Is Elon Draining the Swamp on Government Spending or Is He the Swamp?

[RSD1]

The real travesty of government spending in the U.S. is the staggering waste and corruption within overpriced domestic contracts, particularly in the defense industry. Major U.S. defense contractors routinely charge the government absurdly inflated prices, sometimes 100 times the actual cost. A simple bolt that costs $1 to manufacture for a military aircraft might be billed at $100, or more.

 

This isn’t a secret. The government knows it happens but does nothing to stop it. It’s a well-oiled system where big U.S. corporations siphon taxpayer money while making massive political donations to ensure nothing changes. Just another cog in the military industrial complex.

 

In comparison, the U.S. spending on humanitarian aid abroad that everyone has become so focused on now is just a fraction of what gets washed and wasted through corporate overcharging. Cutting foreign aid on humanitarian programs won’t fix the real financial hemorrhaging within the U.S. government, it’s just an easy scapegoat to distract from the real issue.

 

If Elon, the spastic jumping jellybean, truly wants to tackle government overspending and waste, he should focus on the rampant corruption involving major U.S. defense contractors and other large American corporations, including himself and his own greedy business enterprises. His companies have secured massive, overpriced contracts with the government, making him part of the very system siphoning money from the government, which he claims to oppose and appears to be trying to stop.

 

What he’s doing now is mostly a distraction, a red herring being used to shift attention away from the fact that he, too, is profiting unjustly from taxpayer money. If he were serious about fixing the problem, he’d start by exposing and reforming the same corporate greed that benefits him and his own corrupt business enterprises.

[OneMoreFarang]

30 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

The real travesty of government spending in the U.S. is the staggering waste and corruption within overpriced domestic contracts, particularly in the defense industry. Major U.S. defense contractors routinely charge the government absurdly inflated prices, sometimes 100 times the actual cost. A simple bolt that costs $1 to manufacture for a military aircraft might be billed at $100, or more.

 

As far as I know this goes on since forever, with every political party in the USA.

And obviously many politicians love that system because it allows cooperations to donate enormous amounts to the politicians.

I wonder how many politicians in any party really want any change of that. Because where should the money come from if not from donations?

 

[FriscoKid]

Musk is basically trying to slow everyone else down. He’s hugely insecure and he is doing everything he can to try and keep himself and his ailing companies relevant. Trying to control government spending, trying to destroy any competitor. He’s a total sh*t show that is getting in the way of human progression and development.

 

 

[impulse]

19 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

As far as I know this goes on since forever, with every political party in the USA.

And obviously many politicians love that system because it allows cooperations to donate enormous amounts to the politicians.

I wonder how many politicians in any party really want any change of that. Because where should the money come from if not from donations?

 

Yet you're screaming bloody murder when DOGE gets in, audits and reveals that corruption. 

 

That's the beauty of Trump.  He's an outsider.  He can't be blamed for decades of rot like, for example, Biden.  Had the Biden administration revealed decades of corruption, Biden would have been smack dab in the middle of it, after 40+ years in various offices.

 

To answer the OP question, neither.  Musk and DOGE have been hired to audit the books.  Then the elected leaders with the legal authority will either dismantle the swamp, or not.  Either way, the corruption will be a festering sore that the public will finally see.

 

[jvs]

I will believe in Musk when he also stop the millions of dollars his company gets from the government.(bilions?)

For now let the MAGA folks enjoy the win.

Soon the whining will start.

 

[proton]

5 minutes ago, jvs said:

I will believe in Musk when he also stop the millions of dollars his company gets from the government.(bilions?)

For now let the MAGA folks enjoy the win.

Soon the whining will start.

 

 

What millions does he get and what for?

[impulse]

7 minutes ago, jvs said:

I will believe in Musk when he also stop the millions of dollars his company gets from the government.(bilions?)

For now let the MAGA folks enjoy the win.

Soon the whining will start.

 

Maybe that's because he can deliver when the old standards like Boeing can't.  Or won't.  The US would be much weaker if Space X (and Starlink) weren't getting $ billions from the US gub'ment to do amazing things.  And no telling what other secret squirrel projects his companies are working on.

 

 

[RSD1]

Here’s a summary of just some of Elon Musk’s major U.S. government contracts related to SpaceX, highlighting the financial ties between Musk and the military-industrial complex:

 

• National Security Space Launch (NSSL): $316 million+ (U.S. Space Force)

• Human Landing System (Moon Lander): $2.89 billion (NASA)

• Spy Satellite Network: $1.8 billion (National Reconnaissance Office)

• Rocket Cargo Program: $102 million (U.S. Space Force)

 

These contracts illustrate the deep and incestuous financial entanglement between Musk’s ventures and U.S. government funding.

[impulse]

2 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

Here’s a summary of just some of Elon Musk’s major U.S. government contracts related to SpaceX, highlighting the financial ties between Musk and the military-industrial complex:

 

• National Security Space Launch (NSSL): $316 million+ (U.S. Space Force)

• Human Landing System (Moon Lander): $2.89 billion (NASA)

• Spy Satellite Network: $1.8 billion (National Reconnaissance Office)

• Rocket Cargo Program: $102 million (U.S. Space Force)

 

These contracts illustrate the deep and incestuous financial entanglement between Musk’s ventures and U.S. government funding.

 

So being a systems genius (and the singular guy who put electric cars on the US map) should disqualify him from gub'ment audit work?   And his Twitter purchase shows he's pretty much incorruptible by mere money.

 

He's exactly who and what we need.   

 

I'm not a big fan of his ego, but I can live with that if he identifies $trillions of waste and fraud.  And he's well down that path in the limited time and access that he's had.

 

BTW, the projects you've named add up to a few percent of his net worth.  I don't believe he'd piss away his legacy for another few percent.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

37 minutes ago, impulse said:

Yet you're screaming bloody murder when DOGE gets in, audits and reveals that corruption. 

I don't know where your "Yet you're screaming bloody murder when DOGE gets in" comes from.

 

It seems Musk is shutting down and taking over. Is that the proper way to do things?

If he buys a company and fires 80% of the people, that is his decision and his consequences - see Twitter.

 

But the government has lots of long-time contracts and obligations. Obviously, they should be revived and if necessary canceled. But just stopping everything from one day to the next is certainly not the way to do government business. 

[RSD1]

5 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

So being a systems genius (and the singular guy who put electric cars on the US map) should disqualify him from gub'ment audit work?   And his Twitter purchase shows he's pretty much incorruptible by mere money.

 

He's exactly who and what we need.   

 

I'm not a big fan of his ego, but I can live with that if he identifies $trillions of waste and fraud.  And he's well down that path in the limited time and access that he's had.

 

BTW, the projects you've named add up to a few percent of his net worth.  I don't believe he'd piss away his legacy for another few percent.

 

 

He's not doing the right things.
 

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released on January 29, the majority, 53% of registered voters disapprove of Musk taking a prominent role in Donald Trump's administration, while only 39% approve:

https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/us/elon-musks-popularity-plummets-as-he-goes-full-maga-his-favorability-plunges-in-the-negative-zone-says-new-poll/articleshow/117984177.cms

[impulse]

10 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I don't know where your "Yet you're screaming bloody murder when DOGE gets in" comes from.

 

It's scattered over half a dozen threads today alone.

 

[impulse]

12 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

 

He's not doing the right things.
 

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released on January 29, the majority, 53% of registered voters disapprove of Musk taking a prominent role in Donald Trump's administration, while only 39% approve:

https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/us/elon-musks-popularity-plummets-as-he-goes-full-maga-his-favorability-plunges-in-the-negative-zone-says-new-poll/articleshow/117984177.cms

 

Aren't those the same pollsters that said Kamala's got this one in the bag?

 

Sorry, I don't believe them.  They're pushing a narrative.  Just like before.

 

[jvs]

58 minutes ago, proton said:

 

What millions does he get and what for?

Really,are you that MAGA intelligent?

[Stocky]

He is the swamp monster.

[RSD1]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

To answer the OP question, neither.  Musk and DOGE have been hired to audit the books.  Then the elected leaders with the legal authority will either dismantle the swamp, or not.  Either way, the corruption will be a festering sore that the public will finally see.

 

Even if that were truly Musk’s intention with his flawed DOGE program, and that it's not just another move for his own personal gain, it would still be impossible for him to take an unbiased approach to auditing government spending. He has an immediate and personal financial conflict of interest.

 

At best, he can point fingers at the spending he personally doesn’t like, but he will inevitably ignore or downplay any scrutiny of the spending that benefits him, plus he will likely increase additional spending in his own favor. It's a wholesale fleecing and restocking of the swamp by Musk and the majority of the world already knows and accepts this truth.

[Harrisfan]

If only liberals could say something intelligent. It may never happen. 3 weeks in office non stop whingeing.

 

Wait 6 months then see how things are going.

[NoDisplayName]

2 hours ago, RSD1 said:

The real travesty of government spending in the U.S. is the staggering waste and corruption within overpriced domestic contracts, particularly in the defense industry.

 

President Donald Trump has unleashed Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) on the Pentagon’s $824 billion budget, and honestly, it was about time. The announcement came today during a press conference at the White House with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Trump shared that they are gonna be auditing the Defense Department after it failed its 7th consecutive audit. The Pentagon, drowning in financial confusion, couldn’t explain 63% of its $3.8 trillion assets in 2024, as Cryptopolitan reported. 

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/us-president-trump-says-elon-musk-s-doge-will-audit-the-pentagon/ar-AA1yCA2n

 

[thesetat]

1 hour ago, RSD1 said:

Here’s a summary of just some of Elon Musk’s major U.S. government contracts related to SpaceX, highlighting the financial ties between Musk and the military-industrial complex:

 

• National Security Space Launch (NSSL): $316 million+ (U.S. Space Force)

• Human Landing System (Moon Lander): $2.89 billion (NASA)

• Spy Satellite Network: $1.8 billion (National Reconnaissance Office)

• Rocket Cargo Program: $102 million (U.S. Space Force)

 

These contracts illustrate the deep and incestuous financial entanglement between Musk’s ventures and U.S. government funding.

I understand your point. But look at the competition from NASA and at their accomplishments with the money they get yet, unable to produce the things that Musks companies have. 

 

NASA's budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024 is estimated to be $28,848.9 billion. This budget includes funding for space technology, science, Earth science, planetary science, and more

 

Yet here we are. Musk got starlink working. He got the reusable and landable fuel tanks to work. He has a starship that can easily and quickly be relaunched. Plus all the other accomplishments his companies have made with less than 10% of NASA budget. 

[short-Timer]

2 hours ago, FriscoKid said:

Musk is basically trying to slow everyone else down. He’s hugely insecure and he is doing everything he can to try and keep himself and his ailing companies relevant. Trying to control government spending, trying to destroy any competitor. He’s a total sh*t show that is getting in the way of human progression and development.

 

 

Musk is a swamp builder of the highest order. He destroyed Twitter and turned into an even greater needless platform that specializes in hate speech. 
 

In a reverse takeover bid, Sam Altman just offered Musk $9.74 billion for Twitter. 😂

[CallumWK]

I refer to the topic I started this morning. Musk is working for his own benefit.

 

 

[Negita43]

I think he's swamping the government so he can drain the money

[Harrisfan]

54 minutes ago, short-Timer said:

Musk is a swamp builder of the highest order. He destroyed Twitter and turned into an even greater needless platform that specializes in hate speech. 
 

In a reverse takeover bid, Sam Altman just offered Musk $9.74 billion for Twitter. 😂

Says a guy worth 10 baht. Musk bought twitter to preserve free speech. He did not buy it to make money.

 

 

[Negita43]

Maybe he should look first at how much NASA is paying SpaceX and try to get a reduction🥴

[dinsdale]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

As far as I know this goes on since forever, with every political party in the USA.

And obviously many politicians love that system because it allows cooperations to donate enormous amounts to the politicians.

I wonder how many politicians in any party really want any change of that. Because where should the money come from if not from donations?

 

It's a good point. Thing is Trump ran on changing this trough feeding Democrat's corruption and the voters agreed and voted him in. Now the huge waste of tax payer's money is being uncovered. Do you think this is a bad thing? Try answering with a rational and logical answer not just more anti-Trump the " syndrome that cannot be named" response. BTW best not to talk about donations though. The list of donators aka billionaires/millionaires for Harris was quite extensive.

[Negita43]

4 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

The list of donators aka billionaires/millionaires for Harris was quite extensive.

I expect they'll be on the "wanted list"

[dinsdale]

11 minutes ago, Negita43 said:

I think he's swamping the government so he can drain the money

Indeed. Drain the money out of the corrupt pockets. Pockets filled with tax payers money.

 

[connda]

4 hours ago, RSD1 said:

Cutting foreign aid on humanitarian programs won’t fix the real financial hemorrhaging within the U.S. government, it’s just an easy scapegoat to distract from the real issue.

The "humanitarian programs" are in themselves a grift, no different that the corporate welfare programs.  They are just another conduit to "wash" money then funnel it for other purposes.

[dinsdale]

Just now, Negita43 said:

I expect they'll be on the "wanted list"

Why? Political donations aka lobbying is part and parcel of the flawed American political system.

[nauseus]

2 hours ago, RSD1 said:

Here’s a summary of just some of Elon Musk’s major U.S. government contracts related to SpaceX, highlighting the financial ties between Musk and the military-industrial complex:

 

• National Security Space Launch (NSSL): $316 million+ (U.S. Space Force)

• Human Landing System (Moon Lander): $2.89 billion (NASA)

• Spy Satellite Network: $1.8 billion (National Reconnaissance Office)

• Rocket Cargo Program: $102 million (U.S. Space Force)

 

These contracts illustrate the deep and incestuous financial entanglement between Musk’s ventures and U.S. government funding.

 

All these bids were accepted by the Biden government and reportedly won on technical merit.

 

Let's see what happens and where this goes before you finish your cartoon.