Hindsight is always 20/20. However, it seems Musk’s goal was to bring some fiscal responsibility to government which the democrats wouldn’t even attempt to do.
Sorry, but no.
Bill Clinton had a multi-year effort to optimize government and get rid of waste. Unlike Trump, he actually obeyed the law, worked with Congress, hired experts to find and trim waste, and it worked. He cut federal employment rolls by more than anyone after him.
Musk was not after "fiscal responsibility," as should be obvious by his disastrous, illegal, illogical, inexperienced efforts. He didn't take the time to understand how government worked, let alone what should be cut. He hired morally compromised teenagers (including one who unrepentantly made racist posts on social media; another is nicknamed "Big Balls" and likely worked for a cyberattack-for-hire firm) to dismantle the government. Many of his efforts were blocked by courts, because they were illegal. The administration itself said that its goal was to strike fear into the hearts of federal workers. Musk almost certainly walked away with terabytes of critical and sensitive data about citizens and his competitors. And his efforts failed, because it didn't save any money at all.
And remember, Musk claimed he could easily slash $2 trillion off the budget. He couldn't even cut 1/10 of that -- and most of the cuts he made backfired and will cost the federal government almost as much as he cut.
Bottom line, this country is drowning in a sea of red ink which to me it seems neither major party gives a cat’s meow as both are more than willing to let her sink and drown.
You've been posting here for how long, and you don't know that 70% of federal spending is now:
Social Security
Medicare
Medicaid
Defense
Interest on the debt
Everything else is 30% of the budget. Border enforcement, federal prisons, managing the nuclear stockpile, highway funding, education, diplomacy, scientific research, HUD, farm subsidies, food stamps, unemployment, the VA....
Where, exactly, is all the "red ink?" Go ahead, tell us exactly what ought to get cut.
I also have to point out that contrary to popular (false) belief, Republicans are
incredibly profligate and Democrats at least hold the fort. Reagan, Bush 43, and Trump have all ballooned the deficit, primarily by slashing taxes for the wealthy while increasing defense spending; and Trump signed off on $5 trillion in COVID aid without batting an eye. He even wanted to give out MORE aid right at the end of his term.
Clinton actually ran a surplus for a few years -- a surplus that Bush 43 trashed by cutting taxes while waging TWO NEW WARS and setting up Medicare Part D... and blocking the government from negotiating drug prices.
Obama reduced the deficit, mostly by getting the economy back on track. Biden was handed a shit sandwich by Trump, both with COVID and tax cuts; despite that, the wildly misnamed Inflation Reduction Act
paid for itself via taxes.
And here we are, with the Republicans just passing a law that will add
trillions to the debt, while depriving 11 million Americans of much-needed health insurance.
You really need to get beyond inaccurate stereotypes and right-wing headlines. It is Republicans who are responsible for most of the massive deficits and debts, not Democrats.
