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submitted 3 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

Summary

Twenty-one staffers from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) resigned, citing ethical concerns over dismantling public services and compromising sensitive data.

Formerly part of the U.S. Digital Service, they criticized Musk and Trump’s overhaul, which included layoffs and politically charged interviews.

Their letter warned that removing skilled technologists endangers essential services like Social Security and veterans’ benefits.

The resignations add to growing concerns over Musk’s aggressive federal cuts, amplified by his recent CPAC speech where he symbolically wielded a chainsaw against "bureaucracy."

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[-] JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nl 120 points 3 months ago

I am always confused why they don't just sabotage the efforts? Like it would be so easy and they definitely aren't paying attention...

[-] Nougat@fedia.io 109 points 3 months ago

Different people are able to take on different levels of risk.

Just because these people resigned doesn’t mean that some other people aren’t staying in for the purposes of being subversive, and you shouldn’t ever hear about the latter.

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[-] ricecake@sh.itjust.works 40 points 3 months ago

Sabatoge can carry extremely harsh legal penalties, particularly if it has any type of lasting impact. Beyond that, just phoning it in and doing a bad job can slow things down but doesn't actually stop it. If you're then let go it's on their pace, it looks worse for you and it's less noticeable.

A mass resignation can be the only thing some people can do. It sends a message, it gets noticed outside the organization, and it lets objective news reporting share your motivation, which would normally fall under opinion.
It also leaves a big gap in the organization that isn't getting anything done.

[-] crawancon@lemm.ee 16 points 3 months ago

but.. he who saves his country can not break the law. right??!

[-] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

Guys, dumping tea in the harbor is illegal, just pay your taxes to the crown. It's just a king, everyone has one

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[-] ceenote@lemmy.world 37 points 3 months ago

Mostly the risk of jail, probably.

[-] earphone843@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 months ago
[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 11 points 3 months ago

Or stochastic terrorism

[-] andros_rex@lemmy.world 18 points 3 months ago

One aspect is that working in that kind of system destroys your mental health. Having to play games to hide the good things, trying to mitigate the bad things. It’s pressure.

My state has been basically been doing Project 2025 for the past five years. I had a friend in an important position in a fascist overtaken state organization who held on for a long time, fighting the good fight - but it drains. She fought her fucking hardest, but a human being can only fight for so long.

[-] Makhno@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

The kurds have been fighting a war from the desert for decades, but Americans get whipped by paperwork and call it a day

[-] in4apenny@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 months ago

I feel like there will be a "How To Count To 10 In American" video coming out in the next 4-8 years.

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[-] Devanismyname@lemmy.ca 63 points 3 months ago

Those are the ones you want to stay. They have ethics.

[-] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 30 points 3 months ago

No, no, that's the point. This is a feature, not a bug.

[-] shasta@lemm.ee 1 points 3 months ago

It's a tough decision. People are afraid of retaliation. No one wants to end up in the Nuremberg trials

[-] rustydrd@sh.itjust.works 58 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Relevant bit from the article, because some of y'all apparently comment before reading:

The staffers who resigned were all originally employees of the United States Digital Service, a technology unit established during President Obama’s second term in 2014. The unit was renamed and reorganized in January via executive order by Trump into the Musk-headed DOGE.

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[-] masterofn001@lemmy.ca 43 points 3 months ago

And 21 loyalists (yes, america, you're heading to monarchy) will be hired to fill those spots and nobody is left to resist.

[-] Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 16 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

They were doge staffers, wouldn't they already be loyalists? Edit: nvm, down the thread explanations that it was a department already that got converted to doge

[-] BilboBargains@lemmy.world 36 points 3 months ago

Holy shit you guys are proper fucked. America went full retard

[-] Justas@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 months ago

It's like Elon Musk and Donald Trump are both pissing down a volcano and not expecting it to burn their dicks off.

[-] Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world 35 points 3 months ago

I just want to know what these people were thinking when they took the jobs in the first place.

[-] orclev@lemmy.world 139 points 3 months ago

I think the ones resigning were part of the old department that Musk took over and converted into DOGE, so they didn't actually join DOGE originally.

[-] Pieisawesome@lemmy.dbzer0.com 91 points 3 months ago

They already worked there.

Musk took over the US digital Service and they were preexisting employees

[-] Serinus@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

Well... one of the doges is the USDS skinsuit one. There's actually several iterations. And it's not clear Elon works for any of them?

https://nebula.tv/LegalEagle

[-] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 2 points 3 months ago

Needed a job to pay that ridiculous rent, I suppose.

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[-] Bosht@lemmy.world 26 points 3 months ago

HOLY SHIT HELL YES!! Finally someone with some backbone god damn. Best news I've heard in a month!

[-] Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 3 months ago

Propbably tired of getting cussed out and the partners leaving them.

[-] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

It's tiresome to deal with a boss who is on drugs all the time

[-] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago

TBH it's interesting that there are always staffers available when the previous trump admin had staffers go very long times without a job as a result of their affiliations.

Working with the fascists is a huge negative on your resume, kids.

[-] JoYo@lemmy.ml 13 points 3 months ago

who did they submit their resignation? musk and trump can't lead so it's not them.

[-] SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 months ago

Probably had to tweet a poop emoji at Musk.

[-] kreskin@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

Putin will not be pleased.

[-] Melvin_Ferd@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I would love to see posts like this end up on right leaning spaces like critical posts about left leaning issues end up on left leaning spaces.

Trumps base has such a sycophant army that they just swarm spaces and post this stuff every minute of every day. But the opposite doesn't happen. Having even 100 people posting stuff like this across their space would do more than a 10 000 person protest ever could but it amazes me that 10 000 would take time off work, go stand in the rain for a week instead of shit posting effectively.

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this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2025
570 points (99.5% liked)

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