Mona Charen

I mean, Reagan used to make jokes about federal bureaucrats, and some of them were pretty funny, you know, like they were saying, there's so many bureaucrats, like a guy is crying at his desk at the Department of Agriculture, and somebody says, what's the matter? And he says, my farmer died. So that was 40 years ago or more.

But the fact is, the truth, the dirty little secret of how we do things in our federal government is we actually don't have more bureaucrats now than we had like 40 years ago. We don't have a huge amount of bureaucrats. We do it through private contractors. And maybe some of them are not efficient. I'm sure they're not.

But the fact is, the truth, the dirty little secret of how we do things in our federal government is we actually don't have more bureaucrats now than we had like 40 years ago. We don't have a huge amount of bureaucrats. We do it through private contractors. And maybe some of them are not efficient. I'm sure they're not.

But the fact is, the truth, the dirty little secret of how we do things in our federal government is we actually don't have more bureaucrats now than we had like 40 years ago. We don't have a huge amount of bureaucrats. We do it through private contractors. And maybe some of them are not efficient. I'm sure they're not.

Government is never as efficient as a private business by its very nature, and it never will be, no matter how many Elon Musks you try to bring in, because the incentives are different. But the fact is, you can't just say, I'm going to fire 20% of the federal workforce, and then it'll all be leaner and meaner. No, it's just not going to work.

Government is never as efficient as a private business by its very nature, and it never will be, no matter how many Elon Musks you try to bring in, because the incentives are different. But the fact is, you can't just say, I'm going to fire 20% of the federal workforce, and then it'll all be leaner and meaner. No, it's just not going to work.

Government is never as efficient as a private business by its very nature, and it never will be, no matter how many Elon Musks you try to bring in, because the incentives are different. But the fact is, you can't just say, I'm going to fire 20% of the federal workforce, and then it'll all be leaner and meaner. No, it's just not going to work.

100%. Not that part in particular because, I don't know, it's very much of a sledgehammer and you would need to know in particular cases whether these particular workers need to be in the office. I don't know. But I'll tell you, I do not like DEI stuff. I think it is destructive. I think it's a really, really bad idea to encourage people to think in racial terms.

100%. Not that part in particular because, I don't know, it's very much of a sledgehammer and you would need to know in particular cases whether these particular workers need to be in the office. I don't know. But I'll tell you, I do not like DEI stuff. I think it is destructive. I think it's a really, really bad idea to encourage people to think in racial terms.

100%. Not that part in particular because, I don't know, it's very much of a sledgehammer and you would need to know in particular cases whether these particular workers need to be in the office. I don't know. But I'll tell you, I do not like DEI stuff. I think it is destructive. I think it's a really, really bad idea to encourage people to think in racial terms.

both to encourage minorities to think of themselves as oppressed and to encourage majorities to think of themselves as guilty. I mean, I don't think that's healthy for society. If I had a magic wand, yeah, I'd get rid of all DEI programs. That doesn't mean I'd get rid of affirmative action. That's different. But DEI is a particular thing.

both to encourage minorities to think of themselves as oppressed and to encourage majorities to think of themselves as guilty. I mean, I don't think that's healthy for society. If I had a magic wand, yeah, I'd get rid of all DEI programs. That doesn't mean I'd get rid of affirmative action. That's different. But DEI is a particular thing.

both to encourage minorities to think of themselves as oppressed and to encourage majorities to think of themselves as guilty. I mean, I don't think that's healthy for society. If I had a magic wand, yeah, I'd get rid of all DEI programs. That doesn't mean I'd get rid of affirmative action. That's different. But DEI is a particular thing.

By the way, it also encourages anti-Semitism in many instances. It's a mess. Okay, but there is a difference between saying, I like this particular outcome, or I agree that DEI is very problematic, and doing something in a completely high-handed, lawless way. If Congress has mandated... programs, then you can't just change it. You have to ask Congress to rescind it.

By the way, it also encourages anti-Semitism in many instances. It's a mess. Okay, but there is a difference between saying, I like this particular outcome, or I agree that DEI is very problematic, and doing something in a completely high-handed, lawless way. If Congress has mandated... programs, then you can't just change it. You have to ask Congress to rescind it.

By the way, it also encourages anti-Semitism in many instances. It's a mess. Okay, but there is a difference between saying, I like this particular outcome, or I agree that DEI is very problematic, and doing something in a completely high-handed, lawless way. If Congress has mandated... programs, then you can't just change it. You have to ask Congress to rescind it.

By the way, last time I checked, he has control of both houses, right? Right. I mean, hello. Just do it.

By the way, last time I checked, he has control of both houses, right? Right. I mean, hello. Just do it.

By the way, last time I checked, he has control of both houses, right? Right. I mean, hello. Just do it.

That's absolutely right.