Donald Trump - news and discussion

[danny la rouge]

Has this been posted?

It’s allegedly a memo Defense Intelligence Agency personnel received instructing them to suspend diversity observances.

Alt text:

Photo of a creased memo reading:

To:

DIA Workforce

JAN 2 8 2025


Subject:

Pause on Special Emphasis Programs and Related Activities and Events

1. The Agency is working internally and with the department to implement the Executive Orders, Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing and Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions, dated January 20, 2025. We are receiving questions across the workforce on the way forward with Special Emphasis Programs, Special Observances, Agency Resource Groups, Affinity Groups, and Employee Networking Groups.
2. DIA will pause all activities and events related to Agency Special Emphasis Programs effective immediately and until further notice. Additionally, Special Observances hosted throughout the year by the Command Element, Directorates, and Special Offices are also paused. These include observances related to the following:
   January

Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday*

February

Black History Month

March

Women's History Month

May

Holocaust Day/Days of Remembrance

May

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

June

Pride

19 June

Juneteenth*

26 August

Women's Equality Day

15 September - 15 October

National Hispanic Heritage Month

October

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

November

National American Indian Heritage Month




The source was someone on Bluesky who was skeeted into my timeline.




The memo appears to come from a place of “what about Men’s Day?”, and was probably intended to be leaked, so that a certain constituency can say “good: hitting the ground running”.

 

[story]

The most recent video on meidasmedia claims: WOW! France DESTROYS Trump with MILITARY RESPONSE

Is Trump destroyed? Has there been a military response from France? Looks a lot like sensationalist clickbait to me. Don't really see a huge difference between stuff like this and Breitbart. Both are more interested in clicks and pushing a narrative than honest and genuinely informative journalism.

I agree. The headline is stupid. Often doesn't represent the content. Some of the content is useful. Sometimes just the sensationalist headline will.give me what to look.fir elsewhere. A quick Google will tell.me if it's news or not.

These channels are not insightful, I never said they are. I find them useful. That's all. It works for me.

It gives me an idea of what's going on. I then go elsewhere for the nitty gritty. I can't, don't, and don't want to dig deep on every tiny thing.

 

[story]

Has this been posted?

It’s allegedly a memo Defense Intelligence Agency personnel received instructing them to suspend diversity observances.

Alt text:

Photo of a creased memo reading:

To:

DIA Workforce

JAN 2 8 2025


Subject:

Pause on Special Emphasis Programs and Related Activities and Events

1. The Agency is working internally and with the department to implement the Executive Orders, Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing and Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions, dated January 20, 2025. We are receiving questions across the workforce on the way forward with Special Emphasis Programs, Special Observances, Agency Resource Groups, Affinity Groups, and Employee Networking Groups.
2. DIA will pause all activities and events related to Agency Special Emphasis Programs effective immediately and until further notice. Additionally, Special Observances hosted throughout the year by the Command Element, Directorates, and Special Offices are also paused. These include observances related to the following:
   January

Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday*

February

Black History Month

March

Women's History Month

May

Holocaust Day/Days of Remembrance

May

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

June

Pride

19 June

Juneteenth*

26 August

Women's Equality Day

15 September - 15 October

National Hispanic Heritage Month

October

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

November

National American Indian Heritage Month


View attachment 461821

The source was someone on Bluesky who was skeeted into my timeline.




The memo appears to come from a place of “what about Men’s Day?”, and was probably intended to be leaked, so that a certain constituency can say “good: hitting the ground running”.

I've just now had a message from a US friend.

She's reporting and commenting on this as if it's real.

 

[danny la rouge]

I've just now had a message from a UD friend.

She's reporting and commenting on this as if it's real.

I’ve no reason to believe it isn’t, but equally no evidence that it is.

 

[two sheds]

They weren't press ganged. They volunteer for that detail. It increases their privileges and official standing Vis a vis parole etc.

But, they don't get extra wages or danger money, and they sign away any right to claim for damages and insurance, and they don't hired as firefighters once they're released regardless of how much fire experience they get.

But they are volunteering for the work.

Some of them say it helps them.feel like they're better person than they were, building up some karmic credit, giving something back to society.

thanks for the background, yes apologies for my assumptions. Fair play for your paragraph 4. Paragraph 2 is important though, and second half of the sentence is a kick in the teeth and a real waste of opportunity (and experience).

 

[two sheds]

Presumably the coherent stuff coming out includes an amount of Project 25 stuff prepared in advance.

 

[spitfire]

I’ve no reason to believe it isn’t, but equally no evidence that it is.

He was the journo that acquired Luigi's manifesto and as far as I know that was not debunked.

 

[story]

Talking about leaks….

I posted this late last night. Copied here in case it got missed


Eta
Ignore the screaming clickbait headline, obviously.


This is allegedly from an employee at the Office of Personnel Managment.

Taken from this video



Skip to 20’43” to see it in context of the editorial comments from Luke Beasley.















Apologies for repeats etc. tired and a bit overwhelmed right now







Eta

Here’s the original post I made at 01:50 this morning. And I see that I posted it without the video, so I’ve added that here.


Post in thread 'Donald Trump - news and discussion'
Donald Trump - news and discussion


If you’re curious, I also made comment about Trump joking about running for a third term, which is in the same video. I think I marked that in the post above this one.


I guess it also shows an example of how I use these YT channels. I’ve not heard about either Trump joking about ”running for a third term” during this speech, nor about this leak, anywhere else.

 

[Monte]

Anonymous accusations, about as worthwhile as all the anecdotal 'a friend from the US posted this' crap that supposedly passes for highbrow debate.

 

[story]

Anonymous accusations, about as worthwhile as all the anecdotal 'a friend from the US posted this' crap that supposedly passes for highbrow debate.

Where did anyone suggest these little snippets are factual or highbrow debate? What a weird 7-league step.

 

[Yossarian]

Trump planning to deport non-citizen student protesters, I don't think even Nixon tried that

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-cancel-student-visas-all-hamas-sympathizers-white-house-2025-01-29/

 

[Monte]

Where did anyone suggest these little snippets are factual or highbrow debate? What a weird 7-league step.

This thread is supposed to be serious now.
That is little more than gossip.

 

[magneze]

I've subscribed to a couple of writers on there but their pricing system needs an overhaul, it's too expensive to follow more than 2-3 at a time

IIRC Substack are also quite happy to host Nazi's so probably best avoided in general.

 

[danny la rouge]

Trump planning to deport non-citizen student protesters, I don't think even Nixon tried that

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-cancel-student-visas-all-hamas-sympathizers-white-house-2025-01-29/

Interesting URL. Seems to agree with Trump’s view that opposing the Israeli state’s genocide is the same as supporting Hamas.

 

[story]

.This thread is supposed to be serious now.
That is little more than gossip.

 

[breadandcircuse]

This thread is supposed to be serious now.
That is little more than gossip.

Yes, where is the deconstruction of the semantics of these posts, and which philosophical theorists are they quoting? It's just not good enough. There should be pages of academic quotes and studies, going through every single word, with a dictionary definition, and a more societal everyday usage of the language involved.

That's how it's supposed to work on here isn't it?

 

[story]

Yes, where is the deconstruction of the semantics of these posts, and which philosophical theorists are they quoting? It's just not good enough. There should be pages of academic quotes and studies, going through every single word, with a dictionary definition, and a more societal everyday usage of the language involved.

That's how it's supposed to work on here isn't it?

.

 

[ska invita]

Interesting URL. Seems to agree with Trump’s view that opposing the Israeli state’s genocide is the same as supporting Hamas.

its quoting Trump: "I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before."

 

[danny la rouge]

its quoting Trump: "I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before."

Yeah, I read the article. But maybe URL choices don’t have to parrot the Presidential line. /optimist

 

[editor]

Yes, where is the deconstruction of the semantics of these posts, and which philosophical theorists are they quoting? It's just not good enough. There should be pages of academic quotes and studies, going through every single word, with a dictionary definition, and a more societal everyday usage of the language involved.

That's how it's supposed to work on here isn't it?

MOD MODE

You've been asked multiple times to stop disrupting this thread and you're showing no sign of stopping, so you're banned from this thread for a week,

 

[story]

MOD MODE

You've been asked multiple times to stop disrupting this thread and you're showing no sign of stopping, so you're banned from this thread for a week,

.

 

[editor]

I’ve no reason to believe it isn’t, but equally no evidence that it is.

I posted earlier about a friend working for a high level science project, and all flags (rainbow and international) have been removed from the large communal hall and the LGBTQ organisation has been disbanded, so it seems real alright.

 

[Aladdin]

I’ve mentioned before my friend who works in the US Department of State.

His take is “I don’t have much hope but if we give up all is lost. I’m doing what I can to protect my little corner. I can imagine it getting worse, it keeps me up at night. I have no illusions about where we are. We have to keep working, keep trying. There’s no alternative”

Trump offers workers option to leave gov’t jobs in overhaul

Millions of federal workers in US receive buyout offers as new administration aims for government overhaul.

www.aljazeera.com

he's promising 8 months salary if people voluntarily go. But only if they opt in by next week.
He doesn't say what the other option is if they refuse to accept the offer.
It's mindblowing how he can do this..

 

[story]

I posted earlier about a friend working for a high level science project, and all flags (rainbow and international) have been removed from the large communal hall and the LGBTQ organisation has been disbanded, so it seems real alright.

If the news really does get tied up and shut down, the “I heard… my friend said…” stuff will be increasingly necessary …

 

[story]

Trump offers workers option to leave gov’t jobs in overhaul

Millions of federal workers in US receive buyout offers as new administration aims for government overhaul.

www.aljazeera.com

he's promising 8 months salary if people voluntarily go. But only if they opt in by next week.
He doesn't say what the other option is if they refuse to accept the offer.
It's mindblowing how he can do this..

It’s all awful.

Have to say though that I’m not in the least bit surprised by any of this. I hate it and I’m upset and frightened by it, but not surprised.

As I’ve said before, I was saying he’d run again as soon as he lost to Biden, and I knew he’d win as soon as he started gunning for it, and I knew he’d build the tyranny pretty much as soon as he started doing the stumps and I started listening to what MAGA was saying, and who was attending the rallies.

I’m not doing top trumps (sorry…) but I’m surprised that anyone is surprised by any of this.

The lurch to the right has been in full swing everywhere for a while. For America to be bigger bolder brasher about it is pretty predictable I reckon.


The big question though is what can be done about it. Huddling round this thread and swapping horror stories is kind fun in its own way, but this is real world stuff. I’m trying to think of what I can do, how I can do it.


“What would you have done in Germany in 1933?” is no longer a history essay or a stoned parlour game, yo.

 

[danny la rouge]

I posted earlier about a friend working for a high level science project, and all flags (rainbow and international) have been removed from the large communal hall and the LGBTQ organisation has been disbanded, so it seems real alright.

Yeah, I saw that. And I’m not at all surprised by the leak in the context. But one ought to apply caution until corroboration is found. Especially in this world of circular reporting.

But certainly it’s in character.

 

[spring-peeper]

White house backs down and says "media is lying about us cutting aid".

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/29/politics/white-house-rescind-federal-funding-freeze/index.html

The White House budget office had ordered the pause on federal grants and loans, according to an internal memorandum sent Monday, which unleashed confusion and anxiety even as the White House said it was not as sweeping an order as it appeared.

Though White House aides publicly blamed the media for causing the confusion, arguing that none existed within the building, the administration had received a flood of calls from lawmakers and state officials with questions about its impact on their home states.

Federal agencies “must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,” White House Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Matthew Vaeth said in the original memorandum, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, citing administration priorities listed in past executive orders.

On Tuesday afternoon, a federal judge temporarily blocked part of the Trump administration’s aid freeze.

 

[two sheds]

From reddit re buyouts:

This is a Musk email. A twitter post noticed this: "NEW: The memo sent to government employees this evening offering them buyouts very closely mirrors an email Musk sent to Twitter employees in 2022 — down to the same subject line "A Fork in the Road."

-- Reminder that the Twitter employees who took the buyout got shafted out of their money. Same will happen to any workers who take this current buyout he is offering.

-- There was no buyout though. It was a promise of you don’t have to RTO [return to office]. That’s not a buyout and they’ll hang their hat on “we kept the promise of not forcing them to RTO”

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

It’s extortion. “I’m ready and willing to act unconstitutionally to do this unless you…”


But it’s also a way to get people to either self identify as willing to go against him (purge coming) or show themselves as willing to buckle to his whims.


He’s got nothing to lose. He’s old, and he can’t legally run another term. He’s going all out.

Unless he does a Putin and changes the constitution.

Trump's already previously run that idea up the flag pole, ie he's previously suggested he might run for a third term. I wouldn't rule it out at this stage. All bets are off. It's not so much West Wing as Wild West.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

California’s economy is huge and has many natural resources. It would be interesting if it went independent and how the billionaires reacted. It would be a kick in the teeth to Trump and his plans.

Yeah, I had a vague recollection that California's GDP was big, just double-checked, it's fifth in the world, behind US, obvs, China, Germany and Japan.

So technically it's got the financial wherewithal to do so... and don't forget USA is the United States of America, they were all individual states at one point.

That said, I don't think it will come to that. Unless the USA is going to descend into civil war.