this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2025
254 points (99.2% liked)

politics

19887 readers
3549 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Summary

The Trump administration emailed air traffic controllers urging them to quit and accept buyouts 24 hours after a fatal Reagan plane crash.

At 8:30 p.m. Thursday, the email urged federal employees to pursue private-sector jobs, offering pay incentives and vacation benefits while on government payroll.

This program contradicts established rules by allowing second employment, sparking union concerns about losing experienced personnel amid an air traffic controller shortage.

Trump blamed previous administrations for safety issues and misrepresented FAA standards, intensifying culture wars as officials remain uncertain about the buyout program's future.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] leadore@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Pretty brave for someone who flies so much.

[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 67 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Replacing them will take months at a minimum. The FAA website says it takes 1-3yrs on the job to be certified after months of training. Who will direct air traffic if a large number take the deal? Especially with current shortage. How will this improve air safety? How is this "good" in any way, shape or form?

[–] Gullible@sh.itjust.works 68 points 1 week ago (4 children)

It’s not good, he’s intentionally breaking things for some reason. A lot of things. A distressing number of things.

[–] SreudianFlip@sh.itjust.works 48 points 1 week ago (2 children)

“…for some reason…”

The reason is the same as all fascist takeovers. The coup works slowly, then suddenly. We are in the acceleration phase, it’s ramping up, just as they said it would in the Project 2025 documents.

I REPEAT: THIS WAS ALL ANNOUNCED BEFOREHAND. Plus, history explains.

The script is to combine a shock and awe campaign of massive change on so many fronts that no one could possibly resist them all, and to demoralize and deflate opposition.

Once this phase is complete, the power thieves will have sufficiently infiltrated the monopoly on violence (military and policing management) and the bureaucratic and technocratic key elements will be gutted or loyalized, so that a full coup can occur. Full control of media, a massive apparatus of repression and surveillance, and a hot mess of mistrust throughout society.

Interpersonal and community relations will be broken and replaced by dependency on authority for guidance and morality and information. Rights will be crushed and perverted. Power and money will only flow to the top, and poverty will become the norm.

US international influence will contract and enemies will be constructed. Blame Canada.

Just a warning though, when you folks are finally conscripted to invade northwards, we have a lot of methods and welcoming gifts to make it regrettable, and people here are getting prepared. I’d dodge the draft, when it comes, if I were you.

[–] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Just a warning though, when you folks are finally conscripted to invade northwards, we have a lot of methods and welcoming gifts to make it regrettable, and people here are getting prepared. I’d dodge the draft, when it comes, if I were you.

Many of us would rather fight for y'all. Especially those at the coasts

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I really don't like people pointing to things like the fall of the Roman, Spanish, and Weimar Republics because it not only plays a defeatist narrative, it's just myopic.

America is not any of those states, and we aren't in those times. Yes there are similarities, especially because the fascists are deliberately playing from their playbooks, but if you get trapped into thinking only about what happened then and there you miss some of what is happening here and now.

Trump is wildly unpopular amongst half the country. A genuine resistance has all the gas it will ever need, when he crosses the line we need to be ready to fight.

[–] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I get what you're saying, but personally, as a queer Hispanic transwoman, I've spent over 2 decades of my life fighting for my right to exist only to be rewarded with this. I'm done fighting for the US, no one actually gives a shit about us. I'm catching the next metaphorical train out of here.

Perfectly valid. At least send some socks to the resistance though.

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Just a warning though, when you folks are finally conscripted to invade northwards, we have a lot of methods and welcoming gifts to make it regrettable, and people here are getting prepared. I’d dodge the draft, when it comes, if I were you.

Canada should do what Ukraine did and setup a surrender hotline.

Can we preemptively surrender?

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 43 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

This was the Nazi playbook in the 1930s .... cause widespread chaos and disruption throughout the country. Everything breaks down and becomes lawless and disorganized, so government is forced to step in and impose a heavy handed authoritarian control of everything to save the nation.

They set the fire, blame someone (anyone), then put out the fire themselves and push the message that they saved everyone from the fire. Blast the message over and over again and drown out any dissent or opposition and gain complete control of everything.

Then every professional, logical thinking individual, academic, politician, highly trained person in the land turns a blind eye and writes a book about it all 50 years from now with criticisms as to how everyone could be so deluded as to fall for the trap a second time.

[–] scaramobo@lemmynsfw.com 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Except now they have nuclear weapons. The world is done for. Thanks ~~obama~~ american citizens.

[–] GladiusB@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (2 children)

How is Obama responsible for some asshole's behavior?

[–] MountingSuspicion@reddthat.com 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

"Thanks Obama" was a meme used by people to bring attention to the fact that Obama was regularly blamed for things he had nothing to do with. Some really stupid people went so far as to talk about Obama's poor response to 9/11. So people started to just satirically say "Thanks Obama" basically indicating that blaming Obama lacked all meaning and credibility.

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/thanks-obama

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That wasn’t being suggested

[–] GladiusB@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Then why is it struck through?

[–] dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Because "thanks Obama" is an Obama era presidency meme that the man himself even used satirically.

For more information, google "thanks Obama".

[–] GladiusB@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

I know the meme. It did not fit the format in the response.

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Because Trump drinks his own kool aid. He really, actually thinks these controllers are useless because of DEI, and he trusts fox over his own presidential information feed.

This is a peculiar thing to me. Many autocratic regimes are seem more self aware.

[–] krimson@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Intentional, or just an idiot. I mean the man is not smart at all. Look at what he has said and done in the past. He also sucked as a businessman, contrary to popular belief.

I'm not worried there is some masterplan here, just worried those 4 years will go by too slowly.

[–] Rocketpoweredgorilla@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 week ago

There is a master plan, it's just that trump isn't the one that thought it up. He's not doing this alone, there's a lot of people in on it.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Frozengyro@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They later came out and said they aren't eligible for this deal. It was a mass email to every gov employee.

[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

So re-send of the last one?

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 37 points 1 week ago (2 children)

How long until people stop booking flights because they've lost confidence in the FAA's ability to manage its air traffic? There are already plenty who wouldn't fly on a Boeing

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 18 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This one doesn't look like it's on the FAA or the controller.

The controller was aware of the possible conflict, informed the helicopter pilot - twice. And twice, the helicopter pilot informed the ATC that they had the conflicting traffic in sight, and requested permission to maintain their own, visual separation from that conflicting traffic.

What seems to have happened is that the helicopter pilots saw a second jet in the distance, landing on another runway. They probably thought that second jet was the conflicting traffic, and they never actually saw the first.

Additionally, the helicopter pilots were supposed to be in an established track on the east side of the river, no higher than 200 feet. Aircraft on final approach descend from east to west as they cross the river; there is more vertical clearance on the east side, but the helicopter was closer to the west side of the river. Further, the helicopter was flying at 300 feet, rather than 200.

I don't want to disparage the helicopter pilot(s), but from what I see right now, this seems to be primarily on them. They requested permission to (and responsibility for) maintaining separation - twice. This collision is primarily their responsibility.

[–] SatanClaus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I take extreme issue with you claiming primarily. It is ALL on the military pilots. As you stated. They didn't respond properly. Were in an area that was not allowed. And lied twice to air traffic control because of their lack of knowledge.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

We do not have the full evidence available. I am comfortable at this time assigning primary responsibility to the helicopter pilot only because they specifically accepted that responsibility by requesting (and accepting) permission to maintain visual separation.

I cannot rule out contributing factors. For example, the jet might have been below the glideslope; they might have both been in the wrong place. I don't have the information one way or another to confirm that.

There could be regulatory factors: it might have been improper for the FAA to establish that area as a helicopter route. It might have been improper for the ATC to grant permission for the helicopter to maintain visual separation under these conditions. There might have been electronic failures, preventing the aircraft from being aware of eachother. There could have been mechanical failures at a critical moment. The TCAS system might have recognized the conflict, but it is automatically inhibited below 1000 feet. The decision to inhibit TCAS RAs at 1000 feet instead of, say, 600 feet might have contributed.

With all the possible contributory factors, I cannot agree with your conclusion that it is "ALL on the military pilots."

[–] SatanClaus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This is a fair and valid assessment. Sorry for my callousness.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Not a problem. FWIW, I'm not trying to excuse the pilots. The purpose of an FAA/NTSB investigation shouldn't be to assign blame, but to prevent future incidents. Preventing the type of error the helicopter pilots made is probably not possible, which means it's either going to happen again the next time such an error is made, or we make it so that making such an error doesn't result in a collision.

Safety and prevention are matters for the FAA and NTSB. Blame and liability are matters for the courts.

There's still an NTSB?

(Not sure if serious.)

[–] Fuck_Team@lemmy.one 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 5 points 1 week ago

VASAviation. They put out youtube videos of all kinds of interesting ATC comms and flight tracks.

Technically, I'm a pilot as well, but balloon pilots don't typically talk to ATC very often.

[–] SatanClaus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 1 week ago

I just flew from Kansas to Florida. My first flight yesterday was delayed until this morning. They got me on a new flight. I flew to Minnesota. And then connected to a flight to Florida. Both of those flights were also delayed.

It's already happening. I'm worried about the delays when I try to get home on Wednesday.

[–] blakenong@lemmings.world 32 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This is to close the exit points. We need to stop focusing on the hand waving, and start looking at the hand with the knife.

[–] DahGangalang@infosec.pub 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This is to close the exit points.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Are you saying this is to limit FAA personnel from being able to quit?

[–] blakenong@lemmings.world 24 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This is to disable the airports

[–] DahGangalang@infosec.pub 8 points 1 week ago

Ah, I see what you're getting at. Thanks for the clarification.

[–] floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 29 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Speedrunning crashing a country any%

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Honestly?

Do it, bitches.

I'm ready for the cleansing light of nuclear fire.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Uhh your advocating for a nuclear holocaust? Not trying to judge, just curious.

[–] bluemellophone@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I’ll judge, that is a dumb as fuck.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social -1 points 1 week ago

Embrace the Holy Light of Atom, brother.

[–] scala@lemmy.ml 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Maybe with the lack of air traffic controllers some helicopter will crash into his plane with fElon in it. Two birds with one stone.

[–] stringere@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago

Two birds with one ~~stone~~cesna.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

Gosh, what a fantastic "leader" this donvict is.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] MicroWave@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

There were a couple of mass emails sent. One before the crash and another after the crash. From another source:

The email, sent from President Trump’s Office of Personnel Management to employees across the sprawling federal government, arrived just before 8:30 p.m. Thursday — almost exactly 24 hours after an air crash in Washington that killed 67 people. The message reiterated an offer earlier this week from the administration encouraging federal employees to seek new jobs in the private sector — and did so in terms that appeared to denigrate their contributions, if not cast them as lazy.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/us/politics/federal-workers-opm.html

[–] Nunar@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

Every one of these plane crashzs is trunps fault

load more comments
view more: next ›