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NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

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Re: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

#21

Post by rahimnathwani »

sathackr wrote: post #4

One thing I don't understand is people resigning on principles. If something bad is happening to an organization that I hold a significant amount of clout and power in, I'm not just going to leave and hand the reigns to someone on 'their side' -- I'm going to stay and fight and try to make whatever impact I can. So many people are just leaving...instead of fighting. Which seems like it's going to have the effect of j…

The options you have:

A) disagree and commit

B) disagree and wait to be fired

C) appear to commit, but secretly subvert your (elected) boss's plans/intentions

I use the word 'boss' here because the president has the right to hire and fire for this role:

  SEC. 5. 42 U.S.C. 1864 (a) The Director of the Foundation  (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Director’’) shall be appointed by the  President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Before any person is appointed as Director, the President shall afford the Board an opportunity to make recommendations to him with respect to such appointment. The Director shall receive basic pay at the rate provided for level II of the Executive Schedule under section 5313 of title 5, United States Code, and shall serve for a term of six years unless sooner removed by the President.

Re: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

#22

Post by LiquidSky »

sathackr wrote: post #4

One thing I don't understand is people resigning on principles. If something bad is happening to an organization that I hold a significant amount of clout and power in, I'm not just going to leave and hand the reigns to someone on 'their side' -- I'm going to stay and fight and try to make whatever impact I can. So many people are just leaving...instead of fighting. Which seems like it's going to have the effect of j…

In addition to what others have said, in theory it's also a way to call public attention to the problem. These are coveted positions that people don't just walk away from lightly, so someone in this position stepping down and explaining why can serve as an alarm bell.

That said, I don't know how effective that really is anymore since driving people out is one of the administration's stated goals.

Re: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

#23

Post by vjvjvjvjghv »

CoastalCoder wrote: post #11
jmclnx wrote: post #2

Another knowledgeable person leaving due to DOGE, what a surprise. The US is loosing its smartest people due to Trump. Soon we will be a backwater country with lots of weapons, nothing else.

> Soon we will be a backwater country with lots of weapons, nothing else. Making advanced, superior weapons systems requires a workforce with strong science, engineering, and manufacturing skills. I struggle to understand how the current administration's policies help.

Authoritarians often allow for strong science and engineering skills within an approved range. The Nazis had excellent engineering and so did the Soviet Union in some areas.

Re: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

#24

Post by ttoinou »

jfengel wrote: post #3
jmclnx wrote: post #2

Another knowledgeable person leaving due to DOGE, what a surprise. The US is loosing its smartest people due to Trump. Soon we will be a backwater country with lots of weapons, nothing else.

Yes, but we'll have stuck it to the woke, and that's what counts.

“stick it to all the too-tolerent people who let the woke movement gain power” would be a good steel manning of your argument

Re: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

#25

Post by beeforpork »

1970-01-01 wrote: post #5
sathackr wrote: post #4

One thing I don't understand is people resigning on principles. If something bad is happening to an organization that I hold a significant amount of clout and power in, I'm not just going to leave and hand the reigns to someone on 'their side' -- I'm going to stay and fight and try to make whatever impact I can. So many people are just leaving...instead of fighting. Which seems like it's going to have the effect of j…

It's resign or follow my orders. There's not much wiggle room in-between, and the lawsuits will probably cost you everything anyway.

OK, but isn't getting fired better than resigning? Why resign?

Re: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

#26

Post by saulpw »

ziddoap wrote: post #13
sathackr wrote: post #4

One thing I don't understand is people resigning on principles. If something bad is happening to an organization that I hold a significant amount of clout and power in, I'm not just going to leave and hand the reigns to someone on 'their side' -- I'm going to stay and fight and try to make whatever impact I can. So many people are just leaving...instead of fighting. Which seems like it's going to have the effect of j…

> I'm going to stay and fight and try to make whatever impact I can. Can you give me some examples of how you would fight? Boss comes in (or whoever more powerful than me, e.g. someone acting on the president's orders), says something with the gist of "Do this, or get fired". What are the next steps that I can take that won't get me fired, but also count as fighting back?

https://specificsuggestions.com/

Re: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

#27

Post by stouset »

dullcrisp wrote: post #14
CoastalCoder wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Soon we will be a backwater country with lots of weapons, nothing else. Making advanced, superior weapons systems requires a workforce with strong science, engineering, and manufacturing skills. I struggle to understand how the current administration's policies help.

You can always hope your old stockpile of weapons works while bullying smaller countries with it.

Hmm… where have I seen this strategy play out in recent memory?

Re: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

#28

Post by sathackr »

ziddoap wrote: post #13
sathackr wrote: post #4

One thing I don't understand is people resigning on principles. If something bad is happening to an organization that I hold a significant amount of clout and power in, I'm not just going to leave and hand the reigns to someone on 'their side' -- I'm going to stay and fight and try to make whatever impact I can. So many people are just leaving...instead of fighting. Which seems like it's going to have the effect of j…

> I'm going to stay and fight and try to make whatever impact I can. Can you give me some examples of how you would fight? Boss comes in (or whoever more powerful than me, e.g. someone acting on the president's orders), says something with the gist of "Do this, or get fired". What are the next steps that I can take that won't get me fired, but also count as fighting back?

Comply but leak the truth to the media.

Comply in a maximally obstructive way.

Comply just enough to not get fired but not as much as someone who may be more inclined to please their boss.

Enlist other opposition and find ways to multiply your obstructive compliance into other departments.

There's tons of "how-to" guides on how to maliciously comply with work demands without getting fired.

Re: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

#29

Post by ziddoap »

saulpw wrote: post #26
ziddoap wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm going to stay and fight and try to make whatever impact I can. Can you give me some examples of how you would fight? Boss comes in (or whoever more powerful than me, e.g. someone acting on the president's orders), says something with the gist of "Do this, or get fired". What are the next steps that I can take that won't get me fired, but also count as fighting back?

https://specificsuggestions.com/

"Hide perishable foods (fruit) in discreet locations of common areas"

That's helpful for the conversation!

Should I just keep clicking through this entire site until an answer related to my question appears?

(It's a neat site, but... I'm not going to sit here playing go fish until an applicable one-liner appears)

Re: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

#30

Post by skeeter2020 »

sathackr wrote: post #4

One thing I don't understand is people resigning on principles. If something bad is happening to an organization that I hold a significant amount of clout and power in, I'm not just going to leave and hand the reigns to someone on 'their side' -- I'm going to stay and fight and try to make whatever impact I can. So many people are just leaving...instead of fighting. Which seems like it's going to have the effect of j…

I get your reaction but it discounts that all of these people are both human (with limited amounts resolve) and have many alternatives. Look at Trump's first cabinet. I believe it had several people who didn't need or want to be there, but felt they needed to supervise: Tillerson, Kelly, Haley - none of them lasted very long.
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