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Ax falls on elite group of PhDs training to lead U.S. public health labs

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Re: Ax falls on elite group of PhDs training to lead U.S. public health labs

#21

Post by breadwinner »

DiscourseFan wrote: post #3

This is such a mess. How can I both endorse a politicians approach to the world and disagree with every particular action? Trump is right about government overspending, unaccountability, the need to reign in the bureaucratic class. But he is doing it in the absolute worst way possible. Cuts to Public Health? with H5N1 coming looming over us? It won't be China coming to power in 10 years, it'll happen in two when they…

> How can I both endorse a politicians approach to the world

You mean, like the proposed ethnic cleansing of Gaza? Claiming Ukraine started the war? Threatening to take Greenland by force? Alienating Europe? Withdrawing from Climate Agreement and WHO? Cutting funds to USAID? Overall, becoming the new pariah of the world?

Re: Ax falls on elite group of PhDs training to lead U.S. public health labs

#22

Post by jfengel »

DiscourseFan wrote: post #3

This is such a mess. How can I both endorse a politicians approach to the world and disagree with every particular action? Trump is right about government overspending, unaccountability, the need to reign in the bureaucratic class. But he is doing it in the absolute worst way possible. Cuts to Public Health? with H5N1 coming looming over us? It won't be China coming to power in 10 years, it'll happen in two when they…

Here's the thing: you and he are also wrong about the overspending, unaccountability, and the bureaucratic class.

Those things exist in about the same proportion they exist in any other large corporation, and is not special to the government. There has been a decades long campaign of Just Plain Lies to tell you otherwise. He is failing to seek out the waste, fraud, and abuse because they do not exist in anywhere near the numbers you imagine.

The government does not spend its money on employees. Those employees administer grants and spending programs. That is where the money is, authorized by Congress and depended on by industry and states. The administration is not especially expensive. To seriously cut spending you have to cut those things, and just as with the mass firings, you'll find that each dollar is actually doing something important.

Serious control over the budget requires a serious consideration of our actual goals as a country. But the last election sent the decidedly non-serious message "government bad" and everyone seems shocked that that is exactly what they are doing.

Re: Ax falls on elite group of PhDs training to lead U.S. public health labs

#23

Post by tombert »

More than a little frustrating. I genuinely don't know what these people actually like about America, even in the past.

Something I always took pride in for America was that we took research pretty seriously, especially in the last century. Between the CDC, NIH, NASA, FDA, a ton of university research grants, and even the military, the US has been a significant player in research for my entire life. Well, my entire life up until about a month ago.

I know that "dumb American" is sort of a stereotype, and us electing a reality TV star isn't doing anything to dispel that myth. Historically I have defended the US, and pointed out a lot of the "dumb American" memes have been exaggerated or overblown, but now I'm not sure I can; how can I possibly defend this country when the people in charge of this country fundamentally remove every part about it that I love?

But hey maybe I'm wrong and somehow tariffs and losing our place in the world's scientific stage will lower egg prices AMIRITE?

Re: Ax falls on elite group of PhDs training to lead U.S. public health labs

#24

Post by nextos »

e40 wrote: post #4

As other nations ramp up their scientific knowledge we are ramping it down.

I wonder if this will have a similar effect to Brexit. When the Brexit referendum outcome was Leave, I was in Cambridge. The head of one of the largest departments at the university told me the week following the result most applicants who had recently accepted tenure-track offers changed their minds and declined. Several prominent faculty members also began making plans to move to the EU. Over time, however, these effects have become less noticeable. But major funding uncertainty is a big deciding factor when you are starting your career.

Re: Ax falls on elite group of PhDs training to lead U.S. public health labs

#25

Post by DiscourseFan »

breadwinner wrote: post #21
DiscourseFan wrote: post #3

This is such a mess. How can I both endorse a politicians approach to the world and disagree with every particular action? Trump is right about government overspending, unaccountability, the need to reign in the bureaucratic class. But he is doing it in the absolute worst way possible. Cuts to Public Health? with H5N1 coming looming over us? It won't be China coming to power in 10 years, it'll happen in two when they…

> How can I both endorse a politicians approach to the world You mean, like the proposed ethnic cleansing of Gaza? Claiming Ukraine started the war? Threatening to take Greenland by force? Alienating Europe? Withdrawing from Climate Agreement and WHO? Cutting funds to USAID? Overall, becoming the new pariah of the world?

That's the particulars. The general approach is the destruction of the post-war great society new deal agenda that was already on its way out during reagan/thatcher and had only become an increasing weight represented by a bourgeoning managerial class that absorbed almost all economic gains outside of the ultrawealthy. That class, who enforced this chokehold of economic stagnation, needed to be done away with, perhaps radically so. But this is, as you say, doing far more than just doing away with the professional-managerial class.

Re: Ax falls on elite group of PhDs training to lead U.S. public health labs

#26

Post by [deleted] »

tombert wrote: post #23

More than a little frustrating. I genuinely don't know what these people actually like about America, even in the past. Something I always took pride in for America was that we took research pretty seriously, especially in the last century. Between the CDC, NIH, NASA, FDA, a ton of university research grants, and even the military, the US has been a significant player in research for my entire life. Well, my entire l…

[deleted]

Re: Ax falls on elite group of PhDs training to lead U.S. public health labs

#27

Post by [deleted] »

jfengel wrote: post #22
DiscourseFan wrote: post #3

This is such a mess. How can I both endorse a politicians approach to the world and disagree with every particular action? Trump is right about government overspending, unaccountability, the need to reign in the bureaucratic class. But he is doing it in the absolute worst way possible. Cuts to Public Health? with H5N1 coming looming over us? It won't be China coming to power in 10 years, it'll happen in two when they…

Here's the thing: you and he are also wrong about the overspending, unaccountability, and the bureaucratic class. Those things exist in about the same proportion they exist in any other large corporation, and is not special to the government. There has been a decades long campaign of Just Plain Lies to tell you otherwise. He is failing to seek out the waste, fraud, and abuse because they do not exist in anywhere near…

[deleted]

Re: Ax falls on elite group of PhDs training to lead U.S. public health labs

#28

Post by dbetteridge »

DiscourseFan wrote: post #3

This is such a mess. How can I both endorse a politicians approach to the world and disagree with every particular action? Trump is right about government overspending, unaccountability, the need to reign in the bureaucratic class. But he is doing it in the absolute worst way possible. Cuts to Public Health? with H5N1 coming looming over us? It won't be China coming to power in 10 years, it'll happen in two when they…

The idiom "Actions speak louder than words" comes to mind.

People lie, some people lie as easily as breathing. But it is impossible to bear out a lie when your actions give a clear picture of your true intent and motives.

Re: Ax falls on elite group of PhDs training to lead U.S. public health labs

#29

Post by smw »

DiscourseFan wrote: post #25
breadwinner wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How can I both endorse a politicians approach to the world You mean, like the proposed ethnic cleansing of Gaza? Claiming Ukraine started the war? Threatening to take Greenland by force? Alienating Europe? Withdrawing from Climate Agreement and WHO? Cutting funds to USAID? Overall, becoming the new pariah of the world?

That's the particulars. The general approach is the destruction of the post-war great society new deal agenda that was already on its way out during reagan/thatcher and had only become an increasing weight represented by a bourgeoning managerial class that absorbed almost all economic gains outside of the ultrawealthy. That class, who enforced this chokehold of economic stagnation, needed to be done away with, perhap…

The economic gains are being absorbed by the billionaires who are running the asylum

Re: Ax falls on elite group of PhDs training to lead U.S. public health labs

#30

Post by WillPostForFood »

smt88 wrote: post #16
buckle8017 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's targeting things that are discretionary spending. Most of the federal budget the president cannot just cut.

> Most of the federal budget the president cannot just cut. He legally can't cut any of it . Not even $1. Congress controls spending. Illegally (which is how he has always operated and is operating now), he can seemingly do whatever he wants.

The courts say it is legal, so as of today, it is legal. Unless a higher court reverses the decision, you can complain about it, but you should complain on truthful grounds.

Trump administration can continue mass firings of federal workers, judge rules

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/20/ruling-firin...

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