Keeping Musk’s interests in mind helps clarify what’s going on. Scorching earth and constantly lying is the playbook for dismantling agencies with oversight into the companies he runs and agencies that promote potential growth of competitors (e.g. pulling the ladder up behind him after the DoE’s Tesla loan). The Canada/China tariffs will cripple other automakers who depend on trade while Tesla’s integrated manufacturing chain will leave them immune and provide a massive advantage. I don’t see any reason to put any stock into any motivation DOGE may have toward increasing governmental efficiency, it is a purposeful distraction.
DOGE has destroyed several agencies that were investigating his companies including FAA (starlink), FDA(neurolink), NHTSA(tesla). I'm sure there are many more, but these instantly come to mind.
Cut a lot of the funding and staff. In other words, we've exceeded regulatory capture and now the regulators (who are already captured) are being managed by DOGE. Regulatory capture now regulated by DOGE. It's unbelievable.
Yup, that's basic class consciousness on Musk's part. The American people simply forgot that billionaires' interests are diametrically opposed to theirs, a fact they knew well in FDR's time. Hopefully this situation will act as a booster shot, and not slip into full-blow oligarchy.
I have an Eastern European friend who has said that sometimes, in his country, they elect a madman to remind the political class who is actually in charge if they get too corrupt or stop serving the people. My best guess is that Trump is that madman.
I am not convinced this is a good strategy, but it is at least a strategy.
It’s Eastern Europe, not a region I want to share much in common with, including the need to elect insane people because their governments are that broken. If that’s where we are, I guess Putin got what he wanted.
Trump is the political class. He is the elite. What are you even talking about? His government has the most billionaire representation of any government ever, a group that is otherwise an extreme minority. He is the most self-serving politician I know.
>> and agencies that promote potential growth of competitors
> Why are government agencies picking winners and losers at all?
Not sure how you got from my statement about promoting competition to the govt picking winners and losers.
> And no other automaker has ever received a loan from the US government?
My point was that Musk through Doge is trying to make it more difficult for automakers to get loans in the future, after Tesla has already benefitted from them. For some reason you misconstrue my point.
> Where do the batteries come from?
Did a quick search and they are manufactured in plants in China, Nevada and Germany.
