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.
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.
¿Porque no los dos?
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.
I’m pretty sure Hanlon specifically mentions that it must be “adequately” explained, and these events are not adequately explained by stupidity alone.
Then I guess my frustrations are more with the people who misuse it.
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.
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.