DOGE Catch-All

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Here's the thing. If enough alarming and false stories start circulating in the MAGAsphere, then a "pause" in Social Security payments to straighten out the "mess" that the Musketeers "discover" will start to seem "reasonable." And the bureaucratic hurdles that Elon's Musketeers will erect to re-enrolling will be so Byzantine as to ensure that a significant portion of current recipients will never receive another cent. This is not an unfortunate, but unavoidable, consequence. This is the planned, expected, and hoped for outcome. And Musketeers will slap each other on the back for the fantastic success they achieved in "re-setting" Social Security. Needless to say, everyone who dies before correctly navigating the convoluted path back to receiving Social Security--that the Musketeers will create--and saying "Mother May I" at all the proper times, will be summarily denied the enormous $255.00 Social Security death benefit that goes to their surviving spouse or child.
 
05C40 said:
Here's the thing. If enough alarming and false stories start circulating in the MAGAsphere, then a "pause" in Social Security payments to straighten out the "mess" that the Musketeers "discover" will start to seem "reasonable." And the bureaucratic hurdles that Elon's Musketeers will erect to re-enrolling will be so Byzantine as to ensure that a significant portion of current recipients will never receive another cent. This is not an unfortunate, but unavoidable, consequence. This is the planned, expected, and hoped for outcome. And Musketeers will slap each other on the back for the fantastic success they achieved in "re-setting" Social Security. Needless to say, everyone who dies before correctly navigating the convoluted path back to receiving Social Security--that the Musketeers will create--and saying "Mother May I" at all the proper times, will be summarily denied the enormous $255.00 Social Security death benefit that goes to their surviving spouse or child.
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I think that is a naive view. There is a reason why social security is the third rail of politics. There are many, many Trumpers that count on those monthly checks. If anything happens to that money, those people will be VERY loud. It would likely knock 10-15% off his approval rating overnight. I actually hopes they try it because of the backlash. But third rails kill and that is why people don't touch them.
 
Calheel said:
I think that is a naive view. There is a reason why social security is the third rail of politics. There are many, many Trumpers that count on those monthly checks. If anything happens to that money, those people will be VERY loud. It would likely knock 10-15% off his approval rating overnight. I actually hopes they try it because of the backlash. But third rails kill and that is why people don't touch them.
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I disagree. If St. Donald of Mar-a-Lago and his masters have to choose between perks for the Billionaire class and Social Security recipients, then I know what choice will be made six days a week and twice on Sunday. And what makes you think there will be another election where the shenanagens of the Muskateers will be an issue?
 
Mulberry Heel said:
It really is telling that even though Trumpers firmly control every branch of the federal government and there's not a damn thing that Democrats can do about it, that right-wing outlets like Fox News still whine and complain 24/7 that the Democrats are opposing and trying to block Trump (and Elon and Project 2025's) agenda. They all desperately need to believe that they are still the heroic underdogs taking on the all-powerful Deep State and evil LibDems. The fact that they are now the "Deep State" (whatever that means) and that they are clearly able to do whatever the hell they want and Democrats can't stop them doesn't matter. They still need that Democratic bogeyman/strawman to be outraged by and complain about. If Democrats vanished they still wouldn't be happy, they'd just turn on one another like a pack of dogs. Having something and someone to constantly attack and point fingers at is second nature to them.
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#8 of 13 on Umberto Eco's Essay on Ur-Fascism...

The followers must feel humiliated by the ostentatious wealth and force of their enemies.When I was a boy I was taught to think of Englishmen as the five-meal people. They ate more frequently than the poor but sober Italians. Jews are rich and help each other through a secret web of mutual assistance. However, the followers must be convinced that they can overwhelm the enemies. Thus, by a continuous shifting of rhetorical focus, the enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak. Fascist governments are condemned to lose wars because they are constitutionally incapable of objectively evaluating the force of the enemy
 
Calheel said:
I think that is a naive view. There is a reason why social security is the third rail of politics. There are many, many Trumpers that count on those monthly checks. If anything happens to that money, those people will be VERY loud. It would likely knock 10-15% off his approval rating overnight. I actually hopes they try it because of the backlash. But third rails kill and that is why people don't touch them.
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Yes, but they are setting it up so that they can blame Democrats. Sorry we had to do this but there was so much fraud perpetuated by the Democrats that he had to shut it down for a period.
 
ChapelHillSooner said:
Yes, but they are setting it up so that they can blame Democrats. Sorry we had to do this but there was so much fraud perpetuated by the Democrats that he had to shut it down for a period.
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It doesn't matter. You touch the third rail, you get burned. You can blame the Metro all you want, but you will be the one that gets the blame.
 
Calheel said:
It doesn't matter. You touch the third rail, you get burned. You can blame the Metro all you want, but you will be the one that gets the blame.
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MAGA is in the frenzy of a group of teenage boys who scored a couple cases of beer. The one-upsmanship is in full swing. The fact that something is risky makes it damn near irresistible.
 
wmheel1287 said:
Why in the blue fuck would anyone give Elon Musk the benefit of the doubt?
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Especially after a quote like this.

“Some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected,” Musk said. “Nobody’s going to bat 1,000. We will make mistakes, but we’ll act quickly to correct any mistakes.”

Fish in a barrel aren't such easy marks.
 
ICFree said:
Especially after a quote like this.

“Some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected,” Musk said. “Nobody’s going to bat 1,000. We will make mistakes, but we’ll act quickly to correct any mistakes.”

Fish in a barrel aren't such easy marks.
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Or when he says that there will be pain from what he's doing, but trust him, in the long-term it will be better.
 
Calheel said:
Go ahead Trump. FAFO.
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I do think cutting Social Security will be a bridge too far. People can say that MAGA is different and a cult and all of that, and it's true, but when grandma and grandpa have their retirement cut off and can't pay for food and electricity and medical care and suddenly the kids or grandkids have to take care of them and pay their bills reality is going to hit even MAGAts full force. Having said that, I don't think they'll actually go that far. I think they'll keep Social Security the same for people over 55 or maybe 50, and then severely cut or privatize or restrict it in some way for everybody under 55 or 50. But I could easily be wrong, as they haven't shown much restraint so far.
 
Mulberry Heel said:
I do think cutting Social Security will be a bridge too far. People can say that MAGA is different and a cult and all of that, and it's true, but when grandma and grandpa have their retirement cut off and can't pay for food and electricity and medical care and suddenly the kids or grandkids have to take care of them and pay their bills reality is going to hit even MAGAts full force. Having said that, I don't think they'll actually go that far. I think they'll keep Social Security the same for people over 55 or maybe 50, and then severely cut or privatize or restrict it in some way for everybody under 55 or 50. But I could easily be wrong, as they haven't shown much restraint so far.
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This.
 
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