Well... it's Trump... again. #47, here we go.

[Elixir]

A proper downsizing would entail an analysis of the workforce and having managers recommend who in their groups could best be done without. Not just random hacking at the workforce to see what breaks first.

Did something give you the idea that the fascist regime has any interest in "proper downsizing"?
They're there to break things.

No. Not me. But I have seen the arguments both here and on other boards where people see this as a good thing and should simply be compared to the downsizing that often happens in industry.

Other than the fact that “industry” doesn’t intentionally shoot itself in the foot, the explanation is that MAGATs are mostly idiots and wannabe opportunists. In both cases they imagine themselves benefiting from it while enjoying watching libs tear their hair out.

 

[ZiprHead]

'Hitting ranchers hard': Farmers union leader blames Trump for 'disastrous consequences'

Donald Trump's latest actions are hurting one of his biggest bases of support, the National Farmers Union president said Sunday.Rob Larew, who leads the second-largest general farm organization in the country, noted over the weekend that the President of the U.S. is wrong to freeze funding that...

www.rawstory.com

Donald Trump's latest actions are hurting one of his biggest bases of support, the National Farmers Union president said Sunday.


Rob Larew, who leads the second-largest general farm organization in the country, noted over the weekend that the President of the U.S. is wrong to freeze funding that farmers need.

"The Trump administration’s decision to pause and review federal funding has sparked uncertainty for many Americans. Even if you have not personally felt the effects yet, you soon might, because these abrupt freezes are hitting family farmers and ranchers hard. And when farmers struggle, every consumer feels it at the grocery store," the farming policy advocate wrote.

According to Larew, Trump's freeze "has most immediately impacted federal conservation and voluntary climate-smart agriculture projects."

"Across the country, farmers have been left in limbo after making sustainability investments, trusting that the government would uphold its commitments," he wrote, adding, "For example, some farmers who purchased cover crop seed to improve soil health or installed solar panels to reduce energy costs are now learning that federal reimbursements have been cut off. These are not theoretical losses. These are real financial burdens that could push family farms into bankruptcy. Without intervention, these cuts will ripple through rural economies. Every farm that goes out of business means fewer families in rural communities, less money spent at the local businesses, fewer kids in the local schools, and fewer tax dollars for roads, hospitals and emergency services."

 

[GenesisNemesis]

https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/southern-africa/south-africa/land-reform-south-africa-fact-and-fiction

A lot of good information in the article.

Apologists:

According to South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), the proposed amendment would introduce greater clarity to existing expropriation provisions, though it would remove the stipulation “subject to compensation”.

In other words, they're going to steal it.

So if a thief steals a valuable piece of jewelry from your grandmother, does the thief's grandson get to keep it even though it's known it belonged to your grandmother?

Basically every bit of land has been stolen from it's original owners, generally many times. Specific objects from specific people, ok, return is generally appropriate. General objects from populations--no. Two wrongs don't make a right.

So don't support bombing innocent people.

 

[Elixir]

Two wrongs don't make a right. But apparently three lefts do.

 

[laughing dog]

Is there a special thread for discussing the Sycophancy that Dear Leader attracts? There's now a bill in Congress to rename Greenland to be Red White and Blueland. Another bill would call for a fifth face -- Guess whose? -- to be carved on Mount Rushmore. Both these bills were submitted by Creatures of the QOPAnon Party; they were NOT (as you understandably might have guessed) sarcastic bills introduced by rational hominids.

Since there is precedent for naming things after living persons, e.g. the Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza named after Mother Teresa while she was still alive, I think putting Trump's beloved face on Mt. Rushmore is not enough. Washington, DC needs to be renamed Philatrumpia DD. (DD for the District of Donald). To avoid confusion the State of Washington would be renamed Trumpington at the same time. A Presidential Order is all that's needed, so why not rename San Francisco, California to be Santa Melania, Ivankornia. That would really piss off the libtards!

If the Governor of Ivankornia complains tell him that his state's name will change once a week and that only documents with current letterhead will have legal effect. Send in the Army to take firm control of all spillways and flush another billion gallons of water to the ocean whenever Governor Newscum misbehaves.

I thought Trump wanted to name Greenland to "Orangeland"?

In all seriousness though, Obama is the one who started all this by renaming Mt McKinley. Trump is just taking this to the next level.

By renaming someone else’s property?

 

[laughing dog]

'Hitting ranchers hard': Farmers union leader blames Trump for 'disastrous consequences'

Donald Trump's latest actions are hurting one of his biggest bases of support, the National Farmers Union president said Sunday.Rob Larew, who leads the second-largest general farm organization in the country, noted over the weekend that the President of the U.S. is wrong to freeze funding that...

www.rawstory.com

Donald Trump's latest actions are hurting one of his biggest bases of support, the National Farmers Union president said Sunday.


Rob Larew, who leads the second-largest general farm organization in the country, noted over the weekend that the President of the U.S. is wrong to freeze funding that farmers need.

"The Trump administration’s decision to pause and review federal funding has sparked uncertainty for many Americans. Even if you have not personally felt the effects yet, you soon might, because these abrupt freezes are hitting family farmers and ranchers hard. And when farmers struggle, every consumer feels it at the grocery store," the farming policy advocate wrote.

According to Larew, Trump's freeze "has most immediately impacted federal conservation and voluntary climate-smart agriculture projects."

"Across the country, farmers have been left in limbo after making sustainability investments, trusting that the government would uphold its commitments," he wrote, adding, "For example, some farmers who purchased cover crop seed to improve soil health or installed solar panels to reduce energy costs are now learning that federal reimbursements have been cut off. These are not theoretical losses. These are real financial burdens that could push family farms into bankruptcy. Without intervention, these cuts will ripple through rural economies. Every farm that goes out of business means fewer families in rural communities, less money spent at the local businesses, fewer kids in the local schools, and fewer tax dollars for roads, hospitals and emergency services."

Those dumbasses got what they voted for. Fuck’em.

 

[KCFlyer]

'Hitting ranchers hard': Farmers union leader blames Trump for 'disastrous consequences'

Donald Trump's latest actions are hurting one of his biggest bases of support, the National Farmers Union president said Sunday.Rob Larew, who leads the second-largest general farm organization in the country, noted over the weekend that the President of the U.S. is wrong to freeze funding that...

www.rawstory.com

Donald Trump's latest actions are hurting one of his biggest bases of support, the National Farmers Union president said Sunday.


Rob Larew, who leads the second-largest general farm organization in the country, noted over the weekend that the President of the U.S. is wrong to freeze funding that farmers need.

"The Trump administration’s decision to pause and review federal funding has sparked uncertainty for many Americans. Even if you have not personally felt the effects yet, you soon might, because these abrupt freezes are hitting family farmers and ranchers hard. And when farmers struggle, every consumer feels it at the grocery store," the farming policy advocate wrote.

According to Larew, Trump's freeze "has most immediately impacted federal conservation and voluntary climate-smart agriculture projects."

"Across the country, farmers have been left in limbo after making sustainability investments, trusting that the government would uphold its commitments," he wrote, adding, "For example, some farmers who purchased cover crop seed to improve soil health or installed solar panels to reduce energy costs are now learning that federal reimbursements have been cut off. These are not theoretical losses. These are real financial burdens that could push family farms into bankruptcy. Without intervention, these cuts will ripple through rural economies. Every farm that goes out of business means fewer families in rural communities, less money spent at the local businesses, fewer kids in the local schools, and fewer tax dollars for roads, hospitals and emergency services."

Those dumbasses got what they voted for. Fuck’em.

That is my thoughts exactly. The quickest way to stop Trump is to let teh people who voted for him get what they voted for.

 

[ZiprHead]

You all really need to watch the first half hour of Rachel Maddow's show tonight. She very succinctly runs down all the recent lay offs and firings by the Trump admin, far better than I could put into words here. Some of them outright dangerous, many others just self serving.

 

[Ford]

You all really need to watch the first half hour of Rachel Maddow's show tonight. She very succinctly runs down all the recent lay offs and firings by the Trump admin, far better than I could put into words here. Some of them outright dangerous, many others just self serving.

I like Maddow (her book "Drift" was excellent) but she's not always "succinct." I'll have to check it out when it becomes available on the intertubes.

As far as the firings, a friend of mine's daughter was one of the Park Service employees who were let go over the weekend. The thing that gets me is that they didn't just let her (and many of her co-workers) go, but stuck the metaphorical knife in her back on the way out. The email wasn't "our priorities have changed" or "budget cuts have forced us to eliminate your position," or even "we wish you well in your future endeavors," but rather (quoting for accuracy) "The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest." They're victim blaming. It's not that we're cutting your job, it's that you're being fired because you suck.

Once again, the cruelty appears to be the point.

 

[crazyfingers]

You all really need to watch the first half hour of Rachel Maddow's show tonight. She very succinctly runs down all the recent lay offs and firings by the Trump admin, far better than I could put into words here. Some of them outright dangerous, many others just self serving.

I like Maddow (her book "Drift" was excellent) but she's not always "succinct." I'll have to check it out when it becomes available on the intertubes.

As far as the firings, a friend of mine's daughter was one of the Park Service employees who were let go over the weekend. The thing that gets me is that they didn't just let her (and many of her co-workers) go, but stuck the metaphorical knife in her back on the way out. The email wasn't "our priorities have changed" or "budget cuts have forced us to eliminate your position," or even "we wish you well in your future endeavors," but rather (quoting for accuracy) "The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest." They're victim blaming. It's not that we're cutting your job, it's that you're being fired because you suck.

Once again, the cruelty appears to be the point.

It's cruelty and a lie. There is no way that anyone is looking at performance evaluations. They are doing blind hatchets.

 

[ZiprHead]

You all really need to watch the first half hour of Rachel Maddow's show tonight. She very succinctly runs down all the recent lay offs and firings by the Trump admin, far better than I could put into words here. Some of them outright dangerous, many others just self serving.

I like Maddow (her book "Drift" was excellent) but she's not always "succinct." I'll have to check it out when it becomes available on the intertubes.

As far as the firings, a friend of mine's daughter was one of the Park Service employees who were let go over the weekend. The thing that gets me is that they didn't just let her (and many of her co-workers) go, but stuck the metaphorical knife in her back on the way out. The email wasn't "our priorities have changed" or "budget cuts have forced us to eliminate your position," or even "we wish you well in your future endeavors," but rather (quoting for accuracy) "The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest." They're victim blaming. It's not that we're cutting your job, it's that you're being fired because you suck.

Once again, the cruelty appears to be the point.

That is actually happening across the board because these firings need cause. The problem is the Trump admin is lying about the cause to fire these people. The Trump team is lying about these good empolyees.

 

[Shadowy Man]

And if you are fired “for cause” it can impact your ability to find another job especially back in the government if the jobs ever return.

I think some are preparing to file a class action wrongful termination lawsuit. Managers are sending emails to their probationary employees explaining how good they are so they can use as evidence.

 

[Shadowy Man]

The email wasn't "our priorities have changed" or "budget cuts have forced us to eliminate your position," or even "we wish you well in your future endeavors," but rather (quoting for accuracy) "The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest." They're victim blaming. It's not that we're cutting your job, it's that you're being fired because you suck.

I believe that is because they can’t simply fire civil servants without cause, though probationary people are easier, which is why they are going first. Then the RIFs will come (“reduction in force”) for the non-probationary employees and that will be less indiscriminate, but likely still cruel.

 

[Ford]

You all really need to watch the first half hour of Rachel Maddow's show tonight. She very succinctly runs down all the recent lay offs and firings by the Trump admin, far better than I could put into words here. Some of them outright dangerous, many others just self serving.

I like Maddow (her book "Drift" was excellent) but she's not always "succinct." I'll have to check it out when it becomes available on the intertubes.

As far as the firings, a friend of mine's daughter was one of the Park Service employees who were let go over the weekend. The thing that gets me is that they didn't just let her (and many of her co-workers) go, but stuck the metaphorical knife in her back on the way out. The email wasn't "our priorities have changed" or "budget cuts have forced us to eliminate your position," or even "we wish you well in your future endeavors," but rather (quoting for accuracy) "The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest." They're victim blaming. It's not that we're cutting your job, it's that you're being fired because you suck.

Once again, the cruelty appears to be the point.

It's cruelty and a lie. There is no way that anyone is looking at performance evaluations. They are doing blind hatchets.

I mean, it would take months to perform a serious audit of any ONE federal agency, let alone the entire federal government. Yet Musk would have us believe that his handful of 20-something tech bros have found billions of dollars worth of "fraud" in just the last few weeks. To the best of my knowledge not a single one of their claims of "fraud" are backed up by any documentation. It's just Elon claiming they "found" some on Xitter and leaving it at that. It bears repeating that they fired the people who were overseeing our stockpile of nuclear weapons and are now scrambling to hire them back once they realized they'd fucked up.

 

[Swammerdami]

You all really need to watch the first half hour of Rachel Maddow's show tonight. She very succinctly runs down all the recent lay offs and firings by the Trump admin, far better than I could put into words here. Some of them outright dangerous, many others just self serving.

I like Maddow (her book "Drift" was excellent) but she's not always "succinct."

I can't complain if she says everything 3 or 4 times -- I do this myself. And she speaks quickly so wastes as little time as someone else repeating only once. But she says everything not FOUR times but EIGHT times! I want to turn the speed up to 2x but then her quick speech is almost unintelligible.

Still, she IS a treasure compared with the other incompetents on U.S. news.

I'll have to check it out when it becomes available on the intertubes.

As far as the firings, a friend of mine's daughter was one of the Park Service employees who were let go over the weekend. The thing that gets me is that they didn't just let her (and many of her co-workers) go, but stuck the metaphorical knife in her back on the way out. The email wasn't "our priorities have changed" or "budget cuts have forced us to eliminate your position," or even "we wish you well in your future endeavors," but rather (quoting for accuracy) "The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest." They're victim blaming. It's not that we're cutting your job, it's that you're being fired because you suck.

Once again, the cruelty appears to be the point.

I saw this, and wondered if there was some legal reason why the laid-off workers had to be informed of their "inadequacies." But with Elon and Donald running the show, it could just be nastiness for its own sake.

"What present can you give to a trillionaire who has everything?"
Give him the world's greatest superpower where he can leave his indelible mark that will persist for decades or a century.

 

[Elixir]

'Hitting ranchers hard': Farmers union leader blames Trump for 'disastrous consequences'

Donald Trump's latest actions are hurting one of his biggest bases of support, the National Farmers Union president said Sunday.Rob Larew, who leads the second-largest general farm organization in the country, noted over the weekend that the President of the U.S. is wrong to freeze funding that...

www.rawstory.com

Donald Trump's latest actions are hurting one of his biggest bases of support, the National Farmers Union president said Sunday.


Rob Larew, who leads the second-largest general farm organization in the country, noted over the weekend that the President of the U.S. is wrong to freeze funding that farmers need.

"The Trump administration’s decision to pause and review federal funding has sparked uncertainty for many Americans. Even if you have not personally felt the effects yet, you soon might, because these abrupt freezes are hitting family farmers and ranchers hard. And when farmers struggle, every consumer feels it at the grocery store," the farming policy advocate wrote.

According to Larew, Trump's freeze "has most immediately impacted federal conservation and voluntary climate-smart agriculture projects."

"Across the country, farmers have been left in limbo after making sustainability investments, trusting that the government would uphold its commitments," he wrote, adding, "For example, some farmers who purchased cover crop seed to improve soil health or installed solar panels to reduce energy costs are now learning that federal reimbursements have been cut off. These are not theoretical losses. These are real financial burdens that could push family farms into bankruptcy. Without intervention, these cuts will ripple through rural economies. Every farm that goes out of business means fewer families in rural communities, less money spent at the local businesses, fewer kids in the local schools, and fewer tax dollars for roads, hospitals and emergency services."

Those dumbasses got what they voted for. Fuck’em.

We are “those dumbasses”. Those of us who didn’t vote for their dumbass choices are still getting what they voted for.

 

[Shadowy Man]

I saw this, and wondered if there was some legal reason why the laid-off workers had to be informed of their "inadequacies." But with Elon and Donald running the show, it could just be nastiness for its own sake.

Most federal employees cannot be fired without cause, so yes there is a reason. But since it’s not actually with cause (that is, based on actual performance evaluations) it is likely illegal and could be the basis of a coming lawsuit.

But lawsuits take a long time so even if the employees win the damages will be done

 

[KCFlyer]

I mean, it would take months to perform a serious audit of any ONE federal agency, let alone the entire federal government. Yet Musk would have us believe that his handful of 20-something tech bros have found billions of dollars worth of "fraud" in just the last few weeks.

I've said elsewhere that I used to work for a small "community" bank (assets under $1 billion) and when we were audited, we had a group of profession auditors...ALL of them old enough to be served a beer at a bar...and they would look at financials and interview departments and take detailed notes...analyzing it and putting it into a report, with recommendations, that was turned over to management to review. They fired ZERO employees. They cut ZERO spending...that was not their job It took them over a month to do this audit and analysis. So I have a tough time believing that Elon and his Wonderkinds can "audfit" an entire department of the US government in under a week.

 

[Shadowy Man]

I mean, it would take months to perform a serious audit of any ONE federal agency, let alone the entire federal government. Yet Musk would have us believe that his handful of 20-something tech bros have found billions of dollars worth of "fraud" in just the last few weeks.

I've said elsewhere that I used to work for a small "community" bank (assets under $1 billion) and when we were audited, we had a group of profession auditors...ALL of them old enough to be served a beer at a bar...and they would look at financials and interview departments and take detailed notes...analyzing it and putting it into a report, with recommendations, that was turned over to management to review. They fired ZERO employees. They cut ZERO spending...that was not their job It took them over a month to do this audit and analysis. So I have a tough time believing that Elon and his Wonderkinds can "audfit" an entire department of the US government in under a week.

Well, it’s obvious to us that they can’t and they aren’t, but it sounds good to the average Trump voter, who seems quite happy with the changes happening because they have been for so long fed a story that the government is big and wasteful and that cuts are necessary.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

You all really need to watch the first half hour of Rachel Maddow's show tonight. She very succinctly runs down all the recent lay offs and firings by the Trump admin, far better than I could put into words here. Some of them outright dangerous, many others just self serving.

I like Maddow (her book "Drift" was excellent) but she's not always "succinct." I'll have to check it out when it becomes available on the intertubes.

As far as the firings, a friend of mine's daughter was one of the Park Service employees who were let go over the weekend. The thing that gets me is that they didn't just let her (and many of her co-workers) go, but stuck the metaphorical knife in her back on the way out. The email wasn't "our priorities have changed" or "budget cuts have forced us to eliminate your position," or even "we wish you well in your future endeavors," but rather (quoting for accuracy) "The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest." They're victim blaming. It's not that we're cutting your job, it's that you're being fired because you suck.

Once again, the cruelty appears to be the point.

That is actually happening across the board because these firings need cause. The problem is the Trump admin is lying about the cause to fire these people. The Trump team is lying about these good empolyees.

And almost like they lie about everything, which is why the "they'll only deport illegal immigrants" claim is BS, but moronic conservatives don't get a basic thing like that.