Support or Abhor Musk?

At our local civic center, I listened in on a debate and discussion on what Elon Musk is doing to our government, in the hopes of making it more efficient. Both the Pro Musk and Against Musk had powerful feelings and opinions about what DOGE is doing to our federal government. Those who support DOGE believe our federal government is too bloated and needs greater efficiency. Those who don’t support DOGE believe he’s randomly firing federal employees without a plan or justification, in the hopes of increasing efficiency. To be transparent, this is a fictitious debate that I wrote to illustrate how an argument between individuals with polar-opposite opinions on Musk and DOGE might unfold.

Against Musk – You’re nuts if you think you can convince me that an argument will make me think of Musk as a good guy!

Against Musk – Musk has done great things in the past, but I hope you familiarize yourself with the things he's doing NOW (sarcasm). For one, he's dismantled USAID & disrupted critical medical & food supplies needed for people's survival. He's campaigned for a political party in Germany that Germans refer to as the heir to the Nazi party. He has accessed sensitive information and data in several government agencies for unknown reasons and purposes. He has fired thousands of federal employees and disrupted government functions and agencies that he doesn’t even understand. He has canceled government contracts and halted funding that Congress has appropriated. Do your homework before you offer praise for this man.

MODERATOR – That political party in Germany is called the AfD.

Pro Musk – There’s too much waste; the Trump administration is trying to eliminate that waste.

Against Musk – Where is the evidence of this waste and fraud? He's done zero studies. Where's the data? The reports? You're blindly believing he found the waste & fraud because the MAGA talking heads told you to.

MODERATOR – There’s no need for name-calling. Most Americans believe there is a significant amount of waste in Washington. However, how do we address this issue? With so much money in politics, those with hundreds of millions or billions have an undue influence on how the government is run. I don’t think it’s appropriate for someone representing the Trump administration to display a chainsaw in public. This is serious business, but showing a chainsaw on stage is not an effective way to convey your point.

MODERATOR – At this point, the discussion turns to where the individuals arguing get their news.

Pro Musk – All that is nearly word for word what can be found on any FAR-LEFT politician's website.

Against Musk – You should audition for Fox & Friends. I would watch you!

Pro Musk – Nope, you’re blindly believing what the Left media tells you.

Against Musk – Do you get most of your news from Fox?

MODERATOR – At this point, I’m assuming the vocal supporter of Musk refuses to disclose his source of news.

Pro Musk – Musk is a government appointee, like the government appointees that have existed for a long time now.

Against Musk – Musk has cost us more money than he claims to save...Plus, I don’t see any receipts for his so-called savings, and many of these bills and funding that were passed were during the 2016-2020 Trump administration. The DOGE website has no helpful information. And as someone who needs the government websites to do their job, he and his coder kids are making a mess of the whole government. Musk purposely fired FDA reviewers who were asking questions about his neuro implant because it’s NOT safe. He is putting people at risk.

Pro Musk – We need to start somewhere. Nobody seemed to care when the past administration cut thousands of pipeline jobs; I think the comment was, “Tell them to learn to code.“

Against Musk – Are you comparing the loss of pipeline jobs to Musk's haphazard reduction of agencies or jobs in many agencies? That’s a weak argument. No investigation was done before firing thousands of people by a man who has nothing to do with our government. I hope you’re not next!

MODERATOR – DOGE appears to be attempting to fire many federal employees from many departments, including the IRS. Have they presented specific data and proof that there’s waste in these departments? Is there a website that precisely and accurately lists the number of people eliminated in each department, along with the amount of money saved? Additionally, what is the specific reasoning behind why some employees are fired and others retain their jobs? Comparing this scenario to the fact that the previous administration eliminated many pipeline jobs is weak and disingenuous. It’s not a fair or equitable comparison.

MODERATOR – According to PolitiFact, Facebook posts claimed that Biden "fired" 14,000 Keystone XL pipeline workers on the day of his administration. On his first day in office, Biden revoked the permit for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The next day, the company behind the project announced that it would eliminate approximately 1,000 jobs. Various estimates indicated that the project would create or support thousands of temporary jobs, and once completed, would require approximately 50 U.S. employees. There’s an element of truth — about 1,000 people lost their jobs — but we found no evidence that as many as 14,000 did.

Pro Musk – Quit laboring on the “Elon isn’t an elected official” nonsense. All administrations have and will always rely on appointees. Does Dr Fauci ring a bell? I don’t think you need to identify yourself as a Democrat. Who was the last republican president that you voted for? We need a chainsaw, not more multi-million-dollar studies. You’re naive if you don’t think our government wastes untold amounts of our tax dollars. USAID was a slush fund for pet projects. We can’t afford this nonsense. If we were financially sound, that would be one thing, but we’re not. We can’t fund everyone and everything else when we’re TRILLIONS in debt. Just look at what happened when Elon bought Twitter; he fired 80% of the employees, and he unapologetically said it seems like it doesn’t take 80% of the workers we had to run Twitter. Yet X is somehow still around and, unless I’m missing something, is in no jeopardy of going out of business.

Against Musk – There is virtually no content verification on X these days. If Trump is concerned about saving money, why not address the enormous defense budget? And, when it comes to tariffs, why not engage in fair trade instead of free trade? If China has a 40% tariff on imported American goods, then the USA should reciprocate accordingly. If you don’t make it fair and it’s done “willy nilly,” America may start to look like a pariah country.

Pro Musk – According to the greatest Presidents in the last 200 years, most countries are ripping us off, so we need tariffs all over the place.

Against Musk – Nobody elected Musk, and yet he gets to tank the economy, displace thousands of employees, make unsubstantiated claims, cut social services without regard to people dependent on them, not to mention his rampant racism and embrace of authoritarianism. USAID was a diplomatic project; now, China will fill that need. We've turned allies into suspects. Thank Reagan for offshoring, greenmail, and arbitrage. This is being organized by a zealot at the Heritage Foundation who wants to roll the nation back into some romanticized version of the post-war 1950s. I feel terrified for our children. Oh yeah, who loves measles and polio now that they're back?

Pro Musk – You may think that, but you're wrong. There might have been a tiny percentage of those hundreds of billions that was useful, but most was sheer graft.

MODERATOR – Are you suggesting that only a tiny percentage of our federal budget is needed? How did you reach this conclusion?

Against Musk – I'm sorry, I don’t believe that, & I doubt you've seen proof of that. I believe there is waste and fraud in all agencies and programs, but I don't think it accounts for the majority of the funds. I'm in favor of using a scalpel instead of a chainsaw.

MODERATOR – My previous question remains unanswered. The discussion shifts to Tesla and the corresponding protests.      

Pro Musk – Please don’t block the driveway at Tesla tomorrow, as my Tesla is scheduled for an oil change tomorrow.

Pro Musk – You do realize that the unhinged lunatics railing against Elon will not get that joke, right?

Moderator – Funny joke. However, when you say “unhinged lunatics,” what do you mean?

Pro Musk – Anyone who protests against Musk and Tesla is a lunatic, and those who damage private property are unhinged lunatics.

Against Musk – Funny, Trump voters are some of the most ignorant and uneducated people.

Against Musk – No need to resort to name-calling. We're not unhinged or lunatics; we disagree with your opinion regarding Musk and his actions. Everybody got your joke. Some of us don't think you're funny.

Pro Musk – Why protest Tesla? Our country has a revenue of $5 trillion, but spends $7 trillion. Our debt is nearly $37 trillion. This needs to be fixed. Trump is executing his plan to address this, and Musk is lending a hand. If you do not like this plan, what is your solution?

Against Musk – A 2% income tax on all the Billionaires should take care of the national debt and quite a bit more.

Against Musk – It has been shown that when Democrats have been in power, there was no debt, and in some cases, a surplus. When republicans are in control, the debt sharply increases, and then they blame democrats for it. Trump's plan is already to significantly increase the national debt by giving tax cuts to the wealthy. If we need to eliminate some waste, the government should cancel all contracts with Musk; that's a quick $38 billion right there.

Pro Musk – Seriously, you’re going to try to say there is no debt under democrats. Did you miss the last administration?

MODERATOR – Generally, over the last 30 years or so, Democrats have been better at attempting to balance the budget. Indeed, the Biden administration spent over $7 trillion during its term, while the Trump administration spent slightly less during its first term. However, many analysts have noted that Biden has spent a significant amount of money to help the economy. Economic analysts have also stated that Biden’s deficit spending has contributed to inflation from 2001 to 2024. Corporate greed and a weakened supply chain also contributed to inflation during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s worth noting that when those anti-Biden critics discuss inflation, they often attribute it to Biden’s massive spending. That’s not the complete picture.

Against Musk – Stopping oil subsidies and making billionaires, millionaires, and corporations pay their fair share of taxes, like the working and middle classes do, would probably be a great start.

Pro Musk – If a Person who doesn't like Tesla doesn't buy one. Some people hate Ford, Chevy, GMC, or VW. But you don’t see people burning up those vehicles or protesting. You may not be happy with who’s in the office now or at another time. Many people love their electric cars, regardless of the manufacturer. It's a sad world when adults behave like children.

Pro Musk – You're missing the point. Deranged people are only burning Teslas and firing live ammo at dealerships - you know, those loving, tolerant folks - because of the media-induced brain rot.

Pro Musk – That's the Liberals—rules for thee, but not for me.

Against Musk – Those individuals who vandalize Tesla dealerships and Teslas should be caught and brought to justice. Even though some right-wing media are portraying that the majority of democrats are doing this, it is just more disinformation. It’s a minority, and I don’t condone that.

I believe we have the right to protest on public property against Tesla and its founder, Elon Musk. The only way to deter the current federal government from continuing to attack those who criticize it is through economic channels.

Pro Musk – Tesla is a private company in a free market and society. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE OWNER (which, to me, is largely irrelevant if something is a good product), THEN DON'T PURCHASE IT!!! Do not trespass upon their property to disrupt their private business operations. Do NOT destroy private property! Doing so is like shutting up free speech -- UNAMERICAN!!! I may never buy an electric vehicle, and I abhor my having to support a $7000 taxpayer bailout for high-income people who DO purchase such cars! But will I be trespassing or destroying private property? (Hell No...)

Against Musk – As was mentioned earlier, I don’t condone trespassing or destroying pubic property, but I believe protesting in front of a Tesla dealership is fine when done civilly – it’s our First Amendment right. Listening is a skill!

Pro Musk – I’m bizarrely fascinated by anyone who thinks our country will be destroyed by any one politician or group of politicians. Our society will only fail when we cannot live cooperatively, regardless of who is in office. Politicians won’t do it to us - we will do it to ourselves.

Against Musk – It’s interesting that many Republicans will not attend town halls during the congressional recess. Are they afraid of their constituents? Holding town halls is part of the job description. Why do they think many of their constituents are angry with them? Could it be that they are supporting whatever Trump wants without realizing the potential consequences? If they genuinely want to represent all constituents, they will vote according to their conscience rather than party affiliation. How many republicans have done that over the last 70 days?  

Pro Musk – Where’s your evidence that any of it's true? I would think that ANY American would want to know if our hard-earned tax dollars were being squandered or misused. You jump to conclusions because every democrat is up in arms. They’re just salty because you lost both the House and the Senate, the presidency, every battleground state, and the popular vote as well. I’ve heard of MANY examples of the nonsense being cut. Conduct some research and let us know where he’s incorrect.

MODERATOR – I think many Americans are salty today for a multitude of reasons:

• First, Biden didn’t address illegal immigration when he should have, early in his administration.

• Two, he should have dropped out of the race at least a year before the last election to allow a new generation of democrats to run for president.

• Three, Harris should have been honest and outlined things that Biden did well and things she'd do differently as president.

• Four, they don’t trust Trump as someone who wants to govern for all Americans.

• Five, they can't believe that Trump is allowing Musk to dismantle many parts of the federal government.

• Six, they are afraid he’d have nothing to lose in his last term in an attempt to be king.

• Seven, too much disinformation on cable news and social networks.

Support or Abhor Musk?