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Worse, it’s richest country on earth complaining about being too poor and having to enact austerity measures — implemented by the richest person on the planet w

Worse, it’s richest country on earth complaining about being too poor and having to enact austerity measures — implemented by the richest person on the planet who’s personal pay is much, much higher than any of the savings he’s found so far. I’ve seen many occasions in my career when some manager had flown across the country with a business class ticket, stayed in a fancy hotel, rented a luxury car, and turned up to an all-hands-on-deck meeting to announce in a grave tone that the minimum wage workers are just going to have to make some sacrifices. This is almost precisely what’s going on with DOGE except you can substitute private jet and secret service motorcade. And instead of minimum wage, it’s… less than minimum wage. The richest are complaining about being too poor to help the needy, and fixing the issue by cutting every program that helps those under the poverty line.

LeroyRaz 2y ago
This doesn't seem a fair analogy. Elon Musk is not being paid by the government, as I understand. The reason the manager flying around spending money to attend a downsizing meeting is gross is that the manager is spending company money (that could go to prevent downsizing). To complete the analogy, you would need to be implying that Elon's personal money should be paid to fund federal services.
- deleted 2y ago
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- rl3 2y ago
  >Elon Musk is not being paid by the government, as I understand. https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/why-elon-musks-faa-contract-tussle-is-creating-such-turbulence/91156389 https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/why-elon-musks-faa-contrac... https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/us/politics/elon-musk-companies-conflicts.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/us/politics/elon-musk-com... https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/03/01/elon-musk-government-conflict-interest/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/03/01/elon-musk... https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/as-elon-musk-tries-to-destroy-the-cfpb-warren-schiff-demand-answers-from-office-of-government-ethics-on-conflicts-of-interest https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/as-elon-mus... https://apnews.com/article/house-democrats-musk-doge-oversight-57ef4e4509206da026eae4e702ef5b18 https://apnews.com/article/house-democrats-musk-doge-oversig...
- jiggawatts 2y ago
  > you would need to be implying that Elon's personal money should be paid to fund federal services. I am. These payments are called taxes. Taxes he's successfully evaded paying using the the same tricks as every other billionaire, such as taking out loans against his shares that will be repaid after his death by his estate, which has negligible tax rates compared to the kind of income taxes paid by mere mortals. All joking aside, if Elon -- just him, no other billionaire -- had simply paid the same marginal tax rates as any random upper-middle-class citizen, it would be 10x the amount DOGE had cut so far from the federal budget.
ForOldHack 2y ago
Well, basically, that sums it all up.

LeroyRaz 2y ago

This doesn't seem a fair analogy. Elon Musk is not being paid by the government, as I understand. The reason the manager flying around spending money to attend a downsizing meeting is gross is that the manager is spending company money (that could go to prevent downsizing). To complete the analogy, you would need to be implying that Elon's personal money should be paid to fund federal services.

deleted 2y ago
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rl3 2y ago
>Elon Musk is not being paid by the government, as I understand. https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/why-elon-musks-faa-contract-tussle-is-creating-such-turbulence/91156389 https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/why-elon-musks-faa-contrac... https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/us/politics/elon-musk-companies-conflicts.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/us/politics/elon-musk-com... https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/03/01/elon-musk-government-conflict-interest/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/03/01/elon-musk... https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/as-elon-musk-tries-to-destroy-the-cfpb-warren-schiff-demand-answers-from-office-of-government-ethics-on-conflicts-of-interest https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/as-elon-mus... https://apnews.com/article/house-democrats-musk-doge-oversight-57ef4e4509206da026eae4e702ef5b18 https://apnews.com/article/house-democrats-musk-doge-oversig...
jiggawatts 2y ago
> you would need to be implying that Elon's personal money should be paid to fund federal services. I am. These payments are called taxes. Taxes he's successfully evaded paying using the the same tricks as every other billionaire, such as taking out loans against his shares that will be repaid after his death by his estate, which has negligible tax rates compared to the kind of income taxes paid by mere mortals. All joking aside, if Elon -- just him, no other billionaire -- had simply paid the same marginal tax rates as any random upper-middle-class citizen, it would be 10x the amount DOGE had cut so far from the federal budget.

ForOldHack 2y ago

Well, basically, that sums it all up.