this is how our entire federal apparatus works these days. our government is profoundly broken but we lack the will to acknowledge it.

I have about 20 years of experience in Federal contracting.

we have nothing but process and zero accountability. It's literally a miracle anything ever gets completed.

we sink billions of dollars into projects that are forecast to have dubious economic benefits and then we never bother to see if it actually worked out the way the economics were justified.

empower programs and leaders to buck policy and regulations but make them accountable for failure of their core mission.

compensate leaders who save money by doing more with less.

etc.