Random Politics Thread

[The Cat]

 

[Virtual ghost]

Not very to be honest. However, this situation tends to repeat itself in many countries. And least the general pattern that the liberal left has let immigration get out of control, the populace becomes disenchanted and starts moving to the right. The far right capitalizes on the dissatisfaction. The center right suggests reform, but the left digs and and resists. Ergo the center right has to look to the far right.

That is probably glossing over all sorts of details in Germany, but from VG's links that's certainly the impression I get. I know Politico fails to capture the exact essence of things when they have the occasional Canada centric article so maybe I am missing key points. They sure make it sound like conservatives are considering partnering with the far right mainly due to migration issues.

That is the problem with all international press, they often miss in details and cultural interpretations. Sometimes it is perhaps do to narrative and sometimes is simply due to keeping things short (or not knowing the details). I also sometimes roll eyes when I am reading/watching about my part of the world, but that is simply fundamental flaw of international press. Which tries to generate message that everyone can follow.

However when it comes to Germany there is more here than just immigration. Taxes, green policies, family values , cultural values etc. I mean it is logical that center right has more with far right than with labor or progressive party. However in Germany far right has obvious historical stigma that keeps others from engaging them. Therefore if this wall breaks that is literally the new era for the country. Therefore when you take a look at what is going on in countries around Germany it is logical to expect that some people are worried.

 

[ceecee]

Yup. That email was waiting for me when I logged in this morning. If we turn people in within ten days, there will be no 'adverse consequences.'

I will assume most people will be like - I didn't see anything and neither did you.

 

[The Cat]

 

[Totenkindly]

so a friend just found this on Reddit:

As far as my understanding goes, BC (while being a manager/supervisor position) is not executive-level experience and is near the bottom of the management structure. BCs manage regular employees along with team and tech leads, who are a step under them. They have at least two more levels of management over them if not more, and then at the top would be an agency head. While it's decent experience in itself, it's not really executive experience per se and is primarily manager experience in supervising employees directly -- I would say the kind of experience used for a high-level director starts with a division director (since they are basically supervising managers) and typically execs go through their own training programs as part of getting anything higher.

(BCs are still on the regular grade system, as are division directors, and then you start getting into the SES grade scale and program. The head of OPM is at Grade II on the gov exec pay scale.)

IOW the guy mentioned is not really qualified to be running an agency with many many Offices (i.e., areas of business) -- he hasn't really had experience. So this would sound like he's not really running anything and is just a name.

 

[Totenkindly]

And this is now going around too...

 

[Coriolis]

In the end all of this comes to big picture and "desperate times, desperate measures".

The fact is that the establishments of both parties failed to keep things under control. What in the end led to the rise of Trump as some sort of out of the box solution, which deserves a shoot in trying to fix things. In other words if these people were to reject Trump as bad idea they are politically nowhere (while the country would still be on the highway to hell, especially since it was before he showed up). Therefore all of this should be seen in the light of "desperate times, desperate measures".


The only real problem is that this therapy is unlikely to work. The world has really changed over the last few decades and turning the clock back basically requires that the whole world goes back. What simply isn't realistic. Today pretty much every part of the world has it's own trade/political block and you simply can't control everything. Especially since American greatness never really came from America. It came from the fact that all other major powers of the world were in ruins after WW2. While during the cold war everyone with ability and half a brain sided with US, since the alternative was openly abysmal. However all of that is past and returning things to the world where US is once again 50% of the world's economy simply isn't realistic (it currently has about 4% of the world's population). After all winning in trade against people who work for 100$ a month or can't go into medical bankruptcy isn't easy task. In the case that Trump is willing to throw trillions into public education and healthcare I could see stabilization of the situation. However with current agenda and trade wars all over the place the social decay is quite likely to continue. After all these trade wars are basically nothing more than denial that the current economic model lost against what the others are doing. Since always the one that is loosing is rising trade barriers.

This is one point I have kept making, namely that while Trump supporters certainly have legitimate grievances, Trump not only can't but mostly has no intention to fix them. Democrats would have done better, though not as well as they should have or people wanted. Trump voters shot themselves in the foot, and the rest of us as well. Another example of how Americans collectively have to learn the hard way.

I will assume most people will be like - I didn't see anything and neither did you.

I do hope our civil servants just keep their mouths shut and their heads down, except for the occasional judicious leak, as in the examples Totenkindly posted.

And this is now going around too...

View attachment 32178

The authors have since figured out their error and learned to scrub the data. But the initial evidence is there, and no doubt plenty of watchful eyes are keeping a record of it.

 

[The Cat]

Take care everyone. These are the dark days.

 

[Virtual ghost]

This is one point I have kept making, namely that while Trump supporters certainly have legitimate grievances, Trump not only can't but mostly has no intention to fix them. Democrats would have done better, though not as well as they should have or people wanted. Trump voters shot themselves in the foot, and the rest of us as well. Another example of how Americans collectively have to learn the hard way.

Yes, but we must not overlook what actually led to the current situation. Which is that the Democratic party moved away from the working class in the terms of policy. After all identity politics can't really replace talks about workers rights. These are simply two different spheres of life. Not to mention that various minorities also need to work for a living. What means that without workers rights you are basically offering one big nothing in practical sense. After all suppressed worker is globally uncompetitive worker (unless it works for 100$ a month). Therefore trying to fix all of it without opening this can of worms is unrealistic. I am big believer in "Fixing the world starts with fixing your own backyard".

 

[Red Herring]

.

Speaking of backyards ... do you think Vučić might also step down in the near future?

 

[Virtual ghost]

Speaking of backyards ... do you think Vučić might also step down in the near future?

As it looks for now the guy is under serious pressure. Since the protests have become large and regular (and they are spreading exponentially). He is trying to soften the problem but it doesn't seem to be working. Especially since the protesters repeat that that HE personally is the source of all problems (since he is basically a dictator and he has open pro Russian ties). Also the fact that the west put sanctions on various Russian companies in Serbia is also pretty big deal in the terms of economic stability. Plus Ukraine stopped transporting Russian oil towards central Europe since the contract has expired. What means that Serbia is in the same pot and locally various prices are probably going crazy over all of this. It is too early to make conclusions but at this rate the guy will fall out of the big chair.

 

[The Cat]

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.​

 

[The Cat]

Buckle Up.​

 

[Coriolis]

Yes, but we must not overlook what actually led to the current situation. Which is that the Democratic party moved away from the working class in the terms of policy. After all identity politics can't really replace talks about workers rights. These are simply two different spheres of life. Not to mention that various minorities also need to work for a living. What means that without workers rights you are basically offering one big nothing in practical sense. After all suppressed worker is globally uncompetitive worker (unless it works for 100$ a month). Therefore trying to fix all of it without opening this can of worms is unrealistic. I am big believer in "Fixing the world starts with fixing your own backyard".

When you and I talk about "identity politics", we seem to mean different things. Not only do various minorities work for a living, but they are overrepresented among the poor, largely due to systemic bias. Blacks were long excluded from educational and work opportunities, as were women who are actually a slight majority. There is still bias against these and other groups in hiring, pay, and education. Efforts to achieve "workers' rights" have often benefitted mainly white men, just as progress in women's rights has disproportionately helped white women. For non-white workers to get ahead, these systemic biases must be addressed. Sure, the Democrats have not been able to erase them, nor have they had as much success as progressive people would like, but the Republicans barely acknowledge them, and the Trumpists want to turn back the clock to a time when no one even bothered to try.

 

[The Cat]

 

[The Cat]

Well looks like all of the 14 million didnt just stay home.
​

 

[Totenkindly]

Still no agency guidance on RTO, despite the deadline.

At least we got no weird e-mails today.

I've heard reports of Federal portals to Medicaid not being available across the country, but then seen other articles saying that Medicaid is instructed not to be affected. I guess we'll see how it shakes out the rest of the week.

 

[Virtual ghost]

When you and I talk about "identity politics", we seem to mean different things. Not only do various minorities work for a living, but they are overrepresented among the poor, largely due to systemic bias. Blacks were long excluded from educational and work opportunities, as were women who are actually a slight majority. There is still bias against these and other groups in hiring, pay, and education. Efforts to achieve "workers' rights" have often benefitted mainly white men, just as progress in women's rights has disproportionately helped white women. For non-white workers to get ahead, these systemic biases must be addressed. Sure, the Democrats have not been able to erase them, nor have they had as much success as progressive people would like, but the Republicans barely acknowledge them, and the Trumpists want to turn back the clock to a time when no one even bothered to try.

I really wonder how you managed to miss the point that was obvious (in my book).

What I said was basically that various minorities need to work for a living. Therefore if you don't provide at least half decent worker rights for them and everyone else you aren't genuine protector of minorities (or people in general). For example if you fail to provide over the years living wage for LGBT community you aren't really pro LGBT person (especially if you aren't really trying too hard over the issue). However this has practical implications, which become serious when election day comes and people stay home. Allowing someone to adopt children without providing livable wage and some free time is nothing burger at the end of the day. If you don't provide round up picture for the people you are simply loosing distinction from the other party. What leads to confused electorate (what is something that you want to avoid).

 

[Totenkindly]

I really wonder how you managed to miss the point that was obvious (in my book).

What I said was basically that various minorities need to work for a living. Therefore if you don't provide at least half decent worker rights for them and everyone else you aren't genuine protector of minorities (or people in general). For example if you fail to provide over the years living wage for LGBT community you aren't really pro LGBT person (especially if you aren't really trying too hard over the issue). However this has practical implications, which become serious when election day comes and people stay home. Allowing someone to adopt children without providing livable wage and some free time is nothing burger at the end of the day. If you don't provide round up picture for the people you are simply loosing distinction from the other party. What leads to confused electorate (what is something that you want to avoid).

So what is your point? You seem to be stating the obvious. So you're just saying our two major parties don't care about LGBT rights and perhaps other minority rights in general because they aren't pushing for living wages and the like? That's not rocket science. The thing that I would disagree on is that the Democrats kind of care because it fits their image that makes them all warm inside about being the "Party of Caring" but they have not really been successful at it -- partly because the Republicans don't seem to give a shit in any way (so they can't get things through without a clear majority) + because the Dems take a half-assed approach to everything and never go the full mile. And with the GOP controlling grassroots media and now taking over MSM via the oligarchs who own them, and because of gerrymandering, they have seen they can win elections out of apathy regardless and have no reason to care.

I prefer Dems than GOP's in office because the latter REALLY seems to enjoy fucking over minorities they do not like, and I take less damage with Dem regime, but neither party is really that helpful nor really committed.

What Coriolis says is correct as far as that goes

 

[Totenkindly]

Judge blocks Trump federal funding freeze on all public loans, grants and more aid

The spending freeze on federal assistance could affect everything from aid to nonprofits, universities, small business loans and state and local government grants.

www.cbsnews.com

A federal judge on Tuesday issued a stay against a White House directive that ordered a spending freeze on federal assistance, which sent Washington and organizations around the country into chaos on Tuesday as they scrambled to figure out how their programs would be affected. News of the freeze came as a surprise when the late-night memo was published by news outlets.

Judge Loren L. AliKhan for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said she would put the matter on a temporary pause as she considers arguments from the U.S. government and the plaintiffs in the case, who had asked for the court to issue a restraining order against the government to stop the funding freeze.

White House blames "outage" for locking out Medicaid, Head Start, health centers from funding site

The online system for federal health funding warned of delays due to executive orders after the Trump administration announced a freeze.

www.cbsnews.com

So this is what I was talking about earlier -- the executive branch insisting they aren't locking out these programs but it sure seems like they are. I'm pretty interested to see what the Maga peons do next when they realize they're losing their checks, if it doesn't lift quickly.

--

And then this is fascinating to me. I had not gotten this e-mail since I Ieft in mid-afternoon. I guess my getting "no weird e-mails" today was premature.

Trump administration offering "deferred resignation" to government workers unwilling to return to office

The White House expects up to 10% of federal employees to quit in a program meant to end work-from-home practices, senior administration officials said.

www.cbsnews.com

So I love how they make themselves sound like they are dignifying us, when they really have not been. But it's definitely a catch-22. Eight months of pay and benefits and no RTO + paying lip service to the Executive Branch by not causing problems, or be forced to come back to work AND risk losing your job anyway.

The message to government workers also said that while some agencies and parts of the military were likely to be expanded, "the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force." As a result, a number of federal employees could be subject to furloughs and reclassification as at-will workers.

OPM told government workers who'd like to remain in their positions, "At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions."

The government's personnel office also gave workers the option to send a deferred resignation form letter by replying to its message.

Employees must agree to a "smooth transition" during their remaining time in government, the emails says.

While the bolded sounds nice, I have no faith in being "treated with dignity" and "afforded protections" honestly.