The former Social Security commissioner said the system could “collapse,” causing disruptions in payments within “30 to 90 days.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If it's any consolation, they're inviting leopards inside their own homes while doing so.
You would absolutely not be 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.
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.
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.
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.