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Commentary
Wall Street Journal

The World War II Lesson for DOGE

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy could emulate the dollar-a-year men, who built the greatest military production machine the world has ever seen.

Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Rep. Kat Cammack after a meeting at the United States Capitol on December 5, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images)
Caption
Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Rep. Kat Cammack after a meeting at the United States Capitol on December 5, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images)

A Trump revolution is poised to unleash the innovative and productive power of the private sector, transforming the federal government. If it happens, Americans will witness the most significant change in the operation and philosophy of governance in 120 years. Fortunately, the precedent for this kind of transformation occurred more than 70 years ago, when American private industry mobilized to win World War II.

At the dawn of the Progressive Era, President Theodore Roosevelt spoke of reining in the “malefactors of great wealth,” who frustrated the operations of government “so that they may enjoy unmolested the fruits of their own evil-doing.” The focus of governance in Washington ever since has been to restrain private energy and productivity—i.e., capitalism—for the health and safety of the American people and to secure equal treatment under the law.

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