Dear Ann,
Elon Musk and I don't really get along.
He's called me some not-so-nice things. (You'll have to see the video to hear him in his own words!)
But, believe it or not, we may actually agree on something. Let me explain.
Musk has been named by Donald Trump to lead the new "Department Of Government Efficiency" – DOGE for short. DOGE claims it will cut $2 trillion dollars worth of what it thinks is "waste and fraud" in the government budget. We're already starting to see its plans take shape as we speak.
Could the government be more efficient and work better? Musk and DOGE may have a point. But what's considered "waste and fraud" depends on whether one is looking downward or upward – and the billionaire DOGEs only look down on the rest of us.
The biggest waste and fraud is found at the highest rungs.
Check out this week's video to see where DOGE and I agree – but are looking at the ladder from opposite ends! Then share it with your friends (and anyone else who wants to know what the world's richest man thinks of yours truly!)
Musk of course won't recommend eliminating tax loopholes that cost the government $1.8 trillion dollars worth of tax revenue in 2023 alone.
Nor will Musk recommend cutting the billions of government dollars his own corporations receive, or the bloated military budget, or the GOP's plans to extend Trump's tax cuts – which alone will add another $5 trillion dollars to the deficit.
That's more than twice the amount DOGE wants to cut in "wasteful" government spending, if you're keeping track.
Musk wants to cut the government agencies that protect us all by enforcing antitrust laws, labor laws, workplace safety laws, environmental protections, and guardrails against financial fraud. And if they really want to cut $2 trillion, they will have to slash Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare, too.
Now, Elon and DOGE won't listen to a (see the video) like me. But YOU need to know: there are plenty of ways to save the government $2 trillion dollars without cutting critical programs.
All we have to do is cut the fat that Musk and his fellow billionaires rely on.
The fundamental issue that Musk and DOGE fail to address isn't how "efficient" the government is – but who our government is for. Should it work mainly for big corporations and billionaires – or for the rest of us?
I hope you enjoy this week's video and if you do, please share it with friends, family, and others on social media.
Robert Reich
Inequality Media
