He's planning on getting rid of those anyway, so he can continue to fuck right off.
I heard Epstein’s island is lovely this time of year.
This is pitiful reporting by Newsweek. They're happy to state what each side is saying about the situation, and they fail to do even the most basic research to fact check any of the statements.
The article cites Republicans as saying that Democrats "want to provide free health care to illegal aliens". The heavy implication is that without the budget Reps are trying to push, we will be paying for that or that Dems wouldn't approve a budget that didn't - which is just patently untrue.
Ignoring that hospitals will, of course, provide emergency care to anyone (not for free, mind), and focusing on the idea of major U.S. benefits programs providing help to undocumented immigrants... they just don't. They go to Americans and qualifying resident non-citizens, i.e. green-card holders, etc. who have been here 5+ years (Medicare) or have paid enough into the relevant taxes (Social Security). Medicaid is similar.
This is stuff I was previously familiar with and was able to verify in minutes using basic internet resources.
Republicans say or imply benefit money will go to undocumented immigrants unless this budget is passed, which is patently untrue and easy to check on. That Newsweek gives Republicans voice throughout the article to their claims, some false and some unfounded, but only gives one Democrat a quote - one that focuses on the shutdown itself more than the funding/benefit claims - is bullshit.
I'm not saying it's wrong Newsweek didn't give equal "time" to each side. I'm saying it's wrong they spend so much of the article quoting misinformation from Republicans without any clear fact-checking.
There's a quote, one with various forms and attributions, that posits to journalists:
If one person claims it's raining and another says the sun is shining, the media's job isn't to quote both—it's to look out the window and report the truth.
Our media is bought and paid for by wealthy interests who want all this.
It's actually ironic that MAGA were right that a lot of mainstream media couldn't be trusted... Just for the wrong fucking reasons and instead of being skeptical and thoughtful they just started listening to random asshats on the internet.
Hypothetically, let’s say the administration cancels social security. What happens to all of my money I’ve already paid into the system? I’m not at retirement age yet. Are they just going to steal my investment?
You think?.......of course it's stolen
That's the great misconception and lie of Social Security. People think it's like a government run 401k, that you're "investing' in some retirement account every paycheck. That's not at all how it actually functions though. Social Security is two entirely independent things. First it's a benefits program like SNAPP or Medicaid. In that regard Congress votes every year on how much budget they're going to allocate towards paying people Social Security. Literally everyone receiving Social Security cheques in the following year are reliant on Congress deciding to allocate enough money to make sure those cheques don't bounce. Secondly it's an income tax. The two are not connected in any way. The amount of Social Security income tax that the federal government collects each year has absolutely no bearing on the amount of funding that Congress allocates for Social Security in the coming year.
Let that sink in.
Social Security is the world's biggest Ponzi scheme. Always has been. That's a huge part of why a lot of Republicans, particularly older ones (like ones around retirement age) are hand wringing about falling birth rates. Social Security always counted on the idea that there would be more people working and paying into Social Security than the number of people currently collecting Social Security. In a country with a positive population growth that would always be true. It ceases to be true the moment you have a negative population growth rate though.
Social Security is the world’s biggest Ponzi scheme. Always has been.
No, it's a big insurance scheme, but its finances have been fucked with. The original intent was that the money went into a trust fund isolated from other government finances. It didn't take long for some scumbag to realize that the trust fund could be used as collateral for loans, or "lent" directly from the trust fund to other government activities.
Also, even if it's funded year-to-year, if the cap on contributions were lifted, the system could be self-funding, or nearly so. But the Republicans (and some conservative Democrats) have been trying to kill it since FDR started it, and the specious argument is always that it's not affordable.
The US in 1935 could afford it. The only difference now is a matter of priorities and who's in charge.
They cap it at 160k a year. So if you make 3m a year, you'll only pay on what is due on the 160k.
Getting rid of that, along with taxing the rich, would fix that problem. If 8 people have more wealth than like 4 billion people, it's really not a "we need more people to keep this ponzi scheme" problem, it's more of a France in the 1790s problem.
In that regard Congress votes every year on how much budget they're going to allocate towards paying people Social Security. Literally everyone receiving Social Security cheques in the following year are reliant on Congress deciding to allocate enough money to make sure those cheques don't bounce. Secondly it's an income tax. The two are not connected in any way.
Social Security is not part of the normal budget. It and the social security tax are kept separate from everything else. Congress is not having to decide how much to find it with every year because it's cordoned off, and directly funded by it's relevant income tax. It has been pulling in a surplus, and has funds in reserve. The point where we begin drawing down that reserve is coming soon though, which is why it keeps making news.
cheques
I love when nonamericans storm in here acting like authorities on American things they very clearly aren't.
What happens to all of my money I’ve already paid into the system? I’m not at retirement age yet. Are they just going to steal my investment?
The Reupublicans stole that money a long time ago.
It's not like it's sitting there waiting for you to use. Every dollar you pay into SS just goes into the pocket of someone drawing SS. It's a good system but not good if you plan to cut the program. Meaning millions will have paid in for nothing.
It will also destroy old people, since most need it to survive.
Social security has been withdrawn frim my paycheck for 40 years.... shit better be there for me when its my turn.
Whats more dangerous than a starving, homeless man with nothing more to lose.
25 million staving homeless men with a purpose
Ok, but hear me out. We didn't have a ballroom in the white house for fancy parties.
To be clear, the day SS is gone is the day I'm willing to pick up a gun and get this party started.
And I know I'm not alone.
This society doesn't need to continue functioning the day SS stops functioning. So the treasonous Republican party can go ahead and do that and find out what happens next.
The sad thing is, most of us (Americans on Lemmy/Piefed) are probably not going to see why we need social security.
It's basically a government ran pension plan if you can't work. Most of us can work and are. So we don't see why we invented it during the great depression to aid in a social safety net when shit goes south.
And Trump is most likely going to continue plummeting shit into an economy as bad as the Great Depression. Some already had the question of "Do I eat today or do I save up to pay for rent this month?" And Trump isn't the person to solve it, only make it worse.
Most of us probably don't claim the funds from it, and go "Oh this is just for the elderly, not for me. I'm 20 to 30 something and able bodied, this is for when I'm 60 something and walking with a cane."
When Trump guts it and if we have any resemblance of the federal government when we need Social Security, this will probably have lasting effects when we need to claim our benefits.
And the even sadder part, all of his voting base will just nod along. "The gubberment took money from muh paycheck, says so here in muh paystub, fucking woke commie Democrats. Da woke took muh $100 a month, I had to spend that on Trump hats!"
Why can't we have a no confidence vote and get rid of the party in charge?
Gone to funding ballrooms and Argentinian farms
Don't worry, the money will not be gone. It will go to the rich instead in order to trickle down...
No he won't. EVERY Republican knows that if they end Social Security, every one of them will lose their next primary, and Dems will control Congress for decades.
Following WWII, Dems controlled Congress for years, because Americans didn't trust SS in the hands of Republicans. Eventually, even Republicans had to admit that it was untouchable.
He won't dare touch SS, or it will be the end of the Republican Party.
Cuz doubting he’d do something idiotic that he first says he won’t do, then jokes about, then says he might do and eventually says he will do, has been working out great for you guys so far…
Maggots will believe whatever excuse he says after taking away all of their benefits.
I can already hear my mom, who's on SSDI, blindly parroting "well maybe it's a good thing they're getting rid of it."
But we don't speak anymore since she said the same about abortion, and she knows damn well queer rights are up next, and I'm queer.
That is if they allow elections.
Secure the military to stop coups. declare martial law hold mock elections
There are working playbooks for this all over the world.
There have been so many things in the last some years that should have been the end of the Republican party...
Nine months ago, I'd have said the same thing about Medicare, but here we are today with a trillion dollars in Medicare cuts coming, on top of the trillion in Medicaid. And MAGA seems super happy about it.
You all better give a shit, because I fore sure don't, I can let endless number of people suffer and die without caring the least bit about it, can you?
-Trump the Anti Christ
My president! exactly what I voted for!. Now my taxes are going to be lower, right? /s
Instructions unclear: we raised taxes to buy more private jets for the administration
It's not to bring down the deficit, it's to bring down his own taxes.
He wants a redistribution of labor income straight to his pocket.
Does that mean I can stop paying taxes on it too?
Good! Without Social Security or Medicare we can afford TWO Golden Ballrooms!
-Republicans LITERALLY on Social Security and MEDICARE!
The only reason Trump cares about the shutdown is because his people are telling him he will be blamed the worse it gets.
Man whose approval rating was already in the toilet wants to set a new beautiful record
"I have to help my Argentinian friend!" Trump blurted.
Huh? Oh sorry, I don't listen to self proclaimed kings. 🖕
Warns? Must be a rally. If it were to his donors, it'd be "promises".
Removing them was already in the plan. They’ll just get removed faster.
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They are just emulating their favorite diety.