Comment by jiggawatts

My $0.02:

DOGE is one of those things where the stated concept sounds good, but is almost impossible to pull off in a hurry, and the way they're going about it looks very disingenuous.

It's suspicious of the highest order that DOGE is prioritising programs and agencies that Musk personally ideologically opposes. He has had a falling out with a trans daughter that no longer speaks to him, and he's had personal issues with DEI because he would much prefer to hire white men than be "told" that that is racist and sexist by outsiders.

Allowing billionaires to be in charge of the government is insane when its the government's job to keep them in check. It's like letting criminals run the police department.

Of course, the guy with the $2M Lamborghini is going to get rid of all speed cameras the instant they get to be the head of the department of transportation! Of course they're going to go on TV and justify their self-interest with some bullshit made-up story about speed cameras.

Look.

You can make a legitimate argument that speed cameras are merely a revenue-collection device and not a safety device. You can make arguments that speed cameras in some locations can increase accidents because drivers look at the speedometer more than the road. You can do studies, run A/B experiments with and without speed cameras, etc...

But if the repeat-offender caught doing 150 in a 60 zone that has racked up tens of thousands in fines they haven't paid bribes their way into power and immediately fires everyone in the fine collection agency and the speed camera maintenance department, it can't be thought of as anything other than naked self-interest. It's doubly suspicious if they have no plan to replace the lost revenue, they just want to get rid of the cameras, and then... there's no "and then".

In the case of DOGE and Trump's general policy, it looks an awful lot like a bunch of very right-wing politicians have been itching to use states' rights to enforce their Christian vision for America, but have been blocked by federal government agencies. They now have their chance to gut those agencies so that they can ban abortion, teach "Christian values" in their public schools, and put women and gays back in their place. Add to that some capitalists that can finally get rid of the EPA, OSHA, and the like so that they can profit in peace, unbothered by pesky little matters such as the environment and workers limbs not being cut off on a regular basis.