The cuts and shutdowns of government departments and agencies by the Department of Government Efficiency have been dramatic and unprecedented. While no one has given this nickname to Elon Musk, “chainsaw” and not scalpel Elon might be appropriate.

Already the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Department of Education seemed to have fallen under the DOGE axe.

But one wonders what preparation DOGE has made in understanding the duties and responsibilities of each agency, what savings can be made and what efficiencies will be achieved.

DOGE’s initial outings — particularly its freeze on government spending that had to be reversed to prevent the chaos that would have followed — exemplify the chainsaw method of approaching the government.

The good work USAID has done in providing aid — especially regarding health and medical care, poverty and agriculture — seems to have been ignored. And how USAID disperses its

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