I suspect there's no real malfeasance here, just the natural proclivity to live large when someone else pays the tab. The big difference is that for normal humans, that proclivity is regulated by concepts like accountability and consequence.
I signed up to this Substack as it seemed to promise some deep dives into fiscal and financial matters and does deliver that enough to make it worthwhile. However I am sorry to say that this piece is really just another example of ill-informed or ill-willed ‘gotcha’ journalism, where the headline is the story. I won’t talk about the pool covers as the piece actually answers the question of why these might have been reasonably purchased. As for the oven, the embedded link shows that this is a professional item intended for a professional kitchen, that an ambassador’s official residence requires for events, and could not in any way be a replaced with a regular home oven. I suppose we could operate our diplomatic missions overseas on a byob and potluck basis, with the ambassador working the microwave throughout an event- was that your point?
That's the thing about bankrupt welfare states, few are serious about resolution and even fewer care. The looting accelerates at end stage democracy in transition to tyranny. I would replace foreign affairs and embassies along with NATO and UN membership with one foreign policy, unilateral free trade.
I suspect there's no real malfeasance here, just the natural proclivity to live large when someone else pays the tab. The big difference is that for normal humans, that proclivity is regulated by concepts like accountability and consequence.
I signed up to this Substack as it seemed to promise some deep dives into fiscal and financial matters and does deliver that enough to make it worthwhile. However I am sorry to say that this piece is really just another example of ill-informed or ill-willed ‘gotcha’ journalism, where the headline is the story. I won’t talk about the pool covers as the piece actually answers the question of why these might have been reasonably purchased. As for the oven, the embedded link shows that this is a professional item intended for a professional kitchen, that an ambassador’s official residence requires for events, and could not in any way be a replaced with a regular home oven. I suppose we could operate our diplomatic missions overseas on a byob and potluck basis, with the ambassador working the microwave throughout an event- was that your point?
Those points are addressed in the original post.
Although I will admit that the title was a bit over the top.
That's the thing about bankrupt welfare states, few are serious about resolution and even fewer care. The looting accelerates at end stage democracy in transition to tyranny. I would replace foreign affairs and embassies along with NATO and UN membership with one foreign policy, unilateral free trade.