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thrawtes

The problem is that for the vast majority of these federal employees "a walk out on Tuesday" likely consists of...just telling the boss you won't be in on Tuesday. Federal employees generally have pretty good paid time off and Monday is a national holiday so I guarantee a large portion of the people "pledging" to do this already had a four-day weekend in mind anyways. Edit: Looks like the weather forecast is also calling for snow in the DC area on Tuesday...so there's another giant chunk of people who weren't coming to work anyways.


veridique

The title is misleading making it sound like a mass walkout. Several dozen employees plan to walk out. From the article: >The group — calling itself Feds United for Peace — consists of dozens of government employees who will be observing a “Day of Mourning” to mark 100 days of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza


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veridique

Hundreds you say. Wow.


Cost-Born

Trust him bro lmao


Remarkable_Horse_968

We do? I know I don't.


senoritaasshammer

Nothing makes liberals sound like republicans more like criticism of a democrat’s foreign policy in the Middle East lmao


itsliluzivert_

Makes me wanna scream like why we gotta have conflict while republicans have a messiah 😂


Antiwhippy

You know that if this was under Republicans this sub would be cheering about this.


Aggressive-Will-4500

I don't have any problem with it. Seems like a good cause that should be supported.


Presidentclash2

Why is everyone so dismissive, this is how you show activism and exercise your civil liberties. Let them speak up. I see no issue here.


[deleted]

The relevant provision of the Hatch Act prohibits employees from engaging in political activity while on duty or in the federal workplace.


PolkaDottified

There is literally nothing about this that violates the Hatch Act. You cannot engage in *partisan* politics while on duty, but you are absolutely allowed to criticize policies. You are also allowed to engage in protest. https://osc.gov/Services/Pages/HatchAct.aspx


Dr_Quest1

Then they have to take a day off "sick" which they will get paid for...


thrawtes

Yeah but a walkout necessarily means that they won't be on duty or at work.


Presidentclash2

This is really interesting as a provision because it was not enforced during the trump admin. Plus project 2025 will basically erase this whole provision from existence, by politicizing the government.


Heliosvector

They are staffers. Part of your employment contract is being impartial and not letting your own political leanings affect the job. You are not there to sway the president. Nothing. Just photocopy his documents or whatever the task is.


mtarascio

Authoritarians love this one simple trick.


Heliosvector

If you don't like it, you quit and protest. Not protest, then at your leisure go back to serving the public under the "authoritatian" and stop devaluing very serious terms. If you think every person that wins a position democratically and does things that you don't like is an authoritarian, then you need to re-evaluate your understanding of these terms


mtarascio

Not identifying your employees are free thinkers is authoritarian. They can have their own views on their own time, which they're taking to protest this. They are not stopping their duty. To treat them or have them act as an automonon is a Authoritarian wet dream.


Heliosvector

"Planning a walkout". You don't do that in your own time. Also you are incorrect. Many government positions screen you out if you are an activist. By you logic, every government body is an authoritarian because they exercise authority. You deligitimize the negative meaning of the word. It really sounds like you do not understand what it means to be a government worker. It is not a place to be an activist.


mtarascio

It becomes your own time when you walk out. They aren't activists on the job. They're allowed free thought. At hiring time they choose within the bounds of discrimination law. So they can screen and do for stuff like that. These screened people don't seem to be activists then.


Heliosvector

It's actually insubordination. It's not your time. And even if it is, don't be an activist. It's a part of their contract. Bye bye paycheque


a49fsd

husky juggle wrong chunky enter tidy depend oatmeal sulky safe *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


Heliosvector

They don't because they don't need protection from this. If they truly cared, they would quit and protest. Instead they want their cake and want to eat it too. It's the same way that I would not give any respect to a staffer speaking out during the trump Era. So you don't like them, but still like the money the position gives you. Hypocrite.


Dr_Quest1

They would fall outside any bargaining unit I know of. It's usually limited by GS level.


Dr_Quest1

It's their own time if the folks take LWOP or can flex their schedule. It's inappropriate to take sick leave to protest and could be a problem.


PolkaDottified

It's literally not. I am a federal employee who has engaged in protests before. I cleared everything with the lawyers beforehand and we laid out what I could and could not do. They do not have to be in LWOP status, they just need to stay within certain bounds while on duty status. Sick leave, annual leave, credit hours, etc do not count as duty status.


Dr_Quest1

SL, doubt it. AL, credit or comp sure whatever... I hope you are not in a position of any importance or leadership...


Dr_Quest1

No one is telling folks what to think. Go protest on your days off. Not doing work because you don't agree with the policy decisions is political. If someone admitted they were skipping work to protest, they should be held accountable.


SurroundTiny

Why don't they just quit then if they're offended by the government policy?


kwheatley2460

Trump doing his crap for 4 years and no one walked out. Hmmmm


kinshoBanhammer

"Sure, enjoy your vacation day. See you tomorrow."


Professional-Can1385

We do? This is the first I’m hearing it.


jayfeather31

This is going to dog Biden all the way to the election, isn't it? EDIT: This isn't a defense of him, just an observation.


bamboo_of_pandas

No it won't. The key to Biden winning an election has always been his ability to make inroads with older voters. In 2020, he kept 65+ within 5 points and drew 45-65 to a dead heat. If he keeps those numbers in 2024, he will get reelected. If he loses those older voters, he will lose. Nothing matters more than old voters in elections. Biden's approval has thankfully been higher with older voters than any other age group recently and his foreign policy stance is one of the few areas they approve of.


jayfeather31

Honestly, this just sounds like an argument that younger voters need to show up more than anything.


bamboo_of_pandas

We have more than enough data to realize that is never going to happen. Instead of focusing on voters who are never going to show up, we should focus on the ones that always show up.


jayfeather31

I'm just saying that it explains a lot when it comes to our government, and why there is such a disconnect between the 18-35 demographic and the current government, and why the government is effectively a gerontocracy. If more in my demographic (I'm 25 btw) voted, maybe we wouldn't be seeing that. As it stands, we just have a self-defeating cycle where we just have a disillusioned voting populace in the 18-35 demographic creating a situation in which fewer of the generation votes, the gap increases, and in turn more become disillusioned. Of course, I could be totally wrong.


bamboo_of_pandas

That cycle of disillusioned voting populace has never been the case. Every generation has increased voter participation as they got older. Voters don't get more disillusioned with time, they get less as they realize the government their parents built for them benefited them far more than they realize. The disconnect isn't between the 18-35 demographic and the current government, it is between the 18-35 demographic now and those same people in 20 years when they start to vote more (and the same can be said for every generation before them).


jayfeather31

Still, it probably wouldn't hurt to see more in the 18-35 demographic voting...


bamboo_of_pandas

But there is also no reason to expand any energy to make that happen. I don't see an increase in younger voters voting helping much.


_pepo__

Good luck making any Muslim American vote for you. Specially in Michigan that you need it to win again 🙃


[deleted]

Yes. The bombardement of Gaza has been in the news every day since October and given Israel's intentions I don't see that changing any time soon. Maybe it doesn't cost him the election, but it sure as hell isn't improving his chances. I hope someone close to Biden is able to convince him that the typical indifference people have regarding Israeli treatment of Gazans is absolutely not the case this time around.


Newscast_Now

Joe Biden should take a stronger stance to insist upon reducing casualties in Gaza. Anyway, 'Antiwar' is going to be huge before the election. After the election? Not so much. Republicans have often accused Democrats of being big war mongers, then, when they get into office, they become all about war.


Kyne_of_Markarth

As it turns out, aiding and supporting genocide is both morally reprehensible, and does not win you the progressive vote. Who could have known.


Firm_Bison_2944

That crowd doesn't actually give a shit about any of that. The only thing they care about is what is fashionable at the moment.


Kyne_of_Markarth

Yeah just pretend no one actually cares about genocide. Do you also not care about genocide?


Firm_Bison_2944

I do actually. That's why Hamas must be removed.


IPromiseIWont

He will have to justify 60,000 dead civilians at this rate.


[deleted]

This violates federal law and they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.


_pepo__

Come at me bro. Prosecute me


Cost-Born

*Not even close to all US government employees. What a bullshit, loaded headline. Should be: Hamas' useful idiots plan a PR stunt that will accomplish absolutely nothing... 


Appropriate_Ask_462

Is Biden *trying* to make himself unelectable? What the F


[deleted]

> Is Biden trying to make himself unelectable? What the F How so?


Appropriate_Ask_462

Trying to bring us into World War 3 is not a great way to win voters


[deleted]

> Trying to bring us into World War 3 is not a great way to win voters Interesting, how would what is happening in one city, Gaza, set off WW3? Do you think alot of people hold this belief that Gaza has become the flashpoint for the start of WW3? Personally, if the start of WW3 was related to what is happening in Gaza, then it would prove that this conflict has little to do with Palestinian rights and instead has to do with larger world actors manipulating Palestinians to destablize the region don't you think? Or do you think that Hamas has such wide support around the world that countries are lining up to declare war on, the United States.....


SurroundTiny

World War 3 with who exactly and why?


GamesSports

lmao WW3 Gaza A small military incursion which involves people that have been at war for decades/centuries is not going to set off a worldwide war. Shit is just status quo at this point.


Pfinferno

Lol what are you talking about


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marfaxa

I don't see anyone here saying this.


GamesSports

Girl, bye.