Joe Dirt
Reform is possible, but it isn't easy.
There is plenty of criticism from the usual suspects that DOGE will be a flash-in-the-pan destined to accomplish nothing.
Yet, we see reformers like Javier Milei in Argentina (albeit in a different context) making tremendous progress.
There are other reformers from the past that give hope DOGE might be able to move the ball down the field. Joe Dodge was a key financial figure during WWII and the post-war years. He had tremendous influence over the reconstruction of both West Germany and Japan.
‘It’s likely that Dodge understood a key fundamental that we must hope DOGE, the Trump administration, and the Congress will understand: If you only nip and tuck, the monster will grow back later. It’s best to rip this nonsense out by its roots and then run the whole thing through a woodchipper.’
‘Resistance’ revealed: Liberal bureaucrats to fight Trump
Government employees planning to disobey the Trump administration. No wonder Schedule F is a priority for the new administration.
‘Some 80% of government managers who voted for Harris told the survey for Scott Rasmussen’s Napolitan Institute and RMG Research that they would resist Trump when his team takes office on Jan. 20, a week from Monday.
‘What’s more, just 17% of “Democratic managers” plan to follow the new orders expected from Trump.’
The bureaucracy isn’t making any friends in Congress. To be fair, they weren’t that chummy to begin with.
‘“Entrenched bureaucrats are already subverting President Trump’s agenda and working to box in the incoming administration and Republican Congress, including and especially on foreign policy,” Cruz told The Daily Signal. “President Trump and administration officials are going to have to focus immediately on ensuring such bureaucrats are fired.”’
Trump team questioning bureaucrats at NSC about commitment to his agenda
This is entirely consistent with Trump’s Schedule F initiative. He doesn’t have to fire them if they volunteer to leave.
‘Incoming senior Trump administration officials have begun questioning career civil servants who work on the White House National Security Council about who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by President-elect Donald Trump's team, according to a US official familiar with the matter.
‘At least some of these nonpolitical employees have begun packing up their belongings since being asked about their loyalty to Trump -- after they had earlier been given indications that they would be asked to stay on at the NSC in the new administration, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters.’
Newsom Has a Permitting Epiphany
Bureaucracy is a luxury if you can suspend it when you want.
‘California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday waived the state’s environmental laws in areas affected by the fires to expedite rebuilding. Wonderful, but that raises a question: Why not ease regulations for all projects if the rules are such a barrier to development?’
Britain’s chemical industry dying out, says Jim Ratcliffe
The de-industrialization of the West continues apace as it shifts to less benighted regimes in Asia, even as the environment is unchanged.
‘Britain’s chemical industry is heading for extinction because of a combination of high energy prices and carbon taxes, according to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire owner of petrochemicals group Ineos.‘
Where voters don’t want to throw the incumbents out — and why
Competent execution in developing countries leads to strong political support for incumbents.
‘The mounting impact of inflation, immigration and inequality helps explain why only about 20 per cent of Americans express trust in government, down from a peak above 70 per cent in the 1960s. In developing nations, trust is ticking up on average, lifted in the past decade by huge gains in nations where incumbents won last year. Nearly 50 per cent of Mexicans and over 70 per cent of Indians and Indonesians now express trust in their government.
‘One reason trust is rising is the rapid digitisation of government, which improves delivery of public services by cutting out corrupt middlemen. By 2022, led by gains in India, governments of developing countries had overtaken their developed peers on the World Bank’s index of “government technological maturity”.’
EU reassesses tech probes into Apple, Google and Meta
EU investigations of US tech companies for ostensibly antitrust reasons were always political.
‘Brussels is reassessing its investigations of tech groups including Apple, Meta and Google, just as the US companies urge president-elect Donald Trump to intervene against what they characterise as overzealous EU enforcement.
‘The review, which could lead to the European Commission scaling back or changing the remit of the probes, will cover all cases launched since March last year under the EU’s digital markets regulations, according to two officials briefed on the move.
‘It comes as the Brussels body begins a new five-year term amid mounting pressure over its handling of the landmark cases and as Trump prepares to return to the White House next week.’
Vietnam’s Communists Join Musk, Milei in Slashing Government
Even communists are setting up their own DOGE-like initiatives.
‘In what amounts to the biggest overhaul of the state since adopting pro-market reforms in the 1980s, Vietnamese officials are targeting a roughly 20% reduction in the size of ministries, government agencies, and civil service workforce. It’s being pitched as essential medicine to remedy a bloated bureaucracy, reduce red-tape and cut unnecessary costs from local governments on up.’
Bureaucracy enables arbitrary prosecution by a government with limitless resources. All they have to do is make a credible allegation and they can bankrupt anyone they want.
‘Harvey Silverglate’s 2009 book “Three Felonies a Day” is one that you ultimately regret digesting. The author argues compellingly that federal statutes have metastasized to the point where no one can read, interpret, or confidently avoid violating the countless codes, regulations, and criminal laws that emanate from Washington. The net effect of this dangerous deviation from English common law is to bestow upon federal prosecutors godlike powers, permitting them to charge virtually any civilian with a felony if enough time is spent rummaging through their personal business. Simply being charged with a crime can destroy a person’s life with minimal recourse, and the current system is dangerously ripe for abuse, particularly as it pertains to punishing political opponents.’
Cleveland-Cliffs and Nucor Mull Fresh Bid for U.S. Steel
CFIUS concocts an excuse to block a Japanese company from acquiring US Steel despite the support for the bid from the unions. Japan is an ally, last time I checked.
Yet, there is a clear antitrust issue here. Shrinking the industry from four to three is a flag. Also, putting 100% of blast furnace capacity in the hands of one company is another.
‘Cleveland-Cliffs CLF 0.34%increase; green up pointing triangle is discussing joining with Nucor NUE 0.84%increase; green up pointing triangle on a possible bid for U.S. Steel X 1.10%increase; green up pointing triangle that is still likely months away from happening, according to people familiar with the matter.’
Bad Policy Served as Kindling for California’s Wildfires
Blaming bad outcomes on climate change just makes climate change less credible as an argument.
Shame on the people who hid behind the pantywaist of the environmentalists.
‘The left blames a changing climate. But that doesn’t explain California’s long history with massive wildfires, or why fires became less threatening throughout most of the 20th century.’