this post was submitted on 12 Mar 2025
288 points (99.3% liked)

politics

22011 readers
4313 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

From the Wall Street Journal. Select quotes, rearranged for maximum irony:

The average 401(k) balance was $131,700 at the end of 2024.

“What’s more important to me than having a few extra dollars in my retirement is that this country is set up for success,” Paris said.

The couple have lost $70,000 in retirement savings since January.

“He’s doing some hard work, some things that are very difficult for people to understand and difficult for people to accept,” Williams said, “but it’ll be to our long-term benefit.”

Meanwhile, the share of Americans who haven’t retired and are confident in their retirement prospects fell to 67% from 74% the prior year.

She said she takes solace in the fact that Trump is surrounded by a cabinet full of handpicked experts whose advice she thinks could help avoid further losses.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 22 points 6 days ago

She said she takes solace in the fact that Trump is surrounded by a cabinet full of handpicked experts whose advice she thinks could help avoid further losses.

🤣 🤣 🤣

That's next-level stupid.

[–] eran_morad@lemmy.world 15 points 6 days ago

I hope these assholes starve.

[–] match@pawb.social 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

i think maybe the only thing that's going to get through to voters like this is if they're laughed at to their face

[–] hogmomma@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

That'll just make them angry or defensive.

[–] match@pawb.social 10 points 6 days ago (1 children)

they are always angry and defensive

[–] hogmomma@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago

You are not wrong.

[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago
[–] kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 139 points 1 week ago (1 children)

She said she takes solace in the fact that Trump is surrounded by a cabinet full of handpicked experts whose advice she thinks could help avoid further losses.

... out of their fucking minds...

[–] Th4tGuyII@fedia.io 49 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Was about to comment almost exactly this.

His "experts" are all cronies - and they're not even slightly interested in the plight of the people, including the retirement prospects of 71 year old Mrs. Redlich.

Having any faith that Trump's administratiom will do anything except line their wallets with tax payer money and do their upmost to fuck over Ukraine is morbidly stupid.

[–] kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 50 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's worse than that. Most of his cabinet picks are not only not experts in their assigned fields, not even knowledgeable in them, but are actively antagonistic toward them. They wish to limit, downsize or outright destroy the departments under them, or else twist them so severely that they are essentially the polar opposite from their intended purpose. They sure as shit are not here to fix anything. They're here to actively break things they hate.

[–] jballs@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You're telling me that the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment isn't the most qualified person to lead the Department of Education? ShockedPikachuFace

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 3 points 6 days ago

who was also in his first term, as the head of SBA.

[–] ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

To be fair. A lot of these people also have faith that because they said the right words to an imaginary being, they will be "saved" after they die.

[–] uienia@lemmy.world 0 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I highly doubt it. Dealers seldom gets high on their own supply, that belief is reserved for the people they knowingly con about it.

[–] ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 days ago

Exactly. The comment above referenced "Having any faith that Trump's administratiom will do anything except line their wallets with tax payer money and do their upmost to fuck over Ukraine is morbidly stupid."

And many of those that have said faith, also have faith in other stupid things.

[–] earphone843@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 week ago

Yes, they're out of their fucking minds.

[–] Jaderick@lemmy.world 48 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So far into the Kool-aid she might as well just go to Jonestown

Respectfully, I feel I must disagree. I believe the beverage served in Jonestown was Flavor Aid, rather then Kool-aid.

Regarding your other point, yeah, she's staunchly in favor of Coco Puffs.

[–] LuxSpark@lemmy.cafe 38 points 1 week ago (5 children)

These people are so delusional.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago

copium as well.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And wealthy. That they could lose 70k and not feel anything, tells us that they're wealthy.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] PlantJam@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Yes, they are.

To add some context to this headline, I estimate that 401k to be well into the seven figure range if it lost $70k since January. That's just a guess based on the changes I've seen in my own account, though.

[–] xyzzy@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

It just depends on the portfolio. Some stocks in mine have lost 25-30% for reasons entirely attributable to Trump.

[–] officermike@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Based solely on DJIA's YTD loss of 2.35%

$70,000/0.0235≈$3,000,000

[–] qprimed@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

this is what a political cult looks like.

[–] VeryVito@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago

Any cult, really.

[–] Punchshark@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

That's a funny way to say stupid!

[–] stickly@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

No, delusional is the right word. You can be mind numbingly stupid but still see cause and effect; food prices going up after his inauguration is a very basic and tactile thing.

Delusion is taking that lived experience and warping reality to fit your mental narrative.

[–] LuxSpark@lemmy.cafe 2 points 6 days ago

I know people like this. Some are intelligent, but the propaganda they consume warps their minds. They are engulfed in it and it is difficult to throw out all the sources they trust.

[–] zbyte64@awful.systems 29 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They FAFO but never actually learn. That's why elections are not about teaching people they were wrong.

[–] hogmomma@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

but never actually learn.

Then they're not FO'ing.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

They do FO, but then they blame anything else but themselves, their cult, the conservative ideology, or their cult leader.

Remember: conservatism can never fail anyone, it's only people that fail conservatism. It means we have to do it even harder. If "doge" fires 50% of government and things are a total hellscape and their 401Ks go to 10% of what they were before, it's because "doge" should have cut 90% of government employees.

[–] hogmomma@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Blaming others is deflection, not finding out.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

True, if finding out means that they discovered consequences and then, as a result, they drew the proper conclusions as to cause and effect.

[–] BetaBlake@lemmy.world 28 points 1 week ago (2 children)

So much cognitive dissonance for most of them, very very few of them will ever admit any mistake of theirs or his. They'll just sort of tap dance around the failings

[–] stickly@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago

They're in so deep that they'll take any life buoy that their feed/infowars/fox news throws. Its like an automatic reaction they're conditioned for.

The least shocking thing in this article is retirees in denial. Mental gymnastics is their full-time job; not like they've got anything else to do.

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

I honestly think the vast majority of them don't think any mistakes have been made. They don't know how fucking awful his cabinet is, etc.

[–] cocolowlander@feddit.nl 15 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Probably shouldn't focus on the short term stock movements.

If the Fed turns on the money printer, the stock prices will go up.

I would point to prices of housing and groceries, because that will not go down if the Fed turns on the money printer.

[–] Brunbrun6766@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I sold off all my stocks and etfs, but my 401k is still there and is STRUGGLING. It wasn't much to begin with but damn it's getting fucked both ways and back

[–] Dultas@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Mine has wiped nearly 6 months of growth. And it's fairly diversified.

[–] brygphilomena@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Since he won the election in November, in spite of putting in over $1k with employer match every month my balance has actually gone down. This is fucked up.

[–] sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip 11 points 1 week ago

Its fine though, because Social Security is a ponzi scheme, pensions hurt the company's bottom line, and everyone knows the stock market only goes up, so everyone should just have a 401k.

Spoken from bizzarro world / Republican voters for the last 40 years untill this very moment, apparently

I am pointing and laughing at anyone who voted for this and is now being hurt by it. I have zero sympathy. Absolutely none whatsoever. It’s a sociological Darwin Award, more or less.

[–] NotLemming@lemm.ee 7 points 1 week ago

That last paragraph made me LOL. Surely that's sarcasm?

load more comments
view more: next ›