Death Star Meets Evil Star Trek

 

    I've always thought Space Force was even more a target of derision than the Air Force.  

And that's saying a lot.

   But this THIS.  JFC, this is just plain ass sinister.

    The hits just keep coming from the Orange Baboon.

Okay, I've been hammering on Trump (some of you would probably say he deserves it).  That's probably fair.  So, it's time to even things up a little and go for the other side.  Next post...?

"Does that mean what I think it does, master?"

Be On the Lookout

 

"It is a scandal that the Trump Administration is now allowing ICE
to set up drop boxes at 7-11s throughout the country!"


 

"Uh oh."

The Impending Disaster

     

    I’ve been on a bit of an anti-Trump jog the past few weeks.  

    While my feelings about the Orange Conman haven’t changed,           

"But, you'll get $5,000."

I decided to give it a rest this week.

    It was getting depressing, especially since I’m a Conservative.

    Don't worry, the Republicans don't have the market cornered on batshit crazy.  

    

"The Electoral College is a scam which awards advanced degrees to white people."

    This week, I decided to talk about the coming train wreck, 

"You'll never pin that train wreck on me.  We haven't laid a mile of new track."

Social Security.  Too many people opine on social media, both for and against, what was originally conceived of as a helping hand during the Great Depression. 

    Rather than limit myself to quick snippets on Threads or Twitter,

"X!"

I thought I’d give my opinion here on Blogger.  Where it’s sure to be seen by a couple.  And ignored by millions.

    Anyway...

    Social Security was established on August 14, 1935 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  A way of responding to significant economic hardships wrought by the Great Depression, the initial benefits were retirement payments to workers, unemployment insurance, and aid to dependent children, the blind, and maternal/child welfare.

    Retirement benefits started at 65 years old.  Workers paid into Social Security.  Remember this.  It will be important later.

"Well, that should cover it.  But, hey, if it doesn't?  We'll all be dead anyway."

    Payroll taxes to support this effort started in January, 1937 with the first monthly check issued in January, 1940, to Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont, for $22.54.

"Cheap bastards."

     The monthly benefits increased to include even more recipients.  I got tired of researching who exactly, so I’ll leave that up to you.  I can't do all the work.

     Okay, this is where I do a little cipherin’ with figgers.

"Do y'all have a sixth grade education, though?"

      I realize that the implosion is inevitable (some say sometime during the 2030s?).  Inevitable, that is, unless something is done.       

    Sadly, I don’t think the incompetent boobs in in Congress (on both sides of the aisle) have the spine to do anything about it, though.  That can will continue to be kicked down the road.

    I hope I’m wrong.

Can't put my finger on why I'm pessimistic, though.

    Life expectancy for American men in 1940:  61.4

    Life expectancy for American men in 2025:  75.8 to 76.4 (I don’t why a specific number is given, either.  Go with it).

    Okay, here are the important numbers:

    Labor Force in 1940:  53 million (it shot up to 75 million in 1945)

"Gee, thanks, World War II!"

    Labor Force in 2025:    163.5 million

    Okay, more important numbers:

    Social Security Recipients in 1940:  222,000

    Social Security Recipients in 2025:  71.5 million

    Finally, the vital numbers:

    Percentage of the labor force supporting Social Security in 1940:  .41%

    Percentage of the labor force supporting Social Security in 2025:  43.7%

    And that right there cannot be sustained without effective reform.  Especially since retirees can start collecting at 62.

    Full Disclosure:  I started collecting at 62.  My reasoning was that Social Security may no longer be around by the time I turned 67.  More importantly, there was no guarantee I’d still be around.

    I’m now 68.  So, I lost that bet.  This is a good thing.  I’d also like to never need Life Insurance, either.

But I will.

    What can be done?  Reduce the benefits paid out.  Yeah, you’d have a better chance of seeing Jesus at a nudie bar.

"So, whaddya think?"
"Forget it."

Or, raise the age at which benefits can be accessed.  Possibly.  Or, how ‘bout this, eliminate those who don’t rate Social Security?  Yeah, sign me up for that.

    At any rate, grandfathering any changes needs to be implemented.  While that sounds self-serving (perhaps it is), it at least holds out the possibility of real change.

    I’m sorry, someone still needs to pull the wagon.  Because, the way we’re going, eventually, that wagon will be full and people will wonder who’s gonna start pulling.

Exactly

    Finally (thank God, right?), to those who say that Social Security is Socialism...yeah, horseshit on that.  I’ve been paying into it since 1975.  And, to those who complain that Boomers are sucking off the teat of workers unfairly...?   I repeat, I’ve been paying into Social Security since 1975.

    In fact, I’m still paying taxes on my Social Security.

    That doesn’t make sense, but...     

then again...

Bread and Circuses

 

"Some people in fake news are accusing me of bribery when it comes to giving away $5,000 to everyone if the Republicans maintain control of the Senate and House.  Some even go so far as to call me a hypocritical Socialist.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Pinky swear.  No, I'm just admiring the concept of 'Bread and Circuses,' a system of government first pioneered by the Romans, rulers of the most tremendous empire in history.  Nothing could compare.  Even the Mongols, quite frankly.  Especially since they were from Chyna.  It's a shame the Romans were betrayed by their people in the media with their lying stone tablets and lost their beautiful empire.  Sad, really.  Although, I can guarantee that if I was born 1,600 years ago, there would have been no Goth invasion." 

Twenty-Five Years Later

 

Never Forget

Some have

Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Any Worse

 

"Hey, Adams.  Did you authorize that picture on our passports?"
"Who?  Me? You're kidding right?"
"Then it must have been Jefferson."
"Excuse me, Mr. President.  Orange isn't my favorite color."
"Then...who?  Yes, Adams?"
"What's a passport?"

along comes this.  In a fit of adolescent butthurtery (not a real word) Lake "Ontario" is changed to Lake "America."

    Let's ignore the fact that legions of beleaguered schoolchildren will no longer be able to rely on the mnemonic "HOMES" to remember "Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior."

To say nothing of the fact that "...and further below, Lake America takes in what Lake Erie can send her..." sounds dumb AF.

    This is just the latest example of Trump getting all full of himself and slapping a geographical "Kick Me" sign on Canada's prime Minister.

"Hey, I could have renamed Michigan to Lake Michelle.  Now that would have been funny."

    I predict that most people will ignore this nonsense and, once The Donald is gone, things will return to normal.

Like an earlier fit of juvenile pique.

    Reminds me of a story (what doesn't?)....when I was a crewmember aboard USS George Washington, we had made several voyages to the waters between Iran and Saudi Arabia.  You, and normal people, know it as the Persian Gulf.

    But, we were forbidden to refer to it as such.  Instead, we were ordered to call it the "Arabian" Gulf. 

You'd be hard pressed to find a chart that says it, but they do exist.

    Why?  Well, the Saudis call it the "Arabian" Gulf as an FU to Iran (schoolyard shenanigans not being confined to Washington, after all).  And, since we were friends with Saudi Arabia

Officially

we had to do the same.

    I refused to call it that.  To me, history is history.  If something is called Lucifer Valley, I'm going to continue to call it Lucifer Valley

"Much appreciated."

no matter what the politically correct mandate.

    Of course, there will be those who insist that Lake Ontario was once called Lake America a long, long time ago.  Yeah, okay, so?  Iran was once called "Persia," too.  After it was originally called "Iran."  Try to convince me this is nothing more than a sophomoric poke in the eye to Canada.

Who, frankly, have enough problems.

    Then again, these are probably the same people who will clamor for a pocket full of these: 

     It is just silly.

This Is Funny

     I don't care who you are.

    Most of the time, Threads and Twitter (X, whatever) are vile cesspools of unhinged hate.  Blue Sky?  Geez-a-Lou, I can only imagine.  This comes from both sides, mind you.  It makes me sad that we can't get along.  Although, to be honest, I have occasionally slipped into name-calling, but I try to avoid it.  In fact, I've reached common cause with some people and have even apologized for statements I've made.  I may not agree with them, but there's no use being an A-Hole.

"I think he means you."

    Don't get cocky.

    But, sometimes, just sometimes, a little bit of humor shines through the darkness.  And, even though I may not necessarily agree with the poster, I will tip my hat to them.  Comedy is comedy, after all.

      I just hope we can continue to laugh at each other.