Random Politics Thread

[Totenkindly]

Federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE

More than 20 civil service employees resigned Tuesday from billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, saying they were refusing to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.” “We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to...

www.yahoo.com

the ACOSS had just touted how "he had gotten USDS to come to SSA to help" so now I wonder if these were some of the guys they were gonna drag in.

The ACOSS is kind of a douche. He sent the entire agency his OWN 5-point bullet list of achievements, taking credit for other people's efforts / laying vague claims to things happening + his last bullet he was bragging about terminating 14 people. Just. Can't. Even... (Like, out of ALL the things you would do in a week's time, why would the termination of 14 employees even rank among your top five?)

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

in these trying times, take a break to dance

 

[Red Herring]

Well, I never said that this will work for sure.
I was simply saying that current situation in US isn't something truly new (once you take a wider historical and geographic context).

You misunderstood my post. I am not saying that I disagree with your pointing out parallels. I am simply continuing the comparison and daring a longterm prognosis (that while there is global discontent with the current state of affairs the disruptions and pseudo-anti-elitist upheavals that motivate much of this nationalist/authoritarian/rightwing-populist trend will ultimately not lead to more justice or equality for blue collar workers). It is a power grab by oligarchs. My husband, a history teacher, loves to point out that successful revolts tend to happen when there is a class with more economic than political influence trying to overturn the current leadership class (the bourgeois class in revolutionary France overthrowing the nobility with the help of the poor, billionaires today using MAGA to get rid of taxes and democratic checks and balances in the US). Once the old leadership is gone and some heads have rolled the new elite quickly establishes itself, distributes public goods among themselves and oppresses opposition to make sure it itself can remain in power (think of all too many African former colonies after independence or civil war, also a good part of Eastern Europe after the fall of the iron curtain, I believe).

 

[Virtual ghost]

You misunderstood my post. I am not saying that I disagree with your pointing out parallels. I am simply continuing the comparison and daring a longterm prognosis (that while there is global discontent with the current state of affairs the disruptions and pseudo-anti-elitist upheavals that motivate much of this nationalist/authoritarian/rightwing-populist trend will ultimately not lead to more justice or equality for blue collar workers). It is a power grab by oligarchs. My husband, a history teacher, loves to point out that successful revolts tend to happen when there is a class with more economic than political influence trying to overturn the current leadership class (the bourgeois class in revolutionary France overthrowing the nobility with the help of the poor, billionaires today using MAGA to get rid of taxes and democratic checks and balances in the US). Once the old leadership is gone and some heads have rolled the new elite quickly establishes itself, distributes public goods among themselves and oppresses opposition to make sure it itself can remain in power (think of all too many African former colonies after independence or civil war, also a good part of Eastern Europe after the fall of the iron curtain, I believe).

I understood you but I didn't have the time to write a reply in more detail.
Anyway, this is what my original post was trying to say. In the big picture this is nothing more than history repeating itself. The establishment runs the country off the cliff and then the radicals take over (and usually they make even bigger mess in the end). Therefore once dust settles it is questionable if there will be anything left. Especially since other powers usually use the vacuum for their own gains.

 

[Virtual ghost]

USAID freeze opens door to Russian influence in Eastern Europe

Who would have thought that this only complicates things.

 

[The Cat]

Gosh almost like it was the plan all along. >_<

 

[The Cat]

 

[The Cat]

 

[Totenkindly]

So yesterday they axed many of the Office of Transformation folks at SSA (which included people focused on Customer Experience, which also had some accessibility impact).

Today they just set aside pretense and axed OCREO (100 people?), which is the Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity -- including all the people who would handle accessibility at the agency. Apparently some of the functions have been shoved into other areas instead of just having one area focused on them, although those areas also have their own focus and workloads. This one was pretty clearly a hatchet job on DEIA (which is amazing, because once you start attacking Accessibility, you've moved beyond ideological debates and are just very clear disadvantaging people with disabilities...)

We'll see what functions actually continue inside other offices but I can't expect it would be up to par.

Press Release | Press Office | SSA

2025 Press Releases

www.ssa.gov

Press Release | Press Office | SSA

2025 Press Releases

www.ssa.gov

I am not surprised these two Offices were removed, based on their past telegraphing of their targets. It was coming.

Their headlines are fun "interpretations" of events -- but frankly I know a few people from both areas and they are among some of the best, kindest, most productive people that had been working at the agency. They're the kind of people you would find a way to keep in another role if possible, not just throw to the curb.

 

[Totenkindly]

Here's another douche comment:

Republicans who got an earful from constituents have message for Trump and DOGE

After facing angry questions from constituents at a town hall last week, Georgia Republican Rep. Rich McCormick is back on Capitol Hill with a new message for Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency: Show a little compassion. McCormick said he is heading to the White House Tuesday...

www.yahoo.com

...After facing angry questions from constituents at a town hall last week, Georgia Republican Rep. Rich McCormick is back on Capitol Hill with a new message for Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency: Show a little compassion.

McCormick faced 'boos" as he fielded questions from furious constituents in his suburban Atlanta district.

McCormick said he is heading to the White House Tuesday afternoon for a previously scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump. If given the chance, he plans to convey some of his concerns about DOGE to the president directly.

"I think some of their actions have been too rapid to adapt to -- for real people. I mean, you're talking about Republicans, too. We're not just talking about Democrats," he said.

"I'm all for trimming the government; I am all for also doing it in a deliberate manner that allows people to adjust to their lifestyles ... We're talking about people who are struggling and have to make big decisions," he added.

So if it was just Democrats, he wouldn't give a shit? Lol wow.
I'm sure he has Democrats in his constituency too.

 

[The Cat]

Whoops.​

 

[Coriolis]

This is my hope when I say we need millions protesting. That enough moderates and conservatives wake up and realize right wing authoritarianism is just as bad for them and then actually join the fight.

But I’m not very optimistic based on past history of moderates and conservatives rolling over for right wingers and/or not realizing the severity until it’s too late

Yes, we need millions, but people need leaders. Taken in by the wrong leaders, they put someone like Trump in office. Alternative leadership will need to get their attention, mobilize and coordinate them to act in a way that is constructive. Notwithstanding that church attendance is overall down in recent decades, churches still provide social connection and trusted leadership in many communities. Moderate and progressive mainstream churches (e.g. methodists, presybterians, lutherans, etc.) are organized into higher level districts whose bishops or superintendents can distribute information and further coordinate messaging and action. Sure - not all churches or denominations will be on board, and not all will choose to act in the same way. But there are enough that can to make a huge difference, and this is just the Christians. Get other faith groups to stand up and speak out collectively, and it helps even more.

 

[Coriolis]

See, this is exactly the shady stuff I was complaining about them possibly doing.

He's taking information for a use that wasn't mentioned in the request, to decide whose job is important, after threatening people with getting fired if they did not respond.

So now if you actually complied, with workloads you were assigned by your agency, you might get terminated. And who knows what rules the AI is using?

This is just pretty immoral.

DOGE will use AI to assess the responses of federal workers who were told to justify their jobs via email

The revelation comes as federal workers face a midnight deadline to respond.

www.nbcnews.com

Edit: Also.... apparently it violates federal cyber security rules.

View attachment 32272

Entire agencies are being told not to respond. I hope they follow those instructions. Is Trump going to terminate everyone? Perhaps. That would be great fuel for the opposition, if very trying to the individuals involved. But as they say, freedom isn't free. Time for all of us to pay up, one way or another, if we want to keep it.

 

[The Cat]

The new administration is planning on misusing the police too.​

 

[Totenkindly]

So someone caused a tizzy by posting a comment in Charles T. Hall's SSA news blog...

Office Of Civil Rights Abolished; Employees Fired

Social Security Disability Retirement Supplemental Security Income SSI Social Security Administration POMS HALLEX SSDI Hall & Rouse Attorney

socsecnews.blogspot.com

One could say it's just hearsay, but I was saying this last month -- they're salivating over the chance to make fedgov ineffective to justify RIFs, then sell the parts off to their buddies to make some money. They're just stripping the gov for parts at this point.

Our whole area met yesterday, and in the Q&A our office head acknowledged there would be loss of resources but they would be trying to make precise cuts rather than the haphazard approach we've been seeing around us recently. This was before the 3pm call. So while I have no verification for the above, it certainly doesn't run counter to what I've been seeing -- it's mostly hard to swallow due to the audacity and severity of the RIF because the agency truly will not be able to function / provide service if it's accurate.

This also fits with what we're seeing with the budget being rammed through, with a 4.5 trillion tax cuts for billionaires while cutting 2 trillion in services/costs and them looking at Medicaid and other benefits for cuts. If your benefits are cut or reduced, you can cut/reduce the staff needed to process and support them.

It's just sad today. A lot of the prevailing feeling is merely resignation at this point, or people consciously blocking all of this out so they can actually focus on their work. Or calling out sick.

Note: SSA employs around 56-58K people currently (pretty low for us). So this is a cut of 28K people. Our areas already seem to have had a 15-20% reduction just from people resigning.

Note 2: We regularly look for ways to automate whatever we can in claim processing. We also have been trying to modernize for 10-15 years in our area. If something hasn't happened yet, it's because claims processing and/or the modernization is very complicated. It's mind-blowing these schmucks with no business knowledge and no knowledge of our systems think they can "assess" this within a few days and somehow pass it to a private sector especially after firing everyone with institutional and business process knowledge. This is the level of stupid that has yet to realize how stupid it is due to its ignorance.

 

[Totenkindly]

Yeah, that looks like it was a shitshow...

These politicians are presumptuous flakes who don't take responsibility for their own decisions.
Congress (not Musk) should definitely be involved with these decisions.
Instead, they pass off the responsibility, then share disingenuous assurances.

This will get uglier and uglier.

GOP congressman claims ‘God has a plan’ for fired federal workers at yet another hostile town hall

Missouri representative Mark Alford was the latest Republican to provoke shouts and heckles while attempting to defend Donald Trump and Elon Musk

www.yahoo.com

 

[The Cat]

Buckle Up.​

 

[Totenkindly]

I made a thing!

 

[The Cat]

I made a thing!

View attachment 32279

Florida Congressional Representative was removed from the house for calling President Musk and Donald Trump a grifter.
https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/1iy4y65
Seems like these are those interesting times the fortune cookie warned me about.

 

[Totenkindly]

Well, this distraction happened...

Trump Posts AI Video Showing Colonial Fantasy of Gaza Rebuilt for the Rich

Excessive wealth is a focal point of the video, which shows a gold statue of Trump and Elon Musk being showered in cash.

truthout.org

(Witaf?? Why are we being invited into this depraved worldview? It's like they either don't understand and/or don't care how this simply isn't normal.)

Okay, back to focusing on general RIF outrage...!