Fighting back

[$iljanus]

The “deep state” is composed primarily of ordinary people who show up and do their job. There’s no fucking cabal running shit behind the scenes and much of the shitshow unfolds on CSPAN for all to see or some closed congressional committee. Lord save me from anyone who goes
on about the deep state or shadow government. Unless you’re kidding around than have at!

[Drazzil]

The “deep state” is composed primarily of ordinary people who show up and do their job. There’s no fucking cabal running shit behind the scenes and much of the shitshow unfolds on CSPAN for all to see or some closed congressional committee. Lord save me from anyone who goes
on about the deep state or shadow government. Unless you’re kidding around than have at!

Well. Fuck.

[Drazzil]

I never imagined that the elites running this country would allow things to get so bad. I would have thought any president doing the things he's actively doing now would be removed by the deep state

I mean if the state collapses then even the 1% have a chance to lose everything.

Ok now that's the real Drazzil non-sense that we're used to.

*sighs* apparently.

[$iljanus]

Of course, the agencies responsible for safeguarding extraterrestrial artifacts and the Ark of the Covenant are not examples of the deep state but more of a “special projects” sort of thing. Nothing but an obscure line item in an agency budget. Carry on!

[raydude]

On the 2/26/2025 PBS News Hour episode, Rep Jodey Arrington of the 19th congressional district in Texas stated he "Doesn't know of any (federal employees)" who have been laid off in his district as a result of DOGE cuts. He has 8000 federal employees in his district. If you know of any, or know of anyone who knows, let him know.

I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that maybe he will care - but at the very least we need to shove it in his face that these are constituents lives that have been upended by DOGE.

[Kraken]

Third I paid exactly $8162.71 in taxes between medicaid, SS taxes and OR state taxes, an effective tax rate of just over 21% of my income, not that it's anyones business.

I was talking specifically about federal income tax, but I don't remember if I said that, so maybe I'm the only one. Anyway the tax withholding discussion has blown itself out.

[hepcat]

The “deep state” is composed primarily of ordinary people who show up and do their job. There’s no fucking cabal running shit behind the scenes and much of the shitshow unfolds on CSPAN for all to see or some closed congressional committee. Lord save me from anyone who goes
on about the deep state or shadow government. Unless you’re kidding around than have at!

Yeah, this belief that there's some James Bond level Deep State secretly running everything behind the scenes is fucking idiotic. Sure, corporations and their lobbyists INFLUENCE a lot of stuff in their favor via cash and what not, but a unified group of them (or anyone) working towards one goal? Again, fucking idiotic.

BT dubs. I just learned this morning that Trump is going to lay off 50% of social security program workers.

He wants to end the program I spent my life paying into and now appears that even if I could live to 70 or 72 I will never get to collect.

Just to be clear here, he wants to reduce the workforce...that's his current obsession on every part of government. That's not an automatic sign that benefits will suffer though. Trump knows damn well that if he touches medicaid and/or SS benefits, he may as well just shove his head into a Cuisinart and set it on puree. That doesn't mean that there aren't numerous GOP economic hard liners who hate entitlement programs, but too many people have spent too long paying into those programs, and if it's suddenly announced that they aren't getting anything back for those pay ins? You may as well take Jan. 6th and magnify it by 1000.

[pr0ner]

Third I paid exactly $8162.71 in taxes between medicaid, SS taxes and OR state taxes, an effective tax rate of just over 21% of my income, not that it's anyones business.

I was talking specifically about federal income tax, but I don't remember if I said that, so maybe I'm the only one. Anyway the tax withholding discussion has blown itself out.

That was Zarathud.

[Drazzil]

Third I paid exactly $8162.71 in taxes between medicaid, SS taxes and OR state taxes, an effective tax rate of just over 21% of my income, not that it's anyones business.

I was talking specifically about federal income tax, but I don't remember if I said that, so maybe I'm the only one. Anyway the tax withholding discussion has blown itself out.

Yeah I tallied all my taxes and forgot to include that I also tallied but not mentioned federal.

[Drazzil]

The “deep state” is composed primarily of ordinary people who show up and do their job. There’s no fucking cabal running shit behind the scenes and much of the shitshow unfolds on CSPAN for all to see or some closed congressional committee. Lord save me from anyone who goes
on about the deep state or shadow government. Unless you’re kidding around than have at!

Yeah, this belief that there's some James Bond level Deep State secretly running everything behind the scenes is fucking idiotic. Sure, corporations and their lobbyists INFLUENCE a lot of stuff in their favor via cash and what not, but a unified group of them (or anyone) working towards one goal? Again, fucking idiotic.

BT dubs. I just learned this morning that Trump is going to lay off 50% of social security program workers.

He wants to end the program I spent my life paying into and now appears that even if I could live to 70 or 72 I will never get to collect.

Just to be clear here, he wants to reduce the workforce...that's his current obsession on every part of government. That's not an automatic sign that benefits will suffer though. Trump knows damn well that if he touches medicaid and/or SS benefits, he may as well just shove his head into a Cuisinart and set it on puree. That doesn't mean that there aren't numerous GOP economic hard liners who hate entitlement programs, but too many people have spent too long paying into those programs, and if it's suddenly announced that they aren't getting anything back for those pay ins? You may as well take Jan. 6th and magnify it by 1000.

I think a 50% reduction in staffing will ABSOLUTELY affect benefits. This will have an added affect of turning a lot of people off SS completely so that the program can be killed later. *shrug*

[Blackhawk]

It will and won't. Benefits that have been awarded are mostly automated. It's new applicants, people with problems, appeals, and that sort of thing that will be impacted.

From the time I applied for disability in 2002, it took me about two and a half years to get approved. After this, it'll take much longer.

[hepcat]

The “deep state” is composed primarily of ordinary people who show up and do their job. There’s no fucking cabal running shit behind the scenes and much of the shitshow unfolds on CSPAN for all to see or some closed congressional committee. Lord save me from anyone who goes
on about the deep state or shadow government. Unless you’re kidding around than have at!

Yeah, this belief that there's some James Bond level Deep State secretly running everything behind the scenes is fucking idiotic. Sure, corporations and their lobbyists INFLUENCE a lot of stuff in their favor via cash and what not, but a unified group of them (or anyone) working towards one goal? Again, fucking idiotic.

BT dubs. I just learned this morning that Trump is going to lay off 50% of social security program workers.

He wants to end the program I spent my life paying into and now appears that even if I could live to 70 or 72 I will never get to collect.

Just to be clear here, he wants to reduce the workforce...that's his current obsession on every part of government. That's not an automatic sign that benefits will suffer though. Trump knows damn well that if he touches medicaid and/or SS benefits, he may as well just shove his head into a Cuisinart and set it on puree. That doesn't mean that there aren't numerous GOP economic hard liners who hate entitlement programs, but too many people have spent too long paying into those programs, and if it's suddenly announced that they aren't getting anything back for those pay ins? You may as well take Jan. 6th and magnify it by 1000.

I think a 50% reduction in staffing will ABSOLUTELY affect benefits. This will have an added affect of turning a lot of people off SS completely so that the program can be killed later. *shrug*

I was specifically referring to your assertion he wants to end the programs. Go back and read Trump's speeches on SS and Medicaid. He knows ending those would be a disaster for him. Hence his constant reinforcement that he won't touch them in any significant manner.

[Drazzil]

The “deep state” is composed primarily of ordinary people who show up and do their job. There’s no fucking cabal running shit behind the scenes and much of the shitshow unfolds on CSPAN for all to see or some closed congressional committee. Lord save me from anyone who goes
on about the deep state or shadow government. Unless you’re kidding around than have at!

Yeah, this belief that there's some James Bond level Deep State secretly running everything behind the scenes is fucking idiotic. Sure, corporations and their lobbyists INFLUENCE a lot of stuff in their favor via cash and what not, but a unified group of them (or anyone) working towards one goal? Again, fucking idiotic.

BT dubs. I just learned this morning that Trump is going to lay off 50% of social security program workers.

He wants to end the program I spent my life paying into and now appears that even if I could live to 70 or 72 I will never get to collect.

Just to be clear here, he wants to reduce the workforce...that's his current obsession on every part of government. That's not an automatic sign that benefits will suffer though. Trump knows damn well that if he touches medicaid and/or SS benefits, he may as well just shove his head into a Cuisinart and set it on puree. That doesn't mean that there aren't numerous GOP economic hard liners who hate entitlement programs, but too many people have spent too long paying into those programs, and if it's suddenly announced that they aren't getting anything back for those pay ins? You may as well take Jan. 6th and magnify it by 1000.

I think a 50% reduction in staffing will ABSOLUTELY affect benefits. This will have an added affect of turning a lot of people off SS completely so that the program can be killed later. *shrug*

I was specifically referring to your assertion he wants to end the programs. Go back and read Trump's speeches on SS and Medicaid. He knows ending those would be a disaster for him. Hence his constant reinforcement that he won't touch them in any significant manner.

Do you think Trump could be lying? I mean sure he cpuld not touch the money but affect staffing such to that it would be hard for anyone to access those funds?

[Blackhawk]

It means that his attacks on SS (including disability) will be through tweaking the policies, making it harder to get on, easier to be taken off, changing earnings thresholds, etc. that will whittle it down without openly dumping people.

[Drazzil]

It means that his attacks on SS (including disability) will be through tweaking the policies, making it harder to get on, easier to be taken off, changing earnings thresholds, etc. that will whittle it down without openly dumping people.

Yep.

[Blackhawk]

He also controls the people responsible for calculating the annual COLA that adjusts SS/disability amounts to account for inflation.

[raydude]

I was specifically referring to your assertion he wants to end the programs. Go back and read Trump's speeches on SS and Medicaid. He knows ending those would be a disaster for him. Hence his constant reinforcement that he won't touch them in any significant manner.

I feel like you are arguing semantics here given what Blackhawk is theorizing with respect to how Trump is attacking SS. Yes, Trump is saying that he won't touch SS and Medicaid. But for all intents and purposes he IS touching SS and Medicaid. He is indirectly affecting the flow of funds through SS and Medicaid to the point where people who depend on those funds will slowly die off - literally and figuratively.

Hell, the House Budget plan all but says it will cut off Medicaid because how else are you going to cut 880 billion from the Medicaid program? And yet through obfuscation and blaming Obama and Biden and saying "OMG the illegals are getting the money" their messaging is such that it is not creating the "puree head in blender" feeling.

[Drazzil]

I was specifically referring to your assertion he wants to end the programs. Go back and read Trump's speeches on SS and Medicaid. He knows ending those would be a disaster for him. Hence his constant reinforcement that he won't touch them in any significant manner.

I feel like you are arguing semantics here given what Blackhawk is theorizing with respect to how Trump is attacking SS. Yes, Trump is saying that he won't touch SS and Medicaid. But for all intents and purposes he IS touching SS and Medicaid. He is indirectly affecting the flow of funds through SS and Medicaid to the point where people who depend on those funds will slowly die off - literally and figuratively.

Hell, the House Budget plan all but says it will cut off Medicaid because how else are you going to cut 880 billion from the Medicaid program? And yet through obfuscation and blaming Obama and Biden and saying "OMG the illegals are getting the money" their messaging is such that it is not creating the "puree head in blender" feeling.

Yep.

[LordMortis]

The GOP administration can say it doesn't have eye on SS and Medicaid all they want but their actions show their word to be platitudes. Abstinence Johnson gets off a plane with President Leon and his lackey, ushers the press out with assurances that everything is lies and then the GOP House pushes their spending proposal through to ask for cuts concurrent with a raise to the debt ceiling to extend oligarchical tax breaks and the GOP administration supports it.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2 ... e-johnson/

[hepcat]

Again: i was addressing the stated belief Trump was going to end SS. That will not happen as it would be political suicide.

If you want to discuss SS being affected by staff reduction, have at it. A shit ton of stuff is being affected by DOGE that isn't going away though.

[Smoove_B]

Again: i was addressing the stated belief Trump was going to end SS. That will not happen as it would be political suicide.

If you (collectively) have been paying attention, the messaging has consistently been about removing benefits from the "parasites" - whether they're "illegal aliens" that are (somehow) stealing Social Security benefits or it's people that can actually work but are defrauding the government by claiming illness and disabilities that don't really exist. This messaging (of course) is widely cheered by the MAGA crowd because they know there are people stealing benefits so Trump pledging to cut them off is exactly what they want to hear.

Let's wait and see how it works out for them.

[raydude]

Again: i was addressing the stated belief Trump was going to end SS. That will not happen as it would be political suicide.

If you (collectively) have been paying attention, the messaging has consistently been about removing benefits from the "parasites" - whether they're "illegal aliens" that are (somehow) stealing Social Security benefits or it's people that can actually work but are defrauding the government by claiming illness and disabilities that don't really exist. This messaging (of course) is widely cheered by the MAGA crowd because they know there are people stealing benefits so Trump pledging to cut them off is exactly what they want to hear.

Let's wait and see how it works out for them.

<skips to back of the book> It won't end in political suicide?

[Alefroth]

Plenty of things he's done should have been political suicide.

[hepcat]

You folks continue to believe he’ll end SS and Medicaid, and I’ll continue to watch the numerous people that voted for him that are showing up to town halls screaming “don’t you dare” and the subsequent backpedaling from MAGA politicians on ANY action that smacks of such.

Political….suicide.

[Blackhawk]

He can cripple it using that as an excuse.

For example, they could increase how often disabled people are required to review their eligibility. Say, if those that had them every three years started getting them annually. At the same time, they could quietly tweak the eligibility requirements.

Net result, many more people are removed from disability. And since it's been determined on an individual basis that they don't meet the requirements, Trump can easily lump them together as 'fraud' to please his followers.

[Alefroth]

I'm not saying whether he'll do it or not, I'm just not ruling it out on the basis of there will be consequences. His supporters have been sitting in the warm water for a while now.

[Blackhawk]

You folks continue to believe he’ll end SS and Medicaid, and I’ll continue to watch the numerous people that voted for him that are showing up to town halls screaming “don’t you dare” and the subsequent backpedaling from MAGA politicians on ANY action that smacks of such.

Political….suicide.

Only one person has really claimed he'd outright end it.

[Alefroth]

Bluesky #altgov

[hepcat]

I'm not saying whether he'll do it or not, I'm just not ruling it out on the basis of there will be consequences. His supporters have been sitting in the warm water for a while now.

It’s pointless to argue over what ifs, so let’s just check back in a year to see if SS and Medicaid are gone.

[Blackhawk]

All we have are what-ifs. And again, nobody is claiming it's going away.

[Victoria Raverna]

I was specifically referring to your assertion he wants to end the programs. Go back and read Trump's speeches on SS and Medicaid. He knows ending those would be a disaster for him. Hence his constant reinforcement that he won't touch them in any significant manner.

Apparently Trump is a very honest man that you can trust that he'll do what he said he is going to do.

[GreenGoo]

The “deep state” is composed primarily of ordinary people who show up and do their job.

This. Experience plus institutional knowledge keep the country moving forward, not hoods and rings and secret sex bacchanalia. Ok, maybe the last one. A little.

But honestly "deep state" is right wing for "knows what they're doing" and it's why they need to get rid of the "deep state". Once ignorance rules, anything is possible, until it breaks down completely.

[Blackhawk]

The nice thing about blaming something that doesn't exist is that there's no way to disprove your claims. There are no records, or workers to interview.

And the nice thing about blaming a secret society is that they're secret. If they did exist, there wouldn't be evidence of them.. That makes them tough to disprove in many people's minds.

[hepcat]

I was specifically referring to your assertion he wants to end the programs. Go back and read Trump's speeches on SS and Medicaid. He knows ending those would be a disaster for him. Hence his constant reinforcement that he won't touch them in any significant manner.

Apparently Trump is a very honest man that you can trust that he'll do what he said he is going to do.

He won't if it means his adoring cult stops loving him. His entire existence is "love me daddy". In this case, daddy is MAGA. He'll fight them individually, but if the whole movement starts to turn against him, he'll do whatever he needs to in order to keep their adoration.

[Alefroth]

Should we be discussing ifs?

[hepcat]

I'm Trump in this discussion and I make the goddamn rules.

COVFEFE!

[Kraken]

You folks continue to believe he’ll end SS and Medicaid, and I’ll continue to watch the numerous people that voted for him that are showing up to town halls screaming “don’t you dare” and the subsequent backpedaling from MAGA politicians on ANY action that smacks of such.

Political….suicide.

Trump is never going to run again. He already told the MAGAts they'll never have to vote again -- he doesn't care about the party, or anyone other than himself. Whether he meant that he's term-limited or, more likely, that he's now POTUS for life, he doesn't need voters anymore. Or even public support, once he's fully co-opted the military and all federal law enforcers. Kings aren't politicians. He only needs the loyalty of the oligarchs from here on out.

[hepcat]

Well, I've decided it's pointless to discuss what ifs again, so we'll check back in a year.

[Victoria Raverna]

I was specifically referring to your assertion he wants to end the programs. Go back and read Trump's speeches on SS and Medicaid. He knows ending those would be a disaster for him. Hence his constant reinforcement that he won't touch them in any significant manner.

Apparently Trump is a very honest man that you can trust that he'll do what he said he is going to do.

He won't if it means his adoring cult stops loving him. His entire existence is "love me daddy". In this case, daddy is MAGA. He'll fight them individually, but if the whole movement starts to turn against him, he'll do whatever he needs to in order to keep their adoration.

I think we're wrong for thinking that. Maybe instead of needing adoring fans actually love him, he just need to think that adoring fans love him.

That is Trump's superpower, he only care about his own thought.

[hepcat]

I don't agree with that at all. He's pure ego. And ego needs to be stroked or it goes soft.

...god, I hate myself for that.

Covfefe!