# 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:** 13
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2024, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/241 "2024-12-20T17:06:42Z")
One should point out that the House is currently failing to pass a budget because they’re trying to push Trump’s desire to have no debt limits for the next two years. That would seem to imply that his intention is purely to offer small government as a ruse, while actually racking up a debt. …Which, of course, matches his first term in office. DOGE is already dead. Talking about it like it’s a real thing only aids in supporting the ruse. Your time would be better spent pointing out said ruse to the backers of either of the two groups of cultists. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2024, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/242 "2024-12-20T17:55:49Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > DOGE is already dead. Talking about it like it’s a real thing only aids in supporting the ruse. Disagree. DOGE is alive and well and will be an enormously effective smoke-screen. “Look at the billions that we saved through efficiency! (please ignore the hundreds of billions we gave to our friends)” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2024, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/243 "2024-12-20T18:31:01Z")
The number of friends isn’t large enough for that. The size of Federal spending is so big that any meaningful cut would cover over any ridiculous amount of corruption several times, let alone needing to allow for debt growth. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2024, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/244 "2024-12-20T19:12:17Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The number of friends isn’t large enough for that. I interpreted “friends” to simply mean “spending we favor.” Tax breaks for the wealthy, corporate subsidies, reduction of regulation - I could view all of those and more as “gifts to friends.” But, perhaps I misunderstood the good doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/245 "2024-12-20T19:22:50Z")
Nope - you hit it right on the head. “Gifts to friends” will (not “could”) include - corporate tax breaks - reduction in oversight - removal of environmental rules - preferential contracts - etc. Note: DOGE will find some efficiencies. Jobs will be eliminated. Aid to non-friendly states (read that as blue US states or foreign nations) will be cut. There will be a return of Senator Proxmire’s Golden Fleece awards. These will all add up to numbers that will impress Joe Lunchbox, but will have negligible effect on total government spending or on deficit spending. Meanwhile, new “gifts” to Wall Street, red states, etc. will be hundreds of times as much. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/246 "2024-12-21T12:40:36Z")
Funny, in my shop, I could identify all manner of “efficiencies” that could be made. But, I guarantee that if anything is cut, it ain’t gonna be what this 38-year veteran feels ought to be. And I would expect any “cuts” to be accompanied by IMO unnecessary increased expenditures elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/247 "2025-01-20T22:38:06Z")
> **[Ramaswamy won't serve on Trump's government efficiency commission as he mulls...](https://apnews.com/article/vivek-ramaswamy-doge-ohio-governor-musk-trump-328400a5cc47adde8dd97eb628d18164)** > > Vivek Ramaswamy is no longer part of the government efficiency commission that President Donald Trump has championed. So Elon will be in complete charge. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/248 "2025-01-20T22:38:54Z")
Until Musk gets bored, which I expect to happen fairly soon. ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/249 "2025-01-20T23:38:37Z")
As I saw somebody note on BlueSky earlier, Vivek lasted negative Scaramuccis with this dog and pony show. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2025, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/250 "2025-01-20T23:53:35Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > So Elon will be in complete charge. Did the jocks beat Vivek up and take his lunch money again? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/251 "2025-01-20T23:59:58Z")
> [@SwissMan](#): > > As I saw somebody note on BlueSky earlier, Vivek lasted negative Scaramuccis with this dog and pony show. What a pathetic little turd. His entire “campaign,” from the get go, was a desperate attempt to be nominated VP. He insisted it wasn’t but it obviously was, which is why he endorsed Trump and slurped him at every opportunity. And then, being passed over for a couch fucker, in a desperate attempt to continue hanging out with the popular kids, he agreed to be co-whatever of a department that doesn’t exist. And then he didn’t really even get that. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/252 "2025-01-21T00:06:02Z")
Too brown for the MAGATs. ---
**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:** [January 21, 2025, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/253 "2025-01-21T00:06:16Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > So Elon will be in complete charge. He’s gonna have to cut down to a mere 8 hours a day of playing video games. > [@DWMarch](#): > > Did the jocks beat Vivek up and take his lunch money again? Zach Morris strikes again. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/254 "2025-01-21T00:22:35Z")
The Dems should create their own fake “department”, The Department Of Presidential Ethics, as sort of a watchdog group. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/255 "2025-01-21T00:30:03Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Until Musk gets bored, which I expect to happen fairly soon. or Trump fires him to show everyone that HE is in charge. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/256 "2025-01-21T02:15:19Z")
Isn’t the VP’s wife “brown”? ---
**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:** [January 21, 2025, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/257 "2025-01-21T07:58:39Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > or Trump fires him to show everyone that HE is in charge Did you read the Executive Order that established DOGE? It’s far more limited than anyone was thinking it would be. Its only mandate is to look at computing systems, and it had a limited lifetime of 18 months. Trump has already mostly neutered Musk. What’s unclear is if Musk realizes it. ---
**Author:** ![LouMa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/louma/32/19472_2.png) [@LouMa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouMa)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/258 "2025-01-21T08:39:24Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I suspect DOGE will help make that happen as each department curries favor with Trump as to why their budgets shouldn’t be cut. It’s going to be chaos. Please allow me a question as a non native speaker: how is DOGE pronounced? Is is D-O-G-E or is it one word like NATO? It’s rather new as an acronym, so it might be that people pronounce it differently. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/259 "2025-01-21T08:46:32Z")
Doge comes from a meme, that was then turned into cryptocurrency, and now this. But it originates from a Homestar Runner sketch, where it is pronounced as one word: “dough-zzh”. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tLSgRzCAtXA/hqdefault.jpg "Biz Cas Fri 1") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLSgRzCAtXA) ---
**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:** [January 21, 2025, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/260 "2025-01-21T08:53:21Z")
> [@LouMa](#): > > Please allow me a question as a non native speaker: how is DOGE pronounced? Is is D-O-G-E or is it one word like NATO? Presumably “dozsh”, as in “the Doge of Venice”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227.md?page=14)