I kind of think this actual threat to shut down Social Security

[senseandsensibility]

should be receiving at least as many screaming headlines as the anonymous "Joe Biden too Old" ones that we were subjected to for months.

It was a real threat. Made in public. By someone who has the power to do it.

Break the glass moment if you ask me.

[SheltieLover]

1. Absolutely!

Is the US media covering this???

[senseandsensibility]

2. Haven't seen it

I'd be interested to hear if others are seeing it anywhere.

[SheltieLover]

31. Thx!

[BonnieJW]

37. It would be great if

A Canadian news outlet reported it. It wouldn't shame felon or the ketamine kid, but it would shame senators and reps.
How do we get Canada to report this?

[Laha]

54. We've got our own problems coming

I just saw an American style very Naziesque attack ad against our income tax agencies, claiming much like they do against Social Security, that many people are receiving returns that they shouldn't.

It's coming here too.

I'm worried. I'm not entirely confident our elections here in Ontario were totally above-board with the machine vote counting and bizarrely large skew towards conservatism.

Many of us see the stupidity behind Rump's attempt at reverse psychology in saying he would prefer liberals to win.

But not all of us.

The roots of our Maple Trees are infested with Magats.

[LiberalArkie]

5. For the heck of it I went to Fuxnews web site and could not find any mention at all about an hour ago.

[SheltieLover]

32. That was a pretty safe bet, hu?

Thx for sharing. One never knows how they will spew bs to cover up for rethugs' behavior.

[LiberalArkie]

36. They could have at least been warning their viewers how Biden was shutting down SSA to hurt the seniors voting for Trump

This seems to me (in my feeble mindset) that they want a massive civil and economic disturbance when we do not get our checks.

But then again maybe the people in power do believe that the Social Security payments are just spare change to all the people and that we really rely our trust funds, pensions and stock portfolios.

[SheltieLover]

44. I don't think they care at all about elders

Surely they've heard it enough times to grasp fhe fact that not everyone has money coming out their ears & that many do depend upon their SS deposits just to exist.

They do not care.

[Bengus81]

56. Just proves like Trump FOX doesn't give a shit about their viewers.

Betcha there's 35M Republicans on SS and Medicare. We LOSE,they LOSE just as big. But,they'll never hear it on FOX.

[SheltieLover]

59. Right! Faux will tell them homelessness & starvation are good for them

And they'll buy into it.

[GiqueCee]

38. That bucket or rancid turds...

... couldn't tell the truth about the time of day. The very existence of Pox News is testament to the malignant obscenity of conservatism in general, and Der Republican Party in particular.

[AverageJoe]

41. I agree with everything you wrote, except

your use of the word, “conservatism.” There is nothing conservative about MAGA or even the GOP in general. They are reactionaries, grifters and fascists. If anything, it’s the Democrats who are conservative, in that they are at least in favor of conserving the constitution and democracy.

I’m not trying to be a smart aleck or a jerk. I just truly believe we need to stop calling the bad guys conservatives. They are anything but conservative.

[GiqueCee]

42. Ah, but that's what they call themselves...

... and that is a classic example of perverting the meaning of a word or symbol. Remember, the swastika was once a symbol of peace and continuity. Now, not so much.

[AverageJoe]

43. Agreed

I just think we need to take back the veneer of normalcy they wrap themselves in with that word. For my money, the GOP hasn’t been conservative since 1980, when Reagan lurched the party to the far right. When we allow them to use “conservative” to define themselves, we let them hide their true nature from gullible voters.

Anyhow, that’s my way of looking at it.

[SheltieLover]

50. I agree!

[3auld6phart]

53. If I understand

That faux noise was never given a licence to broadcast their crap in Canada… I could be misinformed, correct me if I’m wrong….Don’t let the bastard pukes grind you down, . Damn I can’t fathom what is going on down there….Make noise and stay strong..

[angrychair]

20. Heavily covered

By the news media

[SheltieLover]

33. Glad to hear, so long as they aren't attempting to normalize this.

Ty for sharing.

[FDRFTW]

66. Oh they are. They cover the admins response not their actions.

[SheltieLover]

67. Gawd... sickening

[dalton99a]

28. +1

[SheltieLover]

34. I find it speaks volumes that we need to look to Canada &

Europe for real news coverage.

I love the Guardian!

[reACTIONary]

47. Of course they are...

... where do you think we are finding out about it?

Bloomberg first reported it, based on their interview with Dudek: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-20/social-security-says-doge-ruling-could-force-agency-to-shut-down

Washington Post reported it, as linked in this DU OP: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220164207

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/us/politics/social-security-dudek-judge-doge.html?unlocked_article_code=1.504.U6Cw.ch9lDljSDHU5&smid=url-share

[flamingdem]

49. Thanks for the links

I guess people hope for it to be the first story on the nightly news.

Not yet.

But that's why we need people at the social security offices protesting, etc.

Big march on Washington DC April 5th is happening

[reACTIONary]

69. Can you give us further information about...

... the march? I haven't heard about it.

[flamingdem]

70. Here you go!

https://thirdact.org/act/handsoff/

[reACTIONary]

71. Thanks!!! (nt)

[Butterflylady]

55. It's called blackmail......

Isn't that against the law?

[MadameButterfly]

3. If I try to steal a stereo I go to jail

Last edited Sun Mar 23, 2025, 01:54 AM - Edit history (1)

but threaten to cut off the livelihoods of 70 million Americans and you get a paycheck? When are they going to arrest these guys?

[Cirsium]

16. The goose and the common

The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common,
But turns the bigger robber loose
Who steals the common from off the goose.

The law demands that we atone
When we take things we do not own,
But leaves the lords and ladies fine
Who take things that are yours and mine.

The poor and wretched don’t escape
If they conspire the law to break.
This must be so, but they endure
Those who conspire to make the law.

The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common,
And geese will still a common lack
Till they go and steal it back.

Anonymous 17th Century lyric

[rubbersole]

19. A little more recent...

"Steal a little and they throw you in jail,
Steal a lot and they make you king"
Bob Dylan
From "A Sweetheart Like You"
"Infidels" album - 1983

[MadameButterfly]

30. brilliant!

[canetoad]

4. You are right

Why no screaming headlines? Perhaps folk are exhausted, resigned, intimidated or unbelieving. Or they actually agree with the plan.

[lonely bird]

25. This is a tactic of what Applebaum calls Autocracy, Inc.

They want people worn down.

Unfortunately, for this country, Trump is one of them at worst or at best a useful, completely utter idiot.

[Blue Full Moon]

27. The "news" are not going to publish anything that will make trump look bad

[KT2000]

6. I wonder if Schumer

believes we are there yet. We are waiting.

[Skittles]

15. right?

WTF

[Bettie]

39. Probably not

he's waiting though....still waiting.....some day, maybe there will be that moment.

The perfect moment, but I suspect it will be right after we've truly lost it all. You know, when there's nothing left to save.

[LiberalArkie]

7. If there ever was a question of "Is Trump trying to destroy the U.S. and put us into a depression?"

The economy would come to a screeching halt if he did do it, even for a month.

SSA Pays out about 1.6 trillion a year, so about 133 billion would be lost in the economy for that stunt for the first month

[Hope22]

14. People disregard the effect this will have on everyone! Nt

[Captain Zero]

26. Do this if they cut off the checks

Unfortunately so many people will have no money, they won't be paying anyone anything.

But they are counting on those with enough other Pensions to use those pensions, or assets to make their payments.

If you are one of those people,

DO NOT PAY ANYTHING. DO NOT PROP THESE PEOPLE UP IN THEIR THIEVERY. Make THIS SHIT KEEP ROLLING ALL The Way Down and BACK UP AGAIN.

I could keep going a little while but then what? So I'm not paying for anything from the get go. Let them see it hit full force.

[elocs]

8. How do we "force" the "free" media to cover this threat to Social Security?

They are, after all, "free" and so they don't gotta-have-to cover this if they choose not to do it. It appears as though we've been all fired up to protect freedom of the press when many of the press didn't really want it anyway if it suited them.

[reACTIONary]

68. Why in the world do you think this went unreported? The original reporting was from...

.... Bloomberg, with follow ups from WaPo and NYT. I'm sure other outlets reported it also.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220163299#post47

[Mike 03]

9. Kicking

I also acknowledge that this might be the battle they know they will lose, deliberately fought to shift attention from the equally dangerous cuts they are making elsewhere, or so that when they give up trying to wreck social security they can make the (disingenuous) argument that they can be reasonable and look like great guys and heroes.

But it's too dangerous to assume that, so we should both fight it and use this to animate others to wake up and get engaged.

[stillcool]

10. feels like I'm in a movie

or a dream, or just going nuts.

[BarbD]

46. It's a nightmare.

I'm beyond outrage.

[Baron2024]

11. Agreed

We need much more media coverage on this.

[Hope22]

12. Massive theft threat from millions of Americans.

If we had a press it would be the story of the century. This one act will change the life course for most Americans. Grandma will be living with the family. Homes will be lost. Self sustaining people will become indigent. People once receiving their money that they paid into the system will be unable to purchase most things including groceries , travel and medical care. The stories write themselves!

[surfered]

13. We're in a Tony Soprano reality TV show;

Nice little Social Security system you have here. Too bad if something should happen to it.

[Tickle]

17. What's the threat?

What's the source

[surfered]

18. Just google Trump administration threat to Social Security

Here’s one:

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-musk-stop-social-security-doge-data-1235300785/

[Wiz Imp]

21. I just checked all mainstream news sites except FOX (CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC & MSNBC)

And none of them mention it anywhere on their websites at all. The one media outlet I found with a story on it besides Rolling Stone was Bloomberg.

https://www.archivebuttons.com/articles?article=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-21/doge-ruling-shouldn-t-stop-social-security-payouts-judge-says?embedded-checkout=true

DOGE Ruling Shouldn’t Stop Social Security Payouts, Judge Says
Maryland judge rebuffs US official’s response to her ruling
Order restricted DOGE access to Americans’ personal data

A Maryland federal judge pushed back on speculation that her court order restricting Social Security Administration data access for Elon Musk and his cost-cutting team may threaten benefit payments by forcing much of the agency’s operations to shut down.

In a letter released Friday, US District Judge Ellen Hollander said the order she issued Thursday didn’t apply to nearly all of the agency’s employees, only to Musk and and affiliates of his Department of Government Efficiency. “Any suggestion that the order may require the delay or suspension of benefit payments is incorrect,” the judge said.

Hollander’s 14-day temporary restraining order prompted the Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek to say that the judge’s references to “DOGE affiliates” could apply to any agency employee and that he would follow Hollander’s order “exactly and terminate access by all SSA employees to our IT systems.”

In her letter Friday, Hollander said Dudek’s claims were “inaccurate.” A DOGE “affiliate” was “a person working on or implementing the DOGE agenda,” she said. “Employees of SSA who are not involved with the DOGE Team or in the work of the DOGE Team are not subject to the order,” she wrote.

[senseandsensibility]

22. Wow.

That's really bad. However, I am watching Chris Hayes show on a delay and he says he will cover it. So that's good. Still not thrilled that he isn't leading with it.

[Turbineguy]

23. I think this will happen monthly to keep people afraid.

[rzemanfl]

24. All part of the psyop.

[uponit7771]

29. But for what? Other than to force Powell to decrease rates, that's all I can think about why these guys are tryna ...

... crash the economy.

[GiqueCee]

40. This is what Steve Bannon called...

... flooding the zone. It's also analogous to convicts killing a fellow inmate. They stab him so many times that it is impossible to treat all the wounds at once, any one of which is potentially fatal. That is the principle at work here.
And it is a mistake to focus attention on one wound to the Body Politic. Every miscreant responsible for this treachery has their own motives, but ALL of it, whether intentionally or not, is in service to Vladimir Putin's psychotic obsession with destroying America from within. So far, it's working, and Republicans are just fine with it.
Maybe when MAGAts find themselves in the crosshairs – and make no mistake, they will – they'll smarten the fuck up, but don't count on it.

[Gary 50]

48. Think they will smarten up?

A few might but most will be like the lady whose daughter died from the measles saying the disease wasn't that bad, but the vaccine is dangerous.

[GiqueCee]

72. The hard-core MAGAts...

... would carve their own eyes out with a rusty spoon before they'd ever admit that der Dear Leader was not sent by their twisted notion of an omnipotent Sky Daddy. But there are already some who are experiencing an "Oh shit" moment. Half of fixing a mistake is admitting you made one.

[malaise]

35. I think Dems should run with Martin O'Malley's message

Stop.the Steal of So ial Security

Musk and Trump want to wreck Social Security’s ability to function so they can rob it. Rise up and stop the steal of your Social Security.

Link to tweet

[senseandsensibility]

60. I do find it a little perplexing that other Dems

in leadership are not rallying around MM and following his lead here. I mean, until recently he ran the ssa and he is a very well regarded Dem with an excellent reputation. I mean, what do they want, an engraved invitation before they join in with his message? (Engraved invitation was a favorite of my late, great grandmother's).

[malaise]

61. Agree

Rec

[Martin68]

45. Yup.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

51. In all due respect, and to point you in the right direction...

... contact RT network.

on edit: My emphasis is on the "Biden is too old" flood(s). We need to reach the same ones that the RT/Russian trolls do.

[Eliot Rosewater]

52. And didn't musk just say civil war is inevitable because his cars were burned

Which is another way for him to say his followers should start a civil war. Can someone confirm that please?

[Eliot Rosewater]

57. The same 100 million who didn't bother to vote because they were busy on TikTok

Is paying no attention at all to what’s going on, this is how you lose a democracy.

[Ocelot II]

58. It was a screaming headline in my morning newspaper (the paper version) -

both the threat and the walkback. The later online version, which doesn't do headlines as such, put it in the politics section. The big news in these parts was the state senator who got busted for soliciting a minor for prostitution, and that kind of overtook everything else.

[B.See]

62. If Biden or Democrats had tried to

pull shit like this, there'd have been troops in the streets already.

[senseandsensibility]

65. Absolutely

The double standard is incredible.

[FakeNoose]

63. He CAN'T shut it down, but he's trying to hobble the SSA anyway he can

There's no question that Chump is deranged and he's taking orders from someone else. Take your pick - Putin, Musk, the evil trolls at Heritage, or whatever.

And I agree that this should be the primary headline in all the newspapers and news programs in the country.

[AmericaUnderSiege]

64. Provoke them to act on every threat they make.

The worse, the better. If they back down, they look weak and are weak. If they act, they look and are out of control. Only the state of suspension and public fear benefits the occupation.

[ecstatic]

73. The problem is, trump is a clown. A carnival barker. So people don't understand the danger

he poses until it's too late. But even then, excuses continue to be made on his behalf. The media still doesn't know how to deal with him. It's sickening.