The Fraudulence of "Waste, Fraud and Abuse"

a year ago

The article critiques the notion of eliminating 'waste, fraud, and abuse' in government spending as a viable budget strategy, highlighting past failures like the Grace commission under Reagan.
It contrasts the Grace commission's approach with the current DOGE initiative led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, criticizing their lack of substantive action and misunderstanding of federal budget dynamics.
The piece debunks common misconceptions about federal spending, such as the significance of foreign aid and the size of federal employment, emphasizing that most government workers are in education, healthcare, and law enforcement at state and local levels.
It discusses the efficiency of programs like Social Security and Medicare, noting the low overhead and fraud in Social Security, while pointing out the inefficiencies and higher costs associated with private health insurance.
The article warns against the privatization of Medicare through Medicare Advantage plans, citing evidence of significant overbilling and fraud.
It concludes by dismissing the DOGE initiative as a 'clown show' unlikely to achieve meaningful budget reforms but also unlikely to cause major damage.
The author reflects on the challenge of underestimating the damage caused by such initiatives, expressing frustration with the current political climate.

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