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Why is the assumption that these DOGE cuts are intelligent? From what I’ve seen the better argument is that it’s a shoot-first-and-let-God-sort-them-out blitz on the bureaucracy?
Clinton, and before him Reagan, both cut back parts of the bureaucracy, but worked with experienced administrators who better knew what they were looking for and via a more considered process. Musk is employing 20-something sperges who can run SQL queries, if I’m not missing much more?
My favorite two examples of the latter are canceling government contracts because the payees were Politico and a Thomson Reuters, thinking the federal government was subsidizing journalism that wasn’t sufficiently MAGA.
Rather, Politico owns and operates Politico Pro, and Thomson Reuters does the same for Westlaw. Politico Pro is used to track the progress of legislation. Even Republicans commonly use it. Depending on your subscription, the $7,000 or $11,000 annual fee is going to do the job much better and cheaper than a staffer hired at minimum wage ever could.
And asking regulators and government lawyers to do without Westlaw access is even more stupid. Any lawyers they would be facing as counter-parties will be using it.
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