# DOGE; the department of Government Efficiency **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** elon-musk\ **Created:** [November 13, 2024, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227 "2024-11-13T23:28:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/1 "2024-11-13T23:28:12Z")
If I wanted my government efficient, I would live in a dictatorship. But in any case, **What government programs do you want to cut?** - Ten percent of the post offices. - Both Littoral combat ship classes - Milk price supports, and other programs ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/2 "2024-11-13T23:29:39Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > Both Littoral combat ship classes Isn’t that already happening? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/3 "2024-11-13T23:31:05Z")
We need to end the program. Those barges cost money to keep in service. Jobs for the boys. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/4 "2024-11-13T23:45:37Z")
About half of the entire Department of War, with an emphasis on the ability to project force. Everything looking like a nail never does anything but cause problems. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/5 "2024-11-13T23:59:57Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > What government programs do you want to cut? I’ll start by cutting sinecures dressed up as nonexistant Cabinet offices and awarded to inexperienced ideologues as a brass ring in exchange for letting themselves be taken advantage of. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/6 "2024-11-14T00:00:03Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > Ten percent of the post offices. Not sure about the number of post offices, but the frequency of home delivery. Space Force. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/7 "2024-11-14T00:54:28Z")
Agreed on these. Drop 2 or 3 days of delivery for mail. Space Farce? Geez. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/8 "2024-11-14T00:59:29Z")
Department of Homeland Security should go. I am not arguing for no security but that is just a money sinkhole. There are 17 separate intelligence agencies in the US. Maybe a lot more depending on how you count: > _[The Washington Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Post)_ reported in 2010 that there were 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies in 10,000 locations in the United States that were working on [counterterrorism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterterrorism), [homeland security](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeland_security), and intelligence, and that the intelligence community as a whole would include 854,000 people holding [top-secret clearances](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_security_clearance#Top_Secret).[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Intelligence_Community#cite_note-5) - [SOURCE](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Intelligence_Community) Maybe that can be done better. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/9 "2024-11-14T01:04:53Z")
Well for what it is worth I am certain any aspects of the counter-intelligence apparatus that may have investigated Trump any time over the past ten years or so will be shut down in a stunning display of efficiency. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/10 "2024-11-14T01:24:36Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Department of Homeland Security should go. Kristi Noem is going to take DHS to a gravel pit and put it out of it’s misery. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/11 "2024-11-14T12:00:01Z")
Odd number presidents ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/12 "2024-11-14T19:31:29Z")
So - we want to create a new Government department to monitor Government efficiency? Seems rather redundant and should be the first on the block. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/13 "2024-11-14T19:35:02Z")
> [@simster](#): > > So - we want to create a new Government department to monitor Government efficiency? [That’s happening, at least on paper, whether we want it or not.](https://www.npr.org/2024/11/12/g-s1-33972/trump-elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-doge-government-efficiency-deep-state) ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/14 "2024-11-14T19:35:16Z")
And here I thought this thread was going to make jokes about Doge coin. Are they really planning to call it DOGE? That’s hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/15 "2024-11-14T19:36:06Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Are they really planning to call it DOGE? See above link. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/16 "2024-11-14T19:47:57Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > And here I thought this thread was going to make jokes about Doge coin. Are they really planning to call it DOGE? That’s hilarious. It **is** a doge joke, just one made by a person who now has a lot of influence with people in power. Elon tweeted this yesterday: [![](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/musk-doge-1024x648.jpeg) ](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/musk-doge-1024x648.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/17 "2024-11-14T19:52:58Z")
Next up: the Smol Business Administration? ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/18 "2024-11-14T20:11:49Z")
I nearly googled myself silly when I read the announcement, convinced it must be some Onion headline run wild. Reality keeps overtaking satire on the right. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/19 "2024-11-14T20:12:05Z")
More like Chonk. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/20 "2024-11-14T20:30:26Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > the Smol Business Administration? Regulating the sale of food cats cat food? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227.md?page=2)