I characterised work to prune Federal workers as coercive control, while Techdirt's Mike Masnick called it fucking stupid [Insert 'Why not both' meme].
Mike Masnick
Many horrific strategies are built on coercion to support fucking stupid things. The fucking stupid thing that breaks the camel's back will not be the first. After seeing fallout from attempts at push back (perhaps a threat from the world's richest man to fund a primary challenge against you), options start to narrow. Head down, whistleblow, resign, flip sides, retire hurt? That comes with calculus about people left behind and people in the flight path of escalating fuckwittery.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Musk's air cover for underlying objectives. Of course he'll make mistakes (he tells us). It is a rational and desired effect of cuts. This has been described as a zero based budget cull. Default to cut everything unless justification for spend and people is quickly provided. Accept you will overshoot and course correct as essential things and people surface. Done so many times elsewhere with little accountability for medium and longer-term effects. Often to improve quarterly results, funding prospects, or IPO beauty contests.
But this isn't a social media platform, this is people's livelihoods, survival chances, and health. This is social welfare and market stability.
Lesley Stahl
This is US soft power via USAID. This is FAA air transport safety. This is Consumer Financial Protection Bureau work for the public against exploitative practices. This is Medicaid and SNAP providing last resort support to millions of struggling people. This is literally and rapidly about life or death.
With debatable capability to build services back.
All utterly hilarious apparently, according to this performance by Musk at a cabinet meeting. Oops I cut Ebola defences.
Conversely, a rash of townhalls suggest it is not that funny and not that popular. People who should be supportive of the current administration are absolutely furious. So what to do? Two things so far:
- Suggest disruption is down to Democrats or paid plants
Getting déjà vu to every other event that works as poor optic for the Republican party? Stories about the FBI being behind events at the Capitol and Alex Jones with horrific false flag stories about school shootings as more egregious examples, but it is response to anything that breaks through echo chambers.
- Put a lid on having more townhalls
"WASHINGTON — House Republicans are becoming weary and wary of in-person town hall meetings after a number of lawmakers have faced hometown crowds angry about the Trump administration’s push to slash government programs and staffing.
Party leaders suggest that if lawmakers feel the need to hold such events, they do tele-town halls or at least vet attendees to avoid scenes that become viral clips, according to GOP sources.
A GOP aide said House Republican leaders are urging lawmakers to stop engaging in them altogether."
Jonathan Allen
The actual power behind the AI generated crown is starting to become clearer. In this from Wired it points to Stephen Miller (hard right Republican who reportedly initiated the child separation policy at the Mexican border) and Katie Miller (DOGE panel member) as Musk's babysitters.
Joey Esposito
Not quite clear where those child wrangling lines are being drawn. Your charge and his chums are running round the house with chainsaws and flamethrowers, crowing about the resignation or firing of emergency responders.
Speaking of emergency services, remember this? If good optics for Democrats or poor optics for Republicans, no matter the benefit or heroism, it is cast as enemy action.
Rachel Leingang
When transparency becomes too costly. When any action that benefits the poorest in society is cast as wastage on scroungers. When all civil society groups, NGOs, and non-supportive media outlets are cast as deep state actors against the administration. When voting is cast as existential threat, leading to widespread voter suppression (see the SAVE Act as a new chapter with a tsunami of past action, lots of it from Project 2025 sponsors at the Heritage Foundation) it leads me to wonder what will provoke concerted opposition.