Does anybody doubt Trump and Musk are crashing SS on purpose?

"Erroneous." What a nice euphemism. How about "harmful, cruel, unnecessary, destructive, and stupid"?

Of COURSE the system would benefit from reform and yes, could be made more efficient. But since you recognize the harm that this wholesale Elon bloodbath will cause, I just wonder...do you also recognize that his crusade will do less than nothing to improve the system? Why are you waving the MAGA flag?

Why not? If we pay that interest and continue to be able to finance everything else, it'll be fine...and stable.

I'd like to point out to you that Bush conservatives said that our government would collapse and the earth would spiral into the sun if we found ourselves carrying debt in half the proportion we are now. They were certain that our economy would explode in a giant fireball. Two decades later, we're carrying a far larger debt than they were screaming about...and somehow, we're still here.

Here's what you're missing, and I think you truly don't understand. 1. Debt itself isn't a problem; interest on that debt potentially is. 2. The real cost of that interest is net of inflation. Our government debt carries an interest rate of 1-2 points above inflation...and that's its real cost. 3. We largely owe that debt to ourselves.

Can I explain it more simply for you?

The sky isn't falling, and you can look through your pudding and you won't find doom, gloom, and disaster.

Here's the bottom line.....

There is legitimate fraud in things like Medicare/Medicaid....not to mention the people who game the IRS.    But you cant say you are going after it if you fire the people responsible for going after it.  DOGE calls the enforcers of that ftaud part of the problem.    Thats beyond ridiculous.

The much bigger issue DOGE has come across is WASTE.   And thats a legitimate gripe.    The problem is that waste was legally appropriatted by Congress.   You can be upset that we are giving some 10 million dollar grant to a community college to research what happens when you mate a Dog with a Cat.    But like it or not its a legitimate expense awarded by Congress.      And the executive branch doesnt have the power to kill it.   And unlected DOGE certainly does not have that power.   And even if they did -so what?  It will just replaced by the next round of Conressional spending.

You want to get rid of waste - then get rid of the abiliy for special interests to bribe COngress to award it back to them.     As long as we say MONEY is FREE SPEECH there will be no shortage of WASTE in Congressional spending bills.

I'm waving a flag for long-standing conservative principles regarding limited government and responsible spending. I'm with Boiler on this debt thing..you'll just have to chew on that as it won't change. Wrap your forehead with an innertube. Yet, you know that and are still asking me why?  I can support those stances and also support the elderly's ability to easily access and use a somewhat flawed system they paid into their entire lives. Those events should not be and are not  mutually exclusive.

Erroneous means wrong however you lay the bacon in the skillet, Margaret. Try a dictionary, maybe.

If you're asking if I condemn both Congress in general along with lobbyists/ special interests much of the time it's a yes. Their behind the curtain activities are exactly why members of Congress become generally wealthy in DC.

I'm not , however, condemning DOGE as yet. Some of their employed methods to date might deserve a good cussing, though. That's the way that is for much of the conservative population. shrugs. No apologies..sorry.

I thought that one of conservatism's most sacred, shining shibboleths was "limited government." Now, putting aside how unbelievably stupid that "principle" is, let's take a look at DOGE and see how it fits into that holy conservative principle, shall we? A new GOVERNMENT AGENCY with UNLIMITED POWER to destroy anything it desires...unelected, unappointed, unapproved by anyone...given the unlawful ability to negate ANY expenditures ALREADY APPROVED BY CONGRESS.

Do you, as a limited government-loving conservative, think the executive branch should have the power to simply negate Congressional budgetary actions?

If you don't like special interests affecting Congressional spending, then shouldn't there be an independent review body of some sort to approve or reject them? OH WAIT, THAT WOULD BE MORE GOVERNMENT!!!!!!

That's why your conservative limited government mantra is horseshit, and why conservatism in general is flawed and a failure. A lack of proper government is precisely what has caused the problems you decry.

Chew on that for a bit, reject it because to admit it would be to admit that your entire mindset is dead wrong, and get back to us with some cobbled-together rationalization.

I'm asking you whether you approve of DOGE's random, careless, and scatterbrained destruction, given that you perceive the harm that it's causing. Apparently, you do..which is a contradiction; I smell cognitive dissonance here. And boy oh boy, has cognitive dissonance ever risen to the top as the primary driver of conservative thought and expression:

1) I am a good person (a shining beacon of Christian goodness and light, and a noble patriot)

2) Donald Trump is a rapist, thief, fraud, serial lair, and multiple felon, thus, a bad person

3) I voted for Donald Trump

4) Uhhhhhh....

5) It's all a witch hunt and Donald Trump has never lied, stolen, or raped, and his 34 felony convictions will be overturned, because it was all unjust and fabricated by Democrats

That logical twisted knot is what you have to do; otherwise, you have to admit that you're not the swell person you thought you were.

I understand.