Live data from Hacker News

GSA Eliminates 18F

nextgov.com

281–290 of 495 posts

Re: GSA Eliminates 18F

#281

Everyone should watch the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, speak on government workers: We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected. When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains. We want their funding to be shut down so that the EPA can’t do all of the rules against our energy industry because the…

They don't actually know who the bureaucrats are that they want to traumatize. Anyone calling a product manager, UX designer, or software developer at 18F a "bureaucrat" simply has no idea what they actually do. They are just demonizing the scapegoat du jour.

Also among these so call "bureaucrats" are psychologists at the VA helping veterans with PTSD; search and rescue professionals working for forest service, park service, fema, etc; undercover FBI agents trying to stop organized crime; NOAA scientists predicting hurricanes, the list goes on.

The demonization of the civil servants of this country is a story that people who want power are telling the country in order to gain said power. It's a story as old as time.

Re: GSA Eliminates 18F

#282
post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yeah this agency is kinda what I imagined DOGE was created to be. alas now I am just confused

The purpose of a system is what it does. DOGE was created to facilitate kleptocracy.

And to remove anybody not blindly obedient.

Paradoxically this is a real witch hunt

Re: GSA Eliminates 18F

#283
post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

18F is not the group behind Direct File, and it's very annoying that this narrative keeps getting spread. DF was created by a team of people from USDS, 18F and the IRS. It's housed within the IRS.

USDS was gutted and turned into DOGE, 18F is shuttered, and IRS is having mass layoffs.

Oh, I know. But the fate of 18F and Direct File are not directly connected.

Re: GSA Eliminates 18F

#284
post #95
post #8

Stupid, pointless destruction. No part of this is efficient. 18F and the USDS were effective tools for modernization.

Got to make room for the trillion dollar tax cuts. Trickle down economics, right? Can’t wait for the pitchforks to rise up against the billionaires that created this mess.

Sometimes I think it's a shame that modern democracies lost the original feature of classical Greek city-states -- exile by popular vote. Maybe this is us rediscovering the necessity for it.

Exiling Musk to the Moon or Mars (at his own cost) would be amusing.

Re: GSA Eliminates 18F

#285

I always thought that 18F would be the inspiration behind DOGE. Instead it seems to have become the opposite

May I offer a proposal here? A great many people would've told you beforehand what DOGE was going to be and do (although I think most of us are a bit shocked about the speed and violence of the thing). I expect you heard some of it ahead of time, too. It may be worth updating your priors on the intents, beliefs, and capabilities of the people involved in this to match this new experience, and to apply those new prior…

This isn't a real person you're counseling here. At least it's not a real worldview. Such a person that only now sheepishly is approaching a shift in perspective is an impossibility. There have been ample opportunities prior to this that have been much more horrendous and this person is presenting as if they interpreted all those things in an acceptable light. It's the Zeno's paradox of finally coming around - they pretend like they're getting closer and closer but they never arrive at the actual denunciation. I believe it's a rhetorical device to further cast doubt.

Re: GSA Eliminates 18F

#286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Elon literally said they would be 'deleted' for being 'far left,' specifically for working on direct file. Yet, people still seem baffled by what's going on and refuse to accept the maliciousness behind his and Trump's actions. He came out against a public technology service! It's like Bill Gates being confused about USAID being dismantled and being willfully ignorant that the people dismantling it believe he's part…

There are things that I at least understand, but who is opposed to direct tax filing and … why?

Keeping a bad process that no one likes is politically expedient for people who want there to be negative sentiments towards the IRS.

Re: GSA Eliminates 18F

#287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Worry not, if we get to vote again, I expect a hard swing back to the other side after these events. Lots of rebuilding to do from the ashes. Steady as she goes as we sail through the storm.

We’re not going to get to vote again. There is no future, America’s dreaming.

There will be election... But how?

- how many free media? - will the queues be longer in some places? - will Trump have money from all the big companies? - Will some people have accidents?

Even Russia, Cuba and North Korea celebrate elections

Re: GSA Eliminates 18F

#288
post #8

Stupid, pointless destruction. No part of this is efficient. 18F and the USDS were effective tools for modernization.

He is not interested in efficient. He is interested in destroying anything that regulates or taxes him.

It's an Obama legacy. You ingratiate yourself to the felon by destroying what he hates.

Re: GSA Eliminates 18F

#289
post #162

New York Times wrote [1] a pretty extensive expose on how the government takeover has happened. Basically Musk started infiltrating the government with his agents a couple of years ago so by the time inauguration happened he had access to all the passwords. I am not sure which laws were broken but if they were I hope the administration that comes in 2029 will not overlook these people's contribution. [1] https://arch…

> I hope the administration that comes in 2029 will not overlook these people's contribution.

if we leave the current crop of democrats in place, they will overlook it. current democrat leadership is spineless and useless

Re: GSA Eliminates 18F

#290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

May I offer a proposal here? A great many people would've told you beforehand what DOGE was going to be and do (although I think most of us are a bit shocked about the speed and violence of the thing). I expect you heard some of it ahead of time, too. It may be worth updating your priors on the intents, beliefs, and capabilities of the people involved in this to match this new experience, and to apply those new prior…

Just did this. My spouse told me I was being far too optimistic about this new mis-Administration and the vector toward an Ayn-Randish kleptocracy. No more. I’m in now with people I would have considered conspiracy theorists two months ago.

May I ask, have you discovered the wonderful world of mass protests and torching local policy headquarters or you are still waiting for another epiphany?

I can't wait to send thoughs and prayers about whatever America's Tiananmen Square would be called. I would even write a twit full of empathy and a nice picture.

Post reply on HN