Random Thoughts

The actions of DOGE appear vulgar and destructive to many observers. Let's be frank they are. Young and ambitious libertarians driven by ideals of cut through efficiency slashing funding and people without proper due diligence. In some instances, realizing ginormous mistakes and attempting to rehire the same people, only to learn there is no easy way to broadcast the message. Rampant overreporting of achieved savings is a sad reality. It's a time-honored tradition to overemphasize the achievements of a white knight.

But....
If one believes there is an existential problem one doesn't have the luxury of going slow. We tried it and it mostly failed. In 1993 Clinton attempted the National Performance Review (NPR) / "Reinventing Government".  Then under George W. Bush in 2001 the President's Management Agenda (PMA), and in 2002 the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART). These attempts couldn't overcome the resistance of vested interests and went nowhere.

Just to remind proponents of the status quo. We've recently crossed the Rubicon by spending more to service our national debt than on our military. Historian Niall Ferguson recently claimed similar dynamic was a cause for empires to fall. The share of federal government spending compared to the GDP is approximately 23% as of 2024. The post-WWII historical average has been around 20% of GDP. This number is somewhat skewed higher by the profligacies of the Great Recession and COVID-19.

I do feel for dismissed government workers, but those of us in the private sector have always operated under the same possibilities. Lavish severance packages are typically reserved for the top brass of elite financial firms. When a crisis manager takes the helm of a business drastic measures ensue. Sink or swim realities dictate that. Moaning and squeaking always follow. Any resolution will make someone unhappy.

The federal government, which provides services to the general public is not a business driven by profits and efficiency goals alone. However, it cannot grow unchecked either. The Achilles heel of a democracy is that it is almost impossible to eradicate entrenched interests from within, and so the waste and cronyism always grow.

When a firefighter is tasked with putting off a fire he'll break windows, doors, and walls. As concerned as I am with DOGE's tactics I'm willing to extend a firehose to them. Hopefully, the results will be net positive. Time will tell.

#AmericanDynamism
February 2025

www.group-telegram.com/ca/random_from_sherlock.com/602

139 viewsFeb 23 at 18:08

The actions of DOGE appear vulgar and destructive to many observers. Let's be frank they are. Young and ambitious libertarians driven by ideals of cut through efficiency slashing funding and people without proper due diligence. In some instances, realizing ginormous mistakes and attempting to rehire the same people, only to learn there is no easy way to broadcast the message. Rampant overreporting of achieved savings is a sad reality. It's a time-honored tradition to overemphasize the achievements of a white knight.

But....
If one believes there is an existential problem one doesn't have the luxury of going slow. We tried it and it mostly failed. In 1993 Clinton attempted the National Performance Review (NPR) / "Reinventing Government".  Then under George W. Bush in 2001 the President's Management Agenda (PMA), and in 2002 the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART). These attempts couldn't overcome the resistance of vested interests and went nowhere.

Just to remind proponents of the status quo. We've recently crossed the Rubicon by spending more to service our national debt than on our military. Historian Niall Ferguson recently claimed similar dynamic was a cause for empires to fall. The share of federal government spending compared to the GDP is approximately 23% as of 2024. The post-WWII historical average has been around 20% of GDP. This number is somewhat skewed higher by the profligacies of the Great Recession and COVID-19.

I do feel for dismissed government workers, but those of us in the private sector have always operated under the same possibilities. Lavish severance packages are typically reserved for the top brass of elite financial firms. When a crisis manager takes the helm of a business drastic measures ensue. Sink or swim realities dictate that. Moaning and squeaking always follow. Any resolution will make someone unhappy.

The federal government, which provides services to the general public is not a business driven by profits and efficiency goals alone. However, it cannot grow unchecked either. The Achilles heel of a democracy is that it is almost impossible to eradicate entrenched interests from within, and so the waste and cronyism always grow.

When a firefighter is tasked with putting off a fire he'll break windows, doors, and walls. As concerned as I am with DOGE's tactics I'm willing to extend a firehose to them. Hopefully, the results will be net positive. Time will tell.

#AmericanDynamism
February 2025

BY Random Thoughts