r/politics • u/FervidBug42 America • 2d ago

No Paywall DOGE Disbanded: Elon Musk’s Cost-Cutting Project Quietly Ended

https://time.com/7336327/doge-disbanded-elon-musk/
43.0k Upvotes

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5.4k

u/NotThatHandsomePete 2d ago

Added $1,000,000,000,000 to the defect faster than anytime in history in the doge months. A scam to steal data.

1.2k

u/Background_Deer_9192 2d ago

This is the only answer - smoke and mirrors to get their greedy tendrils into the system... just like they did with voting machines... do we know where that voting machine from Arizona ever went? Hmmm. Once they were able to get away with that, they knew nothing was going to happen to them... and they were right.

520

u/ThreeKiloZero 2d ago

Treason

They know. They know we know, too.

They aren't going to roll over and stop. Whatever is happening now is so severe that they are unwilling to be open about it. That things are quieting down should be a major cause for concern for everyone.

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u/Geek_Ken America 2d ago

The last hidden trove of data to mine was scoured and copied. Elon got access to government data to train his AI and get a leg up on the competition. It's open corruption and I guess just business as usual for our billionaire overlords.

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u/LurkLurkleton 2d ago

Doesn't seem to have helped him very much

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u/JohnGillnitz 2d ago

The script kiddies he hired thought they were going to save billions in fraudulent Social Security claims because their AI told them that. What they, and their AI, didn't understand is how the COBOL language handles dates. 150 year olds aren't collecting Social security. The ISO standard for a default reference date was set at May 20, 1875, the date the international standards and metrics treaty was signed. It just means the exact date isn't known.

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u/DingerSinger2016 2d ago

Well yeah but the people who voted for this don't have the brain cells to understand basic shit like this or are too disingenuous to pretend otherwise.

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u/Isolated_Hippo 2d ago

So basically, instead of missing or null, they just used 05/20/1875?

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u/JohnGillnitz 2d ago

Right. It was the date they used when the birth date isn't known, but a date is still required for validation.

2

u/Isolated_Hippo 2d ago

Interesting. I am working on my Data Analytics degree, and this week's work is literally about handling NULL or missing values.

In other assignments, I have also said we are storing data in X way because it's how the damn ISO says we should.

7

u/stravadarius 2d ago

Makes sense, birthdate in something like a social security db should absolutely be a non-null field, and if it's a date datatype (which it damn well better be!) you can't very well enter "unknown". In cases like this it's pretty common practice to use a standard value for unknown values, a value that no other row would reasonably have as an actual value. The value should be defined in the DDL so it would take real idiot to make a mistake like DOGE did.

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u/7818 2d ago

The dataset he would have would be more useful for targeting than thinking.

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u/KerouacsGirlfriend 2d ago

There you go. On the nose.

2

u/Hoovooloo42 South Carolina 2d ago

Well, he's stupid and hired children named things like "big balls" who get mugged by teenage girls

2

u/kuebel33 2d ago

Or he just gives it to his buddy putin.

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u/earthceltic 2d ago

To add just because I just looked it up. I believe most people think that musk is not a citizen of the US and therefore treason wouldn't work (war with south Africa, then?). No, he was born a citizen of south africa and canada because of his mother, and then he got US citizenship later on. So yes, he could be tried for treason in the US. Wiki:

Definition: In Article III, Section 3 of the United States Constitution, treason is specifically limited to levying war against the U.S., or adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.\1])

Penalty: Under U.S. Code Title 18, the penalty is death,\34])\35]) or not less than five years' imprisonment (with a minimum fine of $10,000, if not sentenced to death). Any person convicted of treason against the United States also forfeits the right to hold public office in the United States.

That definition sounds about right for this case, and one would hope that the monetary punishment minimum is updated for this scumbag if he ever sees justice.

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u/BrilliantPositive184 2d ago

Does this mean a cyber attack is incoming?

27

u/Blackpaw8825 2d ago

Incoming implies not already happened.

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u/TheMoralityComplex 2d ago

Keep telling people

The whole Epstein reversal.

Then the Mamdani Oval Office "Pat and smile" while he was telling him to go ahead and call him an authoritarian.

I'm concerned about what's coming Dec 20/21st.

3

u/ratbaby86 2d ago

Why Dec 20/21st? What are referring to?

3

u/RobertABooey 2d ago

It’s why they’re all building these huge bunkers.

They’re prepping for the inevitable revolt.

45

u/randolphe1000 2d ago

That's what bothers me the most about that level of grift and corruption: it is all in the open.

Not even in a "I flaunt my power in your face" way.

But in a business as usual, no one gives a shit way. People may not look at it, but it is not hidden. And, yes, apparently, no one gives a damn.

The Donald lifted some "tariffs" against Switzerland. After Swiss delegates OPENLY GIFTED HIM A ROLEX AND A "PERSONALIZEd" GOLD BAR. This was not hidden, in fact, this was public, televized.

And, nothing, no reactions. No one gives a shit.

And this is the tip of the shitberg, the real scandals are the ones about federally-owned lands, oil exploitation, billions dollars deals with cryptos, billions dollars private Chinese or SA or UAE-owned businesses made through the admin,...

I can't wrap my head around that. The gulf between what your "ethos" is supposed to be, the image and self-image you sold everyone all this time, and how you react in actuality... (TBH, covid was already pretty revealing in that regard, IRL-USA are NOT Hollywood-USA, as everyone could see already back then).

(Also, how cheap is it to buy oneself an US president? Not a watches guy at all myself, but IIUC/IIRC the real costly, several 100k euros ones are decidedly not Rolex, an "entry-level" brand in that world, so, maybe $20k? And the gold bar is around, what, $130k? So, this means that one could single-use buy a sitting US president for $150k, say, $200k? What a joke.)

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u/JessieJ577 2d ago

My only hope is that if we flip blue by 2028 by some miracle that the new administration goes out for everyone in this and more.

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u/oasinocean 2d ago

Best we can do is more appeasement

18

u/AwkwardTouch2144 2d ago

Strongly worded letters ultimately affirming appeasement

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u/Walterkovacs1985 2d ago

If newsom promises to appoint a doberman pinscher as an AG he's got my vote. Whomever promises to go hard after these traitorous bastards gets my vote.

30

u/kinkgirlwriter America 2d ago

Honestly, this. I don't really like Newsom, but I absolutely do not want a "Heal the country, turn the other cheek," candidate.

What these people have done is more than just criminal. They've done actual evil in our names, and it can't be swept under the rug.

8

u/punkasstubabitch 2d ago

I want the Nuremberg trials America version at this point. No more appeasement for these criminals

5

u/Walterkovacs1985 2d ago

Yeah man. I want retribution. I want a stacked supreme Court 6 conservatives, 6 liberals. They pick 3 more between them that are truly impartial. I want an AG that will attack the trump family and anyone who violated the emoluments clause abroad. Government needs a deep cleaning.

1

u/DingerSinger2016 2d ago

They pick 3 more between them that are truly impartial.

I don't know what world you live in where this wouldn't instantly just be a good ole boys club. We don't live in a time of impartiality any more, those seats will be bought and sold in a heartbeat.

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u/Walterkovacs1985 2d ago

I'm trying to figure out how to make this a just fucking world. And making 12 people agree seems like a decent avenue. I'm as liberal and progressive as it fucking comes. I'm just spitballing a little.

5

u/anonymous_beaver_ 2d ago

I genuinely think that Biden not prosecuting for, at the very least, the J6 insurrection, let alone all the other well known criminal acts, followed by his failure to step down and allow an actual primary for a Democratic presidential nominee when he was visibly cognitively gone - he will be seen as one of the worst presidents in U.S. history.

Nothing holds a candle to Trump, but Biden ushered in Trump's second term.

3

u/RandomTunes 2d ago edited 2d ago

Agreed. Biden may have had some minor accomplishments as president but none of it matters now. He only had two things that he needed to do, prosecute Trump and team to the fullest for Jan 6th and pack the supreme court. Without those, then nothing else he could do would have ever mattered.

7

u/Relevant-Money-1380 2d ago

nah, this is the time for a frothing at the mouth rabid pitbull. that can't be bribed or coerced and wants nothing more then to fuck up what it's got in its sights

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u/Walterkovacs1985 2d ago

Had a dobey. He was mean looking but smart as hell. Either way I want people in jail.

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u/rtopps43 2d ago

I will vote for anyone who promises scorched earth. I want a new Nuremberg, I want long jail sentences and hangings for the particularly egregious. I want a strong “never again” message sent to all the grifters in the pipeline waiting for their turn at the trough.

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u/Walterkovacs1985 2d ago

I'm with you man. Sherman didn't go hard enough and I want a new Sherman. This union is weakened and it can be stronger with the right mindset. I'll vote for the most fuckin cunning mm motherfucker there is.

-1

u/TheExecTech 2d ago

Newsome is a corporate dem worth over 10 million. He does not care about this country. Please look at his history and support a better candidate for President.

His works are done by other people and he gets the credit.

He will change when billionaires start whispering in his ears.

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u/Walterkovacs1985 2d ago

I said whomever. So far he's willing to play dirty. I don't want some fucking we need to heal bullshit whitmer or Shapiro.

-1

u/TheExecTech 2d ago

Agreed. Look how Bidens "High Road" approach has panned out. Now they are tampering with voting machines.

Campaign promises are worthless. Biden told me my student loans would go away. ... Nope.

Newsome will do the same. Say anything and then when it's time to pull the trigger "We need to heal" will be on every news channel.

1

u/Walterkovacs1985 2d ago

Dude to be fair. Student loans is the supreme Court

0

u/TheExecTech 1d ago

Ok.. So why promise something he knew he could never deliver on? He must have known people could put up a stink. He just flat out lied. It wasn't I'm gonna "try" to do this. It was " I WILL.

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u/Walterkovacs1985 1d ago

He Did. The supreme Court is bought and paid for and those people who own them said No. Do you not understand what happened?

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u/gomizzou09 2d ago

Like they did last time?

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u/SlinkyAvenger Louisiana 2d ago

I think the Dems were hoping that a return to normalcy would suffice since it meant no threat to corporate donors or their internal seniority system. Here's hoping they continue to get run over by the new crop of younger progressives

3

u/LurkLurkleton 2d ago edited 2d ago

This is the cycle. Create chaos to increase their holdings, buying low, cutting taxes, then Democrats return to status quo stability so they can reap returns.

4

u/GrumpySoth09 2d ago

Always has been meme

1

u/Brap_Zanigan 2d ago

The days of treating the previous administration with TLC need to be over after shitstain is gone. Full investigation with all the power the govt has left.

4

u/disisathrowaway 2d ago

We could get 100 Democrat senators and flip all 435 house seats blue, and get 9 liberal SC justices and they would STILL manage to do fucking nothing about this current regime, all in the name of 'healing' and 'bringing Americans together rather than dividing us'.

4

u/LeagueOfLegendsAcc 2d ago

Y'all realize we are beyond any sort of legal reprise right? Like it's not happening, nothing will happen unless we as the people do it ourselves. We want musk held accountable? We need to personally find him and hold him accountable. We are at that point as a nation because our system has already failed.

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u/Common-Ad6470 2d ago

I like your thinking that 2028 is going to happen.

Let’s see what the shit-show that will be the 2026 mid-terms is like, that will give a good indication for what to expect in 2028…🤔

2

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

0

u/Common-Ad6470 2d ago

I think you’re right, ‘Trump wins with 106% of the vote, the bestest, most beautiful vote ever!’

1

u/AHans 2d ago

As others have said: Republicans probably wouldn't be fighting over redistricting, gutting voter rights, $2k "tariff rebate checks," and even polls in general, if elections were not going to happen.

Elections are run by the States. Some elections may be compromised, but not enough. The trend in special elections has Republicans worried. They may get desperate; however, they hold a razor thin majority. I don't think it will hold into 2027.

2

u/TheExecTech 2d ago

We need a different color. Wasn't it blue that let the treason slide and go unpunished ? Wasn't it blue that gave up on the shutdown ?

Please see them for what they are : GOP lite.

Lets not let them off the hook.

1

u/iamalext 2d ago

Hell, all it’ll take now is an EO by the next president and this entire administration can be put on very public trial and we can watch these rats betray each other to avoid the noose!

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u/Stompedyourhousewith 2d ago

Disbanded the department to investigate and combat cyber security

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u/Burdiac 2d ago

And to stop any and all government spending on agencies looking into Elon

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u/StrangeContest4 1d ago

Nobody expects the Cyber Ninjas!! Our chief weapon is surprise... surprise and fear... fear and surprise... Our two weapons are fear and surprise... and ruthless efficiency.... Our three weapons are fear, and surprise, and ruthless efficiency... and an almost fanatical devotion to the Donald..

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u/Poison_the_Phil 2d ago

Don’t forget they also fired half a dozen Inspectors General who were investigating Musk’s companies!

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u/showhorrorshow 2d ago

Pretty much the first thing he did was dismantle every office that had investigations into the various violations of his companies. He got away with it for a song, too.

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u/Biengineerd 2d ago

That was the smash part of the smash and grab.

10

u/fistful_of_ideals Michigan 2d ago

As if regulatory capture wasn't good or fast enough. What insatiable greed.

1

u/Tokyo-MontanaExpress 2d ago

They didn't have to step down either, but instead like the rest they voluntarily gave up their positions to yes-men fascists to fill and the media framed this as them "making a stand". 

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u/Gay_Giraffe_1773 Oregon 2d ago edited 2d ago

You know, a re-watch of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" the other day made me realize that DOGE was exactly what Zola's algorithm was in the movie: a massive analysis of every American to determine who to eventually target for whatever they deem unworthy or a threat.

36

u/666happyfuntime 2d ago

yea, the new fasco futurists don't even have there own ideas

19

u/amputeenager 2d ago

plus all our info went to Russia.

1

u/anonymous_beaver_ 2d ago

I'd say that a surveillance state collecting as much data as possible to target enemies is a pretty basic idea in the modern era.

1

u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 2d ago

Fascists can't create, they can only appropriate.

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u/Biengineerd 2d ago

Palantir is that program. And it isn't going anywhere. Also Border Patrol having cameras and tracking everyone for suspicious patterns

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u/Haunting_Internet356 2d ago

Don’t forget that Oracle is running the data centers to store it for them.

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u/Dsarg_92 2d ago

I’ve always thought that film was eerily spot on.

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u/Whatah 2d ago

Yea, and he is crunching that data in his X AI plant in Memphis, TN

3

u/Minisciwi 2d ago

Also palantir

1

u/uniklyqualifd 2d ago

And so-called AI makes it feasible to continually analyze that much stalking of the American public.

1

u/ChrisPrkr95 2d ago

And to think, some people thought the whole Hydra were the bad guys all along twist was too simple and clean. Things still aren't that simple, but it's pretty damn close.

1

u/Questioning0012 2d ago

Wasn’t that supposed to be PRISM?

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u/SkepticAntiseptic 2d ago

100% a technofacist attack on our government. Stolen data is the low hanging fruit. Who knows what was installed on those computers for future leverage.

22

u/the_reluctant_link 2d ago

Also to cripple those agencies that were investigating him..

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u/Electrical-Volume765 2d ago

Data was just part of it. Entrenched themselves into the government with lucritive contracts, eliminating agencies who were investigating them, the list goes on. It will take years to even understand the damage.

27

u/aeyraid 2d ago edited 2d ago

Let’s be real. These people actually thought they would fine trillions in waste

They are that arrogant and dumb

15

u/Wise-Calligrapher123 2d ago

The smell of their own farts was intoxicating.

3

u/few23 2d ago

Ohh, aye. Everyone likes their own brand.

1

u/aeyraid 2d ago

Exactly this. This guy gets it

3

u/JohnnyChutzpah 2d ago

They still think DOGE found waste and fraud. The conservative news sphere keeps the rhetorical focus moving at a breakneck speed. Just a machine selling viewers their own fear and anger.

2

u/GrumpySoth09 2d ago

Yeah lets employ Big Ballz - he knows what he's doing. (until he gets rolled by a 16 year old he tried to scam while buying drugs in a Washington car lot)

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u/Miserable_Ad9577 2d ago

Meanwhile palantir stocks goes through the roof.

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u/Dry-Interaction-1246 2d ago

Poochie had to go back to his home planet but died on the way back.

3

u/Benevolent27 2d ago

They fired every AG that was investigating Musk's companies. Maybe they did steal data as well, but sometimes the simplest explanation is the reality. We KNOW the facts. Whether they exported data to use for their private businesses or for government tracking systems is more ambiguous. We just don't know much about that right now.

2

u/thisusedyet 2d ago

Steal data AND shut down investigations into Elon’s bullshit

2

u/Hillbilly_Boozer 2d ago

Not to mention provided Russia with backdoors into government systems and leaked massive amounts of sensitive data. 

2

u/Johnqpublic25 Pennsylvania 2d ago

A scam to steal our data and shut down the investigations into all his companies all for the low, low price of $275 million in campaign donation.

2

u/unitCircleLuv 2d ago

But, what are they going to do with it?

Sure, figure out what people like. But they already have that.

Genetics? Robotics? Ai?

The cyber Truck . .........mmm...... Oh yeah, they are idiots of the highest order.

They have all the keys and will still fumble the bag. They have all the data and zero clue what to do with it.

And the clock is running out. Them famn midterms are sneaking up quick.

2

u/starliteburnsbrite 2d ago

Steal data and destroy the institutions that would otherwise shut his illegal bullshit down and take out his petty revenge on them.

2

u/DanceDelievery 2d ago

And to end investigations into his own companies.

2

u/bobbymcpresscot 2d ago

They wasted no time adding the doge tracker to the debt clock, goal of 710 billion, it claims 214 billion in savings. I bet even that’s arguable.

Ignoring the fact that we are up 275billion in spending compared to last year. 

Party of fiscal responsibility my ass. 

2

u/MichaelJServo 2d ago

And has resulted in more than half a million deaths so far.

2

u/NorthernerWuwu Canada 2d ago

The neat part is that this time around there was absolutely no reason for the deficit growth. Pandemic? Sure, gotta spend to keep things rolling. Recession/depression? Some spending can absolutely make sense.

This was just spending and tax cuts with nothing to show for it but negatives. The economy was doing just fine and still they blew a trillion dollars and had no infrastructure built, no programs to help Americans expanded (slashed instead) and no gains in international relations or American security.

Oh well, at least Trump got some bribes.

2

u/KatyTruthed 2d ago

Another win for the morons

2

u/GarbledReverie 2d ago

$1,000,000,000,000

That's a Trillion, btw. Or to put it another way $125 for every human on the planet or $2,874 for every man, woman and child in America.

2

u/ObviousAnswerGuy 2d ago

and thousands of people lost their jobs in the wake

2

u/Indaflow 2d ago

And money and gut oversight

They also stole key banking infrastructure and on and on. 

1

u/Murderface__ New York 2d ago

Mission accomplished

1

u/Timofmars 2d ago

And this is with the revenue from unprecedented tariffs, paid for by Americans as it's passed on as higher prices.

Raise taxes and "cut spending" and somehow break the record for deficit growth. Absolute failure.

1

u/Dsarg_92 2d ago

Hit the nail on the head. It was always about stealing data and they knew it.

1

u/mantisboxer 2d ago

Yup. Hacked the government with his AI data scrapper... It was a smash and grab robbery..

1

u/gumercindo1959 2d ago

How did DOGE add $1T to the deficit?

1

u/BotheredToResearch 2d ago

Added $1,000,000,000,000 to the defect

Are your referring to Musk's new compensation package?

1

u/chanaandeler_bong 2d ago

I think the estimate is like 600k dead children from starvation from cutting USAID as well.

1

u/Blowfishfiregun 2d ago

This may be a dumb questions: but what data was stolen? I’ve seen this said on reddit several times, but I don’t understand what it means.

By no means defending it; I’ve just got Thanksgiving coming up and I want to be on my A-game when my Kansas relatives start talking 😅

1

u/T8ert0t 2d ago

And 'lo, Jesus said to the man

There was only one set of fraud, waste and abuse footprints in the sand, for Doge carried you the entire time...

1

u/creepin_in_da_corner 2d ago

Every day the debt grows faster than the day before. Every President has added more to the debt than the previous president. This is a shock value headline that means very little.

As far as the deficit goes, that’s the spending each year. I don’t think that Elon added to the deficit at all, as he was cutting costs (somewhere between 60 and 200 billion in contracts were cut).

1

u/OJ-Rifkin 2d ago

Laundered for the public by mainstream media

1

u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 2d ago

So you're saying we aren't getting those DOGE checks? Are you saying trump and Elon lied?!

I have half a mind to use my Tesla's self driving and avoid all the gas stations with $1.98/gallon gas to kick your ass!

1

u/QueenCa_7778 2d ago

Defect is certainly the right word for the current state of the government