Summary
Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley warns that staffing and funding cuts under Elon Musk could cause Social Security payments to halt within 30 to 90 days.
The SSA is reducing its workforce and closing offices, prompting concerns from Democrats, who accuse the Trump administration of trying to dismantle the program.
O’Malley predicts a major political backlash if payments are interrupted.
Meanwhile, leadership changes at SSA have added further instability, with no confirmed commissioner in place.
it’s only been 2 months, and already I’ve lost all my civil rights, my best friend can no longer have health insurance due to Medicaid cuts, and my in laws are just retired and now facing possible ss cuts. i feel like this nightmare will never end. all our lives are turned upside down.
For anyone who’s confident Trump is going to cut social security, you can earn money by predicting that correctly: https://polymarket.com/event/trump-signs-bill-cutting-social-security-before-july?tid=1741193398789
Elon Musk’s ‘efficiency’ gambit risks millions of Americans’ livelihoods—social safety nets aren’t corporate experiments. Clear presentation of facts, though it lacks deeper analysis of potential solutions.
🐱🐱🐱🐱
Hunter Biden’s labtop!
Can’t wait to hear the complaints about how Biden is responsible for the collapse of social security.
Yeah, well, I can’t read and this is all obamas fault
I’m still not voting for Hunter either!
“People should start saving now,” he urged.
How? Fucking bellend
Just a reminder: People don’t steal food. No one has ever witnessed a hungry person stealing food, that is a myth, an urban legend. It never happens. If you thought you saw someone stealing food, you were wrong and should call your eye doctor for a vision check. In conclusion, hungry people do not steal food, that’s not a real thing. The More You Know.
Sorry about the needy, but for us outside the US it is high time to stock up on popcorn.
I wonder if the gun owners under the affected population will sell their weapons to buy food, or if they will use them to remedy their situation.
Maybe the number of seats needing re-election will rise next month…
A few weeks ago I did the math. In my very liberal corner of the US, one egg was worth 2.002 9mm rounds, or 1.6 12 gauge shells.
In other terms, it’s not cost effective to sell the guns in order to buy food.
As an American I hate to say it but enjoy this nightmare that we’re about to endure do the stupidity of the dumbest of the dumb. I don’t want to see it I don’t wish it on anyone but every single one of these stupid fucks who voted for this deserves exactly what they get and it’s going to be horrible
Kick ass, I hope you’re right.
At first I wanted to say “nah, you need to be 65+ these days” but you know what? That just means the boomers (who proportionately voted for Trump less than Gen X) have nothing to lose.
People on disability under 64 also get social security.
If such a thing does not incite mass revolt, I cannot imagine anything ever would.
Why would retired old people suddenly riot? They will call their social security rep and wait for hours on hold while they watch Jeopardy and cable news that tells them rioting is bad and only criminals do that.
Anything over 65 is “elderly”, but there are absolutely a lot of people that age able and willing to cause trouble.
Between Social Security Insurance and Supplemental Income, there’s about 70 million recipients (holy wow - just shy of 20% of the U.S. population). Most of them are elderly, sure - but not all, and not all of those elderly will be infirm.
The way I see it is if these checks don’t come in April, we’ll start to see protests as the winter weather fades into spring.
I think a lot of folks feel disempowered by the system. Voting doesn’t work. And even when voting does work, the political parties seem to have their own agenda that is divorced from their purported constituents, their promises, and even reality. (Purported, because we know that voters are just the vehicle, but money is the fuel under our current system. The constituents they claim to have are not the constituents they serve.) Beyond that, they’re slapping felony convictions onto college kids who protested a genocide. Even if you want to soften the language, they were protesting violence in a nonviolent way, and they are going to have their entire lives impacted by criminal charges for expressing their ‘right’ to freedom of speech. Add in that a lot of folks are trapped in media bubbles and don’t even realize there are problems, or if they realize there are problems, they don’t really recognize their severity. And as we’ve repeatedly seen, Trump does not see justice, and there are no advocates for democracy or the rule of law. The only person that a lot of people felt was ‘on their side’ was Luigi Mangione, and failing attempts to paint him as a terrorist, the media has done their best to quash coverage of him to erase him from the national consciousness. The deck is clearly stacked in every which way.
So I mean, the consequences are dire, the impact of Trump’s actions are not yet being felt broadly or acutely enough yet, and it’s frankly kind of shitty outside, so no one wants to go stand in freezing temps, cold rain, or ceaseless winds for no gain, and incredible peril. I hate to serve up excuses, but I think the situation will have to get much worse before people are driven to action.Oh, we are definitely getting protests. But, will we see riots? Will we see people taking control of their workplaces? Will people start growing their own food and shopping at farmer’s markets instead of grocery chains? The only people who have the ability to dismantle the vestiges of power that control them are the people themselves.
I don’t know specifically about elderly people, but I have heard it said that historically, people who cannot afford to eat have a higher chance of overthrowing their government.
And so it is often in a government’s interest to have some sort of social programs that provide food security.
Historically, there have been riots during the Great Depression where people raided grocery stores. But, hey, homeless people and poor single parents have been doing this for years and are called criminals for doing so.
These people will need to be okay with being considered criminals if they truly wish to riot and change things, but they’ve spent decades voting to put people who do those things in jail.
I think the moral dilemma of knowingly committing crimes is easier when your only source of income is cut.
“When you decide to be something, you can be it. That’s what they don’t tell you in the church. When I was your age they would say we can become cops, or criminals. Today, what I’m saying to you is this: when you’re facing a loaded gun, what’s the difference?”
A lot… Trying to act like none of your life choices matter due to government BS is a sad look at life. Many of the choices you make matter, what you do matters, it can all make a difference.
It’s a quote from The Departed and that’s exactly what the character is saying. The Church and State present the masses with binary choices that they ultimately control. They don’t want us to know about a third choice because then we start wondering about an infinite amount of possible choices which makes the masses harder to control.
In this case, we are taught that you are either a good guy who follows the law or you are a bad guy who breaks the law; abolitionists and runaway slaves were considered criminals but slave catchers were considered “Good Guys”. Today, the lobbyists and lawmakers are trying to make it illegal to criticize the government, protest, etc. to the point where the binary view of justice starts to cave in on itself.
The imagery is compelling.
Elderly people slowly starving while watching game shows and calling an anonymous entity in the hope of salvation. Reminds me of a certain movie, though that one wasn’t even about politics, just addiction. One could argue that many people are addicted to outrage, misinformation, fear and hate today - maybe it’s not such a difference in the end.Because many of their children and grandchildren would pick up the slack.
People are already struggling just to get by. Imagine suddenly having to house, feed, and/or care for an elderly person on top of that.
I think it will be interesting. Seniors who voted for this asking to be taken care of by people who may not have voted for this but have to help you survive your bad decision. My dad has never been much of a, well, father. We chat, but not much. I certainly would not turn my life upside down to support him.
More than one i would bet in a lot of cases. If it 100% dries up between me and my partner we may have to help up to 6 or more people between parents, grandparents, and aunts/uncles.
I mean, I guess if the only people who ever rioted were those personally affected you’d be right. Not really able to see it that way, myself.
Sorry, but you should. Historically, the only people who have ever rioted were people who were directly affected by said issues. If they can successfully be convinced that Daddy Government is going to fix everything while demonizing the actual protestors on the streets, you get decades of stagnation.
I’d love for you show me any counter examples in history.
Historically, the only people who have ever rioted were people who were directly affected by said issues.
Really? The only people? Throughout history. Bold claim…
I don’t get why people make these grand statements then push off any burden of proof to those that might disagree, it’s dishonest. But just so everyone else doesn’t fall for this misinformation, here are some:
- Abolitionist Riots (19th Century, U.S.)
Many white abolitionists participated in violent riots against slavery, even though they themselves were not enslaved.
Example: The Cincinnati Riots of 1836 involved white and Black abolitionists clashing with pro-slavery mobs.
- Anti-Apartheid Protests (South Africa, 20th Century)
Many white South Africans and international activists participated in riots and violent protests against apartheid, even though they were not personally subjected to the system’s oppression.
- Vietnam War Protests (U.S., 1960s-70s)
Many young people who were not drafted or eligible for military service still participated in violent protests and riots against the war.
Example: The Days of Rage (1969) in Chicago, led by the Weather Underground, saw middle-class activists riot against U.S. militarism.
- Civil Rights Movement (U.S., 1960s)
Some white activists participated in violent actions alongside Black activists fighting for civil rights, despite not being personally discriminated against.
Example: The Cambridge Riots (1967) saw white activists and Black residents clashing with authorities over segregation and economic inequality.
- BLM Protests (2020, U.S.)
Many white and non-Black protesters participated in riots and violent clashes with police over racial injustice, even though they were not directly affected by systemic racism.
I can keep going if for some was reason that isn’t enough for you to understand that your statement is wrong. Either way, please stop spreading misinformation.
Hey, you’re not entirely wrong. But, you’re also conflating protests with riots. I never said people do not protest for things that do not affect them— just that they don’t intend to riot unless something directly affects them.
And, in pretty much all of the examples you’ve given for riots, those were sparked by acts of violence perpetrated by white supremacists, union busters, police, etc. which forces the people to obviously defend themselves in a reactionary state. But, this is not the same as the masses mobilizing with the intent to root out and destroy these institutions that are designed to hurt and control us.
Holding signs and singing chants in the streets doesn’t change anything but it can easily be framed as a justification for more police and military spending to “maintain order and peace”. If you consider the elites who actually control the flow of commerce, it’s a net loss for the protestors who only have their jobs to risk and possibly jail time and a fine. In fact, the State applies Deterrence Theory in this way to keep the public from rioting and it has, so far, been extremely affective in the modern era.
Oh, and those hippies who protested the Vietnam War were a small percentage of white middle class youth that went on to be corporate leaders in America, many of whom are the primary antagonists we deal with today.
There is a threshold many people aren’t willing to cross that, in my opinion, is necessary for us to move toward dismantling classism. They have us so firmly put in place that they’re now comfortably passing laws that are erasing constitutional rights, and majority of the elderly in this country voted for him, keep that in mind.
I’ll end my rebuttal simply stating that the examples you’ve mentioned involved people who consciously viewed themselves as interconnected with those they were protesting alongside of. This is something we severely lack in today’s social-political climate; a shared consciousness, which is what a grassroots movement requires.
If I mention the Floyd protests are we going to start splitting hairs about what makes a protest vs a riot?
Did the floydd protests/riots get comprehensive justice system reform passed?
It did make some changes in laws and policies. Change isn’t an all or nothing process.
That’s a whole new discussion though, he never said shit about actually changing anything.
Okay, fine, he implied it.
Bring it, bitches. This is what the fucking idiots voted for, let’s go. I got a bigass bowl of popcorn.
And for everyone else that was barred from representation? This isnt going to hurt who you think it will.
No it’s going to hurt who you think it will. The collateral damage on the other hand will be absolutely horrific and unfortunate… And hurt all the other folks who don’t deserve it
They’re all along for the ride. Fuck you, fuck me, fuck us all. Take it out on a republican.
You mean Nazi? I’m pretty sure they’re the same goddamn thing
You’re not a Republican? Why the celebratory let’s go then?
I would prefer that all republicans spontaneously combust. Or something more painful than that, whichever.
I am for the quickest possible path to what is the inevitable outcome: turmoil, suffering, and through that, change.
I too wish for change, and I recognize that turmoil, suffering may be part of the process. However, I am sorry for those that are victims, because losing empathy for the sake of change is not a healthy form of change.
I have sympathy for the kids in this and the non-abstainers, (edit: non-third-party voters,) non-trump-voters. The others, well, I couldn’t care less about their fate. But we must face reality: this ends with blood in the streets.
Agreed. But we’re in the shit now, and the only way out is through. We can’t afford to only have the country mostly break down but continue to limp along for another few decades. If we want to make a real difference we are going to have to change some fundamental assumptions about American society. The only way that happens is to have enough people care to make the change, and the only way that happens is by having a majority of Americans become personally hurt by this situation. We have proven time and again that we have a remarkable talent for ignoring anything that doesn’t affect us personally. So now I’m in favor of big, horrible things that personally hurt everyone in the country because that’s what is required to make people wake up and open their eyes to the reality that exists around them.
I do not wish any suffering on anyone beyond what is required to make them see. I find it upsetting and immoral that this suffering is what is required to make them see. But this has been a problem for a very long time and we are now at a crossroads where this all comes to a head and explodes. If people won’t pay attention to anything that doesn’t hurt them personally then you’re going to need to hurt them personally to make them pay attention. Simple as.
Left accelerationism and right accelerationism both cause lots of vulnerable people to suffer.
Honestly, everything causes vulnerable people to suffer. Voting (which everyone should do) clearly does nothing substantial, revolution has never been a safe path regardless of if the revolutionaries win, and accelerationism makes things worse in basically the same way a revolution does, but at least people aren’t pointing at revolutionaries as the problem when accelerationism happens. I think we’d all much prefer being able to snap our fingers and making the world perfect, but it looks like the world chose accelerationism all by itself. Certainly wouldn’t have been my first choice.
I agree we are here now. Things are already collapsing.
The person I was commenting toward appeared to be all for accelerationism, regardless of who gets hurt.
And it’s hard for me to tell left and right acceleration apart. Within that context.
I’m an anarchist, in action. So, I stand up to authority. But I also recognize that setting a match and burning it down is going to hurt a lot of innocents.
Not just people, other life on this planet too.
Anyway, their comment reminded me of somebody that would vote for Trump even though they are leftist just because they want to see the empire burn. Or someone who would stay home on their couch and refuse to vote for Harris for similar reasons.
Charitably, it could just be kind of a fuck it, we ball energy
Fair
Have you not seen all the democrats here absolutely jerking off over the idea of Palestinians getting genocided even harder under Trump?
You mean the 2000s Republicans dressed in blue?
Yeah, liberals.
No taxation without representation.
I like this far more than the “taxation is theft” rhetoric.
Like, yes, taxation is theft the way it has been used, but it doesn’t have to be if it’s done transparently and used for the benefit of all.
Will the ones not recieving their assistance understand why they are not getting it any more?
Sure, it will be Biden’s fault. What do you think? /s
It is funny how when Trump took office the first time, riding Obamas economy, he took credit for it. Now with his words he has started the downward trend of the stock market and now it is Bidens fault, Bidens economy.
As for the people that will be affected by the SS not coming, they will believe what they are told to believe.
Those old people homes would suddenly get much further out of reach for many families. Pull up your bootstraps at 84 and go get a job or your going to jail for being homeless.
This is exactly the world they want to make.
Criminalize homelessness and buy up all the property. Own the businesses and you have indentured servants that can never pay off their debt to you. They want us to pay a subscription to live.
It wouldn’t surprise me to learn they’d bought up all the funeral homes just to fuck you one last time when you die.
Well, I guess the price of eggs won’t matter if they don’t have any fucking money, huh?
Hey look, the MAGA cult is seeing if they can more directly steal our money to see if anything happens.
If it’s any consolation, they’re inviting leopards inside their own homes while doing so.
You would
absolutely notbe surprised how many Trump supporters rely on some form of welfare like disability or child benefits. As usual, those complaining about the others taking advantage of the system are either projecting, trying to reduce competition in the hopes that they get a bigger slice of the pie, or both.They are morons. Plain and simple.
When I was still on facebook, they announced on the school page they were ending the free lunch program started during the COVID pandemic because the Republicans at the state level ended the program.
Those that yelled the loudest? The poor (whose kids got at least 1 good meal a day out of this) who voted for Republicans. Some people don’t learn until they get punched in the nuts.
Unless they’re no longer voting for Republicans then they didn’t learn anything. My own experience tells me that is unlikely.
I really wish they do. I guarantee you people who can’t pay for food or rent because they didn’t get their check will exact violence on those responsible.
The fact of the matter is it’s still far, far easier to punch sideways than up.
If your child is screaming in hunger, do you plan a trip to Washington? On what time and money? Or do you grab your gun and visit the neighbor’s house to get him some food?
What’s that middle aged lady in the parking lot of the grocery store going to do if you just push her down and grab her groceries from her cart? Or even approaching grandma and gently taking the grocery bag from her hand and hopping into a vehicle before she even knows what happened.
You think your house window is a barrier? Psychological, yes, it is. Actual? Not at all.
This is where things get violent but not for the rich men in Washington because they’re not accessible.
Frankly, as someone who has studied people for 35yrs, I am bordering on an intense fear that could be likened to terror. People go for what’s easiest, in general. You all are thinking of Luigi, but he’s the exception not the rule. Most people grab what’s easiest and closest and pull from their guts, not careful planning.
I think people would aim at corporations, not their communities. In a crisis, people tend to flock together and do what they can to help each other. It is elites who panic and go out of their way to ‘protect’ what they perceive to be theirs.
Behind the Bastards has an episode about Elite Panic.
Here’s hoping we get the timeline right on that when (not if at this point) it happens.
The fact of the matter is it’s still far, far easier to punch sideways than up.
And yet revolutions happen on a regular basis. Explain that one…
When was the last time revolution happened here in the United States?
For starters most of our young, single men feeling angsty with the world and their existence are behind a screen right now, sans pants, eating/drinking. And that’s just one demographic.
Never underestimate the power of hunger and destitution.
Desperate people who have nothing to lose are known to do things they would never normally do.
Absolutely. No question there. You assume a moral compass like your own though.
What was that detective series? 3 pines? Alfred Molina. Lead detective makes the point of saying everyone, and he meant everyone, is capable of murder, it’s simply a question of finding the right motive, for them. I do believe that’s middle of the bell curve stuff in that bit of writing.
The issue is people typically move like water, path of least resistance. Yes, there are exceptions, I’m taking about the fat part of the bell curve here, not the tails. And that means punching sideways to get what they need.
We need people like you. I appreciate your belief in the moral high ground.
I guarantee you their violence will be deflected by the rich onto other poor people.
That’s the excuse they’re waiting for to declare martial law. And this time, they’ve made sure that the people who wouldn’t obey orders to fire on civilians are gone. It’ll be a major bloodbath that will make Tiananmen look like peanuts in comparison.
Price of gold will also skyrocket I reckon.
Price of gold will also skyrocket I reckon.
More importantly, the price of Crypto will explode once the dollar tanks. That’s what these chucklefucks are going for.
I am expecting Monero or some other privacy coin to become big, because people would want the discretion of dollars while still having digital flexibility. Musk is almost certainly angling to make a Muskcoin to go with an X Everything app in the Chinese fashion, so people will naturally go for something that isn’t controlled by the Fascist States.
Of course, gold and foreign currencies like the Euro will see a major uptick. Again, to avoid Fascist oversight. No one knows what the right answer to this crap would be, so every decent person will just take a guess. Along with a shot, for courage.
More likely they’ll blame the gays and start a pogrom.
