Data tells us that education levels predict the major divisions among American voters. Educational differences are also playing out in Washington, as Trump assembles a know-nothing cabinet composed of cranks, toadies, various conspiracy theorists and general ignoramuses.
Primary among those ignoramuses is Elon Musk. Musk’s reputation as a “genius” rests almost entirely on Americans’ quixotic tendency to ascribe intelligence to the accumulation of wealth. Musk inherited a fortune, purchased rather than invented the Tesla, and pretty much tanked Twitter. We taxpayers provide much of his income through lucrative contracts with the federal government.
I may be underwhelmed by Musk’s purported brilliance (actually, he isn’t stupid, he’s ignorant, and that’s different) but–like Trump–he himself is anything but modest. He’s proclaimed an intent to use his promised new (illegitimate) “department” to produce savings and government “efficiency.”
Musk and fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy have promised to cut two trillion dollars out of the federal budget–a promise that displays incredible ignorance of what is in that budget, what is and isn’t discretionary, and what would be required to reduce it.
Vox recently explained that, even if Musk and Ramaswamy took an axe to the relatively small portion of the budget that is discretionary, that would save “only” $1.1 trillion. But those cuts would be incredibly painful–and would never make it through Congress:
Let’s suppose that Musk and Ramaswamy decide to really go for it. They’re going to cut non-defense discretionary spending in half, maybe by shutting down all scientific and health research and K–12 school aid. They’re slashing Medicare and Medicaid by a quarter, and they’re eliminating food stamps, ACA credits, and unemployment insurance entirely.
These, to be clear, are all cuts that would require congressional approval and that Musk, Ramaswamy, and Trump could not achieve through executive action alone. Furthermore, they’re cuts that seem politically impossible to push through. For the sake of argument, let’s suppose this is the package.
Doing the math, even this unbelievably ambitious package would amount to a little over $1.1 trillion annually. It’s barely halfway to Musk’s stated goal.
Robert Hubbell, among others, has noted that it isn’t mathematically possible (not to mention politically feasible) to achieve $2 trillion in cuts. A one trillion dollar cut would require “massive cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, and subsidies for the Affordable Health Care premiums.” The majority of people hurt by those cuts would be the MAGA folks in Trump’s base, and they’d take effect right before the midterms.
What about Musk’s proposal to save money by firing thousands of federal workers? Again, he displays his ignorance. The federal workforce has remained essentially flat for decades; increases in the number of government workers have occured at the state and local level.
The US economy is the largest in the world—by a large margin. Although Musk and Ramaswamy may not like it, the size of the US economy is due in part to the federal government, which creates stable marketplaces and economic conditions for growth.
If you demolish the federal regulatory framework by firing millions of federal employees, we devolve into a kleptocracy—like Russia, which has an economy smaller than that of Brazil. Indeed, Russia’s current GDP is smaller than that of the US before WWII. See World Bank Ranking of GDP 2023….
The myth that the US has a bloated federal bureaucracy is demonstrably false when compared to other developed economies. If Musk and Ramaswamy recommend cutting the US federal workforce by a million jobs, we will have a federal regulatory environment on the same scale as Haiti and El Salvador. That state of affairs might benefit robber barons and tech bros, but it won’t help working-class Americans.
Here’s the takeaway: We will hear an incredible amount of insufferable mansplaining and chest-thumping from Musk and Ramaswamy. But they will soon face the reality that government spending helps the American people (which is the point of having a government) and creates the conditions for a prosperous economy.
Musk and his ilk are just prominent examples of the uninformed population that thinks running a government is no different than running a business. As I explained yesterday, that belief rests on a profound misconception of what government is, and what it is for.
It isn’t just Musk and Ramaswamy. Trump’s entire cabinet is a collection of dunces and conspiracy theorists–from Soviet apologist Tulsi Gabbard to RFK, Jr. and his brain worm. His pick for Treasury Secretary is evidently pro-tariff, but as the New York Times has noted, will have a very uphill battle selling tariffs to a business community that actually understands how they work.
Some of these Trump-world clowns probably believe the earth is flat…..
The idea that expertise is somehow “elitism”, and those with expertise in any field are to be either ignored or eliminated has been tried before. Russia under Stalin, China under Mao, Cambodia under Pol Pot, and I am sure there are more. Every time it turns out to be a disaster. Now it will be America under t*ump/m*sk/MAGA/r*berts. I wonder how it will turn out this time…
I’d like to see some in depth reporting about Musk’s treatment of his “worker bees.” When I observe the interaction between Trump and Musk – I feel a kind of creepiness in their “bro-ness” – anyone else? Like they are two little boys conspiring to play pirate.
Think about it….musk and ramaswamy, and trump, too, all made their money by not sharing any benefits to their employees. So now in running the government, who do you think is going to reap the benefits, yet again. Sure won’t be the citizens of this country.
I’m appalled that this merry band of thieves will be in charge for 4 years, or if the orange one gets his way, for life.
45 and Elmer Fudd are too similar to exist in the same space for long. I think it will be less than 6 months before the fallout happens. Elmer is going to overstep and 45 will fire him. Mark my words.
Thanks again for covering this topic today and yesterday.
Also, when they cut SS and Medicaid, they better set up bunks on the Washington Mall as that’s where I’m going to go because I’ll be homeless and medically dependent. If they take those programs away, all hell is going to break loose.
If they really believe they can pull off Project 2025, then why ANNOUNCE it before they even have the authority. Claiming false mandate is another ANNOUNCEMENT. Outcomes trump announcement. If you really believe you have intended outcomes under control, announcements are not required.
The US Postmaster never announces his/her midnight shift postman you’ll more than likely never see or hear from. Without them, the day shift you see everyday cannot deliver.
Think about this. Trump’s nominations are only ANNOUNCEMENTS who promise to get rid of all the “midnight shifts”.
The postman makes no announcements. The postman delivers.
What else would we expect from a psychopath and a South African lunatic who wants ever so much to buy American institutions? Trump’s pathetic ego has directed him to “appointing” elements of his damaged psyche so he can play with them, order them around and feel intelligent. He will destroy everything he touches by ordering that destruction by the fools and failures he will try to put in office.
As far as passing Congress goes … Well, I think too much credit is given to the Republicans in Congress regarding their actual awareness about the government they assume to participate in. They’ll get bribed and go happily along with hurting peoples’ lives, because they DON’T CARE.
Thank you, Shelia. Well written, easily understood, immensely helpful.
Some democratic insiders want to move toward the right-wing media outlets to better compete with the republicans. Imagine that!
And one of them is in contention to run the DNC in February. Imagine that!
The Progressive caucus took millions from AIPAC to support genocide in Gaza. I was blocked on X by three democratic congressmen for pointing out their corruption. If these are what we consider highly educated, so be it. But, they are also extremely corrupt and antithetical to being educated.
Trump is scraping the barrel for these loyalists because he needs yes men and women who will listen to him. He chose republican insiders during his first term and got pushback. They were all fired. And yes, Musk and Trump are going to have problems because Musk gave Trump $131 million, so he feels that gives him some control. I know very little about Vivek.
Trump’s group has their work cut out for them, and I expect lots of shortcuts and illegal actions landing in federal court by blue state AGs. This is why this journalist thinks watching the next four years will be fun to watch.
Trump threatened BRICS member states with tariffs if they sought an alternative to the dollar. Do you think they care what Trump has to say? This is why the demand to join BRICS has exploded under the Trump/Biden presidencies. All the sanctions are forcing BRICS to find an alternative. If Trump weren’t an ignoramus, he would recognize that, but…
p.s. Biden, reversing his “upholding law and order,” went further into the trash bin by pardoning his son. If anybody thinks Hunter was a legitimate appointment to serve on the highly paid board of a corrupt Ukrainian energy company, raise their hand. LOL
#GenocideJoe
https://apnews.com/article/democrats-political-problem-2024-election-0674765f082ba6116107e1e7cad4e536?
We tend to think anyone with lots of money may be highly intelligent in multiple areas.
The Mafia has lots of money and runs a tight business THEIR way, but that doesn’t mean we’d want them in charge of our government.
There are also people in government and business who think if you don’t have a lot of money, you CAN’T be very smart. They simply do not understand those who are very bright people whose goal in life is not to make millions but to serve others or serve a cause.
Sadly those who measure intelligence in dollar signs seem never to be able to satisfy their own appetite for money. Life and our civic society is a game to them, and counting money is the way they keep score.
That replicates in government in another way. For too many in government, government is a game too about winning or losing over the other party, regardless of the consequences to average citizens and/or society at large. That’s neither empathetic, representative of our citizenry, nor smart governance. Our government, nation, local communities, businesses, and individuals are strongest and safest when most of our citizens are and feel financially and legally secure. But why wouldn’t we want that anyway?
I feel that Tulsi Gabbard has been and is still being unfairly maligned for her willingness to speak her mind.
Norris, 7:19; Trump believes being president-elect is the same as being president. He is not totally wrong in that estimate as he is controlling the House with his MAGA majority and the Senate with his minority.
Norris, 7:35; regarding the post office, I have not yet received my Spectrum statement which is already short-time billed every month and should have been received last week. I copied my November statement, wrote my check and went to the Post Office to find they no longer have drop-boxes even there. Reports of removing drop-boxes due to thefts shouldn’t include Post Offices; also loss of access to Post Office Boxes in the lobby Saturday afternoons and all Sundays. Thanks to Trump’s Postmaster General.
Todd, 8:37; President Biden pardoned his son Hunter due to the facts that Trump began his attacks on Hunter during his FIRST impeachment due to his acceptance of his poor choice of a job under the previous President of Ukraine. It continued into Trump’s court system resulting in Hunter’s guilty pleas on the charges against him; the owed taxes were paid. he entered rehab for his drug problems which was part of his guilty plea regarding the lie to purchase a gun. This was all settled in a plea agreement which Trump’s prosecutors refused to accept when it was finally scheduled for a court appearance during President Biden’s new administration. Hunter later agreed to appear before the hearing regarding his admitted crimes and denial of preset plea agreement with the court. Since then there has been deliberate stalling regarding a court appearance for Hunter to settle the hostile attacks by Trump’s MAGAs. Should President Biden leave his son to be cast into the lion’s pit of Trump’s personal court system to receive a possible life sentence for those years ago crimes and the guilty pleas and plea agreements ignored?
Nancy,
We might just wish that the Mafia was in charge, by year four of the incoming administration. I’m trying to see how we can use chaos theory to that time to make sense of it.
Trump will illegally impound the funds allocated for programs he wants eliminated. When Nixon did this, he was shot down by the courts, including one case by a 9-0 Supreme Court ruling. Unfortunately the court system is now filled with Trump appointed judges, and he has a solid 6 vote majority on SCOTUS. I’m not confident Trump won’t be able to get his way on this power grab!
Attention Trump voters: Clear out those spare rooms because when Trump cuts Social Security and.Medicare, grandma and grandma are coming to live with you.
Whatever problems tRump and his cabinet choices make for us and our country, we can count on the extreme right wing media to never mention those problems or at the very least they will deny he is causing them. They will be ordered to blame all problems on Biden. The maga crowd will continue to be clueless and happy with another miniscule tax cut while tRump gives billionaires and corporations even larger tax cuts than they received in 2017.
If most of the convicted felon’s nominees get affirmed by a spineless Republican Senate, we will be witnessing daily dumpster fires of various proportions brought about by sheer incompetence, ignorance and narcissism.
The convicted felon’s latest nominee to become the ambassador to France is convicted tax fraudster Charles Kushner who was pardoned by the convicted felon during his first term. It is difficult to imagine anyone less fitting for such a nomination. As Robert Hubbell mentioned in his newsletter today, this nomination “is the diplomatic equivalent of flipping the middle finger to a foreign nation” and “France would be well within its rights to refuse to receive Kushner as the Ambassador and tell the U.S. to recall Kushner to the states.”