With respect, I think you overreached quite a bit calling Musk and Ramaswamy “billionaire tech visionaries with proven track records of reinventing industries & disrupting powerful bureaucracies.”
While both are unquestionably highly successful businessmen, and calling them “billionaire tech visionaries” is reasonably accurate, I see no evidence that either has “reinvented” an industry or disrupted a “powerful bureaucracy.”
Identifying and capitalizing on a new opportunity within an industry is not “reinventing” it unless the rest of the industry adopts that innovation or fails to adopt it and disappears. Neither of these men did that.
As for “disrupting a powerful bureaucracy,” I see zero evidence in either man’s bio that supports such a claim.
How about a chart that shows what tax revenue increase is needed to cut the deficit to zero by 2035, 2050, and 2065, assuming a balanced budget every year at current Federal spending (adjusted for inflation if you like)?
As today's chart shows, there is essentially no way to get there through cuts only.
The only real possibility for hope is number six. There is a six "B" I'll mention in a few lines. I'm a former USAF auditor and pilot. Much of the cost of defense department comes from Congress. It won't be much of an effort to find the evidence. When I said former, I meant way former, so my recollections are only indicative not necessarily relevant today. Back in the late "60s or early '70s, Air University at Maxwell AFB, AL did a study of the cost of maintenance in the C-141A program in comparison to the cost of maintenance in the airlines. The C-141 (I was a C-141 pilot in that era) was an international mixed cargo and passenger four engine jet. Maintenance cost was a significant multiple of airline maintenance cost. The reason was simple. If a request for equipment was made it was frequently rejected if bodies were, or could be, doing the same job. When Rivers was Chairman of the House Armed Services committee, Charleston, SC had a lot of military units that had little reason to be there or even exist. The US Navy wanted to close the Shipyard, and did when Rivers wasn't around. My first C-141A assignment was Warner Robins, AFB to the only C-141 squadron that existed without being part of wing. When I arrived, I was told not to make long term plans, since it made no sense for the squadron to be there except that Senator Russell wanted it there, and he was ill. Eleven months later my family and I had to leave so I could be part of a wing. after Russell died. Doge needs to look into military requests versus congressional budget mandates, audit and even disciplinary records (from when soldiers resist stupidity).
Finally, I would add to point Six - make an effort to educate the electorate as part of the process. We have no politicians that have the ability; Doge could find the people to do that well.
Trump should clarify his position on the Defense budget as not weaking the defense capability and in fact strengthening it while cutting cost.
BTW, seems to me that Musk has pretty much disrupted NASA and its embedded contractors, especially Boeing.
Absolutely on disrupting the Space community. Space X has reinvented the way corporations look as Risk. Rather than risk avoidance, which can be costly, their approach is managed risk.
One wonders how much longer we can ignore the warning signs of our massive debt. Stein's law is undoubtedly true, but our fear should be that our deficit spending will stop, as Paul Ryan warned, with the slowest train wreck in history." We all know it's coming. Who will have the courage to do something about it?
With respect, I think you overreached quite a bit calling Musk and Ramaswamy “billionaire tech visionaries with proven track records of reinventing industries & disrupting powerful bureaucracies.”
While both are unquestionably highly successful businessmen, and calling them “billionaire tech visionaries” is reasonably accurate, I see no evidence that either has “reinvented” an industry or disrupted a “powerful bureaucracy.”
Identifying and capitalizing on a new opportunity within an industry is not “reinventing” it unless the rest of the industry adopts that innovation or fails to adopt it and disappears. Neither of these men did that.
As for “disrupting a powerful bureaucracy,” I see zero evidence in either man’s bio that supports such a claim.
I'm not sure that receiving billions of dollars in federal contracts goes along with "disrupting powerful bureaucracies"
How about a chart that shows what tax revenue increase is needed to cut the deficit to zero by 2035, 2050, and 2065, assuming a balanced budget every year at current Federal spending (adjusted for inflation if you like)?
As today's chart shows, there is essentially no way to get there through cuts only.
The only real possibility for hope is number six. There is a six "B" I'll mention in a few lines. I'm a former USAF auditor and pilot. Much of the cost of defense department comes from Congress. It won't be much of an effort to find the evidence. When I said former, I meant way former, so my recollections are only indicative not necessarily relevant today. Back in the late "60s or early '70s, Air University at Maxwell AFB, AL did a study of the cost of maintenance in the C-141A program in comparison to the cost of maintenance in the airlines. The C-141 (I was a C-141 pilot in that era) was an international mixed cargo and passenger four engine jet. Maintenance cost was a significant multiple of airline maintenance cost. The reason was simple. If a request for equipment was made it was frequently rejected if bodies were, or could be, doing the same job. When Rivers was Chairman of the House Armed Services committee, Charleston, SC had a lot of military units that had little reason to be there or even exist. The US Navy wanted to close the Shipyard, and did when Rivers wasn't around. My first C-141A assignment was Warner Robins, AFB to the only C-141 squadron that existed without being part of wing. When I arrived, I was told not to make long term plans, since it made no sense for the squadron to be there except that Senator Russell wanted it there, and he was ill. Eleven months later my family and I had to leave so I could be part of a wing. after Russell died. Doge needs to look into military requests versus congressional budget mandates, audit and even disciplinary records (from when soldiers resist stupidity).
Finally, I would add to point Six - make an effort to educate the electorate as part of the process. We have no politicians that have the ability; Doge could find the people to do that well.
Trump should clarify his position on the Defense budget as not weaking the defense capability and in fact strengthening it while cutting cost.
BTW, seems to me that Musk has pretty much disrupted NASA and its embedded contractors, especially Boeing.
Absolutely on disrupting the Space community. Space X has reinvented the way corporations look as Risk. Rather than risk avoidance, which can be costly, their approach is managed risk.
One wonders how much longer we can ignore the warning signs of our massive debt. Stein's law is undoubtedly true, but our fear should be that our deficit spending will stop, as Paul Ryan warned, with the slowest train wreck in history." We all know it's coming. Who will have the courage to do something about it?
Chart 5 reveals so much. Truly the chart of the century. Great piece today