LIVING THROUGH HISTORY IN THE MAKING (Part 2.)

A More Perfect Union / 2019 / Mixed media abstract / Russell C. Smith

We’ve just gone through two weeks that feels like two years.

In just two weeks – our government – its laws, rules, freedoms, free speech, health care, freedom of the press, environmental protections – all these, and a long list of many other things that make the United States what it is – have been shut down, erased, turned off, blocked, or damaged.

Somehow, this new administration believes they have the right to take away our freedom of speech, the right to a free press, the right to personal privacy in our homes and our possessions, and the right to peacefully assemble – all of which are guaranteed by the US Constitution.

What finally caused enough of a groundswell to cause a group of Democratic leaders to take action?

Career civil servants of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) noticed they were locked out of the system, and they spoke out about no longer having any oversight into sensitive information, at risk of hacking – exposing dates of birth, social security numbers, and pay grades of government workers.

At yesterday’s press conference, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) said she, and other Democrats are “Pulling the Fire Alarm” on what this administration is doing.

Top-level federal employees, most importantly the acting Treasury Secretary, have been forced out of office from the Treasury Department, and teams working for DOGE (the made-up government department) have administrative access to the Treasury Department’s systems – one of the most sensitive systems in the United States government. This is a security breach of the highest order. Government payments are a fifth of the United States economy. This isn’t something we want broken.

Common Dreams puts it this way: 'It's a Coup': Musk's DOGE Granted Access to Treasury System That Pays Out Social Security.

This same “tear down democracy” plan we’ve endured in week one and two, is obviously the cards they’re going to keep playing. It’s a losing hand.

Every citizen who voted, and millions of citizens who didn’t vote, are already experiencing the damage done by this corrupt administration. An unelected and unpaid person who runs a made-up out of thin air governmental agency, began forcing out top-level people in multiple branches of the government. Most importantly, in the Treasury Department, where he’s given complete access to the inner workings of our Social Security and Medicaid systems to people with zero experience. People who have no intention of helping everyday citizens, democracy, or America.

In week two, does this administration really think it’s the time to go after Medicare, Medicaid, and try to cut or privatize Social Security?

Trying to take away something that’s basic to someone’s survival means they’re damned sure going to speak up about it.

Here’s the thing, when you put citizens all across the United States into panic mode by putting their sensitive financial information in the hands of who knows who, under the direction of you know who – which could lead to privatizing, or reducing the amount of their Social Security benefits, it’ll turn millions of people against you faster than you can drop the tariffs against Mexico and Canada.