Doge Is a Wakeup Call for Economists and Attorneys | Hacker News Reader

Doge Is a Wakeup Call for Economists and Attorneys

theregreview.org

18 pointsherbertl8 comments

> I have defined a government failure as a public policy that “significantly wastes resources"

DOGE is a government failure. Its total savings are almost certainly already dwarfed by the direct costs it is imposing on the legal and judicial system, and that's before considering secondary effects e.g. paying an illegally-dismissed contractor unemployment benefits while they fight their case to win back pay.

DOGE is both a coup and a decapitation strike. Destruction of American prosperity and reputation is achieving it's goal.

Of course it's a coup -- Timothy Snyder (https://archive.is/fNpSS -- https://snyder.substack.com/p/of-course-its-a-coup)

Decapitation strike -- Timothy Snyder (https://archive.is/1xkxK -- https://snyder.substack.com/p/decapitation-strike-december)

> DOGE is both a coup and a decapitation strike

It had the potential to be. It didn't wind up being one. The notion of Musk having influence over Trump now looks a bit silly. The decapitation is true, but that's MAGA, not DOGE.

I'm genuinely split between DOGE being a (1) busywork/feel-good project to keep Musk from becoming a problem or (2) distraction so Trump could get his deficit-busting tax cuts and spending increases through. (If the latter, we should learn soon.)

I think you're being a bit previous - the fact of legal challenges might ultimately prove to be just a speedbump, and the MAGA crowd have made clear their belief in ignoring unfavorable legal judgements and directing blame for any constitutional crisis on the judicial officials.

I said at the time that Musk bought Twitter that his aim was probably not to run it as a profitable going concern but to gain strategic control of a key communication channel for political ends. I feel like events since then have borne this take out.

I'm not sure if you meant that DOGE was an attempt by Musk to wrest power from Trump; my view is taht their interests are more or less aligned and that the ultimate aim is to provide the executive with unlimited and direct control over the bureaucratic apparatus (rather than having to be compliant with union contracts, other contracts, federal rulemaking procedures, the administrative procedures act, etc, etc).

> the fact of legal challenges might ultimately prove to be just a speedbump

That’s a big “might.” Meanwhile, Musk is being smacked down in Cabinet meetings.

> not sure if you meant that DOGE was an attempt by Musk to wrest power from Trump

What your first article says. I disagree with that.

I don't really think reports of fireworks in cabinet meetings are very significant. My yardstick is less how much camera time Musk gets vs whether the activities of his DOGE group are curtailed. My impression is that they're still running at close to full tilt.

It's a little late for a "wakeup call", no? More like "wake up, your house is on fire and behind your bedroom door it's a raging inferno out there".

> The economics profession should reflect on the fact that DOGE is proceeding without the input of economists because economists have downplayed the persistence and extent of government policy failures.

No, that's not the main reason why they're proceeding without the input of economists.

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