"The Human Toll Of Political Neglect"

Government cuts and political negligence turned deadly in Texas; this is a wake-up call for unity, truth, and rebuilding trust in science and safety.

I’m writing this with a rage I haven’t felt in a long time. Because this didn’t need to happen. Not the flood. Not the terror. Forty‑three Americans dead; fifteen of them children, and another 27 still missing. These weren’t statistics; they were kids from Camp Mystic asleep in bunk beds, families enjoying Independence Day by the Guadalupe River. Now they’ve vanished, and their grief ripples through the heart of our nation.

What makes the horror worse is that it could have been prevented; or at least minimized. But thanks to a twisted blend of ego, greed, and performative anti-government nonsense promoted by the likes of Elon Musk and his crypto carnival called DOGE, vital institutions like NOAA and the National Weather Service have been gutted. These aren’t faceless bureaucracies; they’re the men and women who issue flood warnings, track hurricanes, and help communities prepare for disaster. They are scientists and public servants; our first line of defense against Mother Nature’s worst. Without them, people die.

Let me be crystal clear: Elon Musk is no longer in government, but his shadow still lingers over decisions that impact us all. His techno-libertarian delusions, pushed from his perch at X and disguised as innovation, have shaped Republican talking points and MAGA policy platforms. He’s influenced people in Trump’s inner circle; people who whisper in the ear of power that government is bad, that we should gut regulations, and that we don’t need experts. People who convinced this administration to prioritize budget cuts to weather tracking in favor of absurd crypto infrastructure dreams.

DOGE isn’t just a silly meme coin. It’s a symbol of how unserious and dangerous tech-bro fantasies have infected our political decision-making. I mean, think about it: we’re replacing trained meteorologists with algorithms written by amateurs who believe rainclouds can be “modeled” like market trends. It’s insanity. And it’s deadly.

I didn’t want to learn the names of the families lost in Texas. I didn’t want to know the ages of the children who drowned in the middle of the night. But I did. And once you do, you can’t look away. Their faces haunt you. Their stories gut you. Because they’re not from the other side of the country; they’re not strangers. They’re us. Whether you live in Texas or Teaneck, whether you are Republican or Democrat, these are your fellow Americans. This is your country. This is our shared heartbreak.

What makes it worse is that we’ve been warned. Again and again. Scientists, climate experts, and seasoned meteorologists have pleaded with lawmakers to maintain funding, upgrade flood mapping, and invest in human intelligence. And every time, they’ve been dismissed as “alarmists” by a right-wing machine obsessed with austerity, Bitcoin, and pleasing a handful of billionaires. We’re told to fear government overreach, but what we should really fear is government abandonment.

Musk, with his millions of followers and his cult of personality, pretends to be a savior. He’s not. He’s a disruptor, sure, but not in the way he wants you to think. His disruption is one of consequence without care. Whether it’s launching a rocket that crashes into the ocean or tweeting a meme that tanks a currency, he does it all for the rush. And along the way, he’s helped normalize a worldview where governance is weakness and chaos is cool.

I’m not saying Elon Musk killed those kids in Texas. But I am saying his influence; and the people who parrot his ideology, set the stage for a government too blind, too proud, or too cruel to protect them.

And where is the unity in all of this? Where are the calls for cross-party cooperation in the face of undeniable tragedy? Instead of hearing Republicans and Democrats coming together to fund recovery efforts, rebuild warning systems, and rehire NOAA personnel, we’re stuck in a feedback loop of partisan blame games and Twitter snark. Enough already.

I’ve been part of a broken system. I’ve seen firsthand how power gets corrupted by the loudest voice in the room. And right now, it’s voices like that of Elon Musk’s; and it echoes through every corner of our government. It’s a voice that scoffs at expertise, mocks compassion, and would rather throw money at crypto scams than build levees or buy radar upgrades.

This flood, this disaster, must be a wake-up call. We can’t allow memes and billionaires to dictate life-and-death policy decisions. We must demand a government that works; for everyone. One that believes in science. One that puts people over profits. One that remembers that those names lost in Texas were not just casualties; they were our neighbors, our friends, our future.

We can’t bring them back. But we can honor them. By doing better. By demanding better. By remembering that being American means looking out for each other; even when it’s inconvenient. Even when you are a member of the opposite political party. Especially then.

Because if we don’t? Next time, it might be your child’s bunk bed floating downstream. And no amount of DOGE is going to save them.

___________________________________________________________________________

AS WE ENJOYED INDEPENDENCE DAY, DISASTER STRUCK!…

THIS MUST CHANGE. WHERE ARE ALL THE NEW SUPPORTERS?
WE CAN’T DO THIS ALONE.

If you’re reading this, then you already know:
This isn’t just a newsletter. It’s a call to arms.

We’re not here to observe. We’re here to confront. To expose. To drag corruption out into the light and hold it accountable. But the truth? I can’t do this without you. Not anymore.

The fight ahead isn’t theoretical. It’s here. It’s now. And it’s relentless. We’re staring down the barrel of authoritarianism wrapped in a flag and selling freedom as a brand.

So let me ask you—Are you in?

Because this isn’t a passive read. This is a movement. And movements need muscle.

We need to build something so loud, so unshakable, that no one can twist it, spin it, or shut it down. That takes real support—not clicks, not likes. Commitment.

If you believe in truth, if you’re tired of watching the liars win, if you’re done shouting into the void, then it’s time to take the next step.

HERE’S HOW YOU RAISE YOUR VOICE:

Become a paid subscriber… support real journalism with bite.

Forward this to the people who never sit quietly.

Bring your crew. Grow this community. Be the megaphone.

And yes, for the first 240 Founding Members, I’ll be sending a signed, numbered, limited-edition Substack version of my New York Times bestseller, Revenge. It’s not just a collector’s item. It’s proof you stood up when history came calling.

But this isn’t about a book.
It’s about defiance.
It’s about refusing to be gaslit.
It’s about locking arms and saying, “Not on our watch.”

You want to make a difference?
Then make it.
Right now.

Because if we don’t fight for truth—no one will.
And if we fight together? They’ll never drown us out.

Let’s be impossible to ignore.
Let’s be un-fucking-breakable.
Let’s go.