this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2025
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chapotraphouse

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Elon, aka Office of Personnel Management, aka S.H.I.T.H.E.A.D.:

We encourage you to find a job in the private sector as soon as you would like to do so. The way to greater American prosperity is encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector.

Damn dude, this is so awesome, I’ve literally never been tied to this fuck through even consumption and now I have him pulling on my chains, at the best possible time cursed-woog

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[–] dead@hexbear.net 74 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I was shooting heroin and reading “The Fountainhead” in the front seat of my privately owned police cruiser when a call came in. I put a quarter in the radio to activate it. It was the chief.

“Bad news, detective. We got a situation.”

“What? Is the mayor trying to ban trans fats again?”

“Worse. Somebody just stole four hundred and forty-seven million dollars’ worth of bitcoins.”

The heroin needle practically fell out of my arm. “What kind of monster would do something like that? Bitcoins are the ultimate currency: virtual, anonymous, stateless. They represent true economic freedom, not subject to arbitrary manipulation by any government. Do we have any leads?”

“Not yet. But mark my words: we’re going to figure out who did this and we’re going to take them down … provided someone pays us a fair market rate to do so.”

“Easy, chief,” I said. “Any rate the market offers is, by definition, fair.”

He laughed. “That’s why you’re the best I got, Lisowski. Now you get out there and find those bitcoins.”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m on it.”

I put a quarter in the siren. Ten minutes later, I was on the scene. It was a normal office building, strangled on all sides by public sidewalks. I hopped over them and went inside.

“Home Depot™ Presents the Police!®” I said, flashing my badge and my gun and a small picture of Ron Paul. “Nobody move unless you want to!” They didn’t.

“Now, which one of you punks is going to pay me to investigate this crime?” No one spoke up.

“Come on,” I said. “Don’t you all understand that the protection of private property is the foundation of all personal liberty?”

It didn’t seem like they did.

“Seriously, guys. Without a strong economic motivator, I’m just going to stand here and not solve this case. Cash is fine, but I prefer being paid in gold bullion or autographed Penn Jillette posters.”

Nothing. These people were stonewalling me. It almost seemed like they didn’t care that a fortune in computer money invented to buy drugs was missing.

I figured I could wait them out. I lit several cigarettes indoors. A pregnant lady coughed, and I told her that secondhand smoke is a myth. Just then, a man in glasses made a break for it.

“Subway™ Eat Fresh and Freeze, Scumbag!®” I yelled.

Too late. He was already out the front door. I went after him.

“Stop right there!” I yelled as I ran. He was faster than me because I always try to avoid stepping on public sidewalks. Our country needs a private-sidewalk voucher system, but, thanks to the incestuous interplay between our corrupt federal government and the public-sidewalk lobby, it will never happen.

I was losing him. “Listen, I’ll pay you to stop!” I yelled. “What would you consider an appropriate price point for stopping? I’ll offer you a thirteenth of an ounce of gold and a gently worn ‘Bob Barr ‘08’ extra-large long-sleeved men’s T-shirt!”

He turned. In his hand was a revolver that the Constitution said he had every right to own. He fired at me and missed. I pulled my own gun, put a quarter in it, and fired back. The bullet lodged in a U.S.P.S. mailbox less than a foot from his head. I shot the mailbox again, on purpose.

“All right, all right!” the man yelled, throwing down his weapon. “I give up, cop! I confess: I took the bitcoins.”

“Why’d you do it?” I asked, as I slapped a pair of Oikos™ Greek Yogurt Presents Handcuffs® on the guy.

“Because I was afraid.”

“Afraid?”

“Afraid of an economic future free from the pernicious meddling of central bankers,” he said. “I’m a central banker.”

I wanted to coldcock the guy. Years ago, a central banker killed my partner. Instead, I shook my head.

“Let this be a message to all your central-banker friends out on the street,” I said. “No matter how many bitcoins you steal, you’ll never take away the dream of an open society based on the principles of personal and economic freedom.”

He nodded, because he knew I was right. Then he swiped his credit card to pay me for arresting him.

[–] glimmer_twin@hexbear.net 23 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

This is brilliant. I gotta say I was expecting a recurring joke where they keep mentioning how much Bitcoin was stolen and every time the amount fluctuates wildly

[–] aebletrae@hexbear.net 13 points 1 day ago

The bit is from a decade ago. I'm not sure the volatility had arrived/was obvious yet.

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[–] came_apart_at_Kmart@hexbear.net 50 points 1 day ago (1 children)

having worked inside public institutions with leadership attempting to implement rapid austerity, these messages--while rage inducing--are functionally worthless. they are meant to unsettle workers and pressure them into believing the narrative. I see these moves as desperation plays, the hail Mary on 1st and 10 betraying their complete lack of a strategy. and the real value in them is being able to confirm the identity of compradors/careerists who are on board with the new bosses.

something I keep close to my heart in contexts like that is that leadership is NOT a role. it is an ability. in a situation like this, the people at the top don't know shit about fuck. they certainly aren't leaders. they are just clumsy animals banging on the walls trying to be disruptive of the public goods factory. the defense is the same defense against them in the private sector: don't do what they want. don't accept what they peddle. quietly undermine them at every turn. bosses aren't institutions. workers are the institutions. workers have the real power, and they loathe us for it.

instead, focus on providing value to the stakeholders that deserve it, half-ass / ignore the leadership directives (not enough to get noticed, but ride that line lol), and keep delivering on your personal, idealized version of your institution's mission right up until the day they have to send someone to stop you and remove you specifically. they rarely have that capacity. and unless you are head and shoulders above the average in obvious subterfuge, they can't actually root you out like the naughty weed you are.

when their backs are turned, you are spartacus. when they look at you directly, you're just a numbered cell in a hive so large they find it existentially threatening.

it's all about trying to get us to voluntarily exit the public sector or become toxic/dysfunctional in our roles and degrade public services.

now, obviously there are limits to what you should put up with, but sometimes there's a perverse joy in fucking with the bosses by doing a good job in a way they don't want but can't complain about.

[–] Lussy@hexbear.net 12 points 1 day ago

I think you’re absolutely right, that they’re desperate and floundering.

But on the other hand I think of Milei and how he gutted, like, 60% of the Argentine government in less than a year.

[–] M68040@hexbear.net 60 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The private sector can suck my dick. I’m not grinding my ass off for the sake of a bunch of upper management perverts and dimwit shareholders. Working at the Post Office kind of sucks, but at least I know there’s the pretense of being useful to the community first and foremost.

[–] glimmer_twin@hexbear.net 33 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Working at the Post Office kind of sucks, but at least I know there’s the pretense of being useful to the community first and foremost.

A fellow mailperson rat-salute-2

It is nice to provide some kind of utility. Although I feel more like an arm of ecommerce most of the time… that and a junk mail delivery service lol.

[–] JustSo@hexbear.net 12 points 1 day ago

No, listen, you are part of one the most reliable drug distribution networks in history. Your services literally save lives. This is not a bit.

[–] M68040@hexbear.net 17 points 1 day ago

Any day I get a LLV over a Metris is a good one, I'll say that.

[–] ClimateChangeAnxiety@hexbear.net 66 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the _____ sector to higher productivity jobs in the _____ sector

Economics pop quiz! Fill in the blanks with the words “private” and “public”!

Answer Key

  1. Private, 2. Public.


The private sector is inherently wasteful and corrupt. The waste is built in and considered a good thing, it’s called “profit.” Dollars invested to value produced, the public sector wins and it’s not even close.

[–] BodyBySisyphus@hexbear.net 31 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I mean the single biggest line item in our discretionary budget is "giveaways to the war profiteers" so there needs to be a caveat for public sector (when not run by absolute demons)

[–] Lussy@hexbear.net 19 points 1 day ago (6 children)

We all know that’s not getting cut and that’s not what Melon is referring to here

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[–] ChestRockwell@hexbear.net 49 points 1 day ago (2 children)
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[–] Goblin@hexbear.net 49 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Wait til yer agency sends out an email saying we fully support the presidents EO on defending women from those stinky trans people. I think today's the deadline on that one

[–] Lussy@hexbear.net 48 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Holy fuck lmao

Well, I just received an email from the agency’s undersecretary:

In furtherance of President Trump’s EO, “Defending Women”, agency has updated its style guide to revise the email signature block and remove the use of personal pronouns.

What absolute fuckery

[–] inTheShadowOf@hexbear.net 29 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And what if a cis woman wants to put she/her in (cw: pronoun 😱) her email signature??

This defending women thing really seems to be restricting women.

[–] jack@hexbear.net 40 points 1 day ago (6 children)

This defending women thing really seems to be restricting women.

astronaut-1

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[–] BodyBySisyphus@hexbear.net 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So the style guide will also be updated to require everyone to use gender neutral pronouns in written correspondence? anakin-padme-2

[–] barrbaric@hexbear.net 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

No pronouns at all, everyone must use full names at all times. If sending out a mass email, you must include the name of every single person who will be receiving in the text body.

[–] MayoPete@hexbear.net 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Time to start misgendering every male in the department on purpose.

[–] Evilphd666@hexbear.net 2 points 1 day ago

Make sure to carry a copy of the EO assgning gender at conception. Just following the spirit of the order, ma'am.

[–] PKMKII@hexbear.net 49 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

What I want to know is, where are the unions in all this? Unionization rates are high in the public sector, I would think they’d be fighting this shit tooth and nail.

[–] nothx@hexbear.net 40 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’ve been wondering the same thing. Last I heard from my friend who is dealing with this, the union didn’t have a response yet…

[–] spectre@hexbear.net 30 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What fools, you've had weeks to prepare

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[–] xiaohongshu@hexbear.net 28 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

This is a prelude to the privatization of federal agencies. Note that the severance payout is until September, which is when the federal budget cycle ends. If the agencies are not staffed adequately in the following cycle, then their services will deteriorate and thus making the way for private takeover. Government contracts will have to be outsourced to private sector.

Honestly the bourgeoisie are simply using the Trump/Musk “downsizing of the government” as excuses to advance their goal of privatizing government agencies.

[–] DerEwigeAtheist@hexbear.net 13 points 1 day ago

So lile the US civil administration will be done like the military industrial complex?

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[–] DickFuckarelli@hexbear.net 32 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I haven't been paying attention to the space; heard about the scam buyouts in passing.

I have a feeling some amount of Feds are about to get radicalized. Most will still hold on to their Lib hopes and dreams, but I'd imagine some might have a Coming to Lenin moment.

back-to-me-shining

[–] FuckyWucky@hexbear.net 39 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

ridiculous how much power the President has in the U.S. that unelected not even bureaucrats can do this.

i'm not even saying norms and institutions can't be broken eventually but this shit should take at least a few years

[–] REgon@hexbear.net 41 points 1 day ago

That's some of the dumbest most redditor type stuff I've ever read. That man is incredible. Just a walking avatar of I can Haz cheezburger ragecomics
I'm so sorry on your behalf.

[–] DerEwigeAtheist@hexbear.net 22 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The US really is doing shock doctrine to itself.

[–] REgon@hexbear.net 14 points 1 day ago

Wish I had a couple billion lying around, I could buy some state apparatus or other. Maybe become the rat Czar. Seems like a rad job title.

[–] InternetLefty@hexbear.net 10 points 1 day ago

Foucault's Boomerang Perestroika let's go baby

[–] Assian_Candor@hexbear.net 25 points 1 day ago

bugs-no

I don't think they can fire you guys so they are trying to scare you out. Dont blink

[–] boiledfrog@hexbear.net 30 points 1 day ago

Ancap nation

[–] nothx@hexbear.net 35 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Sorry comrade, that’s so fucking shitty…

I have a friend who is also getting these types of emails on blast and her department isn’t being very forthcoming about what the realistic expectations should be going forward.

So much uncertainty and fear across pretty much the entirety of the public sector right now… it’s really unsettling.

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[–] plinky@hexbear.net 32 points 1 day ago (6 children)

quick question what has military ever produced? negative productivity leeches, just consuming and consuming

[–] tactical_trans_karen@hexbear.net 27 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

We need to start framing the military as an inefficient and wasteful cost the same way they frame healthcare.

"What if the government abuses their free use of the military and they don't really need it?"

"We don't want to give the Pentagon handouts, they'll become dependent and won't have an incentive to work!"

"They're just taking they money and using it to buy drugs and alcohol!"

"Year over year there's no profit, they're always in the red! Spending all this time on indoctrination that they call "training", how hard can it be, just aim and pull the trigger!"

[–] plinky@hexbear.net 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's already framed that way with 50000 toilets and whatever the fuck, just nobody has the balls of trump and opportunity to say it in debate

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I guess this is the exception to my comment about the public sector being more efficient than the private sector. The military single-handedly dragging those numbers to the opposite end of the scale.

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[–] Hotspur@lemmy.ml 22 points 1 day ago

Yeah I loved that little fuck you they snuck in there. There’s also a pretty silly typo in the last part of the FAQ. They’re not using the best people.

I love that they talk about productivity… the easiest way that’s measured is via revenue and profit, and someone needs to break it to them that fed govt is mission based and is forbidden by law to make money. There’s no easy way to compare productivity in terms of selling things and productivity of achieving a broad mission, particularly when you factor in constant political meddling and budget restriction.

But of course, all of that’s irrelevant, since the goal here has nothing to do with efficiency or productivity, but just hollowing out the govt so that corruption can flow with greater ease.

[–] godlessworm@hexbear.net 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

i hope someone shoots elon and that he doesnt die but becomes permanently physically injured and loses most of his brain function but retains just enough to realize how much his life sucks now

[–] glimmer_twin@hexbear.net 24 points 1 day ago

loses most of his brain function

How would we tell?

[–] goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org 15 points 1 day ago

What's awesome /s is seeing so many people jump for joy at all the workers possibly about to lose their job. Bonus points when they can't fathom that federal employees are working class.

[–] marxisthayaca@hexbear.net 20 points 1 day ago

Send him PPB

[–] bennieandthez@lemmygrad.ml 13 points 1 day ago

god bless elon musk on his task of destroying the US

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