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WH proposes rules giving political appointees final approval on research grants

scientificamerican.com

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Re: WH proposes rules giving political appointees final approval on research grants

#481

Post by ceejayoz »

somenameforme wrote: post #463
9dev wrote: post #378

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To what goal? USAID and similar programs always had the indirect benefit of opening up foreign markets to the USA. It's just short-sighted out of sheer economic considerations - and that's ignoring the ridiculous recklessness of pulling the rug under millions of people. Hundreds of thousands have died due to the USAID cuts; those deaths could have been prevented by approaching this in a more professional manner.

Stability. In 'decentralized' systems, if any entity does something dumb, the impact is localized and consequently negligible. By contrast in centralized systems, one misstep by the central power can trigger catastrophic consequences. Another benefit of decentralized systems is that sometimes those dumb things end up being brilliant, and so we end up with a much richer system with a better idea of what works and what…

One might think that, if one was entirely unaware of the on-the-ground situation in the DRC for the past few decades.

Re: WH proposes rules giving political appointees final approval on research grants

#482

Post by Spooky23 »

chadgpt3 wrote: post #264
Spooky23 wrote: post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re thinking tactically. I actually thing the democrats will try to put the Trumpist stuff back in the box. They may not be able to. The rule of law requires trust and that’s gone, and will only be rebuilt by time. The reactionary Supreme Court has changed the character of the executive. That court will live for many years. The executive branch exists to represent the will of the chief executive. We’ve normalized…

Have the Democrats ever put any power-grab instruments back in any boxes? I don't remember a time they have, and I don't think they'll start now. They are meek cowards.

New York neutered the power of appointed officials and authorities after Robert Moses.

As the other poster mentioned, the post-Vietnam Church committee was a democratic party-led, bipartisan committee that effectively heeled the CIA and exposed many of the pretty dark abuses committed in that era.

Re: WH proposes rules giving political appointees final approval on research grants

#483

Post by closewith »

PaulDavisThe1st wrote: post #414
closewith wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder where you suggest researchers go that is both granting funding and not attaching similar or more stringent strings to the money?

Any country that doesn't openly say that it will bar funding to grant applications that include any word from a given list of words. Which, of the countries on this planet, is quite a few.

Can you name one?

Re: WH proposes rules giving political appointees final approval on research grants

#484

Post by mschuster91 »

Redoubts wrote: post #460
mschuster91 wrote: post #431

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> With a few exceptions like Switzerland, American levels of compensation for highly qualified people just can't be matched anywhere in the Western world. Gross compensation yes. But if you begin deducting stuff like the absurd American housing costs, private healthcare, saving up for deductibles, the need to own, insure, fuel and maintain a car to do everything because almost nothing is accessible by public transpor…

I mean the salary difference is a few hundred k, so this all just reads like cope.

> I mean the salary difference is a few hundred k

Yes, for FAANG during Covid and now AI.

But your average SWE? That's more like 130k in the US [1] vs 61k in Germany [2]. In Germany, that's about 3500€ net (after taxes, retirement and health insurance - that is deducted from gross wages here) per month, of which you spend about 1500-1800 on cost of living (in Munich, the most expensive city in Germany by far), so about 1700-2000 in disposable income. You don't need a car because everything is walkable and a flatrate for all public transit across Germany is about 63€ a month.

Let's do the math for the US, California. Net pay is 87k/y or 7250/mo [3]. Of that, subtract ~600$ for a PPO plan (it's still not as good as Germany's default which does not have anything comparable to "in network", but good enough) and ~200$ for an average 2400$/y deductible. A 10% contribution to a 401k, 725$ a month. 2500$ for a 1-br apartment [4]. Now add in 100$ a month for car insurance (VW Golf) and 399$ in leasing rates for that VW Golf, then you're at 2.700$ a month in disposable income. But since you still have to pay half a grand a month on your average student loan [5], whoops, 2.200€ a month in disposable income left.

And frankly, making 200-500$ a month more in disposable income? That is not that much of a difference, particularly once you begin factoring in the "soft factors". Here in Germany, you can't be fired at-will, you'll always have to be paid for at least three months, that's one huge uncertainty off my back. You don't have to fear your kid getting shot (12 children a day die in the US from gun violence), you don't have to fear surprise bills when dealing with medical emergencies, you don't have to fear ICE picking you up and deporting you, you don't have to save up for the privilege of your child attending university because that's free in Germany.

If you're lucky and/or well-connected enough to land a job at FAANG/AI? By all means, go for the US. But for everyone else? Come here to Europe. Life's better here. Especially if you or your children are LGBT - or, given the recent anti-abortion crusade that bans lifesaving healthcare in many states, if you carry an uterus.

[1] https://www.indeed.com/career/software-engineer/salaries

[2] https://www.kununu.com/de/gehalt/softwareentwickler-in-15019

[3] https://www.talent.com/tax-calculator?salary=130000&from=yea...

[4] https://sfist.com/2026/05/28/average-rent-for-san-francisco-...

[5] https://admissions.usf.edu/blog/how-much-college-debt-is-too...

[6] https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/resources/gun-violence-fact...

Re: WH proposes rules giving political appointees final approval on research grants

#485

Post by lII1lIlI11ll »

mschuster91 wrote: post #431
inglor_cz wrote: post #419

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$$$$$ > €€€ or ££ With a few exceptions like Switzerland, American levels of compensation for highly qualified people just can't be matched anywhere in the Western world. Saudi Arabia or UAE maybe, but these don't even try to pretend to be socially and politically liberal.

> With a few exceptions like Switzerland, American levels of compensation for highly qualified people just can't be matched anywhere in the Western world. Gross compensation yes. But if you begin deducting stuff like the absurd American housing costs, private healthcare, saving up for deductibles, the need to own, insure, fuel and maintain a car to do everything because almost nothing is accessible by public transpor…

Can you provide some calculations of being able to afford anything at all for a, say, software developer earning 80k per-year in Paris, Berlin or Amsterdam and compare that to 280k in the Valley? Some of those are completely terrible (SWEs I know who work in Paris can't even afford to rent in the city itself and there is no realistic way for them to ever buy anything in there), others are okayish but definitely not great. And most of those supposed benefits you listed are payed by outrageous taxes on so-called "middle" class, which (surprise!) are exactly those SWEs (others you just disingenuously omitted like retirement contributions which would be close to 20% of your salary in Munich while simultaneously highlighting 401k).

Re: WH proposes rules giving political appointees final approval on research grants

#486

Post by mschuster91 »

inglor_cz wrote: post #470
mschuster91 wrote: post #431

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> With a few exceptions like Switzerland, American levels of compensation for highly qualified people just can't be matched anywhere in the Western world. Gross compensation yes. But if you begin deducting stuff like the absurd American housing costs, private healthcare, saving up for deductibles, the need to own, insure, fuel and maintain a car to do everything because almost nothing is accessible by public transpor…

Still, until Trump started his latest round of madness, we had a huge brain drain from the EU to US and not vice versa. Were they all stupid? They weren't. Our highly taxed and relatively stagnant economies are more affordable & attractive for poorer people, but the well-paid professional class was simply better off in the US. Especially with some optimizations, such as: get your professional degree for free in Germa…

> until Trump started his latest round of madness, we had a huge brain drain from the EU to US and not vice versa.

Well, now with Trump and his madness, suddenly Europe or Canada become a lot more attractive. It simply is not worth it any more to stay in the US, and if the Democrats don't make a landslide in the midterms... get the fuck out as long as you still can.

Re: WH proposes rules giving political appointees final approval on research grants

#487

Post by kennywinker »

parineum wrote: post #478
kennywinker wrote: post #411

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re straw-manning your own misconception of the reason for inclusivity, not the reason I gave. Inspiring specific groups to follow a career path by showing them people on that path is “representation” not inclusivity. Representation matters because it’s easier (not impossible, as you suggest the argument is) to see yourself e.g. as a nurse or a teacher if you have seen male nurses or teachers succeeding. Represent…

> Representation matters, but not nearly as much as the opposite side of things - who gets opportunities. You're acting like these things aren't intertwined. You can't adjust the lever of representation without affecting who gets opportunities. You can believe what you want about the merits of adjusting those levers but to pretend like you can limit your pool of people to a smaller group of people and not affect the…

> You can't adjust the lever of representation without affecting who gets opportunities.

For sure they are intertwined. More inclusion = more representation, and vice versa. But you’re saying representation is pointless because people can enter fields they don’t see themselves represented in and I am saying i think representation is a (positive) side effect not the goal. You can argue that it’s pointless all you want but idgaf because to me it’s a side effect.

> limit your pool of people to a smaller group of people and not affect the apex of the talent pool is disengenous

I agree. Limiting your pool is a bad idea. That’s literally why inclusivity is a good thing. Because people self-limit the pool to people who look like them, and because other societal barriers limit the pool by excluding people. Actively acting to include people broadens the pool, it doesn’t limit it.

If you think on the scale of an individual hire or grant, i guess i can see how it would seem like limiting the pool - but zoom out like two steps and you’d see that’s not true.

Re: WH proposes rules giving political appointees final approval on research grants

#488

Post by mschuster91 »

lII1lIlI11ll wrote: post #485
mschuster91 wrote: post #431

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> With a few exceptions like Switzerland, American levels of compensation for highly qualified people just can't be matched anywhere in the Western world. Gross compensation yes. But if you begin deducting stuff like the absurd American housing costs, private healthcare, saving up for deductibles, the need to own, insure, fuel and maintain a car to do everything because almost nothing is accessible by public transpor…

Can you provide some calculations of being able to afford anything at all for a, say, software developer earning 80k per-year in Paris, Berlin or Amsterdam and compare that to 280k in the Valley? Some of those are completely terrible (SWEs I know who work in Paris can't even afford to rent in the city itself and there is no realistic way for them to ever buy anything in there), others are okayish but definitely not g…

> Can you provide some calculations of being able to afford anything at all for a, say, software developer earning 80k per-year in Paris, Berlin or Amsterdam and compare that to 280k in the Valley?

I did just that in a sibling comment. 80k is upper class in Germany, solid middle class can be achieved at 60k.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48340349

Re: WH proposes rules giving political appointees final approval on research grants

#489

Post by lII1lIlI11ll »

mschuster91 wrote: post #484
Redoubts wrote: post #460

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean the salary difference is a few hundred k, so this all just reads like cope.

> I mean the salary difference is a few hundred k Yes, for FAANG during Covid and now AI. But your average SWE? That's more like 130k in the US [1] vs 61k in Germany [2]. In Germany, that's about 3500€ net (after taxes, retirement and health insurance - that is deducted from gross wages here) per month, of which you spend about 1500-1800 on cost of living (in Munich, the most expensive city in Germany by far), so abo…

> 1500-1800 on cost of living (in Munich, the most expensive city in Germany by far)

Care to clarify how you came up with that budget? Rent an apartment, pay amenities and buy groceries for 1500 EUR in Munich? Like, the one which is in Bavaria (just in case you have some similarly named city located somewhere in ex-GDR)? I expect some hilarious mental gymnastics TBH...

Re: WH proposes rules giving political appointees final approval on research grants

#490

Post by lII1lIlI11ll »

mschuster91 wrote: post #488
lII1lIlI11ll wrote: post #485

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you provide some calculations of being able to afford anything at all for a, say, software developer earning 80k per-year in Paris, Berlin or Amsterdam and compare that to 280k in the Valley? Some of those are completely terrible (SWEs I know who work in Paris can't even afford to rent in the city itself and there is no realistic way for them to ever buy anything in there), others are okayish but definitely not g…

> Can you provide some calculations of being able to afford anything at all for a, say, software developer earning 80k per-year in Paris, Berlin or Amsterdam and compare that to 280k in the Valley? I did just that in a sibling comment. 80k is upper class in Germany, solid middle class can be achieved at 60k. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48340349

Does achieving "solid middle class" in Munich on 60k somehow involve inheriting an apartment from your late grandma?
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