjacent to Israel. Israel has showed the way to frady cat Obamas and Bidens, who cringed at Israel and Ukraine’s valiant efforts to preserve themselves, while with holding needed weaponry. Israel, at the same time, was giving an example of how to conquer enemies of freedom. Destroy their facilities and leaders. God Bless that tiny group of rebels who freed Syria!
-Don Stott Don@coloradogold.com