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The NIH is being slashed and burned, not "reformed"

sensible-med.com

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Re: The NIH is being slashed and burned, not "reformed"

#31
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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They're not advocating for violence, they're answering the question of "what's left?"

And, given the American justification of the right to bear arms, such a response is coded into American culture's DNA.

Unless all the 2FA proponents were lying about needing those guns to prevent tyranny?

Re: The NIH is being slashed and burned, not "reformed"

#32

This is not just about new grants. NIH R01 grants are 5 years long. Each year however, the PI must submit a progress report, after which NIH signs off for another year of funding. That isn't happening. Labs which had years of funding lined up are suddenly contemplating layoffs, ending research midway. It is devastating, stupid, and frankly, I am beyond angry. And I am also seeing the possibility that everything I've…

Nothing will change as long as his approval rating remains this high and protests consist of people writing angry blogs and comments.

Re: The NIH is being slashed and burned, not "reformed"

#33
post #6
post #2

Practically speaking, when the majority of people who decided to vote voted for the person applying these policies, what mitigations are left? The courts are themselves slow and ultimately roll up to allies of the despot. People say that the midterms are crucial, but the midterms are only likely to be won if Democrats truly unify and apply winning strategies. Sadly the only winning strategies now seem to involve tell…

> when the majority of people who decided to vote voted for the person You're not wrong. However the portrayal of a mandate is a bit of a media fiction. He didn't have notably more votes than any other recent president.

Also, the House can't claim a public mandate due to gerrymandering.

Re: The NIH is being slashed and burned, not "reformed"

#34
post #2

Practically speaking, when the majority of people who decided to vote voted for the person applying these policies, what mitigations are left? The courts are themselves slow and ultimately roll up to allies of the despot. People say that the midterms are crucial, but the midterms are only likely to be won if Democrats truly unify and apply winning strategies. Sadly the only winning strategies now seem to involve tell…

FWIW a lot of people didn't vote for this even if they voted for Trump and the GOP.

I mean, if you re-elect the guy that tried to forcibly stay in power last time, I'm not sure what else to say...

Zero sympathy for Americans that voted for this and the ones that stayed home.

I feel bad for the ones that voted Kamala and for the West.

Re: The NIH is being slashed and burned, not "reformed"

#36
post #8
post #2

Practically speaking, when the majority of people who decided to vote voted for the person applying these policies, what mitigations are left? The courts are themselves slow and ultimately roll up to allies of the despot. People say that the midterms are crucial, but the midterms are only likely to be won if Democrats truly unify and apply winning strategies. Sadly the only winning strategies now seem to involve tell…

> Practically speaking, when the majority of people who decided to vote voted for the person applying these policies, what mitigations are left? Impeachment. In a functioning government. Because the elected person campaigned on not doing any of these things.

He campaigned on doing exactly these things

Re: The NIH is being slashed and burned, not "reformed"

#37
post #12
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> when the majority of people who decided to vote voted for the person You're not wrong. However the portrayal of a mandate is a bit of a media fiction. He didn't have notably more votes than any other recent president.

In fact, he had less margin than any election since 2000. Even Hillary in 2016 had a larger popular vote margin of victory than Trump 2024 despite having lost the electoral college.

Indeed. And yet with certain previous presidents we've been told that because the margin of victory is so slim, they're already a lame duck. But here, it's a mandate.

Re: The NIH is being slashed and burned, not "reformed"

#38
post #2

Practically speaking, when the majority of people who decided to vote voted for the person applying these policies, what mitigations are left? The courts are themselves slow and ultimately roll up to allies of the despot. People say that the midterms are crucial, but the midterms are only likely to be won if Democrats truly unify and apply winning strategies. Sadly the only winning strategies now seem to involve tell…

> Practically speaking, when the majority of people who decided to vote voted for the person applying these policies, what mitigations are left?

If its just that, the other branches of government. Of course, Congress is not a remedy at the moment, though its conceivable they might move in response to popular pressure more easily than the White House.

Failing that, history is full of examples of ad hoc remedies where a leader unmistakeably exercised authority in a way which upset people without any formal systemic remedy, some of which took the shape of legal process despite the absence of preexisting formal law, and some of which did not.

Re: The NIH is being slashed and burned, not "reformed"

#39
post #4
post #2

Practically speaking, when the majority of people who decided to vote voted for the person applying these policies, what mitigations are left? The courts are themselves slow and ultimately roll up to allies of the despot. People say that the midterms are crucial, but the midterms are only likely to be won if Democrats truly unify and apply winning strategies. Sadly the only winning strategies now seem to involve tell…

Decentralise government so a single election doesn't destroy everything. In short: states rights.

Alternatively: we need to rein in the powers of the presidency. Right now we've got a dynamic of "the president says what to do and the legislature obeys" (or, recently, "the president does stuff on his own"); we might be better off with "Congress decides what to do and the president makes it happen".

Re: The NIH is being slashed and burned, not "reformed"

#40
post #15
post #2

Practically speaking, when the majority of people who decided to vote voted for the person applying these policies, what mitigations are left? The courts are themselves slow and ultimately roll up to allies of the despot. People say that the midterms are crucial, but the midterms are only likely to be won if Democrats truly unify and apply winning strategies. Sadly the only winning strategies now seem to involve tell…

It’s not clear what good the midterms can do. It appears likely that the Supreme Court will hold that the president has the power to make these cuts regardless of any laws passed by congress. And even if he didn’t have that power already, he cannot be prosecuted for any official act, and he can pardon his subordinates at will. Beyond that, any action taken by congress is going to be reliant on individuals in the exec…

> roughly half the country is ecstatic about what he is doing

A number of his actions are wildly unpopular. The Jan 6th Pardons, and his pro-Putin agenda. His polling is historically poor for a month into a president's term, and there are large protests around the country. In another month, his polling will be completely underwater.

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