Live data from Hacker News

Everyone at NSF overseeing the Platforms for Wireless Experimentation is gone

discuss.systems

251–260 of 587 posts

Re: Everyone at NSF overseeing the Platforms for Wireless Experimentation is gone

#251
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Non-probationary employees can't be fired (and even voluntary resignations are rate-limited by the Iron Mountain mine shaft elevator). So every day that process takes lowers the number of employees that can even be fired. Once it gets to a year (very easily) they would all have come off probation so nothing could be done. Everyone saying "oh something should be done but just do it slower" is actually saying do nothin…

Of course non-probationary employees can be fired, don’t be so credulous. OPM has a whole process for a RIF, which is actually what is happening, DOGE is just lying on the separation paperwork blaming individual poor performance, because following the law and treating employees like they’re human beings is hard and it’s easier to falsify some paperwork.

Has it ever happened before? Pre DOGE it was a common assumption that they could not be fired due to various protections. Just because there is a theoretical process doesn't mean it can be done (or has ever been done within a presidential term)

Eg. https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/04/politics/rule-protecting-fede...

Re: Everyone at NSF overseeing the Platforms for Wireless Experimentation is gone

#252
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You forgot "wilfully letting go of democracy". US democracy is far away from dying, but who knows how much longer it can keep holding up.

It’s not far away from dying. I would argue that it’s already too late. The trump administration has shown that it can seize the power to control spending which is constitutionally an exclusive power if congress and courts can’t and won’t do anything about it. We are past a constitutional crisis, republicans had a theory of a unitary executive and prove they can stream roll other branches. Now trump and others are ta…

1) The fact that the President embodies the executive branch is just what Article II says: “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” The same people who say that’s “just a theory” also think that “emanations from penumbras” is constitutional law. They’re not serious people.

2) Trump hasn’t seized the spending power. Congress was the one that delegated spending power to the executive branch by appropriating multi-billion line items and directing the executive branch to spend the money with only the vaguest instructions. Live by the delegation sword die by the delegation sword.

Re: Everyone at NSF overseeing the Platforms for Wireless Experimentation is gone

#253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We live in such a moronic time that I believe the reason that we are dropping the post-WWII Rules Based Order, is that it is also called the "Liberal" International Order. [0] Watching a historic empire destroy itself is beyond words. I will miss Pax Americana. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_international_order

[flagged]

The fact that people who by all appearances are intelligent human beings, could post things like this... Nero plays his cithara.

I am at a loss for words. I guess the real problem with propaganda is getting high on your own supply.

edit: As an example, the Supreme Court overturning Chevron deference was a decision against un-elected officials making government calls, instead of the law makers, aka Congress. Now, just months later, here we are. The exact opposite is happening. The most un-elected, un-appointed person in US government history is holding the purse strings, and not a chirp. While Musk's cithara gently weeps.

Re: Everyone at NSF overseeing the Platforms for Wireless Experimentation is gone

#255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We live in such a moronic time that I believe the reason that we are dropping the post-WWII Rules Based Order, is that it is also called the "Liberal" International Order. [0] Watching a historic empire destroy itself is beyond words. I will miss Pax Americana. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_international_order

[flagged]

China (who has no idea who Wilson was) has the Belt and Road Initiative, and they'll gladly win the hearts and minds of third world nations the US is foolish enough to abandon.

Re: Everyone at NSF overseeing the Platforms for Wireless Experimentation is gone

#256
post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Science in the US will be chaotically torn apart by this and a host of other decisions. Seems unnecessarily alarmist speculation to me. :shrug: I'd rather see how this plays out, since no one can possibly know at this point.

We have seen it happen over and over again. When was the last time real science came out of Russia?

I wouldn't put down Russia's achievements.

They did manage to effectively disable their greatest geopolitical enemy and cause us to destroy ourselves.

All the weaponry in every other country on earth couldn't harm America more than what they did with social media, some highly skilled "recruitment," and smart leveraging of monetary resources.

They got us to vote against Ukraine at the UN without a gun. Even the worlds best weapons aren't that effective.

Re: Everyone at NSF overseeing the Platforms for Wireless Experimentation is gone

#257
post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here are some new concrete developments that I doubt the founders of the democracy would say are fine: - the Executive Branch now has presumptive - if not absolute - immunity against all criminal official acts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_v._United_States_%282024... - universities must obey Trump's culture war agenda, otherwise they will be de-accredited and a fine equal to the value of the entire university…

> otherwise they will be de-accredited Who decides the ultimate authority on accreditation anyway? Why can't we just start a new trust network?

[deleted]

Re: Everyone at NSF overseeing the Platforms for Wireless Experimentation is gone

#258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My fear as well. I’m not sure if even a magic wish to rearrange stuff back to the before January state of affairs is possible at this point. Write to your representatives. I fear that if they don’t pull off something the only ethical and responsible thing is civil war. This shit is insane and will destroy everything I like about our government. Also to quote every true patriot: the only good Nazi is a dead Nazi. I’m…

Calling your elected representatives daily is more effective. The app 5 calls makes it easy.

Unfortunately, mine very proudly proclaim how much they agree with what's going on. And they're also very proud of gerrymandering the state so they don't need to listen to anyone.

Re: Everyone at NSF overseeing the Platforms for Wireless Experimentation is gone

#259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not far away from dying. I would argue that it’s already too late. The trump administration has shown that it can seize the power to control spending which is constitutionally an exclusive power if congress and courts can’t and won’t do anything about it. We are past a constitutional crisis, republicans had a theory of a unitary executive and prove they can stream roll other branches. Now trump and others are ta…

Trump is continuing a trend that has been going on since at least Bush Jr. Presidents for a couple decades now have been moving more power into the executive branch. Obama and Biden both talked about undoing this, but neither did. The Patriot Act still exists, three letter agencies still have authority to spy on American citizens, and immigration laws still defy what's written on the Statue of Liberty (I think most h…

... which has been allowed and caused by the Republican congressional obstructionism going on since the 90's. Bush, Obama, and Biden could have reduced their own use of executive power, but they couldn't undo it - rather it was Congress that would have had to reign them in and shrink executive power. Just as the current Congress is ultimately allowing Trump's ongoing authoritarian power grabs, rather than passing laws and impeaching.

For another example, take the frequent neofascist argument that the federal agencies are "unaccountable" unless they are under the direct command of the President. No, the agencies were created by Congress, and have always been accountable to Congress. But Congress has not been doing its job, which is why they seem unaccountable.

Re: Everyone at NSF overseeing the Platforms for Wireless Experimentation is gone

#260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And more importantly, their local democracy is going strong. I guess you never heard of gerrymandering.

To your parent comment's point, this varies a lot by state!

Enough to control the House.
Post reply on HN