A career civil servant described tension between their commitment to challenging rights abuses and their job.

“I’m trying to educate people about Palestine through social media, but I’m worried I’ll lose my security clearance for criticizing the president or blaming the U.S. for civilian massacre,” they told HuffPost. “I feel like there’s no place for me in America anymore, and I’m on thin ice with my clearance because of my heritage and because I care about my people dying.”

The seemingly stifled internal debate undercuts Biden’s narrative that his administration is historically diverse and open to perspectives from traditionally marginalized groups, including on questions of global affairs.

  • VikingHippie@lemmy.wtf
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    1 year ago

    Well you’re sure as shit not conceding that it’s a bad thing to support genocide and then freeze out anyone who disagrees and you ARE deflecting blame onto the abused government employees so yeah, I’d say that amounts to a defence.

    • Rapidcreek@reddthat.com
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      1 year ago

      Nothing of the sort. They can disagree as much as they want, but they are not paid to do so. If they are dissatisfied with what is going on in their job they should resign.

      • VikingHippie@lemmy.wtf
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        1 year ago

        Try to put yourself in their shoes for a moment:

        Imagine it was YOUR people, even FAMILY members of yours being systematically slaughtered and displaced in what amounts to ethnic cleansing. Imagine that your employer is actively siding with the government trying to eradicate your people and you’re not even allowed to criticise that stance.

        Would YOU be fine with just meekly resigning from what might otherwise be your dream job, not certain where your next rent check would come from? Or would you speak up and, failing that, want others to speak up for you?

        • Rapidcreek@reddthat.com
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          1 year ago

          So now you try to play heart strings. The US has supported Isreal since there was one. If you think that will somehow change because you got a job with the government…if you think you, as a regular government employee will change that policy…then you may not be smart enough for your position to begin with.

          • VikingHippie@lemmy.wtf
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            1 year ago

            So now you try to play heart strings.

            No, I thought I might get you to see it more clearly if you imagined it happening to you. Less abstract that wa. Guess I didn’t account for you having zero empathy AND no imagination/understanding.

            The US has supported Isreal since there was one

            Holy sunk cost fallacy, Batman! Just because the US government has had a long history of defending Netanyahu and other far right warn criminals doesn’t mean that continuing to do so is a good idea or even not reprehensible. You know that they’re denying the millions of Palestinians in Gaza food, water and medicine too, now? Does that sound like a good thing to support to you? Something we need to make sure someone gets away with?

            if you think you, as a regular government employee will change that policy

            That’s not what anyone except you is saying, though. They’re not asking to dictate policy. They’re just not overly thrilled by being censored and met with hostility for not seeing eye to eye with it.

            If you don’t get that by now

            then you may not be smart enough

            for this conversation to be worth any more time and effort. Have the day you deserve.

            • Rapidcreek@reddthat.com
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              1 year ago

              No, I thought I might get you to see it more clearly if you imagined it happening to you.

              Well, I could try to get you to imagine your family getting murdered in front of you by Hamas. But, I realize it would not affect you and it is not salient to the discussion.

              Just because the US government has had a long history of defending Netanyahu and other far right …

              Much longer than that. Since 1948.

              They’re not asking to dictate policy. They’re just not overly thrilled by being censored

              Since they are not wanting to dictate policy, they have to live with it. They are not being censored. Read the article.