this post was submitted on 08 Feb 2025
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Summary

A federal employee revealed that Elon Musk’s DOGE conducted 15-minute interviews where staff had to "justify their existence" to “college freshers.”

After Musk’s visit, he called for a 50% agency cut, with the bottom 30% of performers facing layoffs.

Supervisors must now submit justification forms for employees.

The speaker also claimed Musk, his "wife," and child are living inside the agency.

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[–] mavu@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 19 hours ago

Oh, I know this one! The question for this answer is: "What is the most stupid way to find inefficiencies that you can think of?" for 200!

[–] inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 5 points 19 hours ago

Does it take fifteen minutes to tell the little shits to go fuck themselves?

[–] goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 17 hours ago

Did they also make them print out their code? Like at twitter?

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 138 points 1 day ago (3 children)

The speaker also claimed Musk, his "wife," and child are living inside the agency.

The richest man on the planet and he's constantly acting like a homeless squatter.

[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 76 points 1 day ago (1 children)

He thinks it makes him look "dedicated" and hard working. Like randomly mashing on his keyboard during conference calls with Twitter employees.

[–] osaerisxero@kbin.melroy.org 28 points 1 day ago

I mean, in that case he was probably just tweeting

[–] Glifted@lemmy.world 27 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If people know where he is I'm surprised no has tried to 'Luigi' him yet

[–] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 28 points 1 day ago (3 children)

He likely has security. And it wouldn't shock me one bit if he has a SS detail.

[–] __nobodynowhere@sh.itjust.works 24 points 1 day ago (2 children)

if he has a SS detail.

Which SS?

[–] whostosay@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

That venn diagram is becoming a circle more and more each day

[–] Glifted@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Well sure, but he's not particularly bright and he doesn't surround himself with competence. I'd say if you went with a group and were well prepared you could probably make it happen.

To clarify I'm not advocating someone do this. Merely surprized no one has tried

[–] Kitathalla@lemy.lol 2 points 17 hours ago

It's because most of the people who have access, or would have access, are comfortable. The majority of people who undertake actions that will render them Public Enemy #1 are in a religious fervor, situations they think are unbearable or will end them anyway, or are hyped by the (sometimes real) thought that they are acting with the social support of everyone they care about. Luigi, as an example, supposedly suffers from horrible pain in his back, and likely thought that most agreed with him on the evil qualities of healthcare insurers.

Government employees are generally well paid and have good benefits. They'll have families or significant mental/emotional investments in things that they don't want to see suffer because of their actions. Even in the most liberal/progressive of areas, there will also be enough colleagues/associates around that would lick trump's feces to ruin thoughts that 'the majority' of people would support their actions. The ones who are about to be fired may be pushed into a category above, but by that point they'll have that potential access cut off.

Like actual brown shirts?

[–] regrub@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Which illegitimate child are they referring to though?

[–] moon@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The one whose name sounds like a printer model

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You're still going to have to be more specific.

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

You know as much about the kid as Elon does at this point

[–] makyo@lemmy.world 70 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Personally, I think a more apt comparison of the DogeBags is The Carver from the Silicon Valley show.

https://silicon-valley.fandom.com/wiki/The_Carver

He is a prodigy programer whose "cloud architecture is insane".

He pounds oreo, Adderal, mellow yellow and doesn't sleep until the job is done.

Kevin also does a 'tear downs' of failed companies.

https://readwrite.com/silicon-valley-hbo-season-1-episode-6-third-party-insourcing-recap/

[–] meowmeowbeanz@sh.itjust.works 49 points 1 day ago

Musk’s efficiency theater hits new lows: federal staff grilled by interns in glorified speed-dating sessions to “justify existence.” That 50% cut? Pure corporate darwinism—sacrificing the “bottom” 30% to feed his messiah complex.

Justification forms? Bureaucratic kabuki for supervisors moonlighting as HR inquisitors. And of course he’s camping in the office—a taxpayer-funded vanlife arc while his empire of hype unravels.

Pro tip: Submit a form titled “Why Mars Needs Layoffs First” and watch the nepo-bots short-circuit.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 75 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If anyone has ever worked for a bad company where McKinsey or Deloitte comes in, this is what it’s like.

A bunch of dumb know-it-alls come in, “uncover” a bunch of already documented stuff that everyone already knows about, some to stupid conclusion based upon data with no context, them they give terrible advice to the dumb person and hired them, and that dumb person was probably already to blame for many of the problems that needed fixing.

The consultant’s goal is usually never to fix organization. Their goal is to profit of selling people a perceived fix, and to add a big brand name to their CV.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That's exactly why I kept telling people to stop promoting Pete Buttigeig as if he was this great guy. He was a McKinsey lawyer. Just because you're gay and a Democrat does not in any way mean you're a good person. But somehow that was the reasoning people operated under.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Pete wasn’t a lawyer and left that place after 2.5 years. A lot of people take a job there after college because working with a lot of different companies sounds cool. Then you get in and realize that place sucks.

The ones who leave aren’t the people you worry about. You worry about the assholes who like that place and strive to become a parter.

[–] fitgse@sh.itjust.works 35 points 1 day ago

The goal for management is to pass the blame on to consultants. “We” didn’t make this choice, the consultant did.

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 59 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Just punch the dudes in the fucken face! Where is this perceived authority coming from!? They all look like Gen Z stereotypes bad. Like why would you give a fuck what those dudes say?

[–] moon@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 day ago

Musk claimed that a journalist just posting their names was committing a crime. Doing real harm to his little twerps would probably put you first in line for the Gulag

[–] errer@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Seriously I would like to see ONE federal worker be brave and punch one of these pricks right in the god damned jaw. That person would immediately be a hero.

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 day ago

It would definitely be something to put on your CV….

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And could they PLEASE fucking record it and post it everywhere?

Most of the world would love to see it.

I'd love to see fElon punched the very most, though.

[–] Arbiter@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’d prefer a much smaller and higher velocity fist hit Elon.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

LOL, at first I thought you were talking about donvict's hands.

[–] fed0sine@lemm.ee 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] xapr@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 1 day ago

It's from all that accordion-playing he does.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 31 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I fucking hate this so very much. Running our government like the very worst caricature of douchebro asshattery in tech.

As if these incel high schoolers know the first fucking thing about anything...

[–] adarza@lemmy.ca 35 points 1 day ago (1 children)

'fuck off' would be my initial response, my follow-up response, and my closing statement.

[–] Lasherz12@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Swearing fealty is more effective if you want to prevent their progress.

[–] telllos@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

A driver version

[–] psmgx@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago (6 children)

"fresher's" is a term in Indian English, not in the US.

They're "Freshmen".

While I'm sure DOGE is young assholes, this article strikes me as dubious.

[–] Amputret@lemmy.dbzer0.com 32 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Freshers are the British English word as well, possibly the rest of the English speaking world.

[–] tiredofsametab@fedia.io 2 points 17 hours ago

From the US and I'm familiar with it through British media.

[–] Suffa@lemmy.wtf 8 points 1 day ago

Never heard it before in my life in Aus.

[–] burgersc12@mander.xyz 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

True. I heard of "freshie" but not sure how common it is anymore.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Latin times isn't a great source but there's corroborating stories and video out there.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 6 points 1 day ago

I seem to recall seeing dubious reporting on that site, too.

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[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"Listen, I talk to the taxpayers so the cabinet members don't have to! I have people skills! I am good at dealing with people!"

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

At least in the movie, those asshole consultants actually looked like they had experience...

[–] Whateley@lemm.ee 3 points 20 hours ago

And not a curfew.

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 6 points 1 day ago

The Bobs were finding actual waste and fraud, as well as people who deserved better positions. If anything Musk and friends are acting out the scene with the printer in the field, except the printer was functional.

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