Let's talk about Elon Musk

[michigancat]

I get that it’s edgy and fashionable to discredit the DOGE team, but I bet the average standardized test score of the DOGE team is 95th to 99th percentile. No shortage of raw intellectual horsepower. If they have supervisor(s) that have the accumulated wisdom enough to direct a young talented team, then that’s basically the recipe for all global process and IT consulting, but with better raw talent.

Their motives and the motives of the leadership are a separate matter.

I've spent a fair amount of time around people with incredibly high standardized scores and Ivy League degrees. I've not seen any consistent correlation between those credentials and actual work performance.

yes. 99th percentile test scores is not special in the workplace. 95th percentile scores will actually get you rejected from a good number of state schools these days

I've tried to get this point through to Pete many ways, but tech oligarchs and their people are not typically exceptionally smart, they have just caught lighting in a bottle in some way, shape or form. Don't get me wrong, there are very many smart people (just as there are outside of Silicon Valley or Wall Street), but they aren't mind-blowingly smart. They were mostly just in the right place at the right time.

[cfbandyman]

I get that it’s edgy and fashionable to discredit the DOGE team, but I bet the average standardized test score of the DOGE team is 95th to 99th percentile. No shortage of raw intellectual horsepower. If they have supervisor(s) that have the accumulated wisdom enough to direct a young talented team, then that’s basically the recipe for all global process and IT consulting, but with better raw talent.

Their motives and the motives of the leadership are a separate matter.

I've spent a fair amount of time around people with incredibly high standardized scores and Ivy League degrees. I've not seen any consistent correlation between those credentials and actual work performance.

yes. 99th percentile test scores is not special in the workplace. 95th percentile scores will actually get you rejected from a good number of state schools these days

I've tried to get this point through to Pete many ways, but tech oligarchs and their people are not typically exceptionally smart, they have just caught lighting in a bottle in some way, shape or form. Don't get me wrong, there are very many smart people (just as there are outside of Silicon Valley or Wall Street), but they aren't mind-blowingly smart. They were mostly just in the right place at the right time.

Right, I think it's that. There a tons of very smart people in fields all over. I think there is a difference in having the vision to do something completely new/different, and just being able to understand high level topics. It still never ceases to amaze me how much blue collar workers love to pull crap time and time again over a young engineer's head simply due to lack of experience (myself included). And that's my point with these kids. They are very smart, but they have very little concept in the "why" and "how" parts of the problem.

I think the biggest problem is so many journalists, especially business ones, are easy wowed by flashy tech-jargony stuff cause they themselves do not understand it. They understand the business side, not the technical side, so to them a guy speaking like this



Seems smart AF. It's then selling that to business people in a way that actually makes money that is what i agree with rusty, lighting in a bottle.

[michigancat]

I get that it’s edgy and fashionable to discredit the DOGE team, but I bet the average standardized test score of the DOGE team is 95th to 99th percentile. No shortage of raw intellectual horsepower. If they have supervisor(s) that have the accumulated wisdom enough to direct a young talented team, then that’s basically the recipe for all global process and IT consulting, but with better raw talent.

Their motives and the motives of the leadership are a separate matter.

I've spent a fair amount of time around people with incredibly high standardized scores and Ivy League degrees. I've not seen any consistent correlation between those credentials and actual work performance.

yes. 99th percentile test scores is not special in the workplace. 95th percentile scores will actually get you rejected from a good number of state schools these days

I've tried to get this point through to Pete many ways, but tech oligarchs and their people are not typically exceptionally smart, they have just caught lighting in a bottle in some way, shape or form. Don't get me wrong, there are very many smart people (just as there are outside of Silicon Valley or Wall Street), but they aren't mind-blowingly smart. They were mostly just in the right place at the right time.

Right, I think it's that. There a tons of very smart people in fields all over. I think there is a difference in having the vision to do something completely new/different, and just being able to understand high level topics. It still never ceases to amaze me how much blue collar workers love to pull crap time and time again over a young engineer's head simply due to lack of experience (myself included). And that's my point with these kids. They are very smart, but they have very little concept in the "why" and "how" parts of the problem.

I think the biggest problem is so many journalists, especially business ones, are easy wowed by flashy tech-jargony stuff cause they themselves do not understand it. They understand the business side, not the technical side, so to them a guy speaking like this



Seems smart AF. It's then selling that to business people in a way that actually makes money that is what i agree with rusty, lighting in a bottle.

I mean a lot of VC's are easily fooled too. Or at least wilfully obtuse. The Theranos story is especially enlightening.

[chum1]

It just makes sense that there would be a much greater chance that an individual hitting the jackpot comes from the middle of the intelligence/talent curve rather than the outer edges. Simply because there are so many more of them.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8Y4CY1W/

[Pete]

I get that it’s edgy and fashionable to discredit the DOGE team, but I bet the average standardized test score of the DOGE team is 95th to 99th percentile. No shortage of raw intellectual horsepower. If they have supervisor(s) that have the accumulated wisdom enough to direct a young talented team, then that’s basically the recipe for all global process and IT consulting, but with better raw talent.

Their motives and the motives of the leadership are a separate matter.

I've spent a fair amount of time around people with incredibly high standardized scores and Ivy League degrees. I've not seen any consistent correlation between those credentials and actual work performance.

yes. 99th percentile test scores is not special in the workplace. 95th percentile scores will actually get you rejected from a good number of state schools these days

I've tried to get this point through to Pete many ways, but tech oligarchs and their people are not typically exceptionally smart, they have just caught lighting in a bottle in some way, shape or form. Don't get me wrong, there are very many smart people (just as there are outside of Silicon Valley or Wall Street), but they aren't mind-blowingly smart. They were mostly just in the right place at the right time.

I’m not alleging that the oligarchs are smart, I’m alleging that the oligarchs have the resources to go get the smartest people.

[sonofdaxjones]

The GAO: Between $236 and $539 billion taxpayer dollars was paid out to fraudulent entities in FFY 2023

The DOD: Failed 7 straight audits

Discovered: A $4.7 Trillion dollar line item with untold numbers of transactions against it, transactions that had virtually no description as to what they were for . .

USAID: A $60 to $70 billion dollar annual money laundering operation - of which massive chunks ended up in the hands of #blueanon politically connected and anti-Trumpers

#blueanon/#blueanongE - is still going to fight this every single step of the way, tho 

[Pete]

My prediction is that at some date in the future upon reflection, a solid majority of voters will agree that Doge did indeed find a very high level of waste and fraud.

I also predict that we will continue to have an exceptionally large divide among voters in the approval rating of the actions that the administration took based on Doge’s findings.

Devout democrats are in a tricky spot. It would be very hurtful to the Democrats if doge found a high volume of waste and fraud and doge ended up hitting its goal of $1 trillion in savings.  https://youtube.com/shorts/IzvHnRVcwY0?si=H8VJ61mgkPNAN6Wz

On the other hand devout democrats will be in a perfect position to crush maga if the administration cuts programs in a way that negatively impacts a majority of voters and also fails to achieve their savings goal.  Doge could push left leaning republicans toward the democrats if they fail.

[CHONGS]

If you define waste as whatever you don't think should be funded, then yes there is a lot of waste. 

[CHONGS]

Waste:

https://themercury.com/news/source-at-least-28-nbaf-employees-fired-as-part-of-usdas-cuts/article_12087e38-ed5a-11ef-9771-87bba050d7f1.html

[Pete]

Waste:

https://themercury.com/news/source-at-least-28-nbaf-employees-fired-as-part-of-usdas-cuts/article_12087e38-ed5a-11ef-9771-87bba050d7f1.html

Oh, there’s a eff load of partisan ideological culling happening.

Do you allege that there is zero fraud or waste being identified ?

[Pete]

Project 2025 was released in April 2023 and Democratic Party leadership decided that despite that risk, the best move was to gamble on a dementia riddled 80 year old.

The Democratic Party knew exactly what was on the line, and they made their choice.

[CHONGS]

Waste:

https://themercury.com/news/source-at-least-28-nbaf-employees-fired-as-part-of-usdas-cuts/article_12087e38-ed5a-11ef-9771-87bba050d7f1.html

Oh, there’s a eff load of partisan ideological culling happening.

Do you allege that there is zero fraud or waste being identified ?

No I don't. There is probably some waste getting identified, but likely through happenstance and the process is hopelessly malignant.

I am not a nihilistic burn-it-down kind of guy, so I doubt we'll agree on how DOGE operates or it's goals

I do not believe that the ends justify the means.

[Pete]

Waste:

https://themercury.com/news/source-at-least-28-nbaf-employees-fired-as-part-of-usdas-cuts/article_12087e38-ed5a-11ef-9771-87bba050d7f1.html

Oh, there’s a eff load of partisan ideological culling happening.

Do you allege that there is zero fraud or waste being identified ?

No I don't. There is probably some waste getting identified, but likely through happenstance and the process is hopelessly malignant.

I am not a nihilistic burn-it-down kind of guy, so I doubt we'll agree on how DOGE operates or it's goals

I do not believe that the ends justify the means.

Do you believe that good intentions justify any horrible outcome?

[CHONGS]

Justify? Clearly no, I just said that.

[michigancat]

I get that it’s edgy and fashionable to discredit the DOGE team, but I bet the average standardized test score of the DOGE team is 95th to 99th percentile. No shortage of raw intellectual horsepower. If they have supervisor(s) that have the accumulated wisdom enough to direct a young talented team, then that’s basically the recipe for all global process and IT consulting, but with better raw talent.

Their motives and the motives of the leadership are a separate matter.

I've spent a fair amount of time around people with incredibly high standardized scores and Ivy League degrees. I've not seen any consistent correlation between those credentials and actual work performance.

yes. 99th percentile test scores is not special in the workplace. 95th percentile scores will actually get you rejected from a good number of state schools these days

I've tried to get this point through to Pete many ways, but tech oligarchs and their people are not typically exceptionally smart, they have just caught lighting in a bottle in some way, shape or form. Don't get me wrong, there are very many smart people (just as there are outside of Silicon Valley or Wall Street), but they aren't mind-blowingly smart. They were mostly just in the right place at the right time.

I’m not alleging that the oligarchs are smart, I’m alleging that the oligarchs have the resources to go get the smartest people.

I was talking about their "people" as well. I'm alleging the tech oligarchs don't necessarily get the smartest people (however you want to define it)

[Pete]

Waste:

https://themercury.com/news/source-at-least-28-nbaf-employees-fired-as-part-of-usdas-cuts/article_12087e38-ed5a-11ef-9771-87bba050d7f1.html

Oh, there’s a eff load of partisan ideological culling happening.

Do you allege that there is zero fraud or waste being identified ?

No I don't. There is probably some waste getting identified, but likely through happenstance and the process is hopelessly malignant.

I am not a nihilistic burn-it-down kind of guy, so I doubt we'll agree on how DOGE operates or it's goals

I do not believe that the ends justify the means.

Also, I don’t think of myself as a nihilistic burn-it-down kind of guy. Are you accusing me of being a nihilistic burn-it-down kind of guy, or of being a guy who agrees with the operations of nihilistic burn-it-down kind of guys?

[Pete]

Justify? Clearly no, I just said that.

That’s not at all what you said. You referred to the ends, and made no mention of intent. What makes a good act a good act in your opinion?

[Pete]

I get that it’s edgy and fashionable to discredit the DOGE team, but I bet the average standardized test score of the DOGE team is 95th to 99th percentile. No shortage of raw intellectual horsepower. If they have supervisor(s) that have the accumulated wisdom enough to direct a young talented team, then that’s basically the recipe for all global process and IT consulting, but with better raw talent.

Their motives and the motives of the leadership are a separate matter.

I've spent a fair amount of time around people with incredibly high standardized scores and Ivy League degrees. I've not seen any consistent correlation between those credentials and actual work performance.

yes. 99th percentile test scores is not special in the workplace. 95th percentile scores will actually get you rejected from a good number of state schools these days

I've tried to get this point through to Pete many ways, but tech oligarchs and their people are not typically exceptionally smart, they have just caught lighting in a bottle in some way, shape or form. Don't get me wrong, there are very many smart people (just as there are outside of Silicon Valley or Wall Street), but they aren't mind-blowingly smart. They were mostly just in the right place at the right time.

I’m not alleging that the oligarchs are smart, I’m alleging that the oligarchs have the resources to go get the smartest people.

I was talking about their "people" as well. I'm alleging the tech oligarchs don't necessarily get the smartest people (however you want to define it)

Well, in this country, the best players go to the teams with the best paychecks.

[Stupid Fitz]

My prediction is that at some date in the future upon reflection, a solid majority of voters will agree that Doge did indeed find a very high level of waste and fraud.

I also predict that we will continue to have an exceptionally large divide among voters in the approval rating of the actions that the administration took based on Doge’s findings.

Devout democrats are in a tricky spot. It would be very hurtful to the Democrats if doge found a high volume of waste and fraud and doge ended up hitting its goal of $1 trillion in savings.  https://youtube.com/shorts/IzvHnRVcwY0?si=H8VJ61mgkPNAN6Wz

On the other hand devout democrats will be in a perfect position to crush maga if the administration cuts programs in a way that negatively impacts a majority of voters and also fails to achieve their savings goal.  Doge could push left leaning republicans toward the democrats if they fail.

Lol. Democrats are just absolutely horrendous at modern politics and messaging. They could be having a press conference every day about the everyday people that are getting wrecked by all of this. Farmers, government workers, veterans, etc. They could literally be doing this every day at the steps of these buildings. Yet, they are just sitting back and letting MAGA control the message as always. It's amazing how shitty they are at this.

[Pete]

My prediction is that at some date in the future upon reflection, a solid majority of voters will agree that Doge did indeed find a very high level of waste and fraud.

I also predict that we will continue to have an exceptionally large divide among voters in the approval rating of the actions that the administration took based on Doge’s findings.

Devout democrats are in a tricky spot. It would be very hurtful to the Democrats if doge found a high volume of waste and fraud and doge ended up hitting its goal of $1 trillion in savings.  https://youtube.com/shorts/IzvHnRVcwY0?si=H8VJ61mgkPNAN6Wz

On the other hand devout democrats will be in a perfect position to crush maga if the administration cuts programs in a way that negatively impacts a majority of voters and also fails to achieve their savings goal.  Doge could push left leaning republicans toward the democrats if they fail.

Lol. Democrats are just absolutely horrendous at modern politics and messaging. They could be having a press conference every day about the everyday people that are getting wrecked by all of this. Farmers, government workers, veterans, etc. They could literally be doing this every day at the steps of these buildings. Yet, they are just sitting back and letting MAGA control the message as always. It's amazing how shitty they are at this.

I agree completely with you

[michigancat]

I get that it’s edgy and fashionable to discredit the DOGE team, but I bet the average standardized test score of the DOGE team is 95th to 99th percentile. No shortage of raw intellectual horsepower. If they have supervisor(s) that have the accumulated wisdom enough to direct a young talented team, then that’s basically the recipe for all global process and IT consulting, but with better raw talent.

Their motives and the motives of the leadership are a separate matter.

I've spent a fair amount of time around people with incredibly high standardized scores and Ivy League degrees. I've not seen any consistent correlation between those credentials and actual work performance.

yes. 99th percentile test scores is not special in the workplace. 95th percentile scores will actually get you rejected from a good number of state schools these days

I've tried to get this point through to Pete many ways, but tech oligarchs and their people are not typically exceptionally smart, they have just caught lighting in a bottle in some way, shape or form. Don't get me wrong, there are very many smart people (just as there are outside of Silicon Valley or Wall Street), but they aren't mind-blowingly smart. They were mostly just in the right place at the right time.

I’m not alleging that the oligarchs are smart, I’m alleging that the oligarchs have the resources to go get the smartest people.

I was talking about their "people" as well. I'm alleging the tech oligarchs don't necessarily get the smartest people (however you want to define it)

Well, in this country, the best players go to the teams with the best paychecks.

That isn't necessarily the case.

But what is Doge paying these kids, anyway?

[Pete]

I get that it’s edgy and fashionable to discredit the DOGE team, but I bet the average standardized test score of the DOGE team is 95th to 99th percentile. No shortage of raw intellectual horsepower. If they have supervisor(s) that have the accumulated wisdom enough to direct a young talented team, then that’s basically the recipe for all global process and IT consulting, but with better raw talent.

Their motives and the motives of the leadership are a separate matter.

I've spent a fair amount of time around people with incredibly high standardized scores and Ivy League degrees. I've not seen any consistent correlation between those credentials and actual work performance.

yes. 99th percentile test scores is not special in the workplace. 95th percentile scores will actually get you rejected from a good number of state schools these days

I've tried to get this point through to Pete many ways, but tech oligarchs and their people are not typically exceptionally smart, they have just caught lighting in a bottle in some way, shape or form. Don't get me wrong, there are very many smart people (just as there are outside of Silicon Valley or Wall Street), but they aren't mind-blowingly smart. They were mostly just in the right place at the right time.

I’m not alleging that the oligarchs are smart, I’m alleging that the oligarchs have the resources to go get the smartest people.

I was talking about their "people" as well. I'm alleging the tech oligarchs don't necessarily get the smartest people (however you want to define it)

Well, in this country, the best players go to the teams with the best paychecks.

That isn't necessarily the case.

But what is Doge paying these kids, anyway?

My guess is clout

[Pete]

Like the US attorneys office used to be. It doesn’t pay very well at all, and neither do federal judicial clerkships. They are stop over points for clout and experience that yield huge rewards later…. Or so goes the theory.

[CHONGS]

Justify? Clearly no, I just said that.

That’s not at all what you said. You referred to the ends, and made no mention of intent. What makes a good act a good act in your opinion?

Maybe I didn't understand you then. You asked:

Do you believe that good intentions justify any horrible outcome?

The end is what the intent wants to reach.  The means are how to get there.  Good intentions are perhaps seeking good ends, but a good end doesn't justify any process to get there.

[catastrophe]

What incentive do oligarchs have to hire smart people? They only need to hire people that will do what they're told.