We may be on the verge of huge changes with the federal government, the like of which I don't think any of us imagined.
Anyone else have any info on this?
Citizen of Arizona
@cleaner4d4
I am a libertarian. I am advocating everyone enjoy maximum freedom on both personal and economic issues as long as they do not bring violence unto others.
Massie, himself, floated that a couple of weeks ago. I hope he doesn't take it. He'd be great, but we need him in Congress.Originally Posted by Cleaner44
"And now that the legislators and do-gooders have so futilely inflicted so many systems upon society, may they finally end where they should have begun: May they reject all systems, and try liberty; for liberty is an acknowledgment of faith in God and His works." - Bastiat
"It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere." - Voltaire
I will trust his judgement on where he can best advance liberty.
Citizen of Arizona
@cleaner4d4
I am a libertarian. I am advocating everyone enjoy maximum freedom on both personal and economic issues as long as they do not bring violence unto others.
I hope he doesn't take it.
The DofA is so controlled by big-ag and so much of the problem is rooted in our trade agreements, which cannot/will not be changed by the Secretary.
There's still a ton of good that he could do there, but in Congress, he can do a ton of good on a variety of topics.
"And now that the legislators and do-gooders have so futilely inflicted so many systems upon society, may they finally end where they should have begun: May they reject all systems, and try liberty; for liberty is an acknowledgment of faith in God and His works." - Bastiat
"It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere." - Voltaire
It's clear now where the real power resides.
With the unelected bureaucrats who have the ability to make rules which have the force of law.
Massie can unwind a $#@! ton of bureaucracy weighing down the American people.
"An idea whose time has come cannot be stopped by any army or any government" - Ron Paul.
"To learn who rules over you simply find out who you arent allowed to criticize."
IMO there's not enough publicity with that position.
Let's do a quick experiment:
How many of you can name the Dept. of Agriculture head, right now? (No googling. If you know the answer, don't share it. If you don't know the answer . . . I rest my case.)
(I can't)
How many of you can name the Speaker of the House?
Last edited by nobody's_hero; 11-06-2024 at 02:35 PM.
This is getting silly.T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men
We Are Running Out of Time - Mini Me
What powers does the Secretary of Agriculture have?
"An idea whose time has come cannot be stopped by any army or any government" - Ron Paul.
"To learn who rules over you simply find out who you arent allowed to criticize."
Independent Farmers needs help
I can't think of a person better suited to talk to actual farmers.
Massie might not be a farmer in reality but he is in practice, because farmers have to do stuff like figure out timber framing in their spare time and learn how to wire things (even if it's not Tesla batteries).
Massie would go into it knowing two things: a) He doesn't have to talk to big ag executives, but the people running the farms, and b) the people running the farms are NOT STUPID. Most of them are close to or as smart as Massie is.
WHAT THE F*** DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN???
The Bastiat Collection · FREE PDF · FREE EPUB · PAPER Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850)
- "When law and morality are in contradiction to each other, the citizen finds himself in the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense, or of losing his respect for the law."
-- The Law (p. 54)- "Government is that great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else."
-- Government (p. 99)- "[W]ar is always begun in the interest of the few, and at the expense of the many."
-- Economic Sophisms - Second Series (p. 312)- "There are two principles that can never be reconciled - Liberty and Constraint."
-- Harmonies of Political Economy - Book One (p. 447)· tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito ·
Massie for Secretary of Agriculture? KY Congressman addresses talk of Trump admin role
https://www.kentucky.com/news/politi...295151114.html
{Austin Horn & David Catanese | 06 November 2024}
Fourth Congressional District Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY, said Wednesday he’s open to taking a new role in the incoming Donald Trump administration, potentially leading the Department of Agriculture.
“President Trump’s resounding victory secured a mandate for big ideas like reversing chronic disease, conserving our land and empowering American farmers,” Massie said in a statement first released to The Herald-Leader. “His campaign unified many neglected constituencies, from the Amish who just want to be left alone to grow healthy food, to parents who want more access to nutritious food for their families.”
“I stand ready and willing to help the President with any part of his bold agenda to focus on the health and well being of Americans, but I have received no commitments or offers from President Trump’s team, and any discussion of the transition are premature,” Massie continued.
The speculation over Massie began with Joel Salatin, an iconoclast author and speaker in the farming community who calls himself “The Lunatic Farmer.”
The potential development spread quickly on X, the social media website owned by Trump ally Elon Musk.
In a blog post, Salatin wrote that he’s been contacted by the Trump transition team for an advisor role in the United States Department of Agriculture and that Massie will be the secretary.
“I’ve been contacted by the Trump transition team to hold some sort of position within the USDA and have accepted one of the six ‘Advisor to the Secretary’ spots. My favorite congressman, Thomas Massie from Kentucky, has agreed to go in as Secretary of Agriculture,” Salatin wrote.
Massie, who has become friendly with Robert Kennedy Jr. during the campaign, has had an topsy turvy relationship with President-elect Trump, only endorsing him late in the 2024 campaign.
But Kennedy’s closesness with Massie have revived the relationship in recent weeks, leading to the possibility that the northern Kentucky congressman could enter the new administration next year.
I agree. Rep. Massie needs to stay in the House, and they need to nominate him for Speaker.
"Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of hosts, the God of the battle lines of Israel, Whom you have reproached.'" - 1 Samuel 17:45
"May future generations look back on our work and say that these were men and women who, in moment of great crisis, stood up to their politicians, the opinion-makers, and the Establishment, and saved their country." - Dr. Ron Paul
What it would take to get there would be things he would be unwilling to do and we wouldn't want him to do.
__________________________________________________ ________________
"A politician will do almost anything to keep their job, even become a patriot" - Hearst
Such as?
"Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of hosts, the God of the battle lines of Israel, Whom you have reproached.'" - 1 Samuel 17:45
"May future generations look back on our work and say that these were men and women who, in moment of great crisis, stood up to their politicians, the opinion-makers, and the Establishment, and saved their country." - Dr. Ron Paul
Buy people off by making promises to give them things they shouldn't have.
__________________________________________________ ________________
"A politician will do almost anything to keep their job, even become a patriot" - Hearst
I've been contacted by the Trump transition team to hold some sort of position within the USDA and have accepted one of the six "Advisor to the Secretary" spots. My favorite congressman, Thomas Massie from Kentucky, has agreed to go in as Secretary of Agriculture.
Has anyone heard anything about this?
Austin Horn - He sure sounds interested in teaming up with Trump/RFK, but contrary to internet rumors says he's "received no commitments or offers from President Trump’s team."
Last edited by tebowlives; 11-06-2024 at 04:12 PM.
I am the current Champion of "The Dallas Cowboys will win the NFC, Pick'em Contest" and you are not
If that ↑↑ pans out, it would check off this ↓↓"Cabinet" part of the "Put a Libertarian in his Cabinet & Staff" item.
Last edited by Occam's Banana; 11-06-2024 at 04:12 PM.
And if you put him in charge of a bureaucracy, he goes into some back hall in a D.C. office and no one (outside of our bubble) ever hears from him again. Heck, he gets more of the spotlight as a rep from Kentucky than he would get as Secretary of Ag.
Again, it's a simple experiment by asking yourself questions:
When was the last time you watched a speech from the Secretary of Agriculture? (if you failed the previous experiment that I posted, then it's entirely possible you have heard such a speech from a S.o.A. and didn't realize it, but to my knowledge it is not very common for the Secretary of Agriculture to give speeches).
^^This is, however, true.
Last edited by nobody's_hero; 11-06-2024 at 04:19 PM.
This is getting silly.T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men
We Are Running Out of Time - Mini Me
Yeah that too. He could affect a lot of policy, but the biggest problem I think he would run into is that a lot of agriculture in the US is heavily subsidized by the government, and if he tried to take that away the farmers would crap blood.
__________________________________________________ ________________
"A politician will do almost anything to keep their job, even become a patriot" - Hearst
Any legs to this? Seen a few tweets.
It would keep getting better and better if so. Of course we lose a great congress critter
This is getting silly.T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men
We Are Running Out of Time - Mini Me
He is great in Congress. There is no one else as good. So there's that.
It's entirely up to him, and I would support his decision no matter what he decides.
Imagine this... He could spend time as Sec of Ag, clean it up as much as possible, also working with Musk, and then when McConnell announces he is leaving (or just dies), then Massie can run for Senate...
"Foreign aid is taking money from the poor people of a rich country, and giving it to the rich people of a poor country." - Ron Paul
"Beware the Military-Industrial-Financial-Pharma-Corporate-Internet-Media-Government Complex." - B4L update of General Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Debt is the drug, Wall St. Banksters are the dealers, and politicians are the addicts." - B4L
"Totally free immigration? I've never taken that position. I believe in national sovereignty." - Ron Paul
Proponent of real science.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own, and do not represent this forum or any other entities or persons.
Drawing a blank...
Is that a trick question? In name and title, Johnson is "Speaker of the House". In practice and actually dictating the job, then it would be Chuck Schumer.
"Foreign aid is taking money from the poor people of a rich country, and giving it to the rich people of a poor country." - Ron Paul
"Beware the Military-Industrial-Financial-Pharma-Corporate-Internet-Media-Government Complex." - B4L update of General Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Debt is the drug, Wall St. Banksters are the dealers, and politicians are the addicts." - B4L
"Totally free immigration? I've never taken that position. I believe in national sovereignty." - Ron Paul
Proponent of real science.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own, and do not represent this forum or any other entities or persons.
NO, haha. No tricks to those questions, but you see the point is that most people know who the speaker of the house is, but they'd have to cheat (search) to find out who Ag Sec is.
In that regard, it would be a demotion.
I honestly don't know which would be better. There's definite benefits to being head of a bureacuracy, but if no one knows it was 'that crazy libertarian in the back room' slashing all the regulations, well . . .
Last edited by nobody's_hero; 11-06-2024 at 09:13 PM.
This is getting silly.T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men
We Are Running Out of Time - Mini Me
Hopefully he doesn't take it. Massie is too important to leave the House. Maybe he can recommend someone else for the job.
"Perhaps one of the most important accomplishments of my administration is minding my own business."
Calvin Coolidge
Sold!
"And now that the legislators and do-gooders have so futilely inflicted so many systems upon society, may they finally end where they should have begun: May they reject all systems, and try liberty; for liberty is an acknowledgment of faith in God and His works." - Bastiat
"It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere." - Voltaire
Here's another one along the same lines: In name and title, Joe Biden is "President of the United States". In practice and actually dictating policy ...
Have you considered that no one can remember who the Secretary of Agriculture is precisely because the SecAg typically is not a "crazy libertarian in the back room slashing all the regulations"?
I rather suspect that "crazy libertarian[s] in [any] room slashing all the regulations" are going to be noticed and remembered ... (but I can't really say that I would have any objections if "slashing [...] regulations" was so routine that the slashers were not noticed or remembered ...)
Is there any chance he could keep his seat in the house and be Sec of Ag?
I don't think many people in DC work very hard, especially the Sec of Ag.
"He's talkin' to his gut like it's a person!!" -me
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"Each of us must choose which course of action we should take: education, conventional political action, or even peaceful civil disobedience to bring about necessary changes. But let it not be said that we did nothing." - Ron Paul
"Paul said "the wave of the future" is a coalition of anti-authoritarian progressive Democrats and libertarian Republicans in Congress opposed to domestic surveillance, opposed to starting new wars and in favor of ending the so-called War on Drugs."
Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.
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You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith
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Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
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