An email recently sent to federal employees by Elon Musk and DOGE argued that government workers are less productive than those in the private sector. That American prosperity depends on pushing people out of public service. This is wrong.
I’ve worked in both. I spent years in tech and venture capital before serving as U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic. I know what productivity looks like in Silicon Valley. I know what it looks like in government.
The people I worked with in government were some of the most dedicated I’ve encountered. They weren’t chasing stock options. They were there to serve. They built transatlantic partnerships and countered foreign influence and helped stranded Americans during crises. They did this regardless of who was in the White House. Their allegiance was to the country. Some made real sacrifices. Sometimes the ultimate sacrifice.
To call these people less productive is uninformed. In the private sector I watched brilliant people chase trivial things. Flashy features. Short term metrics. There are exceptional people in the private sector. But the idea that public servants are less effective ignores reality.
Public service can’t be measured the same way. How do you quantify USAID workers running health programs that have saved millions of lives? Combating malaria and HIV/AIDS. Reducing child mortality. Stabilizing fragile countries. This work doesn’t generate profits. It saves lives.
The narrative that the private sector is superior demoralizes people already under strain and undermines institutions we depend on.
To Musk and his team: spend time with this workforce before making sweeping judgments. They’re not your adversaries.
