DOGE: Department of Overhyped Gimmicks and Excuses

The Illusion of Fiscal Responsibility

Let me start with a confession: I’m not a conservative. Far from it, actually. Very very far from it. The idea of small government, deregulation, and trickle-down economics have never tickled my imagination. I live my life with societal progress in the most humanitarian way, as the single largest principle. Knowing what a privileged life I have, any political policy that violates that fundamental principle of uplifting people who are less privileged than me always riles me up.

And I don’t usually entertain or engage in conversations with people who preach fiscal responsibility while pushing policies that explode the deficit because these policies benefit only a select and a privileged few.

But today, I am willing to make an exception. At least through this platform. Why? Because I am tired of the gimmicks, the empty promises, and the outright hypocrisy. So, for the sake of this analysis, I’m putting on my fiscal conservative hat — dusty though it may be — to break down DOGE and its so-called “efficiency” reforms.

Because if there’s one thing I am excited about, it is learning and exposing bad math and worse politics.

And DOGE? It’s a masterclass in both.

DOGE: Department of Grandiose Empty Promises

When I first heard about DOGE, I thought it stood for something serious, like “Department of Government Efficiency.” Yes, a completely made-up department which doesn’t actually exist, but because this gives certain unconstitutional authority to President Musk, we will pretend that it’s a legitimate department. Again, only for the purpose of this post.

But after watching the department in action these past two weeks, I realized that they are mainly working on a revenge platform. Efficiency is just a gimmick. Fiscal responsibility is the least of their concern although they will fool those fiscal conservatives into believing they are all about cutting expenses. DOGE is really more like the “Department of Overhyped Gimmicks and Excuses”.

This is the department where bold, unrealistic ideas are supposed to go to thrive. Their motto? “Why do the hard work of cutting spending when you can just talk about it?”

The Illusion of Fiscal Responsibility

Every election cycle, on the conservative side, there’s alway a lot of talk about fiscal responsibility, cutting government spending, and reducing the national deficit. There are those (who called themselves anti-Trump before the elections) who were and are quick to cheer for initiatives like DOGE and Trump’s promises to streamline government operations. But as someone who has followed American politics closely for over 25 years, even if I don’t study the federal budget closely, I’m not buying the hype. Here’s why.

The Big Picture: Trump’s Fiscal Record

Let’s start with the facts.

During Trump’s first term, the federal deficit increased by a staggering 8 trillion USD. While a significant portion of this was due to pandemic related spending, at least half of the above 8 trillion USD, was unrelated to pandemic related spending. Again, this is a very so conservative estimate.

At least 4 trillion USD of the deficit came from enacted spending hikes and tax cuts that had nothing to do with COVID-19. These were deliberate policy choices that added to the national debt.

Now, as Trump is already in his next term, he’s proposing roughly 8 trillion USD more in tax cuts and spending increases over the next decade. At the same time, a GOP controlled Congress is preparing to abandon most of its promised reconciliation cuts and instead add 8 trillion USD more in tax cuts and spending increases over the next decade. If this trajectory continues, we’re looking at $4 trillion more annual deficit within a decade.

So, no, I am not impressed when DOGE cancels 1 billion USD in government contracts or saves 3 billion USD through federal workforce reductions. These savings are a drop in the bucket compared to the 7 trillion federal budget. And they are completely overshadowed by the 800 billion USD in annual tax cuts and spending hikes that Trump and Congress are pushing.

The Myth of Easy Savings

Proponents of DOGE and similar initiatives in the past often claim that massive savings are just around the corner.

But let’s break this down:

1. Federal Workforce Cuts: Even if we unrealistically eliminated 20% of the federal workforce, the savings would amount to only $60 billion annually. That’s less than 1% of the federal budget.
   Reference: Congressional Budget Office, “Options for Reducing the Deficit” .
2. Reducing Payment Errors: Overhauling federal systems to reduce payment errors might save around $80 billion. While this is a worthwhile goal, it’s unlikely to be achieved quickly or easily.
   Reference: Government Accountability Office, “Improper Payments” .
3. Administrative Reforms: For all the bluster about cutting waste and inefficiency, administrative and executive reforms might save 1–2% of federal spending at best. These savings would offset only a small fraction of the red ink created by Trump’s proposed policies.
   Reference: Brookings Institution, “The Limits of Administrative Savings”.

In short, there are no easy shortcuts to significant deficit reduction. The idea that we can balance the budget by cutting waste, firing bureaucrats, and defunding immigrants or foreign aid is a fantasy. It’s all just tough talk without substance.

The Real Drivers of the Deficit

If we are serious about cutting the deficit, we need to address the real drivers of federal spending. Here’s the problem: Trump and the GOP have already taken the biggest budget items off the table. Social Security, Medicare, Defense, Veterans’ Benefits, Border Security, and Interest on the Debt Account for two-thirds of all federal spending. These are the programs driving the deficit, yet they’re considered untouchable — for very good reasons.

That leaves only one-third of the budget — discretionary spending on things like education, infrastructure, and scientific research — as the target for cuts. But even here, the GOP seems to be focused only on revenge. Instead of making tough choices, they’re preparing to pass budget-busting bills that add to the deficit.

The Coupon-Clipping Fallacy

Imagine someone bragging about their coupon-clipping frugality while simultaneously buying a $500,000 Ferrari. That’s essentially what’s happening here. Trump and DOGE are touting small savings while pushing for massive new spending and tax cuts. I’m not going to cheer for adding “only” 750 billion to the deficit instead of $800 billion. We’re still going backwards.

Why GOP Deficit-Cutting Efforts Always Fail

This isn’t the first time the GOP has promised to cut spending and reduce the deficit. But these efforts always fail for the same reasons:

1. Unrealistic Promises: GOP politicians make absurdly ambitious claims about cutting waste and balancing the budget without doing their homework. They don’t understand where the money goes or specify real plans to fix it. Especially, Trump. He has no clue about actual governance. He is more focused on creating one smokescreen after another. And as for President Musk, the less said about his understanding of government, the better it is.
2. Avoiding Tough Choices: Cutting the deficit requires addressing military budget, popular programs like Social Security and Medicare, as well as reconsidering tax cuts. But these are politically toxic, so they’re taken off the table.
3. Hot Air and Bluster: Tough talk about trillion-dollar spending cuts is meaningless without follow-through. It’s easy to blame “waste,” bureaucrats, immigrants, or foreign aid, but these are not the real drivers of the deficit.

The Path Forward

If we’re serious about fiscal responsibility, we need to stop the gimmicks and face reality. Here’s what it would take:

1. Stop Cutting Taxes: You can’t reduce the deficit while simultaneously slashing taxes. The math doesn’t work.
   Reference: Tax Policy Center, “The Effects of the Trump Tax Cuts” .
2. Address Entitlement Programs: Social Security and Medicare are the biggest drivers of federal spending. Reforming these programs is essential, but it requires political courage. Although I am personally dead against this, for theoretical purposes and for the sake of this post, I’d argue that this is where the focus should be.
   Reference: Peter G. Peterson Foundation, “Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds”.
3. Reevaluate Defense Spending: The U.S. spends more on defense than the next 10 countries combined. Surely there’s room for savings here. Again, personally I would argue this is where the primary focus should be. All spending cuts should always start from looking at the Pentagon budget.
   Reference: SIPRI, “Trends in World Military Expenditure”.
4. Be Honest About Trade-Offs: Cutting the deficit means making tough choices. We need leaders who are willing to level with the American people about what those choices entail. Not people with petty minds who want to take revenge on political opponents and have no interest in governing.

The Role of Congress

It’s not just the executive branch that’s to blame. Congress plays a crucial role in shaping the federal budget, and its actions — or inactions — have a direct impact on the deficit. Here’s what needs to change:

1. Reform the Budget Process: The current budget process is broken. It’s overly complex, prone to political manipulation, and often results in last-minute spending deals that add to the deficit.
   Reference: Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, “Reforming the Budget Process”.
2. Enforce Pay-As-You-Go Rules: Pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules require that new spending or tax cuts be offset by corresponding cuts or revenue increases. I know this is something that’s easier discussed theoretically. Strengthening and enforcing these rules could help curb deficit spending.
   Reference: Congressional Research Service, “Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) Rules”.
3. Promote Bipartisan Solutions: Deficit reduction shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Both parties need to come together to find common ground and make the tough choices necessary to put our fiscal house in order. But we all know that the last strands of bipartisanship were thrown away, the day this country elected her first black President.

The Importance of Public Awareness

One of the biggest challenges in addressing the deficit is the lack of public awareness and understanding. Many Americans don’t realize how the federal budget works or where their tax dollars go.

Here’s how we can change that:

1. Improve Financial Literacy: Educating the public about the federal budget and the importance of fiscal responsibility is essential. This includes teaching basic financial concepts in schools and providing accessible resources for adults. When DOGE and the WH is hellbent on destroying the Department of Education and abandoning federal funds for public schools all around the country, good luck educating the children of this country — leave alone teaching them “Financial Literacy”.
   Reference: National Endowment for Financial Education, “Financial Literacy”.
2. Increase Transparency: The federal government should make its budget process more transparent and accessible to the public. This includes providing clear, easy-to-understand information about spending and revenue.
   Reference: USAspending.gov, “Federal Spending Data”.
3. Encourage Civic Engagement: The more people understand about the federal budget, the more they can hold their elected officials accountable. Encouraging civic engagement and participation in the political process is key to driving change.

Final Thoughts

I am no expert in federal budget. But I can spot the bullshitters who talk tough about spending cuts without doing their homework. There are a million reasons why I won’t be cheering for Trump and Musk. And even with my fiscal conservative hat on, I’m definitely not going to cheer for Trump, Musk, and DOGE, when their actions don’t match their rhetoric.

Until we see real leadership on fiscal responsibility — leadership that’s willing to address the real drivers of the deficit — I’ll remain more than skeptical. Wake me up when the GOP stops passing budget-busting bills, stops creating theatrical cameos in front of cameras, and starts making the tough choices to actually govern, and put our fiscal house in order.

PS: For the purpose of this post, I didn’t even get into USAID and how the attempt to unilaterally impound the agency is wildly illegal and unconstitutional. This is a personal revenge project for Musk (that stems from his Apartheid roots). This, and all the other revenge and vile acts of Musk and Trump probably warrant a separate post.

Meantime, please forgive me for typing these last few sentences on a seething note, for I do not want to cause the death of 20+ million HIV patients who get their life-saving medication through PEPFAR, or cancel malaria nets for the most vulnerable population or abandon the millions of children who were born to the HIV victims.

Phew!!
Wearing that fiscal conservative hat, albeit temporarily, was a burden for me.
It’s off now.