Ron Paul, a former U.S. representative and presidential candidate, has stated that even when it comes from proposals from high echelons of power, government efficiency is an oxymoron. Paul explains that governments are not individuals, and can’t rationally economize, because their decisions are politically based and cannot ever be “efficient.”
Ron Paul on Musk-Led D.O.G.E. Efficiency Commission: 'Government Efficiency' Is an Oxymoron
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Ron Paul Criticizes Proposed Musk-Led Efficiency Commission: Government Can Never Be Efficient
Ron Paul, former U.S. presidential candidate and a former U.S. representative, has given his take regarding the recently Trump-proposed, Musk-led Government Efficiency Commission D.O.G.E. In his program “The Ron Paul Liberty Report,” Paul criticized the idea of efficiency when referring to the government, stressing that even when it comes from high levels of power trying to attack the problem, “government efficiency” is an oxymoron.
Paul, who has been a fierce critic of government spending and debt policies, stated that the government, unlike individuals, cannot be efficient due to its motivations and considerations. For him, governments cannot economize like individuals or companies because their decisions are politically motivated, instead of based on profits and losses.
Also, Paul reinforced that the government had possibilities that no one had, like collecting taxes, which he referred to as taking money by force. Paul declared:
No individual or business has that ability. Unless, of course, they get the government to steal money on their behalf. But normal people and companies cannot just steal money, and call it “revenues.” So government can never be “efficient.”
However, Paul recognized that government can be made smaller and less burdensome for its citizens. In this regard, he indicated that the current U.S. federal government was the biggest in the history of the world, and cutting its size “shouldn’t be very hard to do.” According to USAFacts, at the end of 2023, there were 2.95 million employees in the U.S. federal workforce, which accounted for almost 2% of all workers in the country.
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