The DOE basically manages budgets and distributes funds for the above endeavours.
Closing it is still a sh*t-show in terms of funding for disabilities, student loans, pre-school etc. (which is probably why it’s a target – it sounds rather DEI) but it is not directly involved with general education issues like curriculum etc.
But the forth thing on you list is the important bit 'Prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.'
The Civil Rights Act requires a government that works to uphold the civil rights act for it to work. What's happening here and elsewhere is the tools that implement, monitor and enforce the act are being removed
Everyone’s favourite band of plucky upstart tech bros seem to be targeting the Gov dept that monitors Weather, Hurricanes and Climate Change.
I expect there will be a strong correlation between departments targeted and people Musk has had a twitter spat with. In the days leading up the Washington plane crash the head of the FAA quit so the authority was leaderless and had a recruitment freeze.
Musk had been attacking Whittiker for over a year because the FAA had slapped half a billion in fines on SpaceX for safety violations and has stepped in to prevent other launches and has been trying to get Spacex to implement a whistleblower programme. Maybe there'll be more fines in store for Musk (if theres an agency thats there to implement them- some of the footage of that lovely light show of plummeting wreckage when his recent rocket exploded was filmed from the windows of passenger airliners.
He no doubt see anyone who's questioned him on anything targeted in the same way.
as MGGA just doesn’t work as an acronym
No but MaGaGA sums up the open-jawed disbelief everywhere this morning
One theory is that he's dropped the Gaza bombshell to get the media talking about that rather than the fact he's handing classified government data over to Elon and his DOGE squad who are also dismantling the US Government in order to rebuild it in their image as a bunch of yes-men who bow down to dictator Trump.
Everyone’s favourite band of plucky upstart tech bros seem to be targeting the Gov dept that monitors Weather, Hurricanes and Climate Change.
(Edit: from the book below, it talks about NOAA and the issue here is Accuweather. It's privately owned and wants to sell data to people that need it. For example people in hurricane areas. The guy that owns Accuweather hates the fact that US government gives that information out for free. He's taken them to court to try and block it, which failed. Instead he got himself elected to either the senate or congress, with the sole aim of creating laws that would benefit Accuweather and damage the government weather agency, or voting against anything that would benefit them to the detriment of Accuweather's aim of controlling and monetising weather forecasts)
I have recommended it a few times in this thread, and I'll do it again. Go and read this. Outlines what trump did in the early part of his first presidency around various government departments.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fifth_Risk
The main points were:
Zero preparation despite their being a legal requirement for presidential candidates to have a transition team in place ahead of the elections
Entire government departments ignored completely
Any Obama hires or supporters were sacked instantly
Anyone who'd ever expressed a belief in climate change was sacked instantly
Completely unprepared and unsuitable people sent in to head up departments
etc etc
That's the initial part of the book, then the rest of it goes on to talk about the unbelievably important work these government agencies do, and how Trump has no clue about how important that work is
I suspect the sequel is going to be even more terrifying. He, and his cabal of lunatics, are completely prepared this time round and they know exactly what they're doing
To be fair he is doing a great job of making the rest of the world considerably more united
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/clyn05y9x2xt?post=asset%3A5f41667b-5001-495d-a8a7-4e1280a692cb#post
In many cases, it’s the generals who talk politicians out of rash military adventures by pointing out the practicalities of things: What are the objectives?; How will we decide when we have met the objectives?; What will we do if we don’t meet the objectives? How many dead soldiers are we willing to incur?
This only works when the politician you're talking to can get a vague grasp of actual reality as it whooshes past them.
I very much doubt trump could even spell objective.
My guess on this is that Trump will lose interest after a day or two and find some other shiny thing to chase.
You've got to hope so.
I’ve got a Cambridge (Maths) and an Oxford (Engineering) graduate working for me at the moment. Are they a bit naive? Sure. Do they learn with almost terrifying speed? YES!
My last Oxford engineering graduate is still doing the same job he was when i mentored him in 2000, i've no *idea* how he got his degree. I suspect there was a massive donation somewhere in his exam grades.
He also got paid more than me, even as a graduate, which rankled somewhat.
To be fair he is doing a great job of making the rest of the world considerably more united
Wouldn't it be kind of ironic if Trumps lunacy led to a sort of "world peace", where everyone sits around eating popcorn and laughing at his next insane brain fart.
I mean is he actually the anti Christ. It's like he is a funnel for the demons below. I know we cannot name the author but it's a bit "good omens" at the moment.
On a serious note the EU needs to get it's house in order over next few weeks because he has the fisher price world atlas on pages F to S
What page of the The Big Book Of How To Be A Dictator is this on? I'm guessing page one
We need to cut ties with the USA even if it means suffering some short term pain. They are doing nothing for us but harm at this point and we’re doing ourselves no favours remaining so interlinked with them be it economically, socially or security wise.
I wonder what happened to MrWoppit?
One theory is that he’s dropped the Gaza bombshell to get the media talking about that rather than the fact he’s handing classified government data over to Elon and his DOGE squad who are also dismantling the US Government in order to rebuild it in their image as a bunch of yes-men who bow down to dictator Trump.
I think this is a very accurate assessment.
I wonder what happened to MrWoppit?
I think Sir Woppit escaped to Spain/France before Brexshit.
I hope he is happy and still pedaling around in that red jacket !!:-)
The Trump administration’s strategy has been to “flood the zone” with so many actions that it’s hard to keep up, let alone respond.
https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2025/02/usaid-elon-musk-donald-trump-doge
For a guy that campaigned on focussing on US domestic stuff, he seems to be spending an awful lot of time causing a ruckus outside of America, and I sincerely hope all those voters who refused to vote for Kamala because of Biden's support for Israel, are feeling really proud of their decision right now.
Absolute clowns the lot of them
[...] all those voters who refused to vote for Kamala because of Biden’s support for Israel, are feeling really proud of their decision right now.
Absolute clowns the lot of them
As has been pointed out many times, regardless of the dramatic presentation, Trump's declaration on Gaza is nothing more than a continuation of Biden's policy.
I wonder if this shit-show is going to slightly boost pro-EU sentiment in the UK, by making them look like the rational bloc?
Regardless of what actually happens in Gaza, I still think there's a big difference between a president who says "Gaza war bad" and a president who says "yay let's take over and do the ethnic cleansing ourselves!". Maybe in practice it doesn't make a difference. Still needs calling out.
We need to cut ties with the USA even if it means suffering some short term pain. They are doing nothing for us but harm at this point and we’re doing ourselves no favours remaining so interlinked with them be it economically, socially or security wise.
This is my preferred approach IF* he makes any move to carry out his threat to Gaza or support the expansionist groups in Israel. He's proposing ethnic cleansing and playing into the hands of Iran, Putin and China and exposing the rest of NATO, especially Europe, to completely unacceptable and unnecessary risk. The EU/NATO/UK need to be saying this publicly now.
*I strongly suspect it is a smokescreen for what Musk is doing to the US government and constitution. If a coup is defined as unelected people taking over the key functions of a democratic government, Musk is leading a coup. Again, other leaders need to be expressing their concerns publicly in the hope that Americans find the courage to protest at what is being done to them. The majority of Americans entitled to vote did not vote for this.
I wonder if this shit-show is going to slightly boost pro-EU sentiment in the UK, by making them look like the rational bloc?
Not if elections in key EU countries go how Trump, Musk and co want them to go... [ and they have the means to push for ] ...not to mention the effect they are already having on UK politics.
EDIT : breaking that down... I can seen the case for closer ties to the EU being made by more and more people in the UK, because of Trump... while at the same time that seeking to work closer with the EU is used to bolster support for anti-EU politicians in the UK, with direct support from the USA. The traitor narrative.
some people jump to his defence
LOL! Brilliant ! That must be the most disingenuous comment of the week..... well done! Have you considered a career in politics?
As has been pointed out many times, regardless of the dramatic presentation, Trump’s declaration on Gaza is nothing more than a continuation of Biden’s policy.
Was an example of...
It’s interesting that when the new President talks about ethnic cleansing, some people jump to his defence, and claim that it changes nothing.
And then you posted your "disingenuous comment".
Others can decide if my description of that kind of posting is fair.
Excusing Trump for his words, because "he doesn't really mean it", or "it'll make no difference on the ground" is wrong. What he says will affect what happens in the region, and to the people who live there, whether he believes what he says, or whether he can complete the tasks he suggests. It will embolden violent settlers and the far right expansionist tendencies in Israel and the USA.
Excusing Trump for his words, because “he doesn’t really mean it”, or “it’ll make no difference on the ground” is wrong.
Has anyone done that?
No one has "defended" Trump as you well know. Condemning both Biden and Trump doesn't amount to defending Trump.
Do you think it would be fair and honest to accuse you of defending Joe Biden's support for genocide?
Has anyone done that?
That's what I keep getting from the posts on this forum. Perhaps the problem is me, and I'm misunderstanding other posters' points. For me, the idea that the president of the USA talking about moving the Palestinians out of Gaza, so soon after he tore up sanctions on those involved in West Bank settlement expansion, is just a "continuation" of the policies of the last USA government... yes that's defending Trump's actions... it's saying he's not making things worse. He is. Like Netanyahu, he wants to prevent a palestinian state forming, he wants to move palestinians aside as if they are just inconvenient. Biden failed. I worry Trump will succeed. Their aims are quite different.
Regardless of what actually happens in Gaza, I still think there’s a big difference between a president who says “Gaza war bad” and a president who says “yay let’s take over and do the ethnic cleansing ourselves!”. Maybe in practice it doesn’t make a difference. Still needs calling out.
Which bit needs calling out - the dishonesty of the former ?
They both need calling out. But the later is likely to mean both the West Bank and Gaza being Israeli/USA held completely, with no PA of any kind, no state for the Palestinians, nowhere to call home. Criticize both. But don't dismiss what Trump is doing as "more of the same", it is not, it is a big step towards normalising a one state solution against the wishes of the rest of the world.
Like Netanyahu, he wants to prevent a palestinian state forming, he wants to move palestinians aside as if they are just inconvenient. Biden failed.
Really? Looks to me like in the last year and a bit a whole lot of Palestinians were "moved aside" by bombs supplied by Biden. About 47,000 at a very conservative estimate. Meanwhile precisely zero steps have been taken to form a Palestinian state. So nobody is defending Trump - he is an appalling monster - but I don't think a Palestinian mother will care if her child is killed by a bomb supplied by Trump or one donated by Biden.
Meanwhile precisely zero steps have been taken to form a Palestinian state.
Agree. Now acknowledge that there is a sitting POTUS calling for the Palestinians to be moved out, and that is a strong step away from there being any Palestinian state, ever. It is more than failing to work towards one, it is the flat out denial that there should be one, and suggesting ethnic cleansing to prevent there ever being one. This is a step from god damn awful, to the absolute end for those that hope the people of Palestine will ever get to rule over themselves. Millions of Palestinians displaced to other countries. An absolute end to the idea of a Palestinian state. At Trump's instigation. He is that dangerous.
Might be wise to move all this to the Gaza thread. I'm leaving it at that here.
Maybe Trump is clearing out all the Mexican immigrants to make space for a bunch of Palestinian immigrants instead...
But don’t dismiss what Trump is doing as “more of the same”
I've been watching Sky News all day today. It's been wall-to-wall 'Look what Trump wants to do now! The nutter wants to take over Gaza, isn't that outrageous!'. I watch Sky News every day and at no point since the 7th October 2023 have I seen an equivalent uproar about Biden (and Starmer) sending billions of dollars of weapons to Israel to kill 10s (probably hundreds, see the maths above) of thousands of Gazans, or failing to prevent Netanyahu and his genocidal maniac friends from levelling whole cities, or starving civilians by denying them aid. And now we're seeing the same on here. No one is defending Trump, they're simply pointing out that Biden wasn't held to anywhere near the same level of opprobrium. Why is that I wonder?
I suppose we should be thankful that now the liberal grown up commentariat have a cartoon villain to get all hot and bothered about, we might actually see more reporting of the plight of the Palestinians and perhaps more action to help them as a result.
In many cases, it’s the generals who talk politicians out of rash military adventures by pointing out the practicalities of things: What are the objectives?; How will we decide when we have met the objectives?; What will we do if we don’t meet the objectives? How many dead soldiers are we willing to incur?
This only works when the politician you’re talking to can get a vague grasp of actual reality as it whooshes past them.
I very much doubt trump could even spell objective.
More than that - it's not understanding or lack of it, he doesn't listen. Numerous accounts from agencies that have to brief the president of matters of strategy, security etc is that he talks all through the briefing. They are there to inform him but instead to just talks nonsense at them.
I've made mention a few times that no-one knows what Trump's laugh sounds like - to laugh you actually have to be taking in information, listening to what people say and be surprised by it enough that you can't help laugh. Trump is only ever talking or waiting talk but he's never listening. He's the same in interviews - it can seem as if he's avoid a question or trying to push through an alternative message to it... he just doesn't listen to the question and just start talking because theres a pause at the end of it.
is just a “continuation” of the policies of the last USA government… yes that’s defending Trump’s actions… it’s saying he’s not making things worse. He is.
Well right now it is a continuation of the policies of the last US administration. Northern Gaza was ethnically cleansed whilst Biden was US president, he did nothing to stop it, although he could have of course, he only managed to "condemn" it and very quietly.
And Israeli terrorism thrived and expanded massively in the West Bank under Biden's administration. Sure Biden regularly said "naughty naughty" and gave the Israelis a tap on the back of their hands as they utterly ignored him because they knew he would 100% back them up.
Name me one single thing that Netanyahu wanted to do but wasn't able to because of Biden?
Obviously there are differences between Biden and Trump but it doesn't necessarily mean that things are worse right now for the Palestinians just because Biden has gone, he did absolutely nothing to help them.
One obvious difference is that Biden's total commitment to zionism, it's "ironclad" as he called it. You can expect no such ironclad commitment to anything from Trump.
And it is this precisely this pretence that Biden is some sort of fair-minded guy who actually cares deeply about the Palestinians which has helped the Israelis so much. One of the things which has worked massively in their favour is that despite widespread global revulsion at the genocide in Gaza few Western governments have wanted to or felt able to break ranks with the United States and its perceived leading global authority.
In contrast Trump's latest outburst has resulted in condemnation from governments across the world who appear to be far less reluctant to break rank with the US and now publicly challenge it. Name me one single government which today backed the US president and suggested that his proposal was sensible. Not even the Israeli government has yet done that!
What Trump is doing is seriously undermining the United States global political authority, something that can only be bad news for the Israeli state which is already experiencing its greatest crisis in its history.
Cracks started to appear under Biden over issues such the International Court of Justice but under Trump a very serious schism is plausible, especially when you add the issues of Greenland, Canada, Panama, etc.
Move it to the Gaza thread please. Not sure it's progressing this thread st all.
Not sure it’s progressing this thread st all.
Curious as to what you mean by 'progressing' this thread? All I'm seeing is the same empty outrage and sensationalism as you can see on the news every day rather than any serious discussion about what he's doing or why.
If we can get past 'look what Trump's said now! What a nutter!' then I suppose that would be good but I don't hold out much hope.
Curious as to what you mean by ‘progressing’ this thread?
We've got the usual suspects making perfectly valid points about the failures of the previous administration with regard to "Gaza", while trying to imply that other posters are in some way supporting or downplaying those failures on "Gaza" - which no one has done, as far as I can see, and it's diverting this thread about "Trump" and all the other craziness his regime is doing.
Just seems to me that diversion would be better on the "Gaza" thread and we can focus more specifically on the "Trump" aspect on the "Trump" thread.
I appreciate this may be an unpopular minority view.
The subject on the previous page is Trump's behaviour and his latest outburst, which was a global news story today. And yes how it compares with his predecessor. The situation in Gaza has not been discussed.
The situation in Gaza has not been discussed.
Does anyone in Gaza even have reliable internet and a STW login?
Insightful words from the FT
