Let’s pause and have a look at what the Elon Musk administration has achieved thus far.
There’s been numerous panic concerning the rapid however considerably summary constitutional disaster as Elon Musk’s misleadingly-named Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) rips the federal government aside. And as a lot enjoyable as all of us are having watching Congress render itself irrelevant and questioning whether or not the courts even matter, there’s a concrete nightmare looming. Mass unemployment, the defunding of essential social applications, and simply plain incompetence imply that America, as we all know it, is already in for exhausting occasions.
The diploma to which we have now failed not merely ourselves but additionally our youngsters and grandchildren is breathtaking
The dimensions of destruction up to now 4 weeks begins on the Soviet devotion to Lysenkoist organic theories, and at most, is the American model of Mao’s Cultural Revolution: a disastrous triumph of ideological purity over primary actuality. I’m not certain it has occurred to nearly all of those who we’re about to make a Nice Leap Ahead and destroy our affluent, comparatively peaceable society.
Musk has, within the brief time period, set us up for a shock to the economic system from each unemployment and frozen authorities grants. This might be felt kind of instantly.
However the long-term prices might be measured in a long time. The diploma to which we have now failed not merely ourselves but additionally our youngsters and grandchildren is breathtaking. Musk tasks — akin to undercutting sensible preparations for potential disasters and dismantling an academic and scientific system so good that our precise enemies ship their kids to us for faculty — mix with disastrous Trump insurance policies like mass deportation to undermine American society. And by alienating our longtime allies and cozying as much as Russia, we set ourselves as much as be a pariah state.
Let’s begin with the federal staff. What number of federal staff has Elon Musk fired? As of Valentine’s Day, Reuters figured 10,000. That quantity is nearly actually larger now. Most of the “probationary” workers he focused have been, in actual fact, fairly senior — individuals who had simply gotten promoted or who had been working for presidency contractors after which transitioned to working for the federal government itself. Usually, these individuals have been army veterans. One other 75,000 have taken a buyout from the Musk regime.
Kansas Metropolis, Missouri, as an illustration, doesn’t have sufficient jobs to soak up all its ex-federal staff
Amongst these fired: a whole lot of Federal Aviation Administration workers, together with upkeep mechanics and staff in flight knowledge. Over 1,000 individuals from the Division of Veterans Affairs, which offers healthcare to vets. On high of those specifics lies the essential proven fact that unemployed individuals have much less cash to spend in the remainder of the economic system. The ache is perhaps most seen in reputationally liberal areas just like the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland. However it’s widespread — Kansas Metropolis, Missouri, as an illustration, doesn’t have sufficient jobs to soak up all its ex-federal staff. There are laid-off staff in Illinois, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Florida — in actual fact, everywhere in the US.
It will get worse, as a result of the latest pause in federal spending — pushed first by an government order from President Donald Trump and now by the chaos of DOGE — threatens the soundness of many, many extra individuals. Take, as an illustration, farmers and ranchers. They’re Trump voters, principally, however this may increasingly push lots of them out of business, since they relied on authorities applications to pay for farm upgrades they already made. The dismantling of the US Company for Worldwide Growth, or USAID, implies that an agricultural purchaser who dropped $2 billion into the sector is now gone. Rural areas broadly depend on federal funding, after all.
It will get worse. Acts of aggression towards our buying and selling companions imply that Canadians are beginning to keep away from US merchandise. The EU is contemplating an import block on soybeans. That’s fewer locations for farmers and ranchers to promote their merchandise. America won’t give a very good goddamn about science or scientists, however chopping their funds additionally hits hospitals, which ensures worse affected person care.
Did you suppose I used to be achieved? I haven’t even gotten to the existential disasters. The Division of Agriculture has fired, it says unintentionally, various individuals engaged on hen flu. (The company is now making an attempt to rehire these staff.) As a result of the Musk regime froze all communications, there was no phrase from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention on hen flu for weeks.
There’s no thought of plan, simply careless mass destruction — and Musk’s want to manage the whole lot, regardless of the dangers
There are different issues to concern. DOGE reportedly fired a bunch of nuclear staff earlier than realizing that they have been, in actual fact, fairly mandatory, after which struggled to rehire them. Oops! Good factor that’s solely nuclear weapons. Nothing to fret about, I’m certain.
DOGE isn’t but contained in the CDC, the place all the harmful microbes are saved, however they’re aiming at it. Additionally, the CDC has entry to all digital healthcare data — so if, let’s say, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. decides he needs to ship everybody on psych meds to a piece farm, a factor he has proposed, he can try this.
The Trump administration, clearly, would have achieved a few of this injury with out Musk — he wasn’t main the preliminary federal spending freeze or bringing in witless cronies, like RFK, Brendan Carr, and Kash Patel, with their very own idiotic agendas. However DOGE has focused a surprising sweep of primary authorities providers with an unprecedented stage of slash-and-burn nihilism. There’s no thought of plan, simply careless mass destruction — and Musk’s want to manage the whole lot, regardless of the dangers.
DOGE is alleged to be looking for entry to detailed monetary data about each American taxpayer. Musk additionally needs entry to Notify.gov, which comprises everybody’s cellphone numbers, together with particulars akin to whether or not they obtain Medicaid. A Social Safety chief resigned relatively than let Musk into these programs. He reportedly has entry to checking account numbers, Social Safety numbers, and different private particulars as a part of the “God mode” entry granted to DOGE. To date, this entry has solely been confirmed at USAID — nevertheless it’s not troublesome to think about that it’s been granted elsewhere, too. Oh, DOGE is seemingly now inside CISA, indiscriminately hacking away at employees. No means that may probably expose delicate data to the US’s adversaries, of which there appear to be an growing quantity recently.
At no earlier level in my lifetime has a sitting president needed to seem on tv and inform the general public that he’s not being manipulated by a scheming vizier
How organized is DOGE? Effectively, they’re struggling to maintain straight whether or not a contract is value $8 million or $8 billion. This isn’t an operation concentrating on authorities waste. It’s about destroying anybody and something that is perhaps focused towards having a functioning society — effete objectives like feeding the hungry, stopping local weather change, and caring for the sick. DOGE depends on operatives’ elite mastery of the Ctrl + F shortcut and their fierce dedication to anti-“woke” Silicon Valley supremacy. Who wants authorities experience if you’ve acquired ideological conviction, proper? Destroying bourgeois consultants has by no means led to unhealthy outcomes!
The army was one of many final DOGE holdouts, however lists have already been submitted for layoffs there — supplemented by plans from TV persona and drunkard Pete Hegseth, who’s for some cause the protection secretary, to fireside generals and different senior employees, probably as quickly as this week.
It’s possible you’ll, at this level, be questioning, “What about Donald Trump?” It’s maybe value noting that at no earlier level in my lifetime has a sitting president needed to seem on tv and inform the general public that he’s not being manipulated by a scheming vizier. Not even George W. Bush had to do this, and loads of individuals have been suspicious of Dick Cheney.
Anyway, Trump shares lots of Musk’s objectives and has spent his free time dismantling the Pax Americana whereas sanctioning abroad focus camps for refugees and dubbing himself a king. If Trump decides to attempt wresting again management of home politics from Musk, the destruction will proceed — albeit maybe with fewer individuals named “Large Balls.”
The Purge is being declared, however just for Trump supporters
In fact, if Musk and Trump activate one another, that might wreak its personal havoc. Positive, Musk has management of all of the funds programs, everybody’s private knowledge, and a bunch of different delicate stuff, however Trump additionally has, you realize, a military.
Beside atrocities like blocking AIDS aid and the Panamanian jungle focus camps, assaults on the rule of legislation might sound somewhat dry. Who cares that the disgraced mayor of New York could skate on corruption prices in an open quid professional quo association? However let me make it sensible: the Purge is being declared, however just for Trump supporters. Any unlawful or violent exercise they interact in might be excused, particularly if it targets Trump or Musk’s supposed enemies. Pardoning January sixth rioters was simply the beginning.
As all this occurs, the putative opposition celebration continues to be watching SNL, voting to verify picks for the Trump / Musk regime, and tweeting bizarre shit about inflation. Other than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — who’s presently being threatened by Trump’s border czar for informing individuals of their rights — there has barely been pushback. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, maybe probably the most lukewarm Democrat in existence, has nonetheless managed to make one of many strongest showings within the celebration by slamming the “king” feedback. Definitely, there’s resistance from some People. Folks have been annoying their elected officers and protesting pretty constantly.
However many extra persons are merely tuning out — attempting to faux this isn’t taking place. Effectively, it’s a matter of time earlier than all this comes for them: the potential recession; the impoverished dystopia; the sicker, worse America.
Put all of it collectively. We’re within the technique of being rendered unemployed, sick, helpless, and afraid of a legislation that works nakedly within the curiosity of Musk’s energy. I nonetheless consider it’s potential to cease what’s in movement, however the window is closing. It has solely been a month. Consider what a yr will carry — and what we’ll lose.
Correction Feb. 22, 2025: Removes faulty reference to air site visitors controller firings on the FAA.
