Want to understand what Trump is doing?

Arto1s

Trump is NOT a fascist. For goodness’ sake, is he murdering Jews? I think not. And he is not, and cannot be, a dictator. This is America - he simply will not be allowed to be a dictator. He runs off his mouth, which most of is ignore. We just watch the actions of our government.

"He runs off his mouth, which most of is ignore. We just watch the actions of our government"

Yes - until it affects you and your family.

Thank you for that article, imaround - shows. the hiring policies Trump criticised were in place when he was in power first time round.

(There's also another interesting article referenced in your article on Musk and the FAA which describes how Musk is to date being refused an office in the West Wing)

www.yahoo.com/news/trump-isnt-giving-elon-musk-190944538.html.

Oh for an edit button! Not "Trump but "While Trump" sorry!

Arto1s

Trump is NOT a fascist. For goodness’ sake, is he murdering Jews? I think not. And he is not, and cannot be, a dictator. This is America - he simply will not be allowed to be a dictator. He runs off his mouth, which most of is ignore. We just watch the actions of our government.

Whilst I understand your perspective, and it's important to clarify what we mean by 'fascism.'

Trump may not be directly engaging in the extreme actions associated with historical fascist regimes, e.g., "killing Jews", some will argue that some of his behaviors and policies exhibit authoritarian tendencies, such as abandoning democratic norms and promoting division.

It’s useful to look at the broader characteristics of fascism, which can include:

Nationalism
Suppression of dissent
The erosion of democratic institutions.

It is complex, but if some people are going to support this form of rule which is, at the very least anti-democratic, they really need to understand that evidence shows America being moved steadily towards a fascist state.

If you want to know how Jews themseves define fascism the Holocaust Encyclopedia defines fascism as:

"a far-right political philosophy, or theory of government, that emerged in the early twentieth century. Fascism prioritises the nation over the individual, who exists to serve the nation." and as:

"an ultranationalist, authoritarian political philosophy. It combines elements of nationalism, militarism, economic self-sufficiency, and totalitarianism. It opposes communism, socialism, pluralism, individual rights and equality, and democratic government."

This is an interesting update about Trump and DEI.

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/01/30/politics/faa-disability-hiring-trump-fact-check

The black box has been recovered
from the plane.

Call it what you like it, but the Lakin Rikey Act was just passed that suspends due process for anyone who they believe to be here illegally.

Trump just ordered Guantanamo Bay opened to hold these people who have had their due process violated.

People are being advised to carry their papers to prove they are US citizens. There are reports that people are being held despite having their citizenship papers available.

He has called for the ethnic cleansing of GAZA.

Sure sounds a lot like other facists from history. 🤷‍♀️

Fascism is a word describing a particular political outlook.

You don’t need to murder Jews to fall into that category.

Trump is in the same bed as Milei or Orban. They would all find themselves agreeing about most things.

Us, not is

Trump is NOT a fascist. For goodness’ sake, is he murdering Jews? I think not. And he is not, and cannot be, a dictator. This is America - he simply will not be allowed to be a dictator. He runs off his mouth, which most of is ignore. We just watch the actions of our government.

Babs03

imaround

Kandinsky

What Trump is doing just now is attempting to claim that the tragic plane crash was caused by Biden's diversity policies

Maybe it was?

This from BBC news.

In his remarks, he referenced the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) hiring of people with "severe intellectual" disabilities and other mental or physical issues.
A website for the FAA's diversity and inclusion hiring programme appears to have been taken down in December.
An archived version of the site, however, shows that the FAA was seeking people with "targeted disabilities" that the federal government was prioritising for recruitment at the time.
The website specifically referenced hearing and vision issues, as well as "missing extremities, partial paralysis, completely paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability and dwarfism".

Would you want a hard of hearing, short sighted, dwarf guiding your plane in?

We haven't had a major incident in 16 years of "DEI hiring".

In 1 week he has:

January 20: FAA director fired
January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen
January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded
January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees
January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years

Thanks imaround, the thing is that Trump's supporters don't seem to look for the 'details' all they do is follow the banner, happy to hear what they want to hear and to hell with the reality of the situation.
In a nutshell - rampant populism.

The FAA Director was asked to resign by Elon Musk because of a feud concerning Space X being fined over safety issues. He resigned on January 20th and there has been nobody appointed to replace him. The power Musk seems to have over POTUS is disturbing.
time.com/7211655/elon-musk-former-faa-administrator-mike-whitaker-history/

Sounds like something brought forward rapidly to cover up Trumps appalling remarks as regards people with disabilities,

which I will absolutely never forget nor forgive, as people struggle to come to terms with the tragedy.

Trump is unhinged.

Our next catastrophe is queuing up.

Starting Saturday 25% tariffs from Mexico and Canada.

And the Department
of Transportation guidance to ban all funding for sanctuary cities and to prioritize communities with high marriage and birth rates. Which is discrimination.

And people wonder when we need the EEOC.

Of course there are still countless hours left today, so we may get a sneak attack we don't expect.

Wyllow3

imaround

I guess we can stop speculating.

Do we know why there was one person on duty not two?

Do we know why there was one person on duty not two?

That was my first thought.

I found this, from NEWSWEEK:

An FAA report obtained by the Associated Press said that one air traffic controller was coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes at the airport when the incident occurred, which is "not normal."

However, a person familiar with the matter told the AP that overall staffing at the air traffic control tower was typical that night—one person takes over "when controllers need to step away from the console for breaks, are in the process of a shift change, or air traffic is slow," the AP reported.

The New York Times also reported, citing an internal report, that one air traffic controller was "handling helicopters in the airport's vicinity" and "instructing planes that were landing and departing from its runways."

Perhaps more will be known when the flight data recorders are recovered? Pointless to speculate until then.

Although some will... already have...

I can't imagine what the grieving families are going through, their lives will never be the same again.

imaround

Here is what I am looking for in rhe report.

Did the fact that Trump removed over 100 leadership officials at the FAA last week lead to there being only 1 personnel staff yesterday.

How many new hires were dismissed last week due to Trumps hiring freeze and did this complicate the situation?

Was any flight plan around DC changed at all recently with the new administration moving in?

I would also want to know if this ATC was qualified and fully trained. Though this risk of this is low, it is a valid question. Hiring for this position is a stringent 6 month process and all applicants must pass a medical screening and background check, but that doesnt mean they were trained properly.

Thanks for your posts imaround

I was shocked to hear Trump on the news tonight. No-one should be able to pre-empt a proper investigation like that, not even the POTUS and to hear him use this tragic accident and the loss of so many lives to score a political point was sickening.

Yes, the training for Air Traffic Controllers is rigorous; someone we know underwent this and worked as an ATC for a number of years but it was extremely stressful and he left to retrain for a different career.

Helicopters have manoeuverability, unlike a passenger jet. The flight recorders have not yet been found but when they are, will help the thorough investigation.

Our thoughts should be with the families and friends of all those who lost their lives in this disaster.

Good questions imaround.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

^It's worth considering that DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives aim to address historical inequities and create more inclusive workplaces.^

I know that.
Just that I don’t agree with the premise.
Sorry.

On this we shall have to agree to disagree.

And I do think this thread is febrile. I’m allowed to give my opinion.

"I’m allowed to give my opinion."

Your are, of course, allowed to express your opinion but how you express it is limited by Gransnet guidelines. It's a bit like UK law as opposed to USA "freedom of speech".

Of course, you don't have to agree with anyone on anything. The part of my post you quoted starts "It's worth considering". No one was asking any more of you than that. You would hope we are all considering the other person's point of view. Otherwise we are just here to shout opinions at one another.

I did ask if you agreed that the citizenship of each person was equal. If it is, surely intentional actions and policy interventions must be put in place to at least move towards equality of opportunity. While the ideal of equal citizenship is a core principle of democracy, achieving true equality often requires ongoing efforts to address systemic inequalities, promote inclusivity, and ensure that all citizens can fully participate in and benefit from democratic governance.

Or are you saying you don't believe in democracy?

Here is what I am looking for in rhe report.

Did the fact that Trump removed over 100 leadership officials at the FAA last week lead to there being only 1 personnel staff yesterday.

How many new hires were dismissed last week due to Trumps hiring freeze and did this complicate the situation?

Was any flight plan around DC changed at all recently with the new administration moving in?

I would also want to know if this ATC was qualified and fully trained. Though this risk of this is low, it is a valid question. Hiring for this position is a stringent 6 month process and all applicants must pass a medical screening and background check, but that doesnt mean they were trained properly.

In Sept 2024, the FAA had reported they had met their hiring goal of air traffic controllers.

www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-hits-air-traffic-controller-hiring-goal

This does not mean they were at full capacity of ATC though.

I think it was a horrible accident caused by the ATC being overworked and the helicopter pilot not seeing the correct plane when ATC asked him about it to be honest.

It is madness that Trump tried to blame DEI immediately.

Then it’s all down to his own party…

Claremont

Their hero

youtu.be/mdLfkhxIH5Q?feature=shared

Oh yes, that was when he truly crossed the line for me. When will people wake up, or more importantly, the decent Republicans and the Democrats start calling him our? There does not appear to be anything resembling an opposition at present.

This statement was put out by the Democrats in the House last week.

democrats-transportation.house.gov/news/press-releases/ranking-members-larsen-cohen-statements-on-trumps-dangerous-freeze-of-air-traffic-control-hiring

So someone at least saw the risk.

There has been an Air Traffic Controller shortage for years. There are stringent requirements to be an air traffic controller an it is a stressful job, so it is difficult to find employees to begin with.

Regan airport has pretty dangerous air space due to all the military installations and the Potomic in the area.

We do not yet know if Trumps hiring freeze from last week is part of the cause or not. It certainly didn't help things.

If you have a disability and score well on merit the job’s yours.

Sounds fine by me but as a disabled person who has to interview many times to get a suitable post, but finds no problem in getting promoted once I'm in post & has always had glowing references, & rarely needed special adjustments other than a fair chance, doesn't work like that in practice.

imaround

I guess we can stop speculating.

Do we know why there was one person on duty not two?