this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2026
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The finger-pointing escalated this week as some Republicans argued that a major utility company run by Democratic appointees has “woke” policies on diversity and tree-trimming that are the causes of customers’ woes.

There’s bipartisan and widespread consensus that Nashville Electric Service, which serves the city as well as surrounding counties, mishandled the storm, struggling to mobilize enough workers and equipment to quickly clear fallen trees and restore service.

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[–] bossito@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago

Electricity is such a gay concept. Why would any conservative care for thar?

Fuck, when did late stage capitalism become woke?

[–] letsgo2themall@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Trees are woke. Let that sink in.

[–] Philharmonic3@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

JJ902 said so himself.

[–] RoidingOldMan@lemmy.world 143 points 3 days ago (5 children)

“It’s certainly not a conservative value to leave the trees hanging around power lines that will fall during a storm,” he said.

He seems to be saying it's a Democrat value to do things wrong on purpose?

It's a terrible terrible sign that tree trimming is being viewed through this partisan lens.

[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 92 points 3 days ago (3 children)

These people are mentally broken. 

I do not understand it. 

[–] watson387@sopuli.xyz 33 points 3 days ago

They aren't. They know exactly what they're doing. They know it's bullshit, but every other MAGA will treat it like gospel.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 3 days ago

They're in a cult.

Specifically, an outright death cult.

Juat think of them like a deranged hivemind.

[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

They're just opportunists using any means they can to score political brownie points.

This Democratic mayor would be better served pointing out the fallacies in Republican arguments than kowtowing to Republican pressure and blaming the limited number of utility workers for not completing this monumental task fast enough. He could point out that Blackburn and Co. have been sitting on this 'DEI training' and 'tree trimming cutback' nonsense waiting for something like this to happen rather than acting upon it if they truly believed it was a risk to the grid. How else would she and her cronies have this information to pull out of their ass the instant something bad happens?

[–] uienia@lemmy.world 22 points 2 days ago (1 children)

And it most definitely is a Republican value. That is the result of tax cuts, you get worse public services.

[–] mirshafie@europe.pub 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Why don't you guys, you know, bury the power lines?

Hanging electric wires from wooden poles is wild to me. They do that in some rural parts of Europe.

[–] thecaptaintrout@lemmy.zip 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Cost, because distances involved with how spread out the US is. And because Capitalism of course.

[–] mirshafie@europe.pub 4 points 2 days ago

It's about priorities, not cost. And to an extent I suspect it's about culture, too.

I'm not talking about how to connect distant towns to each other, that's done with power lines. But in one-family home suburbia it's easy to provide underground power as a utility. You've already got your plumbing underground, just add a pipe for wires.

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Why the hell would Tennessee’s electrical grid be all woke, anyway? Are these people totally powerless before the might of the treehuggers? I cannot believe their shameless victim bleating.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

No, he's complaining that Democrats value trimming trees right (to maintain the long-term health of the tree) instead of indiscriminately butchering them to get them clear of the power lines as quickly and cheaply as possible.

[–] RoidingOldMan@lemmy.world 22 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Tree trimmers are not thinking to themselves "is this how a Republican or a Democrat would trim a tree?" They're cutting like they were trained to do. Politics could not be less involved.

[–] 21Cabbage@lemmynsfw.com 8 points 3 days ago

I've trimmed trees on federal land, this exactly.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (11 children)

Yes, except that training to care about tree health instead of only cost/efficiency is a thing Democrats do.

The training isn't political, but which training gets chosen is.

[–] Madzielle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 days ago

My blue ass state is constantly trimming trees around power lines. I've worked cutting trees on state land, but the electric company itself does the power lines, the state makes certain they maintain it. They'll prep for storms like this well in advance. I've been sad for some of the trees I've seen taken (gorgeous old trees have a place in my heart), but it's for the best sometimes.

Historically blue state, We don't get power outages often, and if it occurs they are resolved quickly. "Which training gets chosen" it's the one that maintains the grid, thats the training that gets chosen.

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[–] apftwb@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

The only saving grace to that quote is it is from a Michael Lotfi, the deputy state director of Americans for Prosperity Tennessee, a conservative group. A man of no office or consequence.

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

A little statement like that will travel to Twitter, and get picked up by Fox News, where it will be adopted by a sitting president or senator

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Who do you think finances and writes legislation for the people in power? Usually little right wing think tanks.

[–] Ghyste@sh.itjust.works 130 points 3 days ago
[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 32 points 2 days ago
[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 80 points 3 days ago

The same party that blamed the texas blackout on the only sources of power that actually stayed operational.

[–] Tigeroovy@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 days ago

Oh so Republicans are woke now?

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 16 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Without knowing anything about the issue, I can guarantee Tennessee energy policies are to blame. And if I had to guess, it's probably the fault of favoring "free market" over "reasonable regulation" and consumer protection type policies.

[–] Oyml77@lemmy.today 9 points 2 days ago

The extreme nature of the storm is the direct result of climate change, but that's probably too "woke" for them to understand as well.

[–] X@piefed.world 41 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Must really suck donkey ass to be infected with the broke mind virus.

[–] My_IFAKs___gone@lemmy.world 15 points 3 days ago

You mean lead poisoning? Possibly also PFAS, alcohol and/or FAS, tobacco, broken epigenetics, etc.

[–] nandeEbisu@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Clearly all those gay bars and drag shows used up too much electricity.

[–] hateisreality@lemmy.world 30 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Republicans are great at avoiding blame in situations they are the direct cause .

[–] zurohki@aussie.zone 8 points 3 days ago (2 children)

If you cause the problem, it's easy to have well thought out excuses prepared in advance.

[–] douglasg14b@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

It's definitely easier to blame others than to actually fix problems.

Even more so when you are an expert at blaming others and incapable of actually solving problems.

[–] stefenauris@pawb.social 2 points 2 days ago

They can't even manage to do that lol

[–] Tigeroovy@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 days ago

It’s like literally all they do.

[–] Zagam@piefed.social 21 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Tell 'em propane and charcoal grills are the best way to heat your home in a power outage. That also keeps money out of the woke electric companies hands.

[–] acchariya@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Propane and charcoal are too woke. We cook our burgers with Pennsylvania coal.

[–] skhayfa@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago

Clearly ICE is to blame here, but reality is too woke, better stay in slumber.

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