This isn’t just about cuts. It’s a coordinated dismantling—pushing public care into corporate hands while stripping away the support systems millions depend on to survive.
This is such a great outline of everything that’s happening. Many people are overwhelmed by the quantity of changes and don’t know what to look out for.
Thank you, Denise. I think you’re spot on—there’s so much happening at once that people are either numbed or too overwhelmed to connect the dots. If we don’t break it down clearly, it becomes easier for these shifts to slide by unnoticed.
The rest of us will have the right to work — until we drop dead in our tracks.
“Wall Street’s push to privatize Social Security echoes post-Soviet Russia’s pension collapse—where public retirement security was erased overnight, forcing millions into financial precarity while oligarchs consolidated wealth. Just like in Russia, the goal here is to dismantle a public safety net, making retirement a privilege of the wealthy.”
Thank you for highlighting that section, Michael—it’s one of the clearest examples of how historical playbooks are being repurposed right under our noses. This isn’t just economic policy—it’s a coordinated dismantling. The more people who connect these dots, the harder it becomes for them to move in silence. I’m grateful you’re helping amplify it.
I’ve shared this extensively because it’s the most succinct, comprehensive perspective on what’s going on and why. People I know seem to think it’s all going to be OK. That’s the problem isn’t it?
That’s exactly it, Lisa—so much of this hinges on the illusion that things will somehow course-correct on their own. But complacency is part of the design. I really appreciate you sharing it widely—every person who wakes up to this helps strengthen the resistance.
Yes, it’s all been laid out. The danger with assuming that Trump is too incompetent to be any real threat is to ignore the very prepared and strategic forces behind what they are doing. This is also why it doesn’t go away with Trump.
I’ve touched on Yarvin in an early article of my MAGA Civil War series. We would sound like the left’s answer to QANON if it wasn’t so demonstrably and undeniably true.
Thank you for putting this all together in one place. Your description is spot-on as to what is happening and the reasons behind it. I am very much looking forward to your suggestions on how to fight it.
Privatization will work against the interests of everyday Americans and drive up costs. We've already seen this with Medicare Advantage plans. With respect to pensions and IEAs, I like to have choices. When I retired as a public sector employee, I opted to take a smaller monthly pension check in exchange for withdrawing 50% of my contributions to invest as I chose. (I didn't care for the limited selections offered in my plan.) I have invested primarily in low cost growth index funds and had good returns, weathering a downturn or two along the way. Having other stable sources of income-- pension, Social Security, and some rental property--allows me to take greater risks with my IRA. So while I don't believe that "high cost investment brokers" are necessarily inevitable under a privatized scenario, without SS and a pension, most of the guaranteed, stable income that allows me to take risks would be gone.
Thank you, Cheryl—this is such a clear and grounded articulation of exactly why public guarantees matter, even for those who are savvy investors. What you’re describing highlights the core truth: public systems give people the stability to participate more freely in the market if they choose, but privatization takes that freedom away from everyone except the already wealthy. I really appreciate you sharing your perspective.
Thank YOU for hosting the discussion! Just a couple more comments if I may. I didn't grow up with wealth--my parents were too poor to even have a savings account. But I feel fortunate that my employer (city government) was very proactive with retirement seminars so that I learned there about investing what I never would have learned at home. This gave me a start in life that has made all the difference. Financial literacy is something we need to pay more attention to for all ages. I find financial planning to be fun, but too many people (women especially) are intimidated by it. This is a shame because we give our power away when we aren't savvy about money.
This is truly frightening and most people don’t realize it’s happening right under our noses. It has extreme shades of almost every dystopian movie I’ve ever seen once they’re done ripping the system up they criminalized, low income and poor. Why do you think they’re building those large concentration camps out west.
You’re right to call it out, Keith—what’s happening now would’ve sounded like dystopian fiction a decade ago, but it’s unfolding right in front of us. Once the safety nets are gone, criminalization fills the void. The camps, the rhetoric, the systems being built—they’re not accidents. They’re preparation. The only way through is to stay clear-eyed and keep naming it.
Look, this is wrong. The people doing this are unlawful. Why in the hell aren’t all of these people in jail? They are enemies to America and the world. I want justice now!
I hear you, Autumn—and I share your frustration. What we’re seeing isn’t just unethical, it’s coordinated exploitation. The challenge is that those orchestrating it are often the ones writing or bending the laws to shield themselves. Accountability won’t come from the top—it has to be forced from below through public pressure and collective clarity.
Beautifully explained. I tried so hard to talk to my Republican friends about project 2025 this weekend and what Trump is really doing with Elon and the real intentions. My friends are pretty much unconcerned. They’re nice people and I love them, but they don’t really seem to think anything major is going to happen. They believe the checks and balances are working. unfortunately for them they just purchased a house they can’t afford and they’re putting in a pool that’s causing them an additional $700 a month. They are 50 years old. They have no savings they filed bankruptcy in the past they are not good at budgeting And I worry for them. They’re pretty unbothered by Trump. They like him and they think what Elon’s doing is good for all of us, he’s balancing the budget! 😵💫🙄 we were able to have a calm discussion and I do think that I was able to open their eyes on a few points, but they’re pretty steadfast in their beliefs. I had encouraged them a few years ago, not to purchase the house that they were going to purchase this late in their life near retirement age, but they didn’t listen. I had encouraged them to downsize pay off all debts start putting money away and they didn’t listen to that either. So now they are house poor and about to find out how bad things can really get. I am doing everything I advised them to do and I really hope since I’m 63 that I actually will be able to receive my Social Security and Medicare but I have very little hope for that so I am preparing to work until I’m dead and I’m sticking money in my well managed mutual funds. I found myself a job I can do no matter how old I am that pays well and is in demand. I guess I’ll be digging my own grave on my last day. I’ll grab a pillow and a blanket and hop in and finally get to rest and retire 😒 I think for those of us with children we need to be helping them set up their lives and in a way that protects them financially. I’ve already set my kid up with a lot of different investment strategies and the education she will need to appropriately spend her money and save her money. The other thing parents should be doing is really guiding their children towards jobs and education that will last no matter what’s going on in this country. I truly worry for people less fortunate than I am. I’ll survive, but I’m not sure many of the people that I care for as a nurse will be OK. I have tried to warn some of my patients who live in section 8 apartments or houses and receive assistance. I have tried to explain to them what’s coming, but they don’t believe me. 😓
As a fellow nurse I am well aware of the debacle of Medicare Advantage plans. The idea of taking that model into all the other areas of our social programs is reprehensible.
Seriously. Even ACA is a dumpster fire for high earners. High premium, high deductible, denies every claim. I cancelled it and do a health share now. Hopefully Medicare will exist in 2 years I do NOT want an advantage plan.
Exactly. A system that serves profit over people isn’t broken—it’s functioning exactly as designed. We have to stop measuring justice by what the system claims to be and start measuring it by who it actually protects.
I appreciate your instinct to push back when something evokes fear—it’s a natural response. But I think it’s worth naming that the fear comes from what they are doing, not from me. My role is just to make it visible. I always release detailed playbooks after a threat analysis, but I keep them separate so readers (and honestly, I) don’t get overwhelmed trying to hold everything at once. I’ve spent every waking hour over the past few days pulling this together, and the resistance playbook is my next priority.
That said, you’re absolutely right—clarity alone isn’t enough. We also need direction. Even small actions matter: helping others connect the dots, applying pressure locally, building networks of care and resilience, and refusing to normalize any of this. I’ll be sharing much more soon.
Thanks for sharing this, Colleen — and for the clarity and urgency. I agree completely that this kind of capitulation only strengthens the hand of those actively working to dismantle what's left of democratic infrastructure.
I’ve got a piece scheduled for release in the morning, and you’re more than welcome to share this in the comments there too — it’s exactly the kind of alert others in this community need to see. Appreciate you raising the alarm.
The Playbook For Resisting a Safety Net Collapse is now out: https://criticalresistance.substack.com/p/the-playbook-for-resisting-a-safety
This is such a great outline of everything that’s happening. Many people are overwhelmed by the quantity of changes and don’t know what to look out for.
Thank you, Denise. I think you’re spot on—there’s so much happening at once that people are either numbed or too overwhelmed to connect the dots. If we don’t break it down clearly, it becomes easier for these shifts to slide by unnoticed.
The rest of us will have the right to work — until we drop dead in our tracks.
“Wall Street’s push to privatize Social Security echoes post-Soviet Russia’s pension collapse—where public retirement security was erased overnight, forcing millions into financial precarity while oligarchs consolidated wealth. Just like in Russia, the goal here is to dismantle a public safety net, making retirement a privilege of the wealthy.”
Thank you for highlighting that section, Michael—it’s one of the clearest examples of how historical playbooks are being repurposed right under our noses. This isn’t just economic policy—it’s a coordinated dismantling. The more people who connect these dots, the harder it becomes for them to move in silence. I’m grateful you’re helping amplify it.
I’m happy to have helped a little. We’re all in this together.
I’ve shared this extensively because it’s the most succinct, comprehensive perspective on what’s going on and why. People I know seem to think it’s all going to be OK. That’s the problem isn’t it?
That’s exactly it, Lisa—so much of this hinges on the illusion that things will somehow course-correct on their own. But complacency is part of the design. I really appreciate you sharing it widely—every person who wakes up to this helps strengthen the resistance.
I, too, have shared this.. with my elected representatives...
It’s all in Project 2025. Its in Curtis Yarvin Playbook. What DOGE is doing is a hostile government takeover https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321.22.10.pdf
Yes, it’s all been laid out. The danger with assuming that Trump is too incompetent to be any real threat is to ignore the very prepared and strategic forces behind what they are doing. This is also why it doesn’t go away with Trump.
So true.
More people need to read about Yarvin.
One place to start (but just a start):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Yarvin
I’ve touched on Yarvin in an early article of my MAGA Civil War series. We would sound like the left’s answer to QANON if it wasn’t so demonstrably and undeniably true.
The cliff note version https://youtu.be/OC629l-wZBQ
Thank you for putting this all together in one place. Your description is spot-on as to what is happening and the reasons behind it. I am very much looking forward to your suggestions on how to fight it.
Privatization will work against the interests of everyday Americans and drive up costs. We've already seen this with Medicare Advantage plans. With respect to pensions and IEAs, I like to have choices. When I retired as a public sector employee, I opted to take a smaller monthly pension check in exchange for withdrawing 50% of my contributions to invest as I chose. (I didn't care for the limited selections offered in my plan.) I have invested primarily in low cost growth index funds and had good returns, weathering a downturn or two along the way. Having other stable sources of income-- pension, Social Security, and some rental property--allows me to take greater risks with my IRA. So while I don't believe that "high cost investment brokers" are necessarily inevitable under a privatized scenario, without SS and a pension, most of the guaranteed, stable income that allows me to take risks would be gone.
Thank you, Cheryl—this is such a clear and grounded articulation of exactly why public guarantees matter, even for those who are savvy investors. What you’re describing highlights the core truth: public systems give people the stability to participate more freely in the market if they choose, but privatization takes that freedom away from everyone except the already wealthy. I really appreciate you sharing your perspective.
Thank YOU for hosting the discussion! Just a couple more comments if I may. I didn't grow up with wealth--my parents were too poor to even have a savings account. But I feel fortunate that my employer (city government) was very proactive with retirement seminars so that I learned there about investing what I never would have learned at home. This gave me a start in life that has made all the difference. Financial literacy is something we need to pay more attention to for all ages. I find financial planning to be fun, but too many people (women especially) are intimidated by it. This is a shame because we give our power away when we aren't savvy about money.
Thank you for sharing this information
Looking forward to the strategy and playbook for stopping all this!
This is truly frightening and most people don’t realize it’s happening right under our noses. It has extreme shades of almost every dystopian movie I’ve ever seen once they’re done ripping the system up they criminalized, low income and poor. Why do you think they’re building those large concentration camps out west.
You’re right to call it out, Keith—what’s happening now would’ve sounded like dystopian fiction a decade ago, but it’s unfolding right in front of us. Once the safety nets are gone, criminalization fills the void. The camps, the rhetoric, the systems being built—they’re not accidents. They’re preparation. The only way through is to stay clear-eyed and keep naming it.
Look, this is wrong. The people doing this are unlawful. Why in the hell aren’t all of these people in jail? They are enemies to America and the world. I want justice now!
I hear you, Autumn—and I share your frustration. What we’re seeing isn’t just unethical, it’s coordinated exploitation. The challenge is that those orchestrating it are often the ones writing or bending the laws to shield themselves. Accountability won’t come from the top—it has to be forced from below through public pressure and collective clarity.
Beautifully explained. I tried so hard to talk to my Republican friends about project 2025 this weekend and what Trump is really doing with Elon and the real intentions. My friends are pretty much unconcerned. They’re nice people and I love them, but they don’t really seem to think anything major is going to happen. They believe the checks and balances are working. unfortunately for them they just purchased a house they can’t afford and they’re putting in a pool that’s causing them an additional $700 a month. They are 50 years old. They have no savings they filed bankruptcy in the past they are not good at budgeting And I worry for them. They’re pretty unbothered by Trump. They like him and they think what Elon’s doing is good for all of us, he’s balancing the budget! 😵💫🙄 we were able to have a calm discussion and I do think that I was able to open their eyes on a few points, but they’re pretty steadfast in their beliefs. I had encouraged them a few years ago, not to purchase the house that they were going to purchase this late in their life near retirement age, but they didn’t listen. I had encouraged them to downsize pay off all debts start putting money away and they didn’t listen to that either. So now they are house poor and about to find out how bad things can really get. I am doing everything I advised them to do and I really hope since I’m 63 that I actually will be able to receive my Social Security and Medicare but I have very little hope for that so I am preparing to work until I’m dead and I’m sticking money in my well managed mutual funds. I found myself a job I can do no matter how old I am that pays well and is in demand. I guess I’ll be digging my own grave on my last day. I’ll grab a pillow and a blanket and hop in and finally get to rest and retire 😒 I think for those of us with children we need to be helping them set up their lives and in a way that protects them financially. I’ve already set my kid up with a lot of different investment strategies and the education she will need to appropriately spend her money and save her money. The other thing parents should be doing is really guiding their children towards jobs and education that will last no matter what’s going on in this country. I truly worry for people less fortunate than I am. I’ll survive, but I’m not sure many of the people that I care for as a nurse will be OK. I have tried to warn some of my patients who live in section 8 apartments or houses and receive assistance. I have tried to explain to them what’s coming, but they don’t believe me. 😓
As a fellow nurse I am well aware of the debacle of Medicare Advantage plans. The idea of taking that model into all the other areas of our social programs is reprehensible.
Seriously. Even ACA is a dumpster fire for high earners. High premium, high deductible, denies every claim. I cancelled it and do a health share now. Hopefully Medicare will exist in 2 years I do NOT want an advantage plan.
🤮🤮🤮😡🤬🥵
This government isn’t just and doesn’t serve the people — only itself and the oligarchs.
Exactly. A system that serves profit over people isn’t broken—it’s functioning exactly as designed. We have to stop measuring justice by what the system claims to be and start measuring it by who it actually protects.
What are the solutions? You are good at terrifying, how about some specific things an ordinary American can do to help prevent any of this?
I appreciate your instinct to push back when something evokes fear—it’s a natural response. But I think it’s worth naming that the fear comes from what they are doing, not from me. My role is just to make it visible. I always release detailed playbooks after a threat analysis, but I keep them separate so readers (and honestly, I) don’t get overwhelmed trying to hold everything at once. I’ve spent every waking hour over the past few days pulling this together, and the resistance playbook is my next priority.
That said, you’re absolutely right—clarity alone isn’t enough. We also need direction. Even small actions matter: helping others connect the dots, applying pressure locally, building networks of care and resilience, and refusing to normalize any of this. I’ll be sharing much more soon.
Thanks for sharing this, Colleen — and for the clarity and urgency. I agree completely that this kind of capitulation only strengthens the hand of those actively working to dismantle what's left of democratic infrastructure.
I’ve got a piece scheduled for release in the morning, and you’re more than welcome to share this in the comments there too — it’s exactly the kind of alert others in this community need to see. Appreciate you raising the alarm.