The All Things Political Topic - In politics stupidity is not a handicap

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

12 hours ago, ShadySands said:

Yeah, billionaire can't comprehend people on fixed incomes and living paycheck to paycheck because billionaire's MIL will be alright if she doesn't get a check for a month. They must be scammers.

I mean, why don't they just get a small loan of a million dollars from their dads? These people are truly amazing human beings and awe inspiring bastions of empathy.

I would bet every dollar I have that Lutnick would not call a landlord or lender a "fraudster" if they exploded for not getting their monthly rent or loan payment.

[Malcador]

58 minutes ago, rjshae said:

Per the Howard Lutnick article: As with many things this administration is implementing, they don't seem to have thought through the consequences. They want to:

1. Make significant cuts to the Social Security Administration, including closing offices
2. Make people come in person to verify their identity

Alas, there may be nobody around to check the identities. Hmm, problem solved I suppose. I.e. just die old person.

Pretty sure that is the desired outcome. Many people think Social Security is a ponzi scheme.

Surprised Musk isn't out saying it's SOCIALISM 

[Gfted1]

I dont agree with the methodology, but I would be inclined to believe the Social Security is riddled with inefficiency and fraudulent collections. I cant think of any other way to prove identity other than in person with papers in hand.

[uuuhhii]

usa intent to let avian flu spread then identify the individual immune to it

truly usa health care examplify

[rjshae]

23 hours ago, Malcador said:

Pretty sure that is the desired outcome. Many people think Social Security is a ponzi scheme.

Surprised Musk isn't out saying it's SOCIALISM 

I don't mind the verification method; I'm just not sure they will be staffed to handle it. Plus if they start shutting down offices, retirees will need to travel a much longer distance to provide verification. I suppose they could make a fun trip out of it.

[ShadySands]

2 hours ago, rjshae said:

I suppose they could make a fun trip out of it.

If they can afford to.

I'd file this with a lot of stuff the right puts out that sounds good initially and starts to break down the more you look into it. I mean, ideally with something like this where you want everyone to verify in person then you would make it easier to do so instead of harder by closing offices and locations.

[Malcador]

Usual ploy to break public services then tout them as terrible so you can replace them with private or just remove them.  I bet a lot of Americans, if they were to be cut off from Social Security, would still blame Biden or Obama or something  

Edited Sunday at 05:54 PM by Malcador

[ShadySands]

Trump: me signing this order to end social security is actually just me fighting for you against the Biden crime family who is actually responsible for ending social security during the illegal and immoral Obama administration.

[Zoraptor]

1 hour ago, ShadySands said:

I mean, ideally with something like this where you want everyone to verify in person then you would make it easier to do so instead of harder by closing offices and locations.

Sounds like a pretty ideal situation from a DOGEesque perspective though. The ideal there is that a lot of people don't turn up and get cut off so they make yuuuge savings on federal cash that they can crow about- while also assuming everyone who didn't turn up was a fraudster rather than bedridden/ sick/ uninformed about the requirement/ got annoyed at the process/ were unable to turn up etc. And yeah, using that as evidence they can then say that there was massive fraud under Biden and Obama. 

The only negative is that you don't really want to annoy old people since they vote, though you can at least be fairly confident that the people who vote will mostly be the ones to turn up for verification even if it is a bit onerous.

Edited Sunday at 07:40 PM by Zoraptor

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

2 hours ago, Malcador said:

I bet a lot of Americans, if they were to be cut off from Social Security, would still blame Biden or Obama or something  

When Trump started repealing the ACA via executive order, you had a non-insignificant amount of people freaking out because they didn't know that was "Obamacare". They of course blamed "the left" for naming it two different things.

2 hours ago, ShadySands said:

I'd file this with a lot of stuff the right puts out that sounds good initially and starts to break down the more you look into it. I mean, ideally with something like this where you want everyone to verify in person then you would make it easier to do so instead of harder by closing offices and locations.

It's just the voter suppression tactics they've been using for the last few years, require increasing amounts of security in the name of combating fraud while simultaneously closing off avenues to get through said security for the person who doesn't have ample free time and resources.

[Malcador]

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-administration-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151/

"I, however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing."

Bit early to be drinking.

[Hurlshort]

3 hours ago, Malcador said:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-administration-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151/

"I, however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing."

Bit early to be drinking.

Come on, like we all haven't accidently texted top secret military plans at one time or another. Perfectly honest mistake.

Some people drunk text d-pics, others send bombing reports.

[Zoraptor]

Pete Hegseth is just showing the administration's commitment to open government and freedom of information. Well done sir!

(Would have been funnier if it had been Telegram rather than Signal though)

[ShadySands]

It's 5 o'clock somewhere 

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Hegseth getting bombed before noon and posting battle plans in an open group chat is honestly something that feels unexpected when you type it out.

[HoonDing]

Good thing nothing matters anymore.

[Malcador]

What's funny is, this response will work. 

[majestic]

We have always been at war with Eastasia.

Incidentially, Natalie Wynn just released a video essay on the abject state of US politics. Sort of.

 

Edited 6 hours ago by majestic

[Malcador]