Josh Marshall: a look at one of Elmo's "gizmocrats"

[Dennis Donovan]

‪Josh Marshall‬ ‪
@joshtpm.bsky.social‬
9h
So on this question of “doxing” of Musk gizmocrats, I was talking to staffers to today detailing one of the gizmocrats who is largely on his own rewriting the code base of one of the US governments most mission critical computer systems. And as it was described to me the staff programmers …

‪Josh Marshall‬ ‪
@joshtpm.bsky.social‬
9h
2/ who used to manage that code and system are sort of like helping him because they’re so terrified that he’s going to haywire, but also begging him to be careful etc. meanwhile they only know this guy as “Fred” (I’ve substituted a different name for now). So you’ve this crazy situation and …

Josh Marshall
‪@joshtpm.bsky.social‬
3/ in addition to all the other absurdity of the situation as they try to help or beg “Fred” to be careful they’re don’t even know who “Fred” actually is, as in a last name, or whether “Fred” is even his name. That’s what happening right now in your federal government.
February 3, 2025 at 9:31 PM

3/ in addition to all the other absurdity of the situation as they try to help or beg “Fred” to be careful they’re don’t even know who “Fred” actually is, as in a last name, or whether “Fred” is even his name. That’s what happening right now in your federal government.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm.bsky.social) 2025-02-04T02:31:50.993Z

[Captain Zero]

1. Usually a crime to mess with proprietary code

Just have someone arrest Fred or make him dead.

[Irish_Dem]

2. The goal appears to destroy the code base of critical mission computer systems.

But first stealing and selling it?

[Captain Zero]

5. Are they stealing a fraction of every transaction?

My bank has a feature where I can automatically save a dollar to a savings account for every transaction I make. Or lesser amounts, whatever I choose.

Do that with fed govt transactions and pretty soon you have a 'sovereign wealth fund'.

Am I right?

[Irish_Dem]

6. My thoughts as well.

US Treasury pays out 5 to 6 trillion dollars a year?
At least that is what I read recently.

So if you take a fraction of that money, not so as anyone would notice,
how much money do you make per year on that amount?

[Captain Zero]

3. Messing with proprietary code is criminal

Just have someone arrest Fred or make him dead.

[sop]

4. If only there was some law enforcement agency that would enforce the law.

The "make him dead" part might end up being the inevitable result of a breakdown in the rule of law.

[travelingthrulife]

13. Agreed. This is probably part of the plan. Make people angry and frustrated

at a neutered law enforcement response to obvious crimes, and eventually someone(s) will try to fix the problem extrajudicially and they will be able to bring the troops out.

[Jit423]

7. So, is "Fred" working for Russia or Saudi Arabia? And which one is linked to Bibi?

Do they have Musk by his little balls in some way? Musk is sharp but gets people smarter than he to actually do the technical work he claims as his own. Which means at any given time his shit could blow up and do untold damage to the US grid on earth and in the sky. We are so fucked. Our intel is so screwed. The US foreign aid that we should stop is all that we give to Israel and Saudi Arabia. One is the muscle the other is the money.

Read my book...or have you already?

[Mike 03]

8. What will the first manifestation of this criminal meddling be?

Will social security checks that people depend on stop arriving? Will tax refunds disappear into thin air?

Just trying to figure out where this is going.

Musk boasted about the billions he was finding to cut. Where does he think he's finding it?

[tanyev]

9. I thought DOGE was supposed to be an advisory committee, not a terrorist cell.

[SheltieLover]

10. Both the same to slobby, apparently

[sop]

11. Apparently, corporate media conveniently forgot about the "advisory committee" stuff.

Now they're referring to DOGE as a fully fledged, congressionally-approved and funded federal agency, with its own armed security apparatus, independent law-making powers, completely free of any oversight and with immunity from the law.

[maxrandb]

12. Minor correction-I don't think it's corporate media saying that, IT'S THAT THE SUPREME COURT HAS ALREADY SAID THAT

[LetMyPeopleVote]

14. The names and pictures of the muskrats is out there

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