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# From COBOL to chaos: Elon Musk, DOGE, and the Evil Housekeeper Problem
- URL: https://werd.io/from-cobol-to-chaos-elon-musk-doge-and-the-evil/
- Published: 2025-02-07T16:45:26.000Z
- Updated: 2025-02-07T16:45:26.000Z
- Author: Ben Werdmuller
- Tags: Notable links, #Import 2025-06-11 21:47

\[[Dan Hon in MIT Technology Review](https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/07/1111283/elon-musk-doge-and-the-evil-housekeeper-problem-government-technology/)\]

The always-brilliant [Dan Hon](https://newsletter.danhon.com/) on DOGE:

> "We’re seeing in real time that there are no practical technical measures preventing someone from taking a spanner to the technology that keeps our government stable, that keeps society running every day—despite the very real consequences.   
>  
> So we should plan for the worst, even if the likelihood of the worst is low."

The suggestions that follow - identifying risks, working together, standing up and saying "no" - are all sensible and needed.

[#Democracy](https://werd.io/tag/Democracy)

\[[Link](https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/07/1111283/elon-musk-doge-and-the-evil-housekeeper-problem-government-technology/)\]