Talked with my car insurance agent yesterday, turns out he is full-on Maga. I never knew or suspected.

[elocs]

He is the owner and his office is just a few blocks from where I live and we've had good conversations over the years about many things. I told him I was worried about my SS and he told me that I had no worries because Musk is a genius and I'd probably be getting more money since SS is rife with abuse. Wow! I had no idea, but since I need him in my corner I steered the conversation in a different direction.

What is peculiar about this is that I talk with my mail carrier, who likely will retire this year, about politics and all sorts of things all the time and he is a staunch Democrat who also tells me that I shouldn't worry about my SS. Odd that I get the same advice from people on the opposite ends of the political spectrum.
I'm way past the point of not worrying because I read DU everyday with its drumbeat of doom concerning Trump and its "abandon all hope, ye who enter here" motto. Evidently I have masochistic tendencies along with procrastination which I keep meaning to give up.

[ornotna]

1. It's that drumbeat of doom that keeps me coming back

Seriously though there is so much more than doom being offered here. And no I won’t be posting links.

[elocs]

16. Well I've been here for 19 years now. The drumbeat of doom keeps me awake at night

as my brain churns about what will I do if I become homeless. DU is like having that sore spot in my mouth that I can't stop poking with my tongue.

[Chasstev365]

2. Find a new insurance agent ASAP

When people in business show their support for Dime-Store Mussolini, they need to feel the pain of losing business.

That way maybe they'll start to keep their pro-MAGA ideology to themselves.

[Paladin]

8. +1000. Plenty of other car insurance agents out there.

The sooner we make it clear that there's a price to be paid for pledging allegiance to this evil, destructive regime, the sooner it will end. That applies to people you do business with, and it should apply to personal acquaintances and relatives, as well.

[elocs]

17. No, I've probably been with him for 20 years now and he's done well by me.

Maybe it's better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
I did open the door to the discussion though. I went there that day with a question about my insurance and he did take care of that for me.

[Paladin]

18. Nothing I can do to stop you.

I stand by my prior comments.

[hamsterjill]

21. I add my agreement to drop the insurance agent.

Why stick with someone who would screw you over in a heartbeat if he knew you didn't agree with him? If he's MAGA, then that's what he would do.

[Omnipresent]

9. Good luck with that.

I know quite a few insurance agents and owners. They all lean pretty heavy to the right.

[elocs]

15. No, I've been with him for many years & he takes good care of my insurance needs.

That's the reason I stay with him. He doesn't need to agree with me politically, but I was surprised he drank the maga Kool aid.

[EdmondDantes_]

3. I would assume that they are reaching the same conclusion based on very different paths

I assume your mail carrier is saying that based on the adage that Social Security is the third rail of American politics. The insurance agent obviously is in the cultish camp that Trump and Musk are geniuses. It could be fascinating (in a terrifying way) to see what happens when the myth runs up against the historical adage, but I suspect given that neither Trump or Musk actually need to live up to their reputation to get credit from their supporters, Trump/Musk will declare victory and not do any real changes to Social Security because the Republicans who do have to face reelection aren't going to want to deal with an angry population. George W Bush who has popular at the time couldn't get the votes to privatize Social Security. I doubt Trump who is unpopular outside his cult can do better.

[John1956PA]

4. The insurance agent is echoing the Faux News mantra re Musk.

Faux News portrays Musk as a genius, a devoted family man, and a tireless servant to the cause of bettering government and society.

[DFW]

5. If the agent is full-blown MAGA and you never knew

Then the agent was smart enough to keep it to himself for a good long time. So, maybe he’s really a good insurance agent.

Where I would never make it a point to claim Musk is a genius, he DID manage to make himself a hundred billion dollars, even if he sold everything off and paid the taxes due on the gains. That ain’t pocket change.

As for my SS, after taxes here, there and everywhere, I get to keep less than a third of the total payout, so it’s a bit of spending money every month, but since I live in the Euro zone, it doesn’t really go far.

[Solomon]

13. I don't understand why people think Musk is self-made. Doesn't he come from a family that owns gem mines in Africa?

Correct me if I'm wrong. I thought his family was super rich.

[DFW]

20. Without doing the research intensively

I understood they were well-off, but he was the one who really ran with it. Maybe had more than a little help from his friends. I wouldn't know, as I tend to run in different circles from that crowd.

[ecstatic]

6. Nothing major will happen before the midterms (in my opinion)

MAGOP has to secure their minority rule dictatorship first. It's not that they worry they'll lose the election, it's just that it'll be too obvious that they stole it if they get the majority after gutting major things like that.

After the midterms, the gloves will be off. Overtime, social security, disability programs, etc will all be cut.

[RandiFan1290]

7. Same people that said Roe vs Wade would be safe. nt

[gab13by13]

10. Please explain why you believe that people here

who report what Krasnov/Musk are doing as people who are giving up?

Aren't the people who believe everything is going along just fine the real problem?

[Scrivener7]

11. Which part of the so-called doom and gloom has been proved false?

Protection of women's bodily autonomy? Well, no, not that one.

Equal treatment of people of color under the law? Nope. That's out the window.

Trump will institute concentration camps? No. We have those now.

The economy will tank? No. The tanking seems to be chugging along merrily.

The government will be handed over to corrupt idiots who turnmit into a fascist state? No. That's happening.

We will become Russia's puppets? No. Clearly we are.

Due process will be eliminated and the Constitution will be scrapped? Nope. Just ask the DOJ lawyers who are defying the courts about bringing Garcia back from the above-referenced concentration camp.

I used to be accused of "doom and gloom" when I said trump wouldn't be punished for the crimes he committed during his first term.

How the goalposts do move!

[Prairie Gates]

12. How did this turn into

support of the MAGA insurance man and an attack on DU?

[elocs]

19. I found it to be a natural segue, not an attack but my own honest personal experience here.

I'm entitled to my opinion as you are yours. As far as DU goes, I've been here for 19 years and for over 50 years I have supported and exclusively voted for Democratic candidates.

[dutch777]

14. The thing Trumpanistas keep missing, locally or globally, is that individuals can vote with their feet and their $$$

While Trump may brow beat governments into acquiescing on tariffs and trade, those markets becoming more open is meaningless if the people and businesses in them simply do not buy US goods and services. And the same with your insurance agent or any other openly MAGAt business-- you can take your $$$ elsewhere. I simply will not do business with anyone who has a Trump sign on the property or is clearly of that mind. I have noticed in our area, there were a lot of Trump signs before the election, now they are almost all gone. Buyers remorse, embarrassment, fear of egging (naw, too expensive), I don't know.