Summary

Elon Musk sparked controversy by falsely claiming entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid have “$700 billion” in fraud annually, vastly exaggerating the actual figure (~$10 billion/year).

Musk labeled Social Security a “Ponzi scheme” and spread conspiracies about immigrants exploiting the system.

Critics argue Musk’s ignorance and conspiracy-mongering threaten essential public programs and data privacy, while his inflammatory rhetoric—such as calling Senator Mark Kelly, a former astronaut and combat veteran, a “traitor”—reinforces demands for his immediate removal from government.

    • Verdant Banana@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      35
      arrow-down
      9
      ·
      edit-2
      2 days ago

      People in the US think politics is just another soap opera on the daytime TV that has nothing to do with their lives just like watching celebrities and Trump was picked because he adds to all that

      Biden was deliberately put in office to be a good step stool for Trump

    • ERROR: Earth.exe has crashed@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      2 days ago

      Everyone’s situation is different, but for me: I’m not white and only have derived citizenship (as opposed to “natural born” citizenship), and my dad is still a Chinese Citizen (because he sucks at English for natualization test). They are already trying to deport Mahmoud Khalil. Can’t risk putting a target on my family’s back.

      CCP is hostile and already tried killing me, theres no going back (not that I have Chinese Citizenship anymore anyways). I could end up stateless and that’s not fun.

      My only hope is that the fascists are incompetent and elections still exist in the future.

      I think protesting is a very brave thing to do, but I also can’t blame anyone for not doing so. Its very risky.

  • DarkFuture@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    28
    ·
    2 days ago

    Social Security is a non-partisan red line.

    If this chode killed it his chances of survival would plummet.

    • InvertedParallax@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      2 days ago

      I really hope he fucks with it.

      I would buy all the popcorn to watch 2 million boomers walk up Pennsylvania Avenue to Gaddafi his ass for days.

    • PyroNeurosis@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      2 days ago

      That the case may be, but he’d be a martyr for the ultra-capitalistic sorts that make these efforts their life’s work.

      A despicable end, but one that may appeal to Musk himself.

      • ZoopZeZoop@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        2 days ago

        Nah. No one would mourn him. The next ultra rich person would learn from his mistakes, but continue on with his work.

  • werefreeatlast@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    13
    ·
    2 days ago

    Republicans are doing a great job on both sides…social security in case your luck fucks out, and the market in case your thought you could get away:

    Who said retirement? That’s illegal! You and I will be working for elon until we both end up 6’ under. (By that I mean fucking dead like a month Python parrot)

  • meowmeowbeanz@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    13
    ·
    2 days ago

    Unelected tech lord deciding grandma’s retirement funds is exactly the cyberpunk hellscape novels warned us about.

    🐱

  • ERROR: Earth.exe has crashed@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    10
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 days ago

    Maybe stop using “unelected”. Most of the cabinet is technically “unelected”. Focus on the part where he did not get a senate confirmation.

    Like… he must be so unpopular if he can’t even get a republican controlled senate to approve him.

      • ysjet@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        18
        ·
        2 days ago

        He’s been wearing that kid like a hat ever since that CEO got shot. First time anyone had EVER seen the kid in public, too, and suddenly he hasn’t been seen anywhere without him.

      • in4apenny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        2 days ago

        It’s a strange tactic coming from someone who supports Israel, where “human shield” is used as justification to destroy said shield along with the target.

    • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      2 days ago

      And doesn’t the man have like a zillion kids with multiple different women?

      Imagine being one of Musk’s other children. You know, the ones who don’t get their attention from their father while this one random kid gets all of it.

      • in4apenny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        2 days ago

        “Imagine being one of Musk’s other children. You know, the ones who don’t get picked to be daddy’s human shield due to their small size and ability to be held up in front of bullets.”

  • Anivia@feddit.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    1 day ago

    Musk labeled Social Security a “Ponzi scheme”

    Well, he is correct about that. But in true republican fashion his solution is to get rid of it, instead of reforming it to be more sustainable without infinite population growth

  • numlok@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    21
    ·
    2 days ago

    before his slash-and-burn nonsense and warped views of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid cause a spike in the sale of pitchforks.

    Ha. I’d argue the time for pitchforks is already here.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    19
    ·
    2 days ago

    He needs to be able to steal that money, you guyzzzzz!

    Enriching fElon is about “efficiency”, at least according to MOE - the Ministry of Efficiency, where up is down, black is white.

  • aceshigh@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    14
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    2 days ago

    He’ll be replaced with another billionaire. Why are people focused on musk instead of at the root of the problem?

    • in4apenny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      edit-2
      2 days ago

      Perhaps if we made a strong enough example of him it’ll make other billionaires think twice. The De Witt Brothers come to mind, tell them “It’s either this or 92% wealth tax on assets, you pick.”

      • aceshigh@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        2 days ago

        There will always be a billionaire somewhere out there who’d be willing to give it a go. They don’t need to be a wealthy American who doesn’t want to pay taxes to do it. They can be a Russian oligarch. We need to get to the root source.

        • in4apenny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          2 days ago

          Then perhaps we should be so ruthless against that sort of practice, that it just doesn’t look worth the gamble. Yes I agree, we need to get to the root source, but the billionaires are standing in the way of that arent they. Once upon a time they used to call social programs and such “Riot Tax” so we don’t go after them, but we’ve clearly proven we don’t even need a “riot tax” since we’ve proven to them we won’t brutally deal with them in the most humiliating and painfully scary way possible. They’re not worried about maintaining their social code because we’re not giving them the appropriate consequences, so yes, as long as we don’t sufficiently scare them another billionaire will take a crack at it.

        • in4apenny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          6
          ·
          2 days ago

          Hello there, random from another thread. Don’t you have better things to do than combing through strangers posts?

          • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            1 day ago

            If looking at posts Ive already commented in is “combing through strangers posts”… well, I suppose. Somehow. Or something.

  • Foofighter@discuss.tchncs.de
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    10
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    2 days ago

    Musk is a symptom! Trump is the elected guy responsible for the actions of his “employee”. Get him out and fix the nation!

      • SabinStargem@lemmings.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 days ago

        Specifically, he is just one a dozen+ members what I dub Yarvin’s Cabal, a group of elites trying to implement Project 2025. They all need to be hanging out with Mussolini, else the enshittification of America will continue unabated.

      • MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        2 days ago

        While playing whack a mole with symptoms won’t fix the problem, once enough moles are whacked the problem becomes clearer. So let’s not let perfect be the enemy of progress.