Opinion 83,000 VA Employees Slated to Be Fired This Year by Musk's DOGE

[Strychnine]

Since we’re on the topic:

This is for people who call themselves "Christians" (I'm a follower of The Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings), but ignore the "Jesus" parts of the Bible.

 

[CantCucktheTuck]

timestamped to relevant interview

 

[Bob Gray]

Because "the weakness of western civilization" is not empathy. You could argue empathy is part of what has made America such a prosperous nation. Additionally, when Elon argues his point on empathy he is not basing it on fact with his example since illegal immigrants cannot vote in federal elections. You are interested in only what he says but as with everything there is context that has to be included to understand the statement.

He didnt say that the weakness of western civilization is empathy. You're quoting me quoting a misquote and then arguing against the misquote I was quoting. What?

You're not basing anything on fact either. Most political and social standpoints are almost always opinion and not fact.

Yes, what he says is far more important to me than what you interpret him to mean.

Plus why would you not be concerned with the hypocrisy? Nothing seems off about a guy who says empathy is good unless you're being taken advantage of when he himself has taken advantage of the empathy he has received?

Arguments from hypocrisy are almost never effective as to whether or not someones point is sound. If anything, arguing hypocrisy is insinuating that their position is correct, and the fact that they dont live up to it only further proves it.

Example, a supposedly devout religious person is telling someone about how important it is to remain faithful to their spouse, and yet they cheat on them. Their cheating is an example of hypocrisy, but it isnt an indication that their position was unsound. This is emblematic of almost every accusation of hypocrisy when it comes to political/social views. Arguing that someone doesnt live up to their ideals/positions is a poor argument that people shouldnt take those ideals/positions seriously or that they arent accurate.

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

Because it's chronically underfunded by right wingers that hate American veterans.

Yeah 'chronically underfunded' at 500,000 salaries lmao

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

This

Also, sad to see anyone lose their job.

I don't pay attention much but is any optimization going on with these government waste cuts or is it cutting people, telling the rest to make up for it and not giving them better ways to work?

The worst people that I've ever interviewed have been former government employees but cutting people for the sake of reducing cost without other improvements generally doesn't work. Intake and claims can streamlined generally but it's hard to do if people are overloaded because a bunch of people went missing.

I've worked plenty of places where you can fire half the staff and nothing changes. A lot of people literally do nothing all day at work.

 

[Crazy Source]

Because it's chronically underfunded by right wingers that hate American veterans.

The GOP playbook has for many decades been 1. Starve the dept of funds, then 2. Point at the dept when it doesn't run efficiently and say, "See! We told you it doesn't work!". And people fall for that shit. It's incredibly frustrating.

 

[cincymma79]

Did you serve?

Coffee at the drive thru. Absolutely

 

[Fury]

I've worked plenty of places where you can fire half the staff and nothing changes. A lot of people literally do nothing all day at work.

Then what are we doing to make something change when we fire the people. They could actually make changes to make things better, remove the need to hire again in the future. Save even more and reinvest in something else in the future.

I just hear, fire people, so it sounds like everyone is saying the government is very efficient but just has too many people. I also see improve efficiency but I've seen nothing in the way of optimization or process improvement talked about meaningfully.

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

Then what are we doing to make something change when we fire the people.

Cutting costs by firing the dead weight.

 

[Fury]

Cutting costs by firing the dead weight.

You're a very good reader.

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

You're a very good reader.

That is a change and it is increasing efficiency.

If you're paying 500,000 people and you fire 100,000 of them and the work still gets done, you just saved a shit ton of money.

You don't have to like it. Your feelings don't change anything.

 

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

That is a change and it is increasing efficiency.

If you're paying 500,000 people and you fire 100,000 of them and the work still gets done, you just saved a shit ton of money.

You don't have to like it. Your feelings don't change anything.

Except when they had 100k less the work was not getting done and when they hired more the work started getting done. So how is it more efficient to return to when you couldn't do the work?

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

Except when they had 100k less the work was not getting done and when they hired more the work started getting done. So how is it more efficient to return to when you couldn't do the work?

Oh weird, I don't remember anyone saying the VA was suddenly working well after hearing people complain about it my entire life. I'm sure you can find an example from then.

 

[Crazy Source]

Oh weird, I don't remember anyone saying the VA was suddenly working well after hearing people complain about it my entire life. I'm sure you can find an example from then.

BECAUSE THE VA HAS BEEN CHRONICALLY UNDERFUNDED FOR DECADES.

Listen for once! It's been explained several times in this thread. Go into a subject with the goal of learning more, not a preconceived idea of how things are.

And how in the hell does a Canadian hear his whole life about the VA in America??????? I call bullshit.

 

[Fury]

That is a change and it is increasing efficiency.

If you're paying 500,000 people and you fire 100,000 of them and the work still gets done, you just saved a shit ton of money.

You don't have to like it. Your feelings don't change anything.

I'm mostly saying go harder. To do better than just firing people, actually make the government efficient.

Go read my posts. It doesn't bring me joy that people lose their jobs but that's just being a normal person. That doesn't mean that this moment can't also be leveraged to make things better.

Have you dealt with the government as a business or customer? The websites and phone systems are garbage. They have a ton of forms they want printed and sent back like it's 1986.

I can only imagine the manual work that isn't necessary that they do on intake and for claims. So when I say make it more efficient, I mean make things actually work well. You know, to save money now and the future.

Cut jobs but modernize the fucking place too.

 

[helltoupee]

I feel like a lot of Americans need a visual representation like jelly beans in a jar or planetary models to understand the difference between millions and trillions sometimes

You are exactly right.

Here's the difference between just 1 million and 1 billion.

1 million seconds is 11.5 days.

1 billion seconds is ....31.69 YEARS

 

[LeonardoBjj]

Same people that go "I would train (insert any fighting sport) but i just see red and can't control myself"

- Theres a girl that does videos asking if people can fight, several say that. That's one douche saying he would face Triple G

 

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

Oh weird, I don't remember anyone saying the VA was suddenly working well after hearing people complain about it my entire life. I'm sure you can find an example from then.

You're Canadian. Who the fuck have you heard from that actually has experience with. The VA?

Veterans literally protested for years to staff the VA better. Patients of the VA report better service and higher satisfaction.

https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-h...ide-quality-and-patient-satisfaction-reviews/

https://www.techtarget.com/patiente...nt-satisfaction-and-trust-reach-all-time-high

https://www.usmedicine.com/agencies...-satisfaction-with-care-from-va-vs-community/

I know many vets who rely on the VA and advocates who work there. My aunt, rest her soul, spend most of her adult life as a nurse at the VA. It is not a perfect org but they do good work for vets and desperately need the staff.

But of course you don't care. Trump does it so it's good. Fuck all the vets it hurts right?

 

[cincymma79]

You're Canadian. Who the fuck have you heard from that actually has experience with. The VA?

Veterans literally protested for years to staff the VA better. Patients of the VA report better service and higher satisfaction.

https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-h...ide-quality-and-patient-satisfaction-reviews/

https://www.techtarget.com/patiente...nt-satisfaction-and-trust-reach-all-time-high

https://www.usmedicine.com/agencies...-satisfaction-with-care-from-va-vs-community/

I know many vets who rely on the VA and advocates who work there. My aunt, rest her soul, spend most of her adult life as a nurse at the VA. It is not a perfect org but they do good work for vets and desperately need the staff.

But of course you don't care. Trump does it so it's good. Fuck all the vets it hurts right?

I’m a vet and I do not go to the Va for shit. The care is bad but free. That’s why there’s ones who go like it. If they ever go anywhere else they quickly change their minds

 

[Crazy Source]

I’m a vet and I do not go to the Va for shit. The care is bad but free. That’s why there’s ones who go like it. If they ever go anywhere else they quickly change their minds

That's kind of proving his point, no?