this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2025
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In the past week or so, the courts have begun to try to set some boundaries on the Musk–Miller–Trump administration’s early blitz of recklessness.

. . .

This judicial review provides at least a small reprieve, hope that some of the administration’s most destructive impulses will be stopped. Or at least pared back. But even with the courts stepping up, and even with the reality of the administration’s ineptitude sinking in, this early Musk–Miller–Trump blitz remains very—maybe irreparably—damaging. Of course, there are a lot of moles to whack: the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are being dismantled at an alarming rate, and the court system is not known for being nimble. The administration is betting, perhaps rightly, that at least some of its thoughtless, lawless efforts will slip through the cracks.

But even if the courts caught them all—and even if every court facing each lawless escapade said, “Nope, that’s not a thing”—still the entire process would be doing serious damage to our institutions. Think of it as someone spoofing your identity and going on a shopping spree with your credit cards. Even if the goon gets caught, you still have to go store by store to argue that the fraudulent purchase wasn’t legitimate and hope the debt is forgiven. And all the while, perhaps long after all the debts are dealt with, the torrent of uncertainty kills your credit score.

MBFC
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[–] BadmanDan 1 points 7 minutes ago

Did he really get rid of remote work for no reason?

[–] thisorthatorwhatever 12 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

The U.S.A. is done. Such sabotage by Trump, Musk and MAGA takes decades to recover from. 40 to 50 at least; rebuilding the civil service, amending all the laws back to normal, fixing the Supreme Court, probably needing Constitutional amendments. This easily echos for a hundred years.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 28 minutes ago (2 children)

The idea that america was fine until MAGA sabotaged it is absurd and reductionist.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart 2 points 18 minutes ago

Do you not think 2016 America was better than America today?

[–] AnUnusualRelic 1 points 5 minutes ago* (last edited 3 minutes ago)

Hasn't it been thoroughly sabotaged by Reagan already? Not to say that Trump can't do a fine job setting the rubble on fire, but i concur that the US has been a mess for quite some time.

[–] Freefall 70 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

We had their playbook with p2025 and did nothing. They started enacting it, and we still do nothing. We could have shock-and-awed them right back with prepared lawsuits and movements blow for blow, and nothing.

[–] Allonzee 21 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (2 children)

The DNC and their non-spoiler neoliberals are still getting their sweet sweet oligarch bribe checks, so all is right with the world as far as they're concerned.

They're literally more defensive about any actual leftwing movement to get them to defend the people from the murderous capitalists destroying us and the planet for short term profit.

We either need a populist to steal the DNC's machine from them as they're kicking and screaming like Trump did the RNC, make a 3rd party, the best option have a hot revolution starting with Wall Street, or accept this hell as we sleepwalk into oblivion.

Blue no matter who is rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship. I voted for Harris out of some harm reduction, but the capitalists are the problem and own both parties. Republicans revel in the cruelty and are simply louder about it. Democrats will support your freedom to be LGBTQ... As you die in the gutter of poverty, exposure, and capital defense force brutality. Here have an affirmation ribbon to use as a blanket and/or snack in your cardboard box as they support the industry denying the claims for the nerve damage that made you lose your shitty subsistence job when your treatment would cut into their profit expectations.

Both parties support the "Freedom" of the rich to toss capital batteries they broke into the trash when they're no longer of use to their bottom line. Freedom without social responsibility is a rampage.

[–] Alwaysnownevernotme 3 points 1 hour ago

The Democrats just want more gay, trans, PoC concentration camp guards.

[–] thisorthatorwhatever 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

This is not the Democrats fault. It is the fault of those that voted for Trump. The knew exactly what he was, and still voted for him. They wanted this.

I'm suspect of posts that blame Democrats, are these posts put up by paid shills?

WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW IS THE FAULT OF TRUMP, AND HIS MAGA FOLLOWERS!!!

[–] Allonzee 10 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Pelosi defends lawmaker stock trades, citing ‘free market’ https://apnews.com/article/business-nancy-pelosi-congress-8685e82eb6d6e5b42413417f3d5d6775

The fascists are worse. I voted Harris with a funeral dirge in my heart out of harm reduction, but make no mistake, all we've been arguing for half a century is the rate of decline. A little slower under neoliberals, a little faster under Fascists.

NOTHING CAN IMPROVE until our government knocks our oligarchs down to size. Both parties are very well paid by the oligarchs to defend them from us. The oligarchs are running the asylum because both parties let them.

Republicans having no meaningful opposition on the shape and priorities of the economy for so long made them this bold. Every cycle in most of our lifetimes, both parties have been marching rightward. I fully expect next cycle for neoliberals to advocate "more humane" concentration camps in their never ending March to the new middle, already deep into fascist crazy town.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil 34 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

We had their playbook with p2025 and did nothing.

Liberals ran out their strongest champions

  • Chuck Schumer
  • Richie Torries
  • The Cheney Family
  • The UK Labor Party campaign staff
  • Ted Cruz's former chief of staff at the Lincoln Project
  • Some very reputable and trustworthy staffers from AIPAC

And spent over $1B of donor money in order to tell people that only ~~Joe Biden~~ Kamala Harris can Beat Trump, after a no-contest primary. A full year of campaigning. They brought Jeff Flake up as a surprise guest for the DNC!

You can't reasonably call that nothing. It felt like less than nothing.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

At least they brought war criminal Dick Cheney on board, that made sure they would be completely useless.

[–] Dkarma -2 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

How dare they show they have support of both sides of the aisle!

[–] Alwaysnownevernotme 2 points 59 minutes ago

A truly idiotic idea.

Any democrat who is paying enough attention to vote doesn't just not give a shit about the esteem of the right.

They revile those esteemed by the right.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 hours ago

Yeah gotta make sure the war criminals know Democrats are on their side....

[–] [email protected] 41 points 8 hours ago (4 children)

We know. What we don't know is why are all civil servants just rolling over, instead of applying simple sabotage.

[–] lennybird 21 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (2 children)

It's easy to volunteer other people, but these are civil servants who inherently believe in the rule of law by default. That programming in itself makes it hard to go against this lifelong belief in doing things by the book.

I hope they can do what they can to resist, but I also don't believe this is on them either. If the former President in a position of power couldn't put the brakes on this shit; if we as a society couldn't put the brakes on this on November 5th... Well, my expectations are very low. Things will have to come crashing down hard until the apathetic and ignorant wake up, I suspect.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

but these are civil servants who inherently believe in the rule of law by default. That programming in itself makes it hard to go against this lifelong belief in doing things by the book.

Most simple sabotage is doing things EXACTLY by the book... Civil servants often take shortcuts to expedite things. They should take ZERO shortcuts.

Elon toadie asks for a set of creds. Demand Toadie get all appropriate forms completed, first, and then demand documented procedure for obtaining those creds are followed TO THE LETTER. No rush jobs. No prodding the ticket holder for updates. Just exactly like the book says to do it.

Just an example.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 hours ago

This is called "work to rule" and it is one of the most classic kinds of industrial action, pretty much one step short of a strike.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 hours ago

It’s easy to volunteer other people, but these are civil servants who inherently believe in the rule of law by default. That programming in itself makes it hard to go against this lifelong belief in doing things by the book.

It also means risking their livelihood, which I expect in many cases is an even greater deterrent than an aversion to rule breaking.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

How would sabotage help when destroying the government is Musk's and Trump's goal?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 hours ago

It slows them down. Which is what we can hope for, until people get a bit more organized into other forms of resistance.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 hours ago (9 children)

Whose saying they are all rolling over?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

The same reason most of us decline our ample opportunities for sabotage every day. Someone else should do it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago

Well, that changes, the more people do it. And I am not going to brag here about what I've done, but at least once a day, I do something to put a wrench in a cog.

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