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Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Wicked Witch of the Far-Right, has traded in her broomstick for a shiny new title. Now, donning the mantle of DOGE Queen, she’s set to lead what might as well be called the Ministry of Silly Walks.
That classic Monty Python sketch is pretty much the perfect backdrop for what’s unfolding with this new Department of Government Efficiency. It’s a riotous bit where the British government has an actual department devoted to developing ludicrously goofy walks. John Cleese, a member of the Monty Python troupe, famously performs a series of increasingly silly and exaggerated walks to highlight the ministry’s nonsensical focus. These impractical steps are more about comedic flair than getting anywhere fast. Sound familiar?
DOGE department is supposedly focused on trimming the fat and boosting efficiency, yet it’s helmed by someone whose track record in government is basically a master class in doing next to nothing. In her three years of “public service,” MTG has managed to pull off the Herculean feat of…renaming a couple of post offices! Yet, here’s she, confetti-cannoning her enthusiasm for a job that, if past performance is any indication, might be too tall an order.
Anyways, taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Marjorie boldly proclaims:
Yes, the American people do deserve better — the lonely truth in yet another MTG rant. But the Republican, as usual, is here to weave yet another lie.
She was responding to a post by the official DOGE X account, which pointed out the staggering $6.16 trillion spent by the U.S. Government in FY2023, while only bringing in $4.47 trillion. The last budget surplus was, as per the post, way back in 2001, and Marjorie is determined to reverse this trend and balance the budget.
With federal non-discretionary spending — on things like debt interest, which alone ballooned to $1.2 trillion per annum — chomping ever larger chunks of the budget, Musk and Greene’s raving about bureaucratic bloat seems like shouting into a hurricane. The fact is, there’s not enough discretionary dough — money that lawmakers can reallocate — left to make even a dent in the federal deficit by their or any reckoning. Barron’s news magazine reports that out of the $6.1 trillion federal budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, only $1.7 trillion could have been allocated differently by lawmakers. The bulk of the budget was locked into mandatory programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and national defense.
And trust me guys, there was still enough in the budget to fund Elon Musk’s ego — oh, and throw a little spare change at his companies, too.
…Interesting to note: NY Times reports that in 2023 alone, Musk’s companies were promised $3 billion across nearly 100 different contracts with 17 federal agencies. Hmm.
One user, clearly fed up with the nonsense points out:
Another suggested the obvious solution:
And my personal favorite:
Earlier, Greene talked about firing “employees” in the name of efficiency and cutting down on “unnecessary costs.” While the DOGE team and Musk are busy tilting at the windmills of the “deep state,” the reality is that total government wages and salaries amount to just a hair over $800 billion annually, as per Barron’s. That’s like blaming the kid who mows your lawn for the fact that you can’t afford a gold-plated toilet seat.
It’s clear that Marjorie’s brand of BS definitely has its fans, but only in the MAGA bleachers. The rest of us? We can smell the nonsense a mile away, and we’re not biting. One wouldn’t be surprised if DOGE committee ends up into a lean, mean efficiency machine under her watch. In any case, keep your expectations as low as the chances of those post offices getting a second renaming. Maybe, then, any small success will feel like a major win.