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submitted 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

Summary

Elon Musk amplified Senator Mike Lee’s calls to overhaul Social Security, labeling it a “nightmare.”

Lee, known for advocating the elimination of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, criticized the program as deceptive and mismanaged.

Musk, co-chair of Trump’s advisory commission on cutting federal spending, faces accusations of aligning with GOP efforts to privatize or gut Social Security.

Advocacy groups denounce these moves as a threat to seniors and disabled Americans, warning that Republicans aim to shift earned benefits to Wall Street, despite broad public opposition to cuts or privatization.

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[-] whostosay@lemmy.world 149 points 3 weeks ago

Can we normalize saying "world's greediest man" instead of "world's richest man?"

[-] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 17 points 3 weeks ago

Worlds most successful thief

[-] whostosay@lemmy.world 14 points 3 weeks ago

Id settle for worlds greediest thief

[-] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 15 points 3 weeks ago

Let's normalize the richest being the greediest.

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[-] Gork@lemm.ee 98 points 3 weeks ago

It flabbergasts me that Musk, an unelected billionaire, has any input at all in policy decisions.

[-] SkyNTP@lemmy.ml 35 points 3 weeks ago

Just another day in the post-truth age. This and much more awaits in a society that allows a handful of algorithms unfettered editorial control over what people think.

[-] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

It's just another day in the plutocracy that has probably run things the entire lifetime of "democracy".

The only difference is with MAGA the plutocracy no longer need to hide behind lobbyists, campaign financing, super PAC's, nepotism/cronyism, quid pro quo, virtue signaling about national security, etc to engage in corruption, loot the public coffers, and divert trillions to their own companies or cronies in the MIC or whatever.

The conservative propaganda machine has now successfully groomed and cultivated a mentally ill cult, who will let their king insert a microchip into their brains without a second thought... Hell, they'll probably hand over their life savings for the privilege.

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[-] TimeSquirrel@kbin.melroy.org 78 points 3 weeks ago

So, they plan on stealing the money I've put into it over my 25 year working career?

I know that's not exactly how it works, but yeah it feels like it's theft with extra steps if I never see benefits but had paid into it.

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[-] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 72 points 3 weeks ago

Any billionaire should be open to a robin hood law, if you're going to violate the social contract so much that it's obliterated and you're no longer subject to law or criminal charges then you should also be exempt from its protections.

[-] A7thStone@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago

Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.

-Frank Wilhoit

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[-] ovalofsand@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago

It would be a shame if everybody started believing that it's good to eat the rich

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[-] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 49 points 3 weeks ago

Good job, assholes. You were worried about egg prices and obsessed with trans. And now this.

[-] krashmo@lemmy.world 45 points 3 weeks ago

Modern problems require modern solutions. I'm not advocating anything but I'll leave this here in case anyone has not seen it yet.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/04/us/brian-thompson-united-healthcare-death/index.html

[-] AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 38 points 3 weeks ago

Man, I don't advocate violence (except when necessary), but I'm struggling to feel bad about this. I've had almost all major and many minor health insurance providers and UHC was above and beyond the worst, hands down, full stop. Just garbage.

[-] krashmo@lemmy.world 24 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Same. I've been saying for a while that I'm surprised this kind of thing doesn't happen more often. All it takes is one person deciding that their problems are a specific company's fault. One can imagine all sorts of reasons for that conclusion to be drawn. Tons of shootings happen for way more trivial reasons too.

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[-] 4lan@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

I'm so happy that these fuckers will be looking behind their back constantly now. They know what they did to us, they know that their greed has a death toll.

[-] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 38 points 3 weeks ago

Is it too much to wish that he dies during his next plastic surgery operation?

[-] 4lan@lemmy.world 29 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Apparently corporate assassinations are now on the table, UHC CEO was just murdered on the street with a silencer.

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[-] ellen_musk_0x@lemm.ee 14 points 3 weeks ago

Go out and be the change you wanna see! 😂

This could be you!

[-] radiohead37@lemmynsfw.com 32 points 3 weeks ago

Leave my social security alone, you prick. We pay into it, it is not an entitlement. If it is becoming unsustainable, then remove the cap.

These guys hope to make the US become a third world country. They have no idea how bad it can become if there is widespread poverty in America.

[-] EvacuateSoul@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

We pay into it, it is not an entitlement.

It is an entitlement because you pay for it.

The opposite would be means-tested, where you would have to qualify.

[-] Snapz@lemmy.world 24 points 3 weeks ago

QUITE THE TIME TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THE HEARTLESS CEO BIT...

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 22 points 3 weeks ago

I'll never understand why billionaires hate OASDI...

The cap means no one pays more than 10.5k this year. That isn't even fucking pocket change to Musk or any billionaire.

[-] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 29 points 3 weeks ago

their love of money overtakes their humanity. they lack empathy.

[-] Zier@fedia.io 16 points 3 weeks ago

They never had any. They also never had any value to the Human race.

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 27 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

The most powerful people in the US acquired their power from privatizing Social Security in the form of retirement accounts.

The largest retirement account management companies are Vanguard, Blackrock, and State Street. They consolidate all of the power of the shares from all of the retirement accounts they manage, to give them board control of 89% of the S&P 500.

Those faceless firms are actually the ones who control the hardship index (price of food, housing, clothing, other essentials) that earned Trump so many “bad economy” votes.

[-] teamevil@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

The Misery index is about to go nuts

[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 10 points 3 weeks ago

People like him have all the money they could ever need. This is about control, and punishing people they don't like (and those that don't fall in line and lick the boot).

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[-] Pantsofmagic@lemmy.world 20 points 3 weeks ago

One of the first thoughts I had with the election result was "welp, there goes my retirement". None of this surprises me even a little

[-] nonewanted@lemmynsfw.com 19 points 3 weeks ago

What do they think is going to happen to all those old people who survive on just Social Security? Or disabled people? What do they think will be the attitude of a population that has even less financial and health security?

They are actively trying to create a world that will become much more dangerous for themselves.

[-] EvilBit@lemmy.world 21 points 3 weeks ago

The classic move is just to fuck over the NEXT batch, so the people drawing from it now are happy to vote Republican. “Fuck you, got mine” at its finest.

[-] Asafum@feddit.nl 21 points 3 weeks ago

My stepmother years ago while sitting in front of her child: "I don't really care about climate change, I'll be dead by then!"

[-] FoxyFerengi@lemm.ee 8 points 3 weeks ago

Easy, they'll just dump us in prisons where we'll be expected to pay for the cost of our involuntary stay. If I lose ssdi I become homeless, which is becoming increasingly illegal

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[-] TunaCowboy@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago

Go ahead, steal my hard earned contributions skum. Let's see how many desperate people you can piss off, we might actually see some real change.

[-] masterofn001@lemmy.ca 18 points 3 weeks ago

Musk, enemy to mankind, has declared war on everyone.

[-] sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip 17 points 3 weeks ago

Well, seeing as SSDI is my only source of income, guess I'll die homeless if that gets cut off.

Cool!

[-] ATDA@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago

Being homeless is also not an option in conservative hell. You'll need to report to your local jail, er slave cen, er employment center!

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[-] snekerpimp@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago

Musk, the new generation of robber baron

[-] ellen_musk_0x@lemm.ee 15 points 3 weeks ago

Conservatives have been wanting and trying to dismantle the SS since its inception.

I'm not that concerned just yet. There's a reason it's called the third rail of politics.

If I had to bet on the future outcome, they'll raise the contribution cap to around $300k, maybe cut benefits a bit, fixing the solvency problem for at least a generation or two.

I'd also bet on an immigration deal in a future administration. Getting more workers/contributors into the system.

It honestly wouldn't shock me if the Trump admin pivoted to amnesty just like Reagan. He's a lame duck from day one. He's not beholden to anything from the campaign trail. If he's gotta choose the adoration of his voter base vs the donor base, he'll choose the wealthy. He hates being excluded from the elites. You can't buy class. But you can be invited to their parties, their clubs, their scene. His working class base has nothing left to offer him.

[-] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

What I don't get is why there is a cutoff such that the "contribution" that jerkoffs like Musk put in is basically negligible.

If anyone should pay and pay and pay some more, it's people like Musk. I like Bernie's idea of 100% tax above 999 million. Being a billionaire should not even be a thing.

[-] OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 weeks ago

Quick, someone order a bunch of guillotines from France before Trump's tariffs hit!

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[-] demizerone@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

The mob will bring back the British tradition of draw and quarter for this shit head.

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[-] cmoney@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago
[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

Why’d he move here if he hates America so much?

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[-] Etterra@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

As a disabled person (barely) surviving on SSDI I'd like to suggest that when you're the one who starts a war then you become a legitimate military target.

[-] fluxion@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

Sure just make sure to send us our refund checks

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this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2024
479 points (98.8% liked)

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