One more thought: I think Trump wants to control the bureaucracy. But he doesn’t care about what most of them do. If there’s problems that arise (a pandemic perhaps?), he’ll be as surprised as anyone about why the system isn’t responding the way people expect it to.
“Every modern nation — and certainly a superpower of nearly 350 million people — requires institutions of public administration that regulate aspects of our lives with intelligence and consistency over time. There is no reality in which we could get along without them. Pretending otherwise — or imagining government would work better if its powers were placed in the hands of those who are more narrowly partisan and less broadly knowledgeable than the civil servants we have today — is folly.”
Wonderfully stated, Damon. More than folly, it is infantile and obtuse. It is stunning that we are dealing with adults who don’t know better.
That Vought proudly advertises himself as a Christian Nationalist has me seeking out his definition of the term. There are few ideologies more anathema to modern governance in my view than that one.
It's the mobs over the snobs right now and the plutocrats are hoping to hide behind the mobs so they can get more power/money/control. Will the mobs wake up? Do they ever? Stay tuned! We live in interesting times . . .
The snobs have been hiding behind the mobs for quite some time now. It’s why corporate and academic leaders went full woke. It was shakedown so woke activists could march through institutions claiming moral victory while Progressive leaders got to keep their absurd perks and bonus packages.
Yes, Damon, I share your view that Vought may be the most important official in carrying out the Trumpist/MAGA agenda. Gonna be a long four (or more) years.
A timely and revealing article, Damon; thanks. I posted a response to it in the NY Times comments, slightly edited here:
Russel Vought talks Constitution, but he's really talking monarchy -- as if the Framers' intention was to solve their problem with hereditary monarchs simply by having elected monarchs instead.
Given the size and complexity of the US government now compared with the one in the Framers' time, he knows it's humanly impossible for even the most interested and industrious president to oversee the mass of detailed regulations and guidelines administered and created by today's executive branch.
Instead, in Donald Trump he sees a laissez-faire president who can't be bothered with governing, and a bureaucracy he plans to severely hobble in its ability to monitor and regulate, among other things, industry; financial dealings; public health and education; energy; land and the environment; and, no doubt dear to Mr. Vought's heart, separation of church and state.
Instead of restoring freedom to the people as he claims, Mr. Vought seeks to liberate vested interests from the constraints that prevent them from taking advantage of the people for their own ends. The fox is taking over the henhouse.
Damon, I liked your "guest essay" for NYT. The discussion of Vought's four agenda areas for "reform" was a helpful summary of his thinking and plans. Now I understand it better.
Thanks Damon. I wasn’t aware of the history going back to Regan on this one.
One more thought: I think Trump wants to control the bureaucracy. But he doesn’t care about what most of them do. If there’s problems that arise (a pandemic perhaps?), he’ll be as surprised as anyone about why the system isn’t responding the way people expect it to.
Pshaw. The bleach shakes and sunlight infusions will take care of that…
“Every modern nation — and certainly a superpower of nearly 350 million people — requires institutions of public administration that regulate aspects of our lives with intelligence and consistency over time. There is no reality in which we could get along without them. Pretending otherwise — or imagining government would work better if its powers were placed in the hands of those who are more narrowly partisan and less broadly knowledgeable than the civil servants we have today — is folly.”
Wonderfully stated, Damon. More than folly, it is infantile and obtuse. It is stunning that we are dealing with adults who don’t know better.
That Vought proudly advertises himself as a Christian Nationalist has me seeking out his definition of the term. There are few ideologies more anathema to modern governance in my view than that one.
It's the mobs over the snobs right now and the plutocrats are hoping to hide behind the mobs so they can get more power/money/control. Will the mobs wake up? Do they ever? Stay tuned! We live in interesting times . . .
The snobs have been hiding behind the mobs for quite some time now. It’s why corporate and academic leaders went full woke. It was shakedown so woke activists could march through institutions claiming moral victory while Progressive leaders got to keep their absurd perks and bonus packages.
Yes, Damon, I share your view that Vought may be the most important official in carrying out the Trumpist/MAGA agenda. Gonna be a long four (or more) years.
A timely and revealing article, Damon; thanks. I posted a response to it in the NY Times comments, slightly edited here:
Russel Vought talks Constitution, but he's really talking monarchy -- as if the Framers' intention was to solve their problem with hereditary monarchs simply by having elected monarchs instead.
Given the size and complexity of the US government now compared with the one in the Framers' time, he knows it's humanly impossible for even the most interested and industrious president to oversee the mass of detailed regulations and guidelines administered and created by today's executive branch.
Instead, in Donald Trump he sees a laissez-faire president who can't be bothered with governing, and a bureaucracy he plans to severely hobble in its ability to monitor and regulate, among other things, industry; financial dealings; public health and education; energy; land and the environment; and, no doubt dear to Mr. Vought's heart, separation of church and state.
Instead of restoring freedom to the people as he claims, Mr. Vought seeks to liberate vested interests from the constraints that prevent them from taking advantage of the people for their own ends. The fox is taking over the henhouse.
Damon, I liked your "guest essay" for NYT. The discussion of Vought's four agenda areas for "reform" was a helpful summary of his thinking and plans. Now I understand it better.
Your ideas for civil service reform are thoughtful and prudent, which is precisely why this administration will never consider them.