Live data from Hacker News

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

science.org

211–220 of 259 posts

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

#211
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…

Or, find a new job that pays better and enjoy your life working for somehow you don't acutely hate. Sounds like all upside to me.

Exactly.

I don’t understand the emotional attachment to a specific job or organization. I could see if it’s something you built (but then hopefully you call the shots), but otherwise it’s a agreement between two parties and if it doesn’t work for me, I’ll thank you for the time so far and leave without ever looking back.

People make their lives far more complex than need be. There isn’t one job you can work or do what you want to do. There are many. Go somewhere else.

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

#212

Pretty distressing at how there’s basically zero pushback from the American elites at the destruction of all strategic American advantages and only ineffective pushback from the public. There will be entire genres of books written about how America just said “eh” to being gutted by a bunch of rich psychopaths.

What makes you think the elites aren’t pushing back? Because they aren’t being public about it? “If it’s not on the internet it didn’t happen”?

I know for a fact the CEO of my Fortune 100 company has talked with the administration to share their views on the potential impact. No press release, no public statement. Just a visit to the White House.

If anything, I’d suggest the public silence indicates the lites are either on board or feel their concerns will be addressed.

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

#213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah that's the thing, what powers are even granted directly to the executive by the text? It seems to me that the whole unitary executive theory is based on the clause "The executive Power shall be vested in a President", where "the executive power" is never well defined.

The President commands the military, negotiates treaties, nominates various officials for confirmation. Probably the most leeway relates to being called to ensure laws are faithfully executed. So it seems reasonable the Executive can police independent agencies to ensure they operate as authorized by law, but I don't see how that challenges the establishment or existence of lawful independent agencies. NSF is one thi…

I meant my question to be a rhetorical question, but that was totally unclear in what I wrote. What I meant was to imply "the executive isn't even granted very many powers directly in the text".

I agree with you about the powers you enumerated.

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

#214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The site formally known as Twitter is destroying the fabric of society, really? Do you hear yourself?

I think social media as a whole is destroying the fabric of society, yes.

Okay, that's a far more reasonable thing to claim. The way you phrased it made me think you thought it was Twitter specifically. It's definitely a group effort on that front.

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

#215
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…

Leaving is better then becomeming co-guilty. They cant stop this process pushed hard from the top and they can barely slow it down. They can stay and become morally and legaly compromises or go.

You wont win this fight from inside Trump administration. You can become colaborant or not.

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

#216
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?

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.

They all leak, mostly to cause firings they want.

None of the other points achives win in some kind of fight. They are just turning you into a bitter looser that will be set aside one way or the other - and who still has to do unethical ornillegal things in the process.

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

#217
post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Checks and balances aside, a plurality of people voted for this. They saw Jan 6 happen. They saw all the lawsuits and criminal charges. They saw the impeachments. And they just want him anyway. It's been debated ad nauseum already and I don't think anyone has given a satisfactory explanation for how he keeps doing this.

Because they saw the other side doing nothing about the things they cared about, while also scornfully telling them they were wrong, racist, hateful, and stupid. Trump could easily have been defeated by a centrist Democrat who focused on kitchen table issues not fringe social ones, and was able to discuss and debate them coherently.

Nah, nonsense. It was republicans who made trans issues big - because it rally their base. Same with abortions - republicans made them big topic and successfully removed them.

Centrist democrat strategybis what democratic party does, again and again and it just empowers hard rigt to move more right.

Stop constantly blame "the other side" for what republicans consistently do. Democrats did led the economy much better, they cause less debt. Republicans do the above worst and then they blame democrats.

Conservatives dislike it when things improve, again and again. They are in fact hateful and take pleasure at causing harm. The social issues is what motivates republican base.

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

#218
post #212

Pretty distressing at how there’s basically zero pushback from the American elites at the destruction of all strategic American advantages and only ineffective pushback from the public. There will be entire genres of books written about how America just said “eh” to being gutted by a bunch of rich psychopaths.

What makes you think the elites aren’t pushing back? Because they aren’t being public about it? “If it’s not on the internet it didn’t happen”? I know for a fact the CEO of my Fortune 100 company has talked with the administration to share their views on the potential impact. No press release, no public statement. Just a visit to the White House. If anything, I’d suggest the public silence indicates the lites are eit…

Trying to get favors for own company or industry is not the same as fighting the administration. That is just dping what Trump loves when you do.

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

#219
post #218
post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you think the elites aren’t pushing back? Because they aren’t being public about it? “If it’s not on the internet it didn’t happen”? I know for a fact the CEO of my Fortune 100 company has talked with the administration to share their views on the potential impact. No press release, no public statement. Just a visit to the White House. If anything, I’d suggest the public silence indicates the lites are eit…

Trying to get favors for own company or industry is not the same as fighting the administration. That is just dping what Trump loves when you do.

> Trying to get favors for own company or industry is not the same as fighting the administration.

Why would a company "fight the administration"? That sounds like a recipe for bankruptcy.

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

#220
post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or, find a new job that pays better and enjoy your life working for somehow you don't acutely hate. Sounds like all upside to me.

Exactly. I don’t understand the emotional attachment to a specific job or organization. I could see if it’s something you built (but then hopefully you call the shots), but otherwise it’s a agreement between two parties and if it doesn’t work for me, I’ll thank you for the time so far and leave without ever looking back. People make their lives far more complex than need be. There isn’t one job you can work or do wha…

The public sector is about service. It’s not emotional attachment that keeps these employees there to the end, it’s a sense of responsibility. There’s no higher calling keeping you at your B2B SaaS company.
Post reply on HN