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.

    • billwashere
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      393 months ago

      I have a theory his kid is a human shield so he doesn’t get luigi’ed.

      • @ysjet@lemmy.world
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        183 months 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
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        73 months 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
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      13 months 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
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        3 months 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.”

  • @DarkFuture@lemmy.world
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    283 months ago

    Social Security is a non-partisan red line.

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

    • @PyroNeurosis@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      83 months 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
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        43 months ago

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

    • @InvertedParallax@lemm.ee
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      73 months 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.

  • @numlok@lemmy.world
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    213 months 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
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    193 months 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
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    143 months 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
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      3 months 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.”

          • @TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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            3 months ago

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

      • @aceshigh@lemmy.world
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        3 months 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
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          43 months 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.

  • @werefreeatlast@lemmy.world
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    133 months 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
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    133 months ago

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

    🐱

  • @jsomae@lemmy.ml
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    53 months ago

    I do not understand why the fact that Musk is “unelected” matters so much to everyone. Is the Secretary of Defence elected? The Attorney General?

    • @Doctor_Satan@lemmy.world
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      163 months ago

      Is the Secretary of Defence elected? The Attorney General?

      Those are real positions that are appointed by every President. “DOGE” is a complete bullshit position/department pulled out of thin air to avoid any kind of confirmation and/or security clearance.

      It is incredibly dangerous for a President to be allowed to invent whole government departments and appoint whoever he wants to them without any checks and balances.

        • @Katana314@lemmy.world
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          43 months ago

          It is in fact common for presidents to make up new advisory positions. If Trump wanted to make up an “Advisor of Best-Tasting Coffee”, there’s no problems there - they can help him make decisions with executive orders, or inform Congress about best steps forward for certain initiatives, etc. So just “making up a role” isn’t an issue in itself.

          BUT, even the attorney general or SoD would not have powers to fire people at will all over the administration. In many court cases it’s been found even Trump himself wouldn’t have that power.

          • @jsomae@lemmy.ml
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            13 months ago

            so it’s a lot of power that he has, too much power. I think we agree here – but nothing you’re saying seems to be related to electedness. If Trump, who was elected, shouldn’t have the power, and yet Musk does, then “unelected” doesn’t seem remotely relevant to the problem.

    • @sporkler@lemmy.world
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      43 months ago

      I think it’s just to point out another layer of legitimacy he doesn’t have to do what he’s doing.

      • @jsomae@lemmy.ml
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        43 months ago

        You don’t hear this criticism levelled at other malfunctioning government officials though. Perhaps one would if they went as off-the-rails as Musk. Still, I wish people would use accurate critiques of their opponents, such as as @Doctor_Satan mentions, that he is wholly without cheques or balances.

        • @sporkler@lemmy.world
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          33 months ago

          And he’s not a government official, even though he’s impersonating one, and that the administration tells the public he’s in charge of a government agency but tells the courts he’s not.

          While all of these things are true, I find it disingenuous to imply that his not having been elected is somehow less accurate than any other criticism levelled against him.

          • @jsomae@lemmy.ml
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            13 months ago

            okay, so he’s not a government official. I think that “not a government official” would be a great description, still better than “unelected” which in my opinion is not relevant – he was appointed directly by an elected official, just like actual government officials. I don’t see why it’s disingenuous.