Department of Government Efficiency - DOGE

[LSU-SIU]

“His companies were promised $3 billion across nearly 100 different contracts last year with 17 federal agencies.
FEDERAL CONTRACTS
Two of Elon Musk’s companies account for at least $15.4 billion in government contracts over the past decade.”

U.S. Agencies Fund, and Fight With, Elon Musk. A Trump Presidency Could Give Him Power Over Them.

Mr. Musk, who holds billions in federal contracts, wants to be in charge of the regulators that oversee him if Donald Trump wins.

www.nytimes.com

Those are not his contracts. Its like saying every person in the government has a contract with the government that owns MSFT, APPL, etc in their stock portfolio.

 

[mrorange211]

Is anyone at least a bit worried that Musk has been given this much power?

 

[LSU-SIU]

Is anyone at least a bit worried that Musk has been given this much power?

What power?

 

[mrorange211]

The treasury payments thing kinda scares me some. I'm generally a fan of Musk, btw.

 

[LSU-SIU]

The treasury payments thing kinda scares me some. I'm generally a fan of Musk, btw.

What is scaring you?

What power?

Someone looking at accounting, scares you?

I would think the scary part would be what these people were doing in the shadow with you money.

Establishing And Implementing The President's "Department Of Government Efficiency" – The White House

Not seeing the problem myself.

 

[mrorange211]

What is scaring you?

What power?

Someone looking at accounting, scares you?

I would think the scary part would be what these people were doing in the shadow.

A little because I'm not sure who is also working with him and what the real priorities are moving forward except just to cut everything. I'm worried that some good programs will be cut only because they will be grouped in with other bad apples. For example, not everything done in USAID is toxic, but it's all going to disappear now apparently.

 

[LSU-SIU]

A little because I'm not sure who is also working with him and what the real priorities are moving forward except just to cut everything. I'm worried that some good programs will be cut only because they will be grouped in with other bad apples. For example, not everything done in USAID is toxic, but it's all going to disappear now apparently.

What does it matter who is working with him? Who was working in the government to create all this before... it didn't seem to bother you and now it does.

except just to cut everything

He's not cutting it, Trump is.

not everything done in USAID is toxic, but it's all going to disappear now apparently.

If only you cared before. You can elect a new President if you don't like the results, and they can go back to funding illegal activity. I've been explaining for years that the U.S. was actively funding 3 of the 4 main fractions in Syria. Nobody cared.

What you are witnessing is a money laundering operation being blown up.

 

[utvolpj]

A little because I'm not sure who is also working with him and what the real priorities are moving forward except just to cut everything. I'm worried that some good programs will be cut only because they will be grouped in with other bad apples. For example, not everything done in USAID is toxic, but it's all going to disappear now apparently.

Someone listed on Twitter who was working with him. They were banned

Yes, it is definitely concerning

 

[mrorange211]

The people working for him are unelected. Musk, at least, was at the forefront of the campaign so I think MAGA people voted knowing he was going to be very involved. They perform bureaucratic actions because they are bureaucrats it seems to me. Trump has put him in charge of making suggestions, and I think there's enough reasons to believe that Trump would listen to those suggestions from Musk. So, yeah, Trump is techically cutting but Musk is behind it.

If only you cared before. You can elect a new President if you don't like the results, and they can go back to funding illegal activity. I've been explaining for years that the U.S. was actively funding 3 of the 4 main fractions in Syria. Nobody cared.

I don't know how to respond to this other than to say you don't know me. I stated that there were elements of USAID that were not good, while others were good. The conversation around cutting is a bit more nuanced it seems to me than is being portrayed. That's all.

 

[LSU-SIU]

Someone listed on Twitter who was working with him. They were banned

Yes, it is definitely concerning

Banned?

 

[LSU-SIU]

The people working for him are unelected. Musk, at least, was at the forefront of the campaign so I think MAGA people voted knowing he was going to be very involved. They perform bureaucratic actions because they are bureaucrats it seems to me. Trump has put him in charge of making suggestions, and I think there's enough reasons to believe that Trump would listen to those suggestions from Musk. So, yeah, Trump is techically cutting but Musk is behind it.



I don't know how to respond to this other than to say you don't know me. I stated that there were elements of USAID that were not good, while others were good. The conversation around cutting is a bit more nuanced it seems to me than is being portrayed. That's all.

Well, how about we let them work it out it.... it doesn't seem like Americans were doing their job before by keeping a lid on funding illegal activity from their own government. Sometimes you do have to throw the baby out with the bath water.

 

[mrorange211]

Banned?

Not only that, but Musk stated those who had identified them had committed a crime. Is doxing a crime now? I'm asking

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

I think (most anyway) people understand that if we're going to have a capable, much less the "best" military/defense it's going to cost. There no way around it. If you want cutting edge you pay cutting edge money. That doesn't mean you can't try to be efficient about it.

Say you're stupid wealthy and tell Jeeves to go out and fetch a new Ferrarri F80 for you. It's a given that's going to be quite spendy but you knew that going in. Months later Jeeves comes back with a lovely F80 but also with a bill that makes even your eyes water. Turns out Jeeves had gone to every Ferrerri dealer in the whole world. Not only that but wined and dined people at each place to make a good impression. Didn't treat himself poorly in the air travel/accommodation expenses either. The end result was sure, you got yourself an apex level hypercar but was the approach taken even remotely the most cost effective way to go about it? No it wasn't. We're going to spend big bucks if we're going to keep up, nevermind improve, our military capability. We can also try to limit the Jeeves approach as much as possible in doing so.

The same people/contractors selling us "cutting edge" are the same contractors that have half the R members of Congress on their payroll.

They can find over $100,000,000,000.00 in the "couch cushions" and not impact defense. The question is do they have the political will to do so....

 

[LSU-SIU]

Not only that, but Musk stated those who had identified them had committed a crime. Is doxing a crime now? I'm asking

Has someone been charged and what have they been charged with?

 

[mrorange211]

The same people/contractors selling us "cutting edge" are the same contractors that have half the R members of Congress on their payroll.

They can find over $100,000,000,000.00 in the "couch cushions" and not impact defense. The question is do they have the political will to do so....

The answers is 100% no.

 

[utvolpj]

Banned?

Yes Elon banned the person who tweeted the list. Said they had committed a crime

 

[LSU-SIU]

Yes Elon banned the person who tweeted the list.

You mean from twitter?

 

[mrorange211]

Has someone been charged and what have they been charged with?

No idea. I just know that Musk tweeted that and I didn't know it was a crime. So that begs the question: is it?

 

[LSU-SIU]

No idea. I just know that Musk tweeted that and I didn't know it was a crime. So that begs the question: is it?

I don't see why it would beg the question. If someone has been charged with something I'll take a look.

 

[utvolpj]

You mean from twitter?

Yes. That's where Elon the govt worker bans people for speech

 

[LSU-SIU]

Yes. That's where Elon the govt worker bans people for speech

Its a private platform. As long as the government itself is not involved, not sure I see the problem. You can elect to not use or support the platform.

 

[utvolpj]

Its a private platform. As long as the government itself is not involved, not sure I see the problem. You can elect to not use or support the platform.

He is a major part of the current govt.

So you believe the govt should be allowed to dictate to social media what can be posted? We went thru this with the last admin

 

[LSU-SIU]

He is a major part of the current govt.

So you believe the govt should be allowed to dictate to social media what can be posted? We went thru this with the last admin

Twitter is a company, you said twitter. You guys don't understand basically company formation.

So you believe the govt should be allowed to dictate to social media what can be posted?

Depends, in mass it could be problematic, and could be problem i.e. devil in the details.

We went thru this with the last admin

Actually, you went through much worse where all the major platforms were being threatened and Paid, but even than it was tough.

If twitter elects to filter some people not sure I see some huge problem at the moment.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Is anyone at least a bit worried that Musk has been given this much power?

To start tearing down the government and ferreting out the immense waste therein? Not in the least. I think it's fantastic.

 

[utvolpj]

Twitter is a company, you said twitter. You guys don't understand basically company formation.



Depends, in mass it could be problematic, and could be problem i.e. devil in the details.



Actually, you went through much worse where all the major platforms were being threatened and Paid, but even than it was tough.

If twitter elects to filter some people not sure I see some huge problem at the moment.

Elon has the keys at twitter and as a govt employee he is allowed to ban speech he doesn't like. This is actually worse than the last admin as they don't even need to threaten any more.

Speech is not conditional on how many are affected. That's an absurd take