Tag: Elon Musk

Recommended eye opener: Joe Rogan podcast #2281 with Elon Musk

This recommendation is for folks not familiar with The Joe Rogan Experience podcasts. And for those who would like to understand what DOGE is really doing and why.

This recommendation is for those not yet familiar with Rogan’s conversations with folks like J.D. Vance, Mark Zuckerberg, Mel Gibson, Rod Blagojevich, Tulsi Gabbard, Donald J. Trump, Woody Harrelson, Bob Lazar, Gad Saad, and many others with a lot to say.  Those who are already Rogan enthusiasts will surely have already listened to this episode.

Briefly regarding the Joe Rogan Experience podcasts: Rogan, born in 1967, started his podcast in 2009 on YouTube.  Today, the podcast has massive audiences on all popular platforms.  The recommended episode #2281 with Elon Musk had 10,518,308 views and 66,911 comments on YouTube as of this writing.  Joe Rogan lives in Austin, Texas.  He practices martial and fighting arts, and is an avid archer and bow hunter (yes, he and his family eat everything he kills).  Rogan is able enthusiastically to discuss all kinds of subjects with his podcast guests.

So, why is the Joe Rogan Experience episode #2281 with Elon Musk important?  Because this episode has the potential of forcing DOGE opponents to understand what DOGE is really doing and why it needs to be done.

In episode #2281, Elon Musk says that Americans are living in two separate universes.  There is the DOGE opponents’ universe, and there is the DOGE supporters’ universe.  As a rule, opponents most likely get their news and facts only from mainstream media sources like MSNBC, AP, Washington Post, New York Times, and Facebook.  As a rule, DOGE supporters most likely also consume alternative media like X and the Joe Rogan podcasts. 

Today’s mainstream media shows DOGE protesters speaking of service cuts to the needy, fears of deportation from the U.S., anxiety over changes to Social Security and Medicare, shattered dreams of laid off government employees.  It shows legislators pointing to the “human impact of DOGE cuts.”  It talks about DOGE usurping Congress’ job.  All valid concerns.

Alternative media like X and the Joe Rogan podcasts expose DOGE’s findings in the underbelly of a government doing its best to delay its certain collapse.  The alternative media tacitly brings awareness that DOGE is indeed doing the job Congress has failed to do, since Congress remains unconcerned that absent policy changes the U.S. will face bankruptcy in the not too distant future.   

Just a few numbers can show why DOGE needs to take a chainsaw to the U.S.’s bloated bureaucracy – a task Congress should do but will not.

*   National debt as percentage of gross national debt was 123% as of fiscal year 2024.  As debt increases faster than GDP, this percentage will increase, eventually resulting in unsustainability.

*   House Continuing Resolution No. 14 passed on February 25, 2025, along party lines, with the sole Republican “Nay” coming from Thomas Massie (R-KY).  The Resolution recommended increased amounts of debt each year, resulting in a 47.5% cumulative increase 2025 to 2034.  The Economic Times sounded a warning in November 2024, which like all other warnings, was ignored by the U.S. Congress.

“America’s national debt has reached a record high of $36 trillion, with a $2 trillion increase this year alone … The situation is becoming more dire, with the US debt now standing at 125% of the country’s GDP. Experts predict that this debt-to-GDP ratio could reach 200% in the coming years, meaning that the national debt could be twice the size of the entire US economy.  This is expected to result in the government spending more on interest payments than on essential areas such as infrastructure, development, and education.” America Headed for Bankruptcy, The Economic Times, November 25, 2024.

*   In 2024 the U.S. national debt was $35.5 trillion.  The combined wealth of billionaires was $6.2 trillion.  The combined wealth of millionaires was $26.1 trillion.  Even if the government taxed all the wealth of billionaires and millionaires in 2024, it would not succeed in reducing the national debt to zero.  Congress has preferred to remain ambivalent on calls to fix the country’s deficits by taxing the rich, because it can’t be done.

It would be great if DOGE’s opponents among voters would listen to Elon Musk’s conversation of February 28, 2025, with Joe Rogan. The entire 3-hour conversation is worth listening to, with plenty of entertaining topics — like responses from the sassy sexy voice from Grok. But the segment starting at 13.56 relates to DOGE findings and is the most crucial part of the podcast. 

Here are just a few observations by Musk:

*   Today’s dominant notion is that although a business needs to at least break even to survive, government can spend way beyond its revenues.  That notion is flawed, and on the current trajectory, the U.S. government will collapse in the near future. 

*   Again comparing government to business, a business must pass audits (external or internal) showing clearly described payment (where the money goes and why).  The U.S. Treasury issues numerous payments without codes or descriptions, the destination of which no one can readily determine.  [Note: This observation about the U.S. Treasury is not new.  For example, a report issued by the Office of Inspector General released May 29, 2024, concluded that the Treasury lacked sufficient controls to be fully compliant with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019.  Apparently, nothing has changed.]

*    About 1.5 million non-government organizations (NGOs) operate in the U.S.  An estimated 30% of NGOs rely on U.S government grants.  Payments to them are often on autopilot, without any follow-up as to the NGOs activities or efficiency. 

*   Concerns over the fate of Social Security are valid.  Concerns should include the fact that Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system that has created massive unfunded liabilities.  Future obligations are far greater than payments.  If the system is not rectified soon, it will collapse.

*  “DOGE staffers”:  These are the worker bees of DOGE.  They work as employees of government agencies and are vetted in the same way as any other government employee.  Their role is explained in the Executive Order of January 20, 2025. 

*   What DOGE does is shown event by event, line by line, on the DOGE website.  The website is accessible to anyone, including DOGE critics who express concern about not knowing what DOGE does. 

It is unfortunate that those truly concerned about the economic future of our nation had to resort to drastic unconventional action.  But inaction would have been an even more unfortunate choice. 

Picture:  Joe Rogan in his studio on February 28, 2025.

The Trump/Musk conversation: Over the media’s head?

Our legacy media has not been kind regarding the recent Trump/Musk conversation. Did they miss that this was supposed to be freewheeling and extemporaneous? Did the whole thing go over the media’s head?

The Just Vote No Blog is not a partisan website, but the Trump/Musk conversation live streamed on August 12, was interesting enough to comment on. Equally interesting has been the legacy media’s focus on “slurring” and “rambling.” Did the fact this was a freewheeling, extemporaneous conversation escape the media? Did the noteworthy comments made go over their head? Well, here are this blog’s observation of a few issues discussed on the Trump/Musk conversation.

Eliminate the Department of Education. Trump briefly spoke about such elimination, which he would endeavor for two reasons: 1) Government is way too big and too expensive. Lots needs to be eliminated if the current unsustainable national debt is to be reduced. 2) Constitutionally, what is not listed as duties of the federal government must be left to the states. Education is not a duty of the federal government. The Department of Education is, therefore, a good candidate for elimination.

There are good, decent people coming through our borders. But there are also criminals that are not being vetted. Both Trump and Musk agreed on this point. Both focused on the criminals, since that is the “existential threat” (Musk’s view) to the U.S. Accusations of “racism” do not apply here.

The current level of inflation is a threat and realistic action needs to be taken to bring it under control. Inflation was probably the challenge Musk wanted to focus on the most. He succinctly stated the cause of inflation: Too much government spending with borrowed money. He also stated his view of a remedy: Establish a commission to determine costs/benefits of every current and proposed spending. Trump agreed with Musk’s definition of inflation (“there is too much waste”), but glossed over Musk’s remedy. The objective is to shrink government, not grow it with another commission.

Climate change is not our greatest threat; nuclear war is. Neither Trump nor Musk slighted challenges posed by earth’s changing climate. Their viewpoint, however, is that serious conflicts are brewing that could result in the use of nuclear weapons. Current negotiations are not proving effective. Trump’s view is that the cudgel of severe sanctions aimed as disruptors of peace works better than long-winded talks.

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un are smart people that know what their threats are. Trump again repeated what gets progressive panties in a bunch. His point is not that ruthless dictators are to be emulated, but that the smart ones know a threat when they see one. A friendly but deadly serious threat of severe sanctions brings better results than an insulting threat of military aggression. Teddy Roosevelt had a great line on this subject: “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”

Significant decreases in oil production and electric vehicle mandates are unrealistic ways of mitigating the effects of climate change. The first part of this statement came from Musk, the majority owner of Tesla. Oil and its thousands of derivatives keep the wheels of the economy moving. We cannot significantly decrease oil production without accepting a significant decrease in economic activity. The second part of the statement was what Trump emphasized. His point was simply “An electric car is not for everyone.”

Want to go on strike? “Everyone of you is gone.” It is not surprising that Trump, owner of several businesses, speaking with a fellow business owner, would express his opposition to union-originated strikes. Businesses exist to produce goods and services, not to sit idly while workers strike. Understandably, the UAW immediately filed a lawsuit against Trump and Musk claiming worker intimidation. It will be interesting to see come November if most workers want union protection or want a job – companies that feel pressured by regulations or by unions simply move out of state or out of the country.

Don’t take prosperity for granted. Musk gave Argentina and Venezuela as examples of countries once unbelievably prosperous that fell into total disintegration. Trump agreed, adding the reason for the disintegration was ascension of “stupid people.” Both Trump and Musk also mentioned current President of Argentina Javier Milei, who turned his failed country around in under a year, principally bringing inflation down to single digits in six months. Milei is a libertarian capitalist that knows what he is doing. Milei is not “stupid,” and it shows.

It would be good to hear Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, in a similar relaxed conversation with a personality of her choice. It is good for voters to get a feel for how candidates for political office talk, just talk. Often what people say in friendly conversation is what they feel about issues.

Picture: From website Donald J. Trump for President 2024