Fact check: Independent journalism is not a crime.
It's also especially important at a time when government officials are withholding key details and concerns about a war being fought on behalf of the American people with their taxpayer dollars.
Recent reports say the Pentagon put conservative veterans with big X followings into undisclosed civilian or special government employee roles. These include DataRepublican (Jennica Pounds) as an SGE since July, plus retired colonels Rob Maness, Kurt Schlichter and Thomas Anderson (Cynical Publius) under Undersecretary Tata. They keep posting in support of SecDef Hegseth. Active-duty LTC Adam D’Ortona also draws scrutiny for partisan activity. Roles and pay details stay limited.
You are full of shit, Eric. The 65 billion barrels amount to an Economic Tar Baby. These heavy oil reserves have an all-in economic costs of about $60 per barrel to produce, but sell at a 15% discount to the WTI global marker price due to exceedingly low gravity and high sulfur. The global marker price has averaged $71 per barrel during the last 50 years in constant 2026 dollars, meaning that after the 15% discount for Venezuelan junk crude oil, the net present value of the reserves Trumpy claims to have stolen from the Venezuelan people, if produced over the next 50 years would be close to ZERO (about 0.0003% of US GDP per year).
Petro-socialism didn't work in Venezuela in part because most of its ultra low gravity, high sulfur tar-oil has negligible net value at prevailing world prices. It's bankrupt petroleum industry makes Mises point about the impossibility of economic calculation in a socialist economy clear as it gets. But then again, the Donald never heard of Mises or Hayek, nor does he actually have a clue about the free market. He's just a Cesarean power-grabber dressed up as a right-wing socialist.
And just to ask again: Is @DataRepublican posting what looks to be talking points given to her as part of her duties as a DOD employee?
(And what *are* those duties?)
Pretty simple question, much like asking @CynicalPublius, @RobManess, and @KurtSchlichter if they were, or are, Special Government Employees, and one that is perfectly reasonable for any taxpayer to ask:
Is the government paying you, and if it is, what are your duties?
@infantrydort And to think that Americans have to pay for his bullshit as a SGE. But thanks for the warrior circlejerk. Maybe concentrate on the war we are losing.