Dept. of Gov. Efficiency
- Thread starter Mr. G
- Start date
It's not an Agency. Only Congress can open or close such agencies, and they have not set up one called DOGE. At best it is a "team". It is a "team" of unelected and unvetted individuals.
It has done surprisingly little for all the noise about it. It has lied about fraud, and otherwise tried to do a number of things that the courts have stopped them (at least temporarily) from doing that seem illegal, unconstitutional, etc.
So what do you think DOGE has actually done thus far?
Are you someone who is happy for your constitution to be trampled over? Or only when it suits you?
From a foreigner's perspective, I sincerely hope that what they do doesn't come back to bite you in the arse over the next four years, before the grownups can repair the damage.
It may well do some things that are beneficial. There is always fat within a government that can be trimmed. But using a chainsaw when something more akin to surgery is required is likely to leave horrible scars at best.
But I guess if it doesn't affect you yet, you're okay with it, right?
It has done surprisingly little for all the noise about it. It has lied about fraud, and otherwise tried to do a number of things that the courts have stopped them (at least temporarily) from doing that seem illegal, unconstitutional, etc.
So what do you think DOGE has actually done thus far?
Are you someone who is happy for your constitution to be trampled over? Or only when it suits you?
From a foreigner's perspective, I sincerely hope that what they do doesn't come back to bite you in the arse over the next four years, before the grownups can repair the damage.
It may well do some things that are beneficial. There is always fat within a government that can be trimmed. But using a chainsaw when something more akin to surgery is required is likely to leave horrible scars at best.
But I guess if it doesn't affect you yet, you're okay with it, right?
So, if Musk closes all these federal agencies, how much of your taxes will go down? Or, will they remain pretty much the same and Musk and his friends take it for themselves?
You think DOGS is producing something?
If you want to find fraud and cut spending, you hire the best auditors and forensic accountants you can find, and you let them loose.
If you want to scam the government out of billions, you just get some of your tech bro programmers, make sure they are loyal to you, and let them start rewriting the code that pays companies like Musk's.
Which did he do?
You poor, dumb sucker.
TheVat
Registered Senior Member
Quite a few farms, if this keeps up.
All in favor of not eating in order to help Trump's government "efficiency" play out, please raise your hands. And begging bowls.
All in favor of not eating in order to help Trump's government "efficiency" play out, please raise your hands. And begging bowls.
More than 20% rely directly on government subsidies. More than 45% rely on _some_ government grants. More than 90% rely on government subsidies indirectly.
In terms of the top companies to directly get grants, they are Boeing, Intel, Ford, GM, Micron, Amazon, Alcoa, Texas Instruments, Sempra Energy, Tesla, Disney, Rivian, Oracle, Alphabet (Google), Nike and Exxon-Mobil. So they'd likely fail.*
In terms of indirect subsidies, almost every company in the US. For example, a nursing temp company that has much of its business at VA hospitals. Many companies in Manhattan rely on public transportation to get their employees to work. Fedex relies on government roads to run their businesses.
The economy would crater instantly if all that went away.
(* - well, who are we kidding? Tesla will keep its government grants, of course.)
I think their perspective is "our subsidies are good, everyone else's are government waste." Like every other politician, ever.
Seattle
Valued Senior Member
Who are we kidding, is Trump (or anyone else) trying to eliminate roads?
Shrewd analysis by the idiot, as usual. There is the matter of the maintenance of certain roads being vastly prioritized over the maintenance of other roads, of course, but that's a little too complicated for these kinds of people.
Seattle
Valued Senior Member
Does "these kinds of people" include dog towing bicyclists such as yourself? Why do you live in a country that you dislike with people that you dislike and under an economic system which you dislike?
Do you have the available data for that?
Because there are plenty of people I do like--the shitty ones are more concentrated in certain areas and I generally limit my time in such places. And I like the geography. You probably could have worked that out yourself, but then maybe not.
Seattle
Valued Senior Member
I don't think the data is there to show that there are plenty of people you do like unless by "plenty" you mean one is plenty.
Probably could have left off that "is plenty" at the end. Just reads better.
But, you know, you're probably correct here: there likely isn't data which shows that there are plenty of people I like. Stick with these simple, very basic assertions and you'll do just fine.
Seattle
Valued Senior Member
I know I'll do fine. This isn't hard. I could even add OCD and it would still be easy.
You might want to rephrase the third sentence--or elaborate maybe?
I wish I were more fluent in Yiddish, but there's a specific term for the variety of idiot who consistently sets himself up to be the butt of the joke. You could win awards for this.
Seattle
Valued Senior Member
I don't want to rephrase it.
Pinball1970
Valued Senior Member
exchemist
Valued Senior Member
Surely the (fairly obvious) point is that DOGE can direct federal expenditure according to political whim. One example might be selectively spending on infrastructure in Republican states, so as to make the government of Democrat states appear neglectful and incompetent - pork barrel politics on steroids. Another example might be to trawl through the tax affairs of individuals and send the IRS to audit people you don't like. Unhelpful judges, for instance. Or unhelpful army generals. Alternatively, DOGE can get information on what government contractors who compete with Musk's - or Thiel's -companies (e.g. Palantir) are being paid, allowing them to underbid them for new contracts.
The opportunities for coercion and corruption are legion, without politically independent management and oversight - both of which Trump and DOGE have just removed.
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