The editorial opens with a certain lack of self-awareness. “Our nation was founded on the fundamental idea that the people we elect run the government,” the two men wrote. They depict an America where most policy decisions are made not by “the democratically elected president and his political appointees” but by “millions of unelected and unappointed officials within government agencies who consider themselves immune from dismissal.” thanks to public service protections. »

These nefarious officials are being opposed by two unelected and unappointed men who aspire to wield irresponsible influence – DOGE, despite its name, is not a government agency – who Also cannot be fired. “We are entrepreneurs, not politicians,” they write. “We will serve as outside volunteers, not as federal civil servants or employees. Unlike government commissions or advisory committees, we don’t just write reports or cut ribbons. We will reduce costs. The irony apparently hadn’t reached them.

To accomplish this, they suggest they would “identify and hire” a “small team of small-government crusaders” to be housed within the White House Office of Management and Budget, who would presumably do much of the real work. As “outside volunteers,” Musk and Ramaswamy cannot remove anything or fire anyone. They would simply make recommendations to others – Trump, Congress, heads of federal agencies, anyone with real power – to do so. At the same time, both men act as if they are going to play a much more direct and personal role in all of this. Unlike those pesky civil servants, they would do so while facing a wide range of obvious conflicts of interest and opportunities for corrupt self-enrichment.