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.

  • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 day ago

    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.

    • zephorah@lemm.ee
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      1 day ago

      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.

        • zephorah@lemm.ee
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          4 hours ago

          Here’s hoping we get the timeline right on that when (not if at this point) it happens.

      • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
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        1 day ago

        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…

        • zephorah@lemm.ee
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          21 hours ago

          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.

          • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
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            14 hours ago

            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.

            • zephorah@lemm.ee
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              4 hours ago

              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.

    • Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      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.

      • dhork@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        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.

        • SabinStargem@lemmings.world
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          16 hours ago

          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.