(Remember that old song Feelings, by Morris Albert?)
Disruption
I guess, to some, it “felt” like a good idea. Many Americans, fueled by the “Fake/Faux/Fox News” media onslaught, “felt” like billions of dollars were being “wasted”, or even worse, stolen. That “feeling” helped get Donald Trump elected President, for a second time, despite thirty-four felony convictions. Enough Americans felt, I guess, that it was time to put that “fox” in charge of the entire “chicken coop”.
Elon Musk and his DOGE boys came in, and completely disrupted the government. Finances were ripped from hundreds of programs that were mandated by Congress. There were real-world consequences, programs that were life-saving, cut cold. Real people died. Almost every agency, from the Internal Revenue Service to the Veterans’ Administration to the National Park Service, was disrupted. And the rest of Americans, even the ones who didn’t share the “feelings” of waste and fraud, shared in that disruption, like it or not.
The end result “felt” kind of sad. The DOGE boys (including their leader, Musk, and his lieutenant, “Big Balls”) spent a lot of money, ate a lot of pizza, and crunched an enormous amount of data. But, in real terms (not feelings) they didn’t save much. DOGE claims to have saved $160 Billion, a big number. But analysis shows they spent $135 Billion to do it (CBS). $25 Billion is a “big number” too, but not so “big” in the scope of a $5.35 Trillion annual budget.
Big Balls’ Nose
Speaking of “Big Balls”; he intervened in a street crime in Washington, DC, and got beat up pretty badly. The President said he was “near death”; but unless you can die from a broken nose Trump might have exaggerated a bit. “Big Balls” may be big in the computer world, but in real world DC crime, as the saying goes, he got his a$$ kicked. And somehow, it “feels” like that’s generated an entire crisis in Washington.
President Trump was looking for something to do in August, besides talking about the EPSTEIN FILES. He put massive tariffs on China (but he really didn’t), and he arranged to meet Putin in Alaska, in quest of “his” Nobel Peace Prize. Hopefully, he doesn’t give away Ukraine, or Alaska, as part of the deal. But when all of those things didn’t manage to change the subject from Trump’s good, deceased, child molesting friend; he decided to bring in the Federal Government to rescue “Big Balls”.
Retribution
“I am your retribution”. That’s what Trump told the world would happen if he got elected. And here he is, getting payback for “Big Balls’” broken nose. He’s nationalized the police of Washington, DC, taking control from the duly elected local authorities. Trump claimed that Washington was worse than varying war zones throughout the world, and “only he” could fix what the “Democrat” local government allowed to happen. Just like DOGE “fixed” the Federal Government, now Trump would “fix” Washington, DC.
So let’s get a couple of things straight, feelings aside. Washington DC isn’t Baghdad, or some other war-torn foreign capital. It isn’t even the “murder capital” of the United States. That “honor” goes to Memphis, Tennessee, followed by St Louis and Baltimore. DC is fourth on the list, which surprisingly doesn’t include Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, or any city in Ohio. I guess “feelings” can be mistaken (USA Facts). And while Washington’s homicide rate rose 15% in the Covid and post-Covid era, it actually fell 12% in the past year. So while that doesn’t help “Big Balls’” nose, it is factual, versus anecdotal, evidence. It’s not about feelings, unless we’re talking about “feeling” like talking about something other than the EPSTEIN FILES.
Real World
But there are real-world consequences. Now the Federal Government is in-charge of the DC Metro Police, replacing the Mayor and the elected City Council. DC is a complicated jurisdictional area. It’s a Federal District, and many segments of the city are regulated by Federal Police anyway, including the Capitol area (the Capitol Police), the National Mall (US Park Police), the White House (US Secret Service), and, of course, ICE (they’re everywhere, everywhere)!
The Metro Police is still in action, but now, trained FBI agents are making arrests for loitering, and the Park Police are patrolling regular neighborhoods, as well as the “regular” cops. Many will “feel” better. But those “feelings” aren’t likely to be those of the regular folks who live in DC. More importantly, it’s another DOGE-type solution to the problem, one that disenfranchises hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians. The Federal forces can go “tear up” in DC for a while, joined by the National Guard and perhaps even the regular military. But, probably sooner rather than later, Washington will return to “regular order”, and the President’s band-aid solution will be over. Nothing changes.
Big Balls may feel vindicated. And Trump will have his “retribution” on the town that stood up to him on January 6th. But the rest of us have to get over feelings, and look at the facts. This is no solution to the real problems of Washington, DC. It’s just another distraction.
And that’s too bad, for the real people who live in Washington.
