New in PJ Media:
Leftists have been whining about “President Musk” ever since Trump announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency. Now, Musk is uncovering staggering levels of government waste (as well as active aid and comfort of America’s enemies — which, of course, those who like to illustrate the old adage that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing will insist is not treason). It was inevitable that the empire would strike back. Time Magazine is just an old wheeze of its former self, but in its latest issue, it lashes out at Musk and Trump with all the feeble wallop it can muster.
The cover of Time’s latest issue, dated Feb. 24, carries no caption, but its meaning is unmistakable. It depicts Elon Musk staring determinedly and unapologetically at the reader, clutching a cup of coffee, and sitting behind the Resolute Desk, that is, the president’s desk in the Oval Office.
The cover story laments that “for now, millions of government workers find themselves at Musk’s mercy. One described her team at the Department of Homeland Security assuming a ‘defensive crouch’ as they awaited a visit from the DOGE. For an inkling of their fate, she added, her colleagues had turned to a book called Character Limit, which chronicles the way Musk took over Twitter two years ago and fired 80% of its staff, often with chaotic and lasting results.”
Chaotic, yeah, got it. Multitudes of useless and unproductive employees were sent packing, and Twitter, that is, X, runs just fine. Time’s apocalyptic hit piece nevertheless piles on much more of the same. An unnamed bureaucrat says: “‘There’s only so much Democrats can do,’ she said, not wanting to give her name lest it attract more attention from DOGE.” Yes, of course, although this fear rings hollow after one of Musk’s employees, not some supposedly courageous government leftist, was just doxxed.
Time concludes with a plea for someone, anyone, to help: “Her official email account had been shut down, and she could no longer access her desk at the agency. Like thousands of her colleagues and millions of Americans, she was left to watch Musk’s moves play out, wondering how far he would go, and what, if anything, could stop him.” Oh, horror!
The cover, meanwhile, is directed as much at Trump as at Musk. Time hoped to annoy the president, whom the left loves to lampoon as narcissistic and self-absorbed, by suggesting that he was not actually in charge of his administration. Trump, however, coolly refused to take the bait. As he met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House on Friday, a reporter asked him: “Mr. President, do you have a reaction to the new Time Magazine cover that has Elon Musk sitting behind your Resolute Desk?”
There is more. Read the rest here.
somehistory says
A large group of dem pols gathered at the building housing the dept of ed. They were refused entry by a security guard. They whined that the building was closed to “the people.” As if they actually believe they represent “the people.”
Complaining that Mr. Musk and his team are allowed entry means that they don’t want any more of their chicanery uncovered.
It’s all for show as they are exposed for the miscreants they are. They don’t care one iota for “the people.”
Rarely says
I am certain that many of the “multitude of useless and unproductive employees” are, in fact very useful and productive (and long term too). It may be that they are working in a department that is considered by the current administration to be “useless and unproductive” but they are honestly doing the job they were hired to do and with their best efforts. This does not appear to be a “weeding out” of the useless and unproductive but rather the gutting of entire departments regardless of individual merit.
Employees who have given their all (and passed up other opportunities in doing so) have good reason to be upset.
They’d hardly be human if they weren’t.
It is convenient that Musk is given the job of doing the dirty work (he’s not likely to miss a mortgage payment). He’d be available to be scapegoat if one is needed. It’s easy to see these two huge egos colliding — and sooner rather than later.
James Lincoln says
Rarely says,
“I am certain that many of the “multitude of useless and unproductive employees” are, in fact very useful and productive (and long term too).”
Please share with us what makes you so “certain”, as it must be based upon something.
And I’m not trying to be smart aleck.
Rarely says
Hi JL.
Notice how I wrote “many” not “all”. In any large company there are “useless and unproductive” employees but there are also many “useful and productive” ones. Of that I am “certain”.
In this case the current administration views the program as “useless and unproductive” and the employees are viewed that way by extension.
i.e. the employees were being fired because the program was being shut down or downsized and not because they were individually useless and unproductive.
James Lincoln says
Rarely,
Thank you for your reply, and I understand the point that you were trying to make.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Rarely
The US is not governed like any corporation. Which is the problem!
Besides that, in corporations, mass layoffs are common when the corporation has a complete strange in strategy. Like if a car company decides to exit EVs, they’ll likely lay off everybody working in EVs who can’t be similarly positioned in internal combustion engine based vehicles. In case of USAID, since the new policy is no longer transforming the entire world to Gayism, it’s a good reason to terminate 95% of the workforce
The organization is being merged into the State Department, which is where its functions should reside. State Department being the equivalent of your foreign ministry
Rarely says
I’m simply saying that characterizing the employees as being “useless and and unproductive” is unfair. If the program is “useless and unproductive” that is another thing. Not a big deal.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Rarely
The people attacking USAID are attacking the program, not the employees. Looking at a list of them in various countries, it seems that their major goal is to promote social turmoil in most of those countries by promoting things like an LGBTQ comic book in Peru, LGBTQ concert in Guatemala, Atheism in Nepal, and so on
That is why it’s perfectly fair of the new administration to either shut it down altogether, or, as they have done, merge it into the State Department and let the Secretary of State determine whether it needs to be a separate sub-department in the first placce
Rarely says
infidel.
I’m not referring to the program itself just the employees being characterized as “useless and unproductive”. Won’t look good on their resumes. Unfair.
Jerome from Layton says
This is the first time I saw that Time cover. Probably is for a lot of other people, too.
Andrew Blackadder says
In order to know who a man is or what he believes then look no further than who his enemies are.
Great reply by President Trump as I didn’t know either if they still published in paper form.
terry says
Money laundering is always useful to the criminals and the criminal organizations laundering the funds. And there are many useless and incompetent people on the payrolls of the DC organizations. Let them go find more useful, non shady or criminal jobs- like all of the rest of us!