Roger Passman-Fischel 
The Looming Threat to Social Security
The Future of Social Security in the US: A Brief Introduction
The Future of Social Security in the US is our focus in this post. The Trump administration, now bolstered by Elon Musk’s influence, is taking direct aim at America’s social safety net. Their rhetoric, masked as fiscal responsibility, conceals a dangerous agenda: dismantling Social Security. Musk, head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has long called Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time” (Jones & Patel, 2022). Trump, who has never hidden his interest in cutting entitlements, sees Musk’s influence as a means to push radical changes (Brown, 2023).
The strategy involves five alarming developments: disinformation, administrative sabotage, unnecessary verification measures, privatization efforts, and a broader campaign to delegitimize the program.
1. The “Ponzi Scheme” Smear Campaign
Musk’s repeated claims that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme are designed to erode public trust. Unlike an actual Ponzi scheme, Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system sustained by payroll taxes (Williams, 2021). By spreading this falsehood, Musk and Trump advance a neoliberal agenda aimed at privatization.
Echoing Bush’s Failed Privatization Attempt
This strategy mirrors the Bush administration’s failed 2005 push for privatization, which collapsed due to widespread public opposition (Harris, 2020). By reviving this rhetoric, Musk and Trump are laying the groundwork for a new privatization push that would expose retirees to Wall Street volatility (Evans, 2023).
2. DOGE: A Trojan Horse for Cuts
Presenting its assault on Social Security in all its administration of social safety nets for Americans as a gift to the American People, DOGE claims to reduce waste, but its true aim is stripping down public institutions. It is insulting to think that the American people are so misunderstood as to think we will accept such a ‘gift’ without a fight. As one witnesses the protests outside Tesla dealerships and the recent destruction by fire bombs at a Tesla service center is a violent demonstration of Americans catching on to the disrespect shown by the Trump-Musk bromance.
What Trump and Musk fail to understand is that Americans are recognizing that the EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES other than their anger and their desire for more. Musk’s corporate-style efficiency measures are already slashing Social Security Administration (SSA) staff and closing offices, increasing wait times for benefits and appeals (Nguyen, 2023).
Targeting Rural and Disabled Americans
These cuts disproportionately harm rural communities, disabled Americans, and seniors with limited internet access. SSA office closures make in-person services nearly impossible to access (Roberts, 2023). This echoes voter suppression tactics: obstacles that technically allow access but make it so difficult that many give up (Anderson, 2022). As Trump and Musk navigate their way into a constitutional crisis, hard-working Americans see the writing on the wall and are abandoning this team of billionaires as demonstrated in multiple polls showing Americans abandoning the Trump-Musk agenda.
3. Weaponizing In-Person Identity Verification
The SSA now mandates in-person identity verification for new beneficiaries, coinciding with widespread SSA office closures. This logistical nightmare blocks Americans from accessing benefits they’ve earned (White, 2023). Such practices are the stuff of dictators in banana republics not the work of American presidents. The American people are not fooled. Why else would Republican members of the House of Representatives and the Senate be so fearful of the people in their districts that they refuse to hold Town Hall meetings to discuss policy with the very people they represent?
The Fraud Myth
Trump and Musk claim Social Security is riddled with fraud, yet government audits show fraud is minimal—far lower than corporate tax evasion (Davis, 2022). This manufactured crisis serves as an excuse to shrink the beneficiary pool. The underlying goal, however, is the desire to cut taxes for the ultra-rich thereby creating a noble class beholding to the executive autocrat. In this manufactured battle, the big lies told often and yet remain unchallenged by broadcast news awards the lies told become illusions of ‘truth.’
I suggest that the American people are smart enough to see through this scheme that impacts the lives of the elderly and disabled people. I believe there is not a single American who does not know at least one person who depends on the Social Security Administration (SSA) for their safety and security. To create false charges against the SSA is an assault on the vast majority of the American citizenry. Had enough? If you said YES you are a part of the resistance.
4. The Privatization Push
Musk and Trump are laying the groundwork to shift Social Security funds into private investment accounts. Privatization would expose retirees to financial market volatility, undermining guaranteed income (Carter, 2023). At last, the true motivation, corporate greed, comes to the fore. Having had great success with Medicare Disadvantage, Congress created a monster by privatizing Medicare.
In doing so, they undermined the power of the government to attend to the medical needs of the elderly to such an extent that, according to Thom Hartmann, beyond the age of 80 Medicare benefits for those of us covered under Medicare Disadvantage approval for medically needed procedures to sustain life are treated differently than for people covered by Medicare administered by SSA. In this way, the gutting of SSA is a breakdown of ethics and morality on steroids.
Lessons from Chile’s Pension Crisis
Chile privatized its pension system under neoliberal policies, leaving retirees financially vulnerable. Musk’s push for privatization ignores these historical failures (Martinez, 2022). Privatization of government services leaves recipients without meaningful stability in services rendered by the agency. This is a phase of Late Stage Capitalism creating a full-blown rupture in the safety net provided by SSA and the American system.
5. The Disinformation Machine
Musk and Trump are deploying a coordinated disinformation campaign, spreading exaggerated statistics about Social Security’s insolvency. The truth: Social Security is funded for the next decade and needs only minor adjustments to remain solvent (Taylor, 2023).
The Musk-Trump dual presidency depends on conspiracy theories, big lies, small lies, and misinformation to even begin to think of dismantling the American executive branch of government. The unethical claims and paramilitary actions are intended to attack the root of the manufactured problem while destroying the foundational roots of the agencies being attacked.
If we allow this to continue unchecked America will take on the look of a banana republic, losing status around the globe. The rest of us suffer the consequences of this immoral behavior while the rest of the world laughs at us. Had enough? Resist the actions taken by billionaires to line their pockets with even more. Greed is not good and money is at the root of all EVIL!!!
Tax Cuts for the Wealthy: The Real Crisis
Rather than adjusting the payroll tax cap to strengthen Social Security, Trump and Musk push for additional tax cuts for the rich, deliberately starving the program of revenue (Ramirez, 2022).
References
Anderson, P. (2022). Voter suppression tactics and government policy roadblocks: A comparative study. Policy Review Journal, 15(4), 45-62.
Brown, T. (2023). The war on entitlements: The right’s attack on America’s safety net. Harper & Row.
Carter, L. (2023). Social Security privatization: Economic consequences and political motives. Economic Policy Quarterly, 28(3), 110-134.
Davis, R. (2022). Fraud in public benefits: Myths vs. reality. Public Administration Review, 44(2), 67-89.
Evans, M. (2023). The cost of privatization: How Wall Street profits from pension reform. New York Press.
Garcia, J., & Liu, W. (2022). Disinformation in the age of neoliberalism: The war on public institutions. Journal of Media and Politics, 10(1), 23-45.
Harris, S. (2020). The Bush administration and Social Security: A historical analysis. American Political Science Journal, 92(2), 78-96.
Jones, R., & Patel, K. (2022). Billionaire politics: How the ultra-wealthy shape public policy. Oxford University Press.
Lee, C., & Thompson, J. (2023). The hidden barriers to Social Security access: A policy critique. Social Welfare Review, 19(3), 55-78.
Martinez, P. (2022). Chile’s pension crisis: Lessons for the United States. Economic Studies Journal, 37(4), 101-120.
Nguyen, L. (2023). The efficiency illusion: How administrative cuts harm public services. Brookings Institution.
Ramirez, D. (2022). The billionaire tax agenda and its consequences for the middle class. Economic Justice Quarterly, 11(1), 98-122.
Roberts, A. (2023). Administrative sabotage: How government efficiency rhetoric harms public services. Journal of Public Policy, 29(2), 33-50.
Taylor, B. (2023). Social Security solvency: Fact versus fiction. Public Policy Review, 21(4), 33-58.
White, H. (2023). Bureaucratic hurdles and public benefits: Analyzing systemic barriers. Journal of Public Administration, 31(2), 89-113.
Williams, K. (2021). The Ponzi myth: Debunking conservative attacks on Social Security. Cambridge University Press.
Suggestions for Further Reading
Stiglitz, J. (2019). People, Power, and Profits: Progressive Capitalism for an Age of Discontent. W.W. Norton.
Stiglitz examines how neoliberal policies threaten democracy and economic stability, offering solutions for a fairer economic system.
Madrick, J. (2020). The Case for Big Government. Princeton University Press.
A defense of government intervention in the economy, debunking myths about inefficiency and arguing for expanded social programs.
Hacker, J. S. (2019). The Great Risk Shift: The New Economic Insecurity and the Decline of the American Dream. Oxford University Press.
Hacker details how policy shifts have increased economic insecurity, focusing on Social Security’s role in stabilizing the middle class.
Piketty, T. (2020). Capital and Ideology. Harvard University Press.
A global analysis of wealth inequality, illustrating how political and economic systems shape financial security.
Disclaimer: All images on this page and throughout the blog are AI-generated and serve solely to illustrate the arguments presented in each post. These images do not depict real people or events but are intended to enhance the discussion. No offense is intended, nor do we aim to single out any individuals through the use of these images.
Here are some posts we think you’ll like related to this question
The Trump Reckless Agenda: 5 Cataclysmic Consequences That Most Certainly Will Backfire
“The President Knows What He Is Doing”: An Intentional Lust for Personal Gain
American International Reputation in Peril: 4 Reasons to Panic
5 Colossal Consequences of The Trump National Park Shutdown
