Rex Tillerson gutting the State Department

[USN_Hokie]

Great stuff. Drain the swamp and make it hurt.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/11/24/u ... erson.html

[awesome guy]

Awesome!

[HokieHam]

Good.

[RiverguyVT]

Eff em for dragging the email stuff along. Lots of commies in our own st dept. buh-bye!!!

[133743Hokie]

There is a necessary balance between cutting dead wood and maintaining key levels of staffing in key areas. It appears Tillerson is messing up both. Reports going back six or months show him either unwilling or unable fill the key diplomatic posts required. If he's going to "drain the swamp" that's fine, but on the other hand he has to be able to move quickly enough to at least staff the key slots, and he hasn't.

[RiverguyVT]

There is a necessary balance between cutting dead wood and maintaining key levels of staffing in key areas. It appears Tillerson is messing up both. Reports going back six or months show him either unwilling or unable fill the key diplomatic posts required. If he's going to "drain the swamp" that's fine, but on the other hand he has to be able to move quickly enough to at least staff the key slots, and he hasn't.

I'd rather have no person behind any particular state dept desk, than a communist actively undermining us behind that same desk. Shutting down the whole thing may sound extreme, but desperate times call for extreme measures. Eff them all.

[USN_Hokie]

There is a necessary balance between cutting dead wood and maintaining key levels of staffing in key areas. It appears Tillerson is messing up both. Reports going back six or months show him either unwilling or unable fill the key diplomatic posts required. If he's going to "drain the swamp" that's fine, but on the other hand he has to be able to move quickly enough to at least staff the key slots, and he hasn't.

The only people complaining are the ones being fired and their friends as far as I can tell. Ask any government employee if their job is essential and we know the answer.

[133743Hokie]

There is a necessary balance between cutting dead wood and maintaining key levels of staffing in key areas. It appears Tillerson is messing up both. Reports going back six or months show him either unwilling or unable fill the key diplomatic posts required. If he's going to "drain the swamp" that's fine,, but on the other hand he has to be able to move quickly enough to at least staff the key slots, and he hasn't.

The only people complaining are the ones being fired and their friends as far as I can tell. Ask any government employee if their job is essential and we know the answer.

That's not true. Many within and outside the department are complaining about basic functions going unmet. Trump and Tillerson have messed this up by not putting people in place in some key areas. The reality is neither Trump nor Tillerson know much about diplomacy at the government level and it is hurting not having knowledgeable people in some key slots.

[USN_Hokie]

There is a necessary balance between cutting dead wood and maintaining key levels of staffing in key areas. It appears Tillerson is messing up both. Reports going back six or months show him either unwilling or unable fill the key diplomatic posts required. If he's going to "drain the swamp" that's fine,, but on the other hand he has to be able to move quickly enough to at least staff the key slots, and he hasn't.

The only people complaining are the ones being fired and their friends as far as I can tell. Ask any government employee if their job is essential and we know the answer.

That's not true. Many within and outside the department are complaining about basic functions going unmet. Trump and Tillerson have messed this up by not putting people in place in some key areas. The reality is neither Trump nor Tillerson know much about diplomacy at the government level and it is hurting not having knowledgeable people in some key slots.

Basic functions such as...? I haven't seen/read anything like that and I seriously doubt them without tangible evidence.

[RiverguyVT]

"Diplomacy" has meant, for so many years now:

1- Skipping down International Street throwing money out of a bag
2- Bad mouthing the US overseas
3- Selling the US out on any and every "deal"
4- Proclaiming we "should be more like ______ [european country]"
5- A sense of permanence & being owed without merit on the job
6- Advancing communistic tendencies
7- Screwing Israel in favor of mohammedian despots

As such, 'not knowing much about diplomacy at the government level' is just one reason those guys are in office. Drain the swamp.

[133743Hokie]

"Diplomacy" has meant, for so many years now:

1- Skipping down International Street throwing money out of a bag
2- Bad mouthing the US overseas
3- Selling the US out on any and every "deal"
4- Proclaiming we "should be more like ______ [european country]"
5- A sense of permanence & being owed without merit on the job
6- Advancing communistic tendencies
7- Screwing Israel in favor of mohammedian despots

As such, 'not knowing much about diplomacy at the government level' is just one reason those guys are in office. Drain the swamp.

That is just a clueless list of nonsense. I get it you didn't like the Obama approach. I didn't either. But there are so many core functions of our diplomatic corps that are vacant right now and in need of filling, and the Trump admin is being negligent in letting it slide. If you can't see it, or won't admit it, then your partisanship has just gone too far.

[133743Hokie]

There is a necessary balance between cutting dead wood and maintaining key levels of staffing in key areas. It appears Tillerson is messing up both. Reports going back six or months show him either unwilling or unable fill the key diplomatic posts required. If he's going to "drain the swamp" that's fine,, but on the other hand he has to be able to move quickly enough to at least staff the key slots, and he hasn't.

The only people complaining are the ones being fired and their friends as far as I can tell. Ask any government employee if their job is essential and we know the answer.

That's not true. Many within and outside the department are complaining about basic functions going unmet. Trump and Tillerson have messed this up by not putting people in place in some key areas. The reality is neither Trump nor Tillerson know much about diplomacy at the government level and it is hurting not having knowledgeable people in some key slots.

Basic functions such as...? I haven't seen/read anything like that and I seriously doubt them without tangible evidence.

For one, policy in the various regions. What is our policy for Africa? NEA? Even the middle east. How is that policy being established? Who is carrying it to our various embassies? Who is even at the posts to receive it? What is the methodology og getting this out to our friends and enemies?

This is just one of dozens of serious flaws right now. I get it. For you it's "drain the swamp", full time, all the time. But you have no clue what it takes for state to run its policy and programs, once even defined. You just want to clean hose because you think they are all Obamatrons and deep staters. You really need to check reality on some of these issues.

[HokieJoe]

"Diplomacy" has meant, for so many years now:

1- Skipping down International Street throwing money out of a bag
2- Bad mouthing the US overseas
3- Selling the US out on any and every "deal"
4- Proclaiming we "should be more like ______ [european country]"
5- A sense of permanence & being owed without merit on the job
6- Advancing communistic tendencies
7- Screwing Israel in favor of mohammedian despots

As such, 'not knowing much about diplomacy at the government level' is just one reason those guys are in office. Drain the swamp.

That is just a clueless list of nonsense. I get it you didn't like the Obama approach. I didn't either. But there are so many core functions of our diplomatic corps that are vacant right now and in need of filling, and the Trump admin is being negligent in letting it slide. If you can't see it, or won't admit it, then your partisanship has just gone too far.

How many have they tried to fill and were unable to because of bureaucratic resistance? How many of these people may have been leaking info to the press, etc?

[USN_Hokie]

There is a necessary balance between cutting dead wood and maintaining key levels of staffing in key areas. It appears Tillerson is messing up both. Reports going back six or months show him either unwilling or unable fill the key diplomatic posts required. If he's going to "drain the swamp" that's fine,, but on the other hand he has to be able to move quickly enough to at least staff the key slots, and he hasn't.

The only people complaining are the ones being fired and their friends as far as I can tell. Ask any government employee if their job is essential and we know the answer.

That's not true. Many within and outside the department are complaining about basic functions going unmet. Trump and Tillerson have messed this up by not putting people in place in some key areas. The reality is neither Trump nor Tillerson know much about diplomacy at the government level and it is hurting not having knowledgeable people in some key slots.

Basic functions such as...? I haven't seen/read anything like that and I seriously doubt them without tangible evidence.

For one, policy in the various regions. What is our policy for Africa? NEA? Even the middle east. How is that policy being established? Who is carrying it to our various embassies? Who is even at the posts to receive it? What is the methodology og getting this out to our friends and enemies?

This is just one of dozens of serious flaws right now. I get it. For you it's "drain the swamp", full time, all the time. But you have no clue what it takes for state to run its policy and programs, once even defined. You just want to clean hose because you think they are all Obamatrons and deep staters. You really need to check reality on some of these issues.

...so what? I don't see anything remotely compelling in what you described. Does the world stop if we don't have an "Africa policy"? Sounds like the lack thereof is a policy in and of itself - and something I would agree with.

WADR, this sounds like the self licking ice cream cone describing how hard it is to lick itself. It should hurt, but we should realize the world still spins and Africa still exists even if we don't have some bureaucratic abomination documenting in detail how we're going to waste blood and treasure there.

ETA : I'm not saying everyone in the State Department is part of the swamp. I'm sure that there are plenty of good people who show up every day and work hard. Reducing the size of government isn't easy, but I don't see any reason why the state department needs something like 500 (or whatever) flag-officer level billets (one example).

[RiverguyVT]

"Diplomacy" has meant, for so many years now:

1- Skipping down International Street throwing money out of a bag
2- Bad mouthing the US overseas
3- Selling the US out on any and every "deal"
4- Proclaiming we "should be more like ______ [european country]"
5- A sense of permanence & being owed without merit on the job
6- Advancing communistic tendencies
7- Screwing Israel in favor of mohammedian despots

As such, 'not knowing much about diplomacy at the government level' is just one reason those guys are in office. Drain the swamp.

That is just a clueless list of nonsense. I get it you didn't like the Obama approach. I didn't either. But there are so many core functions of our diplomatic corps that are vacant right now and in need of filling, and the Trump admin is being negligent in letting it slide. If you can't see it, or won't admit it, then your partisanship has just gone too far.

We don't need 98% of that department
Not clueless. Not nonsense.

Bureaucracy bloat is real
I'd suggest shutting down even more departments.
More! More! Bravo!

[RiverguyVT]

USN- c'mon! The assistant deputy to the undersecretary of chief Angolan grant research for minority contract awards needs at least ten more program directors at $250,000 a pop.

[133743Hokie]

"Diplomacy" has meant, for so many years now:

1- Skipping down International Street throwing money out of a bag
2- Bad mouthing the US overseas
3- Selling the US out on any and every "deal"
4- Proclaiming we "should be more like ______ [european country]"
5- A sense of permanence & being owed without merit on the job
6- Advancing communistic tendencies
7- Screwing Israel in favor of mohammedian despots

As such, 'not knowing much about diplomacy at the government level' is just one reason those guys are in office. Drain the swamp.

That is just a clueless list of nonsense. I get it you didn't like the Obama approach. I didn't either. But there are so many core functions of our diplomatic corps that are vacant right now and in need of filling, and the Trump admin is being negligent in letting it slide. If you can't see it, or won't admit it, then your partisanship has just gone too far.

How many have they tried to fill and were unable to because of bureaucratic resistance? How many of these people may have been leaking info to the press, etc?

Actually, he isn't even putting that many names forward for confirmation and that's the problem. Until the top people are in place they can't hire who they want for the next tier down. So they're just hurting themselves.

And yes, I assume there are leaks from Obama holdovers. Just another reason to get your own people in place.

[133743Hokie]

USN- c'mon! The assistant deputy to the undersecretary of chief Angolan grant research for minority contract awards needs at least ten more program directors at $250,000 a pop.

You hurt you're already uninformed position with poor sarcasm.

[133743Hokie]

There is a necessary balance between cutting dead wood and maintaining key levels of staffing in key areas. It appears Tillerson is messing up both. Reports going back six or months show him either unwilling or unable fill the key diplomatic posts required. If he's going to "drain the swamp" that's fine,, but on the other hand he has to be able to move quickly enough to at least staff the key slots, and he hasn't.

The only people complaining are the ones being fired and their friends as far as I can tell. Ask any government employee if their job is essential and we know the answer.

That's not true. Many within and outside the department are complaining about basic functions going unmet. Trump and Tillerson have messed this up by not putting people in place in some key areas. The reality is neither Trump nor Tillerson know much about diplomacy at the government level and it is hurting not having knowledgeable people in some key slots.

Basic functions such as...? I haven't seen/read anything like that and I seriously doubt them without tangible evidence.

For one, policy in the various regions. What is our policy for Africa? NEA? Even the middle east. How is that policy being established? Who is carrying it to our various embassies? Who is even at the posts to receive it? What is the methodology og getting this out to our friends and enemies?

This is just one of dozens of serious flaws right now. I get it. For you it's "drain the swamp", full time, all the time. But you have no clue what it takes for state to run its policy and programs, once even defined. You just want to clean hose because you think they are all Obamatrons and deep staters. You really need to check reality on some of these issues.

...so what? I don't see anything remotely compelling in what you described. Does the world stop if we don't have an "Africa policy"? Sounds like the lack thereof is a policy in and of itself - and something I would agree with.

WADR, this sounds like the self licking ice cream cone describing how hard it is to lick itself. It should hurt, but we should realize the world still spins and Africa still exists even if we don't have some bureaucratic abomination documenting in detail how we're going to waste blood and treasure there.

ETA : I'm not saying everyone in the State Department is part of the swamp. I'm sure that there are plenty of good people who show up every day and work hard. Reducing the size of government isn't easy, but I don't see any reason why the state department needs something like 500 (or whatever) flag-officer level billets (one example).

And that in and of itself is your problem. You're just ranting about bloat when you know nothing about the operation. In fact you don't even want to understand. You just want to close your eyes, scrunch up your face, and throw a tantrum about bogeyman big government. Have at it. Just know that you have no credibility.

[RiverguyVT]

USN- c'mon! The assistant deputy to the undersecretary of chief Angolan grant research for minority contract awards needs at least ten more program directors at $250,000 a pop.

You hurt you're already uninformed position with poor sarcasm.

My sarcasm is dead-on.

[USN_Hokie]

And that in and of itself is your problem. You're just ranting about bloat when you know nothing about the operation. In fact you don't even want to understand. You just want to close your eyes, scrunch up your face, and throw a tantrum about bogeyman big government. Have at it. Just know that you have no credibility.

WADR, you just sound like someone defending their sacred cow. Between the two of us, you are the one responding on emotion, not me. I'm just the crazy guy who thinks you don't need 500 flag officer/SES positions to run a state department.

Arguments like yours are why government only grows...until now, hopefully.

[RiverguyVT]

And that in and of itself is your problem. You're just ranting about bloat when you know nothing about the operation. In fact you don't even want to understand. You just want to close your eyes, scrunch up your face, and throw a tantrum about bogeyman big government. Have at it. Just know that you have no credibility.

WADR, you just sound like someone defending their sacred cow. Between the two of us, you are the one responding on emotion, not me. I'm just the crazy guy who thinks you don't need 500 flag officer/SES positions to run a state department.

Arguments like yours are why government only grows...until now, hopefully.

Within the entirety of federal government positions/employees, I'd be shocked if more than 10% were mission-critical. Fairfax and Montgomery County subdivisions are bloated with cartographers and sealing wax regulators. Let them all go.

[ip_law-hokie]

The only people complaining are the ones being fired and their friends as far as I can tell. Ask any government employee if their job is essential and we know the answer.

That's not true. Many within and outside the department are complaining about basic functions going unmet. Trump and Tillerson have messed this up by not putting people in place in some key areas. The reality is neither Trump nor Tillerson know much about diplomacy at the government level and it is hurting not having knowledgeable people in some key slots.

Basic functions such as...? I haven't seen/read anything like that and I seriously doubt them without tangible evidence.

For one, policy in the various regions. What is our policy for Africa? NEA? Even the middle east. How is that policy being established? Who is carrying it to our various embassies? Who is even at the posts to receive it? What is the methodology og getting this out to our friends and enemies?

This is just one of dozens of serious flaws right now. I get it. For you it's "drain the swamp", full time, all the time. But you have no clue what it takes for state to run its policy and programs, once even defined. You just want to clean hose because you think they are all Obamatrons and deep staters. You really need to check reality on some of these issues.

...so what? I don't see anything remotely compelling in what you described. Does the world stop if we don't have an "Africa policy"? Sounds like the lack thereof is a policy in and of itself - and something I would agree with.

WADR, this sounds like the self licking ice cream cone describing how hard it is to lick itself. It should hurt, but we should realize the world still spins and Africa still exists even if we don't have some bureaucratic abomination documenting in detail how we're going to waste blood and treasure there.

ETA : I'm not saying everyone in the State Department is part of the swamp. I'm sure that there are plenty of good people who show up every day and work hard. Reducing the size of government isn't easy, but I don't see any reason why the state department needs something like 500 (or whatever) flag-officer level billets (one example).

And that in and of itself is your problem. You're just ranting about bloat when you know nothing about the operation. In fact you don't even want to understand. You just want to close your eyes, scrunch up your face, and throw a tantrum about bogeyman big government. Have at it. Just know that you have no credibility.

Aren’t you a Republican?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HokieFanDC]

And that in and of itself is your problem. You're just ranting about bloat when you know nothing about the operation. In fact you don't even want to understand. You just want to close your eyes, scrunch up your face, and throw a tantrum about bogeyman big government. Have at it. Just know that you have no credibility.

WADR, you just sound like someone defending their sacred cow. Between the two of us, you are the one responding on emotion, not me. I'm just the crazy guy who thinks you don't need 500 flag officer/SES positions to run a state department.

Arguments like yours are why government only grows...until now, hopefully.

What's the right number of SES?. What if it was something closer to say, 200....

[133743Hokie]

That's not true. Many within and outside the department are complaining about basic functions going unmet. Trump and Tillerson have messed this up by not putting people in place in some key areas. The reality is neither Trump nor Tillerson know much about diplomacy at the government level and it is hurting not having knowledgeable people in some key slots.

Basic functions such as...? I haven't seen/read anything like that and I seriously doubt them without tangible evidence.

For one, policy in the various regions. What is our policy for Africa? NEA? Even the middle east. How is that policy being established? Who is carrying it to our various embassies? Who is even at the posts to receive it? What is the methodology og getting this out to our friends and enemies?

This is just one of dozens of serious flaws right now. I get it. For you it's "drain the swamp", full time, all the time. But you have no clue what it takes for state to run its policy and programs, once even defined. You just want to clean hose because you think they are all Obamatrons and deep staters. You really need to check reality on some of these issues.

...so what? I don't see anything remotely compelling in what you described. Does the world stop if we don't have an "Africa policy"? Sounds like the lack thereof is a policy in and of itself - and something I would agree with.

WADR, this sounds like the self licking ice cream cone describing how hard it is to lick itself. It should hurt, but we should realize the world still spins and Africa still exists even if we don't have some bureaucratic abomination documenting in detail how we're going to waste blood and treasure there.

ETA : I'm not saying everyone in the State Department is part of the swamp. I'm sure that there are plenty of good people who show up every day and work hard. Reducing the size of government isn't easy, but I don't see any reason why the state department needs something like 500 (or whatever) flag-officer level billets (one example).

And that in and of itself is your problem. You're just ranting about bloat when you know nothing about the operation. In fact you don't even want to understand. You just want to close your eyes, scrunch up your face, and throw a tantrum about bogeyman big government. Have at it. Just know that you have no credibility.

Aren’t you a Republican?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, why? Just because I'm conservative doesn't mean I think all government functions are wasteful. That's just knee jerk and narrow minded. I like to think that I view such things with an open mind and an understanding of function and purpose before spouting "cut, cut, cut!".

Government has certain constitutional functions. Diplomacy is an important one, particularly in todays world.