this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2025
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Summary

DOGE staffers Tyler Hassen and Bryton Shang tried pressuring the Bureau of Reclamation to open a California water pump to aid Los Angeles during January’s wildfires, though the system couldn’t reach the city.

When denied, they flew there to do it themselves but failed due to maintenance and access restrictions.

Critics called DOGE a “slapstick operation of 20-somethings they’re seeing as whiz kids but have zero knowledge.”

Trump later ordered dam releases, flooding farmland. Critics called DOGE’s actions reckless and uninformed.

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[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 16 points 23 hours ago (3 children)

Well, I was thinking that at the very least they did not want to broadcast their idiocy, but clearly I need to reevaluate.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 33 points 23 hours ago (3 children)

Was it idiocy or malice?

Idiocy can explain a lot, but malice makes everything they've done and everything they're trying to do make a lot more sense.

These acts are intentional and, even if these kids don't understand, the people who are calling the shots do and these are not mistakes (even if they claim otherwise); They have been planning this for years and have the backing of multiple billionaires who are clearly more than happy to facilitate all this.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (3 children)

This is why "Hanlon's Razor" is kind of bullshit. People should stop using it because, at the very least, it does not apply anymore.

[–] gonzo-rand19@moist.catsweat.com 8 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

I'm pretty sure Hanlon specifically mentions that it must be "adequately" explained, and these events are not adequately explained by stupidity alone.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 20 hours ago

Then I guess my frustrations are more with the people who misuse it.

[–] RustyShackleford@programming.dev 1 points 18 hours ago

My admittedly tepid understanding of both Hanlon's and Occam's Razor and how it relates to DOGE fuckery tells me that in this and many other cases, Hanlon's Razor doesn't fit as well as Occam's Razor because the more straightforward reason is that malice is a simpler explanation for their behavior than stupidity, which is somewhat counterintuitive regarding their actions.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 2 points 21 hours ago

It's a general rule, not an absolute law, generally I think it should be the default assumption but past a certain point, it has to be intentional.

[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 1 points 20 hours ago

Also, there are a lot of malicious idiots. It's not anywhere near an XOR choice.

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world 5 points 23 hours ago

¿Porque no los dos?

[–] ech@lemm.ee 3 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

So many news articles questioning how these acts could be expected to help and hwo foolish they are when the answer is much, much simpler - the damage is in purpose. The harm is on purpose. The rest of the US can no longer assume "good intentions" from their caretakers. It's all malice from here on out.

[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

I was thinking that at the very least they did not want to broadcast their idiocy

That would require a level of self-awareness greater than that of a paramecium.

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 2 points 20 hours ago

I think that might be a little harsh towards paramecia.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

They can be pretty sure that the idiots that support them won't find out how moronic their efforts really are. Sure, NORMAL Americans know how stupid this is, but who cares about that?