Agreed, and to add: take a look at the incentive structures. Virtually everybody anywhere is acting rationally within the dominant incentive structure they are confronted with.

I know this seems so abstract it sounds like a truism and not actionable. Considering that incentive structures come in many guises (laws, morals, money etc.) the first thing we need to figure out which incentive structure is dominant in a given situation. An employee of a bureaucracy, for example, might share the presented moral disapproval about inefficiency but is it the dominant incentive structure? Probably not.

For example, DOGE toppled existing incentive structures, emphasising cost reduction vs. effectivity and privacy. People were (maybe are, nobody is reporting anything on this anymore) up in arms because they had to abandon incentive structures they knew to navigate. DOGE was a colossal failure because emphasising efficiency over effectivity is always like polishing a turd and many people said as much "back then" but look at the incentive structure of those who didn't and don't. Many of them have not prospered in the previous structures, so they support the new ones, even if they are insane to you and me. They act rationally.

> DOGE toppled existing incentive structures

DOGE attacked organizations investigating companies owned by Musk. Nothing else.

> DOGE toppled existing incentive structures, yes

> emphasising cost reduction

no.

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