It’s just bad reporting to take Trump’s use of “pause” at face value when endless delays are one of his fundamental strategies & authoritarian regimes across history & the world so often introduce new oppression with these terms.
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Some of it *will* be temporary. Some of it likely won’t be. A good news story would acknowledge the central facts of uncertainty and the use of pauses as a form of intimidation.
You’re 100% correct. I liken it to a classic narcissistic abuse tactic, namely gaslighting. Abuser maintains control by manipulation,keeping victim(s) on tenterhooks wondering what he will or won’t do next. Also creates a false space for MAGA to say, “See, he’s not so bad. You have TDS.”
Prediction: some of it is a shakedown. e.g to universities: let's see how you like having all your research funds impounded. Oh, you don't like that? Well then change your curriculum. Science funding is being used to enforce campus speech. It is exactly what the 1st Amendment should protect against.
It will likely be temporary because universities will comply. At least that is what we should fear - that they won't be brave enough to stand together.
The wild card is the boards of trustees, many themselves billionaires. Will they accept being pushed around by oligarchs even richer than they are?
The Dept of Energy and the whole army including the Army Corps of Engineers- had to stop issuing any new contracts until they figure out new rules. May have to require contractors to have no DEI. DEI is not affirmative action. Gov't follows EEO Act which bans discrimination. DEI is just trainings?
Too many news entities don't understand the ramifications of being on the authoritarian band wagon. Or, they resist acknowledging that we're on it. To the detriment of us all.
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The wild card is the boards of trustees, many themselves billionaires. Will they accept being pushed around by oligarchs even richer than they are?
This pause kills that timeline and maybe the project-cost only goes up. A grant we were given 2 years ago.
This is garbage.