Joseph Solis-Mullen asks whether the Elon Musk-led department will live up to its mandate of slashing government waste and corruption.
“But for those familiar with bureaucratic dynamics, it was clear from the outset that DOGE would fail—not because its leaders lacked the will or intelligence, but because it was attempting to reform a system that, by its very nature, resists reform.
The Iron Law of Bureaucracy, coined by political scientist Jerry Pournelle, explains why efforts like DOGE are doomed from the start. Bureaucracies do not exist to fulfill their stated mission; they exist to perpetuate themselves. And when threatened, they will fight tooth and nail to survive, using every tool at their disposal—including legal maneuvering, political resistance, and strategic inefficiency.”
A new balance of power is gonna be reached. No one knows when or at what cost, but it's definitely gonna happen.
That's one of the reasons I'm always rooting for these peaceful reform efforts to work, even though I never expect them too.
There’s no peace when they’re trying to take away our livelihood. Some reforms are harder than others. This one’s tough because it affects a lot of sectors. Balance will be found, one way or another, it’s just a matter of time.
What do you mean by this?
What I mean is, anyone getting laid off or having their income cut is always gonna fight back to stop it.
True. As long as the fighting back is through some sort of civil channel, I still count it as peaceful reform. Radical changes aren't always as polite as being laid off from your government job.
Taxpayers should have a say in how their dollars get spent
The first step is transparency
Its funny. The victim should have a say in how his stolen money is used. Even this is too much for these people.
Pretty sure I have written about the Iron Law of Bureaucracy before on SN. Anyone that has worked in a government agency at a budget level(as I have) can tell you that this is true. I mean, its true in the private sector as well. But in the private sector you eventually run out of money...
I guess in government you eventually run out of public tolerance. However, that's a much longer period than running out of money.