Politics XVI: Democracy In The Balance

[Ladybug]

Nov 18, 2024 20:57:02 GMT -4 bookishjen said:

Nov 18, 2024 17:39:59 GMT -4 ikmccall said:

Aren’t the logistics impossible. Where are the detentions camps being built? By who? Who will staff the camps? Etc etc etc

Good point, but you know Trump has thought about that. He has a concept of a plan.

Not that it makes it any less horrifying, but this will probably turn out like the "build a wall and make Mexico pay for it." Yeah, they built a little bit of a wall, we paid for it. The scope of what he wants to do makes it nearly impossible and they obviously haven't thought through all the ramifications.

[mojogirl]

Nov 19, 2024 10:56:32 GMT -4 prisma said:

I'm truly interested to see how things play out with Musk. Musk is creepy and kind of morphing into Dr. Evil. Although he's had plastic surgery to look better, he's still not "attractive" in the way Trump defines it. But he's the richest guy on the planet, and I think Trump respects money more (?) than looks. However, Elon is also a narcissist and each will try to dominate the other and who knows how that will go. I don't see Elon being wrangled into a public display of submissiveness as easily as Trump was able to do with RFK Jr. and the McDonald's photoshoot.

This is really shallow, but it restores my faith in God that Elmo has almost literally unlimited money to improve his looks, and he still looks the way he does. It's like that tech bro who lives a crazy lifestyle to live forever and looks a well-moisturized six months younger than his actual age.

My older son called last night and he is still in a rage about the election. I'm afraid I didn't make him feel any better.

[Spinderella]

From Heather Cox Richardson:

"Ramaswamy today posted on social media, “A reasonable formula to fix the U.S. government: Milei-style cuts, on steroids.” He has suggested that cuts are easier than people think. The Washington Post’s Philip Bump noted that on a podcast in September, Ramaswamy said as an example: “If your Social Security number ends in an odd number, you’re out. If it ends in an even number, you’re in. There’s a 50 percent cut right there. Of those who remain, if your Social Security number starts in an even number, you’re in, and if it starts with an odd number, you’re out. Boom. That’s a 75 percent reduction done.”

Source

Every federal employee who received their SSN in the following states would be out, because all SSNs for their states issued prior to 2011 have odd first digits:
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Indiana
Illinois
Michigan
Wisconsin
the Dakotas
Nebraska
Kansas
Montana
Idaho
Wyoming
Washington
Oregon
Alaska
Hawaii
the District of Columbia
the US Virgin Islands
Puerto Rico
the Pacific Ocean Territories
Also affected would be, among others:
everyone from Florida after 1980 (starts with 5 or 7)
everyone from Mississippi after 1964 (starts with 5 or 7)
everyone from California before 1987 (starts with 5)

This reveals Ramaswamy’s lack of understanding of how the government actually works. Social Security numbers aren’t random; the first three digits refers to where the number was obtained. So this seemingly random system would target certain areas of the country.

[ahah]

Is it possible Ramaswamy was simply joking?

[Spinderella]

Nov 19, 2024 13:23:53 GMT -4 ahah said:

Is it possible Ramaswamy was simply joking?

Nope.

[zwinter]

This is a crazy idea, but in your quote above he does say for SSNs that end in an odd number. Although that might still group people strangely because even beyond the old 3-digit location prefixes, the last 4 aren't issued sequentially either. (I just don't know their scheme.)

[ladyboy]

Cuts are VERY easy when you're a billionaire.

[mojogirl]

Prefacing this with, I know he's crazy, but why does he think cutting SS benefits for 75% of the population even if it was random is a good idea? That's torch & pitchfork territory.

[Spinderella]

Oct 27, 2005 19:30:19 GMT -4 zwinter said:

This is a crazy idea, but in your quote above he does say for SSNs that end in an odd number. Although that might still group people strangely because even beyond the old 3-digit location prefixes, the last 4 aren't issued sequentially either. (I just don't know their scheme.)

He says to first cut those that have SSNs that end in an odd number. Then you take those that remain and cut those who have SSNs that start with an odd number.

May 16, 2017 12:11:31 GMT -4 mojogirl said:

Prefacing this with, I know he's crazy, but why does he think cutting SS benefits for 75% of the population even if it was random is a good idea? That's torch & pitchfork territory.

It's not SS Benefits that he's talking about. He's talking about U.S. Government (his department for efficiency) employees to cut and how he would think it would be a good way to do it.

[tabby]

May 16, 2017 12:11:31 GMT -4 mojogirl said:

Prefacing this with, I know he's crazy, but why does he think cutting SS benefits for 75% of the population even if it was random is a good idea? That's torch & pitchfork territory.

Not cutting SS benefits, cutting government employees by using their SS numbers. He says that would avoid people suing based on discrimination. Of course, it would wipe out the economies of quite a few places in the US, what with the flood of suddenly unemployed people.

Musk has said that he knows there would be "a couple of years of turmoil" while he's slashing and burning the government. I guess he doesn't realize that the entire House of Representatives and a third of the Senate is up for re-election in two years. I bet the members will remember they'll have to face their constituencies in the face of double-digit unemployment and no government services.