Social Security payments are a big part of my income stream. They are the whole income stream for a lot of retirees, who live in their RVs and cars. We have worked our whole lives, paid taxes, supported our country, and now... Trump and Musk figure we need to save those costs. People? What people?
Back when I started working in the '60s, we were told that retirement income was a three-legged stool: Social Security, pension, and savings. But now you can't find a company offering a pension to save your soul. And savings? The 2008 financial crisis took care of that for many. One of my classmates had his whole retirement savings in one company and lost the whole thing. Ed and I had ours stolen by folks that went to jail. But we didn't get our money back.
We're down to a one-legged stool. Balancing on that means you can't live in a house because rent in the US, never mind adding food, is higher than Social Security pays. The social safety net that the US has knit over the decades since the Great Depression has been unraveling since "trickle-down economics" became a thing. 2008 pulled yarn right out, no longer just unraveling our safety net. And now, they're bringing in the scissors!
I have savings and a pension. I even have a small payment per month for the work I did during my first 7 years here in Norway. So I am able to afford not just necessities for life, but also travel with my family. As an immigrant across the sea, keeping relationships is very important. We have had fabulous adventures across the world. I've written about them in this blog.
But I am re-sharpening my protest skills now. I have my Senators and Congressman's phone numbers and call them on specific issues nearly daily. I looked everywhere for my knit cap with the symbol for electronic resistors around the brim, but can't find it. Have to find the pattern! I developed my flag in the distress position graphic:
I will be posting my thoughts and beliefs. I can't let them destroy the lives of millions to add money and power to the billionaires.
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