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this sort of deeply stupid both-sidesism is one of the strongest enabling factors for people who don't want even notional democracy to persist.
grow up and be better, buddy.
Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency
41–50 of 147 posts
Re: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
If anything, these billionaires are concerned that Chinese power is in it's ability to control its people and businesses and democracy gets in the way. Pure delusional greed of silver spoon tech incels.
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They don't trust them with democracy. They want fascism and destruction of democracy. The mandate is to destruct and damage.
Re: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency
#43[flagged]
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> If the President gets elected promising to fire executive branch employees, then his doing so is literally democratic.
But it may not be legal, which is determined by the Constitution and laws set by Congress. People who are also elected democratically. Behaving in a manner counter to those laws is also fundamentally undemocratic, the President and the Executive are bound by those laws set by the representatives of the people.
The President is not a monarch or autocrat, he is not a king or dictator with the authority to do whatever he wants. He is empowered to act, but constrained in his actions by law.
Re: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
It only matters if the legislative and judicial branches care to push the issue. Which they don't.
Hell no it is not. That's like saying no crime has happened until there is a conviction. Trump and Musk's actions are very explicitly against the law. They won't be stopped or punished until action is taken, but it is still illegal right now.
> Trump and Musk's actions are very explicitly against the law.
So sue them. Take action, make your case. All you have here on HN is an opinion which may or may not be accurate.
Re: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency
#45Re: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency
#46Re: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency
#47I'm sure this will be flagged soon enough, but people need to know that there is an unprecedented, hostile, and (seemingly) illegal blitzkrieg happening against the federal civil service. Doors are being barricaded. Strange servers are being installed by unknown individuals. People with decades of institutional experience are getting pushed out the door. First-hand accounts can be found here: https://old.reddit.com/r…
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Well, a good starting place might be the fact that committed small-govt candidates — ones like Ron Paul who will actually vote for cuts — almost never get elected into higher office. And even Rep. Paul himself argued that it was morally incumbent[0] on him to fight for earmarks for his district — which strongly suggests that even the constituency of the most smallgov federal politician has little enthusiasm for his principles.
As for professed advocates of smallgovt who actually get into the Senate or even the presidency, I think you can look for yourself how that's worked out.
[0] https://www.aei.org/articles/ron-paul-big-government-liberta...
Re: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hell no it is not. That's like saying no crime has happened until there is a conviction. Trump and Musk's actions are very explicitly against the law. They won't be stopped or punished until action is taken, but it is still illegal right now.
> Trump and Musk's actions are very explicitly against the law. So sue them. Take action, make your case. All you have here on HN is an opinion which may or may not be accurate.
Agreed. One of the greatest liberties here in the US is that we are free to sue and counter-sue whomever we like - the free market of the people unfettered and unchained!
Re: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
Meh, that seems like hyperbole to me. Doesn't a real coup involve the military going into federal buildings and rounding up congressmen from opposing parties and detaining them? Forgive me for not viewing it the same way. The news is focusing on the airplane right now.
A military coup is a kind of coup, but not the only kind. This one, for example, is an auto-coup. Many coups don't look like one at first.
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Re: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hell no it is not. That's like saying no crime has happened until there is a conviction. Trump and Musk's actions are very explicitly against the law. They won't be stopped or punished until action is taken, but it is still illegal right now.
> Trump and Musk's actions are very explicitly against the law. So sue them. Take action, make your case. All you have here on HN is an opinion which may or may not be accurate.
That's incredibly glib and pedantic. I do not have the resources and probably not the standing to bring a suit. And given that any punishment will be immediately pardoned makes it moot. State Attorney's General have successfully paused Trump's abuse of impoundment as well his end to birthright citizenship. Musk is likely committing some form of criminal trespass, but who can arrest him? Trump's own FBI? He's been firing agents and prosecutors left and right. Purging anyone remotely disloyal. There may not be a functioning criminal justice system at the federal level anymore. The justice system only works when it works.