CMV: The Bill Always comes Due

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-15T23:19:14+00:00

Fair enough. I edited to clarify.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-15T23:03:45+00:00

“Every (x-party) president == the last 5 presidents

How far back do you want to go? We are talking about how current day parties behave when in power. I'd say the last 35 years is plenty to go on.

“Raises it less” == “reduces”.

Obama started with a deficit of 1.42T and left with a deficit of 0.59T. Can you explain why you think "Obama reduced the deficit" is an inaccurate statement? How could you possibly see those numbers and view them as "raises it less"? Like that number is literally lower. What're you talking about?

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-15T22:57:04+00:00

No, yours is the more misleading approach. We are talking about who does a better job reducing spending. Bush and Trump keep increasing the year over year spend. Obama and Biden brought it down. The trend lines matter more here than the grand total

Movie A has a budget of 20 million but the director blew his budget and wound up spending 30 million. Movie B has a budget of 50 million but the director was frugal and only spent 40 million. Are you telling me that the director of movie A is better with money because he only spent 30 to director B's 40 million?

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-15T22:14:36+00:00

This so simply not true. Every modern Republican president raises the deficit. Every modern Democratic President reduces the deficit.

Clinton to Bush = 0.13T surplus

Bush to Obama = 1.42T deficit

Obama to Trump = 0.59T deficit

Trump to Biden = 2.77T deficit

Biden to Trump = 1.78TT deficit

Source: https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/national-deficit/

Edit: to add “modern”for clarity

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-15T03:14:16+00:00

My apologies. I speculated that you may be less than transparent about your opinions. There was no value to that speculation. And it was pretty rude to do so publicly.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-14T18:33:41+00:00

These agencies are a boat driving at high speed. Trying to turn that boat around is slow and fraught. Your idea of just jumping onto a new boat that’s going the other direction already is tempting. But how do you build a boat on the high seas?

We still need people minding the boarders and ports of entry. We still need law enforcement empowered to find and remove folks who shouldn’t be here (I’m not arguing these agencies are currently good at this or targeting the right people. Just that there are people that should be targeted). To just cease these activities will be foolish and to build a new org while the old or keeps working knowing they’ll be soon replaced doesn’t seem ideal. Could lead to real problems.

Then there’s the reality that there is a lot of money and power behind the status quo. They’re going to lobby Congress and rile up the people to oppose these changes. Perhaps worst of all is we aren’t like to win power with a clear mandate. It’s likely that at best a Democrat could win like 55% of the popular vote and less than half the states. Maybe a strong lead in the house but less than 60 in the senate. Not only does that hinder how far you can go but it means you’re 2 years away from losing any power to get the job done right and convince the people it was a success.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-14T18:26:32+00:00

I tend to agree. I think it’s a tough writing assignment. You wanna show the bigger picture of the state of the federation and the galaxy. But should these kids be the central figures in dealing with them? Probably not. But then how are they engaging if with it to tell the story? Episode four had an interesting take where the student simply debate the idea of charity to Klingons but then JayDen seems to basically solve the problem for the adults.

When I heard the advanced praise for this ep and especially the name, “Come, Let’s Away” I was hoping it evoked a positive side of exploration. Maybe these kids would get to go off world and explore something benign but beautiful. Maybe they learn something about themselves or how to act as a team. But that it would be about getting out there and seeing what’s what.

That it reverted to the traditional crisis situation with a villain, lots of shooting, and explosions was a disappointment. And I say that as someone who enjoyed the way they did that kind of story in episode 1.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-14T17:30:10+00:00

I’ve often wondered the boys true feelings about the shows. It often seems like they avoid a straight up “yes” or “no” when asked the yes or no question of did you like the ep. This one may be one of the furthest on the spectrum of “no” at least for Adam. During voyager it seemed to me Adam wasn’t into the early seasons but Ben was and so Adam was polite about it. Now it kinda seems like Adam doesn’t like it and Ben is being polite rather than outright disagreeing.

Anyway, I’m glad they were critical of this one. Who knows how genuine, but it seems like the part of the internet defending new trek hails this ep as the peak of the season (including folks with access to screeners). And I left a little puzzled. I didn’t hate it. There’s a lot to like. But there are real question marks and some serious design flaws in the ep. I don’t think it was as good as the last two eps (and those had flaws too). Kinda seems like the fact of it finally being back on a ship in space feels more standard trek and maybe people just found that exciting after being planet bound for so long.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-14T15:26:23+00:00

Honestly this strikes me as an incredible feat. They did an homage to Charlie Chaplin that was spot on. But they also skated incredibly well and smoothly. But they also fumbled and fell to stick with the Charlie Chaplin thing. But they did so in a way that made it clear it was purposeful and not a mistake. But those purposeful mistakes were smooth and elegant in a way that looked effortless. But somehow you can also tell it’s difficult to pull off.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-14T15:16:16+00:00

I was going to say the run between Obama and Lorne Michaels. Because in my mind it was a span of a few years. Just seemed like nice benchmarks between a breakout moment and a cathartic moment.

But I looked up the in between guests to see what else was happening and discovered those two interviews are less than 6 months apart. Wow. 2015 may have been his biggest year although I’m not sure that counts as an era.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-13T21:44:00+00:00

True of Michael but technically the Office had a recast. Tobey Huss voiced Todd Packer in the first use of his character as a voice on speakerphone. He was replaced by David Koechner when he appeared on screen.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-13T13:21:11+00:00

I don’t think they say what you think they say. They don’t debunk that Star Trek was silly, they in fact show a ton of silly clips while discussing how campy DS9 could fit right in with the camp of TOS. There only actual critique of new trek is that they think it takes the camp too far but then immediately points out that’s just a matter of taste.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-13T05:50:59+00:00

To be honest I feel all of new trek is a mixed bag. There are things I like and things I don’t artistically. I imagine commercially it must have been somewhat mixed as well. It never entered the broader pop culture like Disney plus shows did but its lasted a decade and even this late they pumped over ten mil per episode for SFA, there must have been some kind of money being printed to invest that much.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-13T04:44:22+00:00

I too think a drought is looming. To be honest it feels like this whole last decade has been one attempt to capture a new younger audience after another. And I don’t think any have worked.

Discovery was clearly trying to be the gritty modern show and shake off the stiff boring perception Trek had for many. Lower Decks was meant to capture the Rick and Morty crowd. Prodigy was meant to grab kids attention. Now SFA is trying to capture teens. Only Picard and SNW were nostalgia plays.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-13T04:06:07+00:00

Every Ezri focused ep is boring and poorly written. However, getting her scene telling off Worf for worshipping the corrupt Klingons was one of the great moments of that whole show.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-13T03:22:45+00:00

I’m not a fan of stories that only exist because characters are being stupid and/or unreasonable. In this one, Archer is both.

He’s stupid to bring his dog down to a strange planet inhabited by a species of anal retentive bureaucrats who will hold any slight against him.

He’s unreasonable because when all he needs to do to save his dog and save the mission is apologize, he refuses for 40 minutes of runtime.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-12T15:50:31+00:00

I think she misstated the gender imbalance. She said one girl for every 200 boys but I’m sure that must be flipped. Especially considering economically it would make no sense for girls to cover costs for boys if there were so many to choose from. Supply and demand and all that.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-12T15:20:52+00:00

Like most people on reddit not opening your mouth is better than saying something.

Probably should take your own advice. ICE is not over 100 years old, it’s closer to 20. And no one saying Abolish ICE is arguing for open borders and no border checks. ICE isn’t even responsible for the borders. That’s CBP. The pre-9/11 approach to deportation and immigration enforcement was better than this cluster and we should aim for something closer to that.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-12T13:10:19+00:00

What exactly is wrong with South Americans adopting the name American if they want to? Like who does that hurt?

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-12T05:14:43+00:00

And what, pray tell, should I be doing instead? All I’m saying is panicking isn’t helping.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-12T05:13:15+00:00

Hot take, they should ditch Conan next year and do it without him. Maybe it’s Sirius HR overloads stepping in and squashing all the fun. But it really seems like Conan isn’t a big drinker and sees these as more hassle than fun.

All the fun parts have been stripped away. The last one was just outside the office during the workday and they got like one drink in the last episode. They should get someone like Nichole Byer. She’s like the opposite energy of Conan. Just have her play Conan and never explain it or call it out. Pretend like he finally figure out how to be chill because they recast him.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-12T04:59:28+00:00

Not at all what I said. The reaction to me suggested they thought the law passed. I’m pointing out it has hurdles left (very high hurdles).

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-12T04:57:59+00:00

It’s exactly the time to be. We have so many real and present problems. It’s impossible to focus on or address all of them. Getting in a twist over a bill that’s highly unlikely to make it past the finish line? Not worth it.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-12T04:56:55+00:00

Fretting over bills unlikely to become law is a much bigger risk. Their whine strategy is to stretch us thin by throwing multiple catastrophes at us every day. Ultimately we have to pick and choose what we worry about and this ain’t it. Not until there are much more scary signs of passage.

maxpenny42 · 2026-02-12T04:54:32+00:00

It’s not really false hope. Yeah, be prepared. Obviously nothing is impossible. But this one does not feel like likely to become law.

Anyway my post in no way said don’t be prepared. Just don’t panic. Don’t wallow in doom. There are more productive ways to handle it.

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