BrianKrebsFeb 9

Nothing to see here, just Musk's team of "experts" feeding the nation's data into AI. What could go wrong? Especially if the goal is to replace a ton of government workers with AI?

"To replace the existing civil service, Musk’s allies are looking to technology. DOGE associates have been feeding vast troves of government records and databases into artificial intelligence tools, looking for unwanted federal programs and trying to determine which human work can be replaced by AI, machine-learning tools or even robots."

"As much as half the government’s nonmilitary real estate holdings are set to be liquidated, a move aimed at closing offices and increasing commute times amid sharp new limits on remote and telework. That is intended to depress workforce morale and increase attrition, according to four officials with knowledge of internal conversations at the General Services Administration, another agency taken over by Musk."

“We’ve heard from them that they want to make the buildings so crappy that people will leave,” said one senior official at GSA, which manages most federal property. “I think that’s the larger goal here, which is bring everybody back, the buildings are going to suck, their commutes are going to suck.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/08/doge-musk-goals/

In chaotic Washington blitz, Elon Musk’s ultimate goal becomes clear

Shrink government, control data and — according to one official closely watching the billionaire’s DOGE — replace “the human workforce with machines.”

The Washington Post
Show threadauthor_is_ShrikeTron🔠💉x7Feb 9

@briankrebs Weird he's not applying efficiency to the largest watermelon, and R boondoggles, such as the Military budget.

Everybody knows efficiency cuts works best on the biggest consumer.

When price is no limit, do you upgrade your HVAC or do you go after each light bulb, in a home?

edit:
maybe a sham DoD audit to happen: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/07/trump-musk-pentagon-education-014337

Show threadPepperbikeFeb 9
@ShrikeTron @briankrebs And we know he will never go after the military budget. In fact I would guess that Musk/Trump will propose something like doubling the military budget in addition to cutting income taxes on the top 1%. And the trained seals that are MAGA voters will gladly cheerlead for him.
Show threadauthor_is_ShrikeTron🔠💉x7Feb 9

@Pepperbike This is the "we can all see the military budget is a golden calf".

It's just still amazing it's so normalised to walk around the elephant in the room.

Show threadPepperbikeFeb 9
@ShrikeTron The US military budget should be cut to 10% of its current levels and the excess funds channeled into Health Care, Education Reducing energy use to address climate change and of course Scientific research. At least that would be my set of priorities.
Show threadauthor_is_ShrikeTron🔠💉x7Feb 9

@Pepperbike Agreed. It's sad other major countries are the model of how it **needs** balancing, but the US won't do it.

Everytime I travel out of the US to Asia, it's like stepping into the future of now. Going back to the US, the now of the past.

All because US spends more on military (ne infrastructure in other countries) than infrastructure at home. Leave it to the States to budget. 🙄

Current National Interstate wouldn't exist without previous Federal funding.

Show threadPepperbikeFeb 9
@ShrikeTron So many MAGA people like to cosplay as tough. Big ole manly man pickup Trucks, big ole guns, I'll kick your ass for lookin' at me wrong, etc. To me, the US military is the ultimate expression of that cosplay. It makes people feel strong while they get fucked over by private corporations. I feel like Musk/Trump 2.0 are sort of the "blow off top" to this Volcano. After they wreck the US both socially and economically _maybe_ we will rebuild eventually a better society.
Show threadDana das Grau 🧙🏻🧝‍♂️
@Pepperbike @ShrikeTron I think their plan is to rebuild the society, just not a better one, a whiter one.
Feb 10 at 1:40amMastodon for iOS
Show threadPepperbikeFeb 10
@DanadasGrau @ShrikeTron agreed. I just hope that we can stop them although we are less than a month and I cannot even fathom how we make it until the 2027 election let alone 2028.