this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2025
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politics

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Summary

Elon Musk’s DOGE faces mounting pressure to show achievements amid criticism. Staffers, under pressure from Trump administration officials, seek public relations wins to counter negative headlines.

Cuts to federal offices led to mass layoffs, and efforts to modernize government services have been chaotic. DOGE prioritizes speed over security and protecting sensitive information.

Trump has distanced himself, stating agency chiefs, not Musk, control department cuts, preferring a "scalpel" over a "hatchet" approach. Public opinion has turned against DOGE, with 48% disapproving versus 34% approving, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll.

With limited time before their tenure ends, DOGE officials are desperate to show results.

(page 2) 50 comments
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[–] Tolookah@discuss.tchncs.de 180 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Someone should send them an email l to summarize their work from the past week

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 83 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Taking drugs and fucking shit up are my strengths but I'm not to shabby at sexual harrasment or cheeky wanks at my desk either.

[–] EpeeGnome@lemm.ee 3 points 21 hours ago

Sounds like you've got executive level potential.

Sounds like a perfect candidate to keep!

/s

[–] Rozz@lemmy.sdf.org 39 points 1 day ago

I thought destroying the government and setting up racism was the win?

[–] BestBouclettes@jlai.lu 87 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Turns out the federal government is actually pretty efficient. Who would've thought!

[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 83 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Every time there's a World War, a bunch of industries are put under the control of the government in a process called Nationalization, or a "War Economy"...

...this is because it's highly efficient. This is an excellent argument against free market libertarian types. They don't put business in charge of government (like is being done now, eg. Privatization) they put the government in charge of business/industry.

[–] rigatti@lemmy.world 51 points 1 day ago (2 children)

My societal dream is that the government would nationalize industries once they reach the monopoly or oligopoly stage. Like, congratulations Comcast/Verizon, you won the game of capitalism. Now move over and let the government actually provide services to the people at a reasonable cost.

But I know this is just a dream.

[–] oppy1984@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago (12 children)

Honestly I'd prefer that the government set up government corporations to provide basic needs. The private corporations could still operate but they would control the higher end market. The gov. corps. would just make sure basics were affordable, not high quality.

Need a car? The gov corp car is $15,000 brand new and is basic as hell, but it gets the job done.

Need Internet? The gov corp fiber network is mid range speed and connects to everyone. As a bonus for profit corps and but rights to the dumb pipe fiber network that the gov corp set up and off higher speed at a higher price.

Basic clothes, basic toiletries, basic food, etc. you want designer or high end stuff, get it from the for profit corps. But basic necessities should be made at cost by the government for the citizens. It is the job of the government to care for it's citizens after all.

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Like they do for snail mail? The government gets an envelope through in one or two days for a dollar or two, the corporations do it in two or four days for ten or fifteen... Because they're high end?

[–] StaticFalconar@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It is the job of the government to care for it's citizens after all.

This is where some people would have a difference of opinion.

[–] oppy1984@lemm.ee 3 points 22 hours ago

While I disagree with those that feel differently, that's what this country is supposed to be about, finding a middle ground in differing opinions. Sadly we seem to have largely lost that mentality.

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[–] Jax@sh.itjust.works 1 points 21 hours ago

This is how I assumed things would work when I was a child.

[–] KingGordon@lemmy.world 29 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Efficient and complicated. Not that these dipshits would understand that.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 day ago

And super fucking important

[–] pennomi@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I wouldn’t call it “efficient” but I would call it optimal given the complexity.

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 44 points 1 day ago (9 children)

"Optimal given the complexity" fits the definition of efficient.

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[–] redlemace@lemmy.world 60 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I'd say it's predictable ..... Had it been a success I think Trump would be shouting "One of my master moves, this is the mother of all my moves" Now we get to read "Trump has distanced himself" meaning it's failing and Musk is gonna be sacrificed without a thought "I don't know what Musk did, he acted like a loose cannon but I fired him for his incompetence"

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The people Trump fired this way in the past didn't pay for his campaign.

Trump works for Musk, not the other way around.

[–] MrVilliam@lemm.ee 30 points 1 day ago (3 children)

True, but what does musk have left to give to trump? If he's no longer useful, trump will have no problem dumping him and moving on. As soon as he thinks it's more beneficial to turn on musk than it is to suck his dick, he will. Loyalty is one way for him.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think its a game of "who owns the zeitgeist?" Its why "Rumble" exists; why fascists sought their own media ecosystems; its why Elon bought twitter.

There is some threshold where another billion buys you no more power, or at least, significantly less than your last billion. Hence buying a the worlds largest microphone, twitter, for what seemed like an overpriced market value.

So if Elon controls Trumps access; or even more threateningly, if Elon captures the zeitgeist, and Trump is no longer in control of narratives, or Elon is able to create and inject his own, thats a real material threat.

Trump is going to die soon; whoever inherits this cult is the real threat.

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[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Elon has said he will spend the money to drive out any Republican that votes against Trump. Elon controls Congress.

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[–] thisphuckinguy@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago

Those MAGA idiots

[–] Blackout@fedia.io 25 points 1 day ago (2 children)

There's still time to die a hero Elon. All you have to do is commit hari-kari and I will build you a statue.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Will the statue be a dual flush model?

[–] Blackout@fedia.io 6 points 1 day ago

I will make sure it's very attractive to pigeons. It's what Elon would have wanted RIP

[–] ickplant@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Will the statue look like this?

[–] sloppychops@lemmy.ca 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The fall-out between Trump and Musk is going to be explosive! And it will come. Sooner than we think, I'd guess.

If Canadian and European movie theatres want to boost attendance, they might want to think about screening the whole thing.

When Trump inevitably threatens to have him deported, it's going to be the comedy event of the year. Oscar worthy.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

This would make my year. I hope you’re right

[–] makyo@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

With limited time before their tenure ends, DOGE officials are desperate to show results.

Uh first I'm hearing of this

[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Defunding the nation, and undermining its function, is the win they wanted, and they're getting it.

People forget the point is to hand things over to corporate America. Hence this article is out of touch, and based on the author's feelings about Musk's feeling...

...whilst completely being ignorant of the plan. The plan is corporate run libertarian fifedoms. Corporate mini-states.

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[–] twistypencil@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What is this limited time thing?

[–] Hotspur@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 day ago

When they were selling DOGE during the campaign, the pitch was they’d have a year or something to do their thing. The EO might have it spelled out can’t recall. But they also said they would just be an advisory group? Not insider threat hackers and political commissars at the top of every agency. Not sure why they are sweating a time limit since they dont care about any other law, regulation or protocol. I guess if they don’t deliver enough, Trump won’t do another EO extending their presence? They’re literally reworking agency stuff so that the DOGE staff have to sign off on commissioners actions, hiring etc so are they just going to revert that once the clock strikes midnight for DOGE?

I suppose the idea is that the admin wants to lock in all the creepy shit from project 2025 prior to mid terms since they know that all of it will end up being wildly unpopular and will result in republican losses in congress and potentially gridlock from that point forward… but again, their playbook essentially calls for the end of democracy, so why are they sweating something like the midterms…

[–] ArghlBarghlFooFera@feddit.org 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Next: Elon Musk will try to fake one and will pull a full on Eric-Cartman-style "screw you guys, I'm going home" when his incompetence is inevitably revealed..

I don't think it will even matter if it's fake. They keep talking about that $8 billion cut they made when it was immediately uncovered that it was actually $8 million. Like a week later they're still saying it was billions.

[–] cyphear@lemm.ee 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Seriously, Musk is fit... Fit for a short tour of the inside of a whicker basket.

Switch that to the wicker man, and I'm listening...

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