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.
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.
Damn, don’t hate me but I’ve never seen it, so the quote went over my head, my bad. That’s a damn good view on things though. I gotta make time for that one.
Yea, there’s a Japanese film that came out around the same time with a similar premise that is also really good.