Some employees at the Department of Education changed their responses back to the more neutral language, only to have it changed yet again to the partisan response, multiple sources tell WIRED.

  • saltesc@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Thank you for contacting me. On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed HR 5371, a clean continuing resolution. Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of HR 5371 in the Senate which has led to a lapse in appropriations. Due to the lapse in appropriations I am currently in furlough status. I will respond to emails once government functions resume.

    Y’all fucked. Bail now. There’s way better places to live out your days on earth .

    • Scotty_Trees@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      Can you give me at least 3 countries that’ll take Americans with nothing more than a basic college degree?

    • mean_bean279@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      The problem is that for many of the nearly retired folks a job in the government was the promise of a good wage with great benefits and good retirement options. They want it gone because it forced other companies to play catch up in pay and benefits whenever the government could pay better.

      It’s also not easy to walk away from a pension program when you’re so invested in it. It’s designed to make people stay long term and put in the work.

      • saltesc@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        I don’t think it was designed as that at all. But like anything long-term with no protection or regulation, it will be exploited. This is as guaranteed as sunrise.

        • mean_bean279@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          It wasn’t designed that way, but it turned into a system that forced private enterprise to play pay and benefits catch up.

          Also, it was protected and had regulations, but when the people in power simply ignore those regulations it doesn’t matter. The problem here is that people have lived in relative comfort for the last 70 years and were throwing it away to remember what a history book could have taught us.

    • nomiya@sh.itjust.works
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      2 days ago

      It seems like most countries are heading in the same direction with their own flavors of fascism. It’s also not that easy to get visas for decent places to live.

      • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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        23 hours ago

        The fascists in other countries are taking g notes after seeing how easily Trump and the MAGAts are managing to get away with this bullshit.

        The rest of us need to wake the fuck up and push back agaist thw faccists before it gets too late in our countries.

      • Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz
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        1 day ago

        It’s also not that easy to get visas for decent places to live.

        The American passport is incredibly strong, we get Visa On Arrival to Japan and Korea, 3 month e-visa for Vietnam, and the application is a pain in the ass, but americans get a 90 day/10 year tourist visa for China if you apply in America (but you have to be near one of the visa centers), and 60 day/10 year if you apply in Vietnam, Seoul, or Tokyo.

      • saltesc@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        I can understand immigration restrictions because they’ve always been in the interest of maintaining a healthy economy that can contribute plenty toward future infrastructure. This is just the play for as long as history is recorded. As long as we’ve had borders, and walls, fences, guards… It’s common for countries to go through periods of restriction to only skilled workers, specific industries, etc. otherwise it’s working internally on itself for a period.

        But when you’ve got a booming GDP, restricting visas makes as much sense as having substantial poverty among citizens. Like sovereignty and protection of those within was never on the cards, it’s just straight up fascism, as you said. You get the same idiots saying they’re the most powerful military in the world capable of destroying anything—which isn’t far from true—also saying a brown family is going to destroy the nation… Uh-huh. Sure… One of these things has to be a lie for both cannot be true.

    • Obinice@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Can they not make a legal claim given that their employer is putting words into their mouth in communications with the public, especially given that it’s highly politically charged wording that would damage their reputation, plus in a normal country saying such things at work like that would get you sacked.

      I don’t know the legalities, but if my employer made it seem like I’d said something like that I’d demand an immediate apology, a reprimand for whomever did it, and a public redaction and apology sent to everybody that had received the fraudulent message.

      That seems reasonable and fair.

      • saltesc@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        I know in my country, such a thing is illegal af and there’d be very damaging outcry from the public if a gov tried it. But this country and the ones I’ve lived in, the governments seem to understand they’re in service of the public. This is one of the reasons why governments came to exist and why they are still relevent, after all.

      • ITGuyLevi@programming.dev
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        1 day ago

        First I’m 100% with you, Azure audits who set those messages and they do need to be reported.

        Conspiracy time: Every furloughed employee with that message set could be considered in violation of the Hatch Act and that carries with it a possible penalty of removal from federal employment, debarment from federal employment for up to 5 years, and possibly up to a $1,000 civil penalty. I’m really hoping the plan isn’t to start firing these workers from agencies the current administration doesn’t like to begin with.

    • AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today
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      2 days ago

      I wish it was as easy as just bailing. I very much want to, but I can’t afford it, and with the coming depression, I especially won’t be able to afford it.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        It’s insane how many people think if all the rational people left the government…

        That will somehow fight Trump’s plan to make the government ineffective.

        Fucking toddler logic, and it’s widely up voted.

        No wonder shit’s so fucked.

        • timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.works
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          2 days ago

          They’re not arguing that at all. They’re saying gtfo and go to a country that isn’t batshit insane.

          They’ve made no argument it’d make the government better.

      • mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca
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        2 days ago

        if you’re planning to leave the country, why not

        if you’re planning to stay, do everything in your power to stop them

      • grue@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Not only is Mars a frigid desert without enough air, at this point any Mars colony is pretty likely to be Elon Musk’s company town/fiefdom/slave plantation, which is obviously even worse.