As someone who just spent four years trying to keep my mother safe in her home as she aged, first during the pandemic shutdown, and then as her physical and cognitive abilities declined further, making it less possible for me to leave her alone at home, I am directly affected by the long term care issues discussed here. She took in 8K too much to qualify for Medicaid. Not that I would have wanted to be paid to care for her, but I COULD have been, under Medicaid. But not under Medicare. Either way, being paid to care for her would not have given me back the four years out of the workforce that ended at the age of 59 for me, leaving me at rather a tactical disadvantage as a job-seeker. Being a 60-year old searching for a job? Ha. Try it sometime.
And yes, I did my duty, and lots of people think it was “beautiful” of me to do it, but it wasn’t, and frankly, beautiful doesn’t pay the rent or save my mental health after four years of caring for someone (in my mother’s case, someone who has been affected by lifelong antisocial personality disorders and obvious complicated PTSD, having immigrated from Ecuador after growing up there during the 40’s and 50s). Yeah. All this hits hard. The future is scary for me. The past four years have been exhausting, and I have little to show for it (aside all the folks determined to think I’m a saint), and since the nursing home is going to take all my mother’s money, there will likely be very little to inherit to help me survive my own post-60 years. This was not what our parents planned for us when they told us to do well in school so we could get a good job and a pension. Pension? What’s that? Who gets pensions anymore? Right?
I was thinking about you and your situation as Callie and I were talking, Carolita. I’m so sorry for all that you have been through and are going through with this. You really are in the eye of this particular storm. How shameful, what is happening. You (we all) deserve so much better. <3
As I listened to the videocast I thought of the people who would be affected most, who end up having to do the care giving when there is no-one else and it is us women. I'm the same age as you. If I had to give up my job, to take care of my parents or husband I couldn't survive. Older women are at the most risk of becoming homeless too!
Thanks Sari and Callie. Like many of your readers, I've been doing a financial reassessment. I agree with Callie that petitions are probably not effective. I think they are more about organizations soliciting donations and I do donate to those anyway. I agree that it was visuals on TV that kept Trump from doing some of his worst, or ended policies like family separation. But back then there were a few people in the White House who had some sense of shame and responsibility. All those people are out now. So, I will do my best to rethink now, as much as possible. I am involved in the care for my very oldster dad and his wife and this has been a harsh education. Perhaps Callie can become a regular guest, to update us as the Trump administration takes office?
This was a VERY important discussion. I am 85 years old (still writing and getting published!) and I am lucky enough to have just enough money to see me through to the end....but I still worry because I lean heavily on Social Security and it looks as though I'm going to live a long life. Oh what fun! (sarcasm). Thanks for this interview.
Frances, I'm also 65 and am also seriously considering taking my SS now. Some of my friends think I'm over-reacting, but like you, I'm worried it won't be available down the road. And thank you Sari and Callie for this informative conversation and the resources Callie mentioned.
I took SS on my 62nd birthday, continued working and will keep working until I absolutely cannot. People say it is a bad deal, wait as long as possible, but a bird in the hand may be worth more than 85% of a bigger bird further devalued by inflation 8 years from now. And anyone can drop dead tomorrow, especially Oldsters!
It’s an indicator of your class that this seems to come as a surprise to you. All the people without college educations know this all their working lives. (Trump voters)
This was an excellent (if scary) conversation to have. I applaud you and Callie for having it, Sari. Advocacy and mutual aid seem to be the best ways to respond to what a second Trump term might bring. As a writer, I plan to resist by implementing my art. And I'm going to look into Caring Across Generations! (Also, an insolvent Social Security fund in 10 years will be a bitter pill for lifelong workers to swallow ... cutting to 85 percent of current benefits would put a lot of low-income elderly people in dire straits).
Agree. It's unconscionable. I don't know why Bernie Sanders' advocacy for Medicare for all didn't catch fire enough to wend its way through Congress and become law. Since Social Security is the other big safety net for elderly Americans, losing those benefits or having them severely curtailed is a very frightening prospect.
I’m trying to work out how this is even legal. We work and pay taxes all our lives, and have no choice but to pay into Social Security. How is it the government can mismanage our funds, or a president can decide not to tax
Social Security knowing it puts the next generations at risk? Admittedly I am no expert in these matters and I suppose we’ve sadly moved into a time where the incoming administration can do whatever it likes. But it is our money. What is the recourse, or is there none?
Was talking to a friend of mine today who is more savvy in this area. He said part of what’s happened is the Boomers are all starting to use their benefits, and the job market for younger people has gotten worse, not better. So lower wages currently being taxed, essentially (factoring in inflation/cost of living as well). The share of people earning more than their parents has been on a steady decline since the 1940s. And if the next administration decides not to tax social security then we’re really screwed. And if fewer people have children, same. It’s a mess, basically, but we all understood that part.
OK, this is snarky, but reading your comment about the impact of the possible reduction in SS benefits (would hit me hard, tho I am so so so lucky to have a modest defined pension—a rare thing these days—after a 40 yr career as a CA state employee; I too weighed my options & forecast of the future and opted to take SS @ 62) brought an image to mind. Bear with me here….but envision that the “planned” mass deportation of many immigrants will leave a huge void in many occupations/jobs—think agricultural work, meat packing, caregivers, hospitality workers, etc……well well well, if we will have legions of older persons who need to re-enter the workforce because of SS reductions…presto!….there will be lots of jobs to be filled. A dystopian vision indeed.
I get what you're saying, Barbara. I took my Social Security at 62 as well. Hoping for the best, but as a pragmatist, it's still frightening to think about what this guy's second round "policies" could do to us.
-Start saving for retirement as early as possible: a 401(k) if your job has one; also an IRA. If you have kids, advise them likewise. It's never too early to start. And at the age of 50, if you have a 401(k), also take advantage of doing "catch-up contributions" if at all possible. Yes, I realize this requires having more than a subsistence income, so it's "do this if at all possible."
-Think of civic involvement as part of life, not a short-term emergency. A democracy doesn't run on cruise control. There will never be a point where we can just sit back and forget about government, because the people who want to use government for their own ends at the expense of everyone else will never get tired, will never give up. Most of Project 2025 is not new at all; these ideas have been pushed over and over again, and are now consolidated into one playbook; the ideas that don't get enacted now will keep getting pushed in the future. So, when finding ways to get involved, think of how to do it sustainably and for the long haul.
-Talk to your kids about civics and voting and democracy and the causes you care about. Don't assume they're learning any of that at school. Talk about why you vote, and why you vote the way you do. Ask them what they know about their government and what they like and don't like. If you go to protests or do volunteer work, consider bringing them along. They will be eligible voters very soon, and some of them will eventually be elected officials themselves ...
This is great, Sari. Thank you! I recommend taking the fee for service (as she calls it) Medicare option as soon as you qualify because if you take the HMO option, you’ll be stuck and have to qualify for private insurance. we did that but luckily we were able to reverse it because we’re in good health and so we passed the test and were able to get the original Medicare with a supplement which we are fortunate to be able to pay a little extra for. HMOs are a scam, a total scam. Yes if you’re healthy it’s a streamlined assembly line healthcare that is easy to navigate and they give you bonuses like free toothpaste or whatever. But if you get really sick, you have no options except the ones they provide. You’re unable to get second opinions or go outside the network for treatment. We want the choice that we’re entitled to having paid into Medicare all of our lives. The reason they are doing the so-called Medicare advantage? It’s privatization and they are able to skim off the top of your benefits to profit them. The public Square has been steadily, eroded and privatized since Reagan and now they’re coming together to divide up the rest of the pie and make profit off the backs of the people the argument back in the day was that privatization would improve services. That the government was lazy and corrupt and privatization would be more efficient. None of this is true. It turned out that, privatization made our services worse, not better. We privatized healthcare and it is now for profit. Healthcare education, the criminal justice system. All of this should be not for profit in order to serve the public based on the taxes that we pay now I’m sure with Trump and office they will privatize our public education. It’s enough to make me weep. I grew up using the library, which is also public. The post office is public. The public Square has been raped and they’re just finishing up with the last crumbs.
Totally agree, Kelly. If one really investigates the rise (and why of it) of MediCare Advantage plans it is so disturbing (follow the money!). I’ve talked to people who think they have MediCare, but don’t, not really. Some months ago at a breakfast gathering of retirees who worked at the same CA State Univ we were taking about this issue & one fellow insisted he had MediCare & pulled out his “card” (a shiny plastic one) the rest of us pulled out ours—we all know they are NOT plastic!—and showed him what a real MediCare card looks like…he was dumbstruck; I later followed up by sending him some information he could research. Another friend didn’t even realize she’d signed up for an Advantage plan, but so far her health is good & her coverage hasn’t been really been put to the test. There is legislation—hasn’t gone anywhere as far as I can tell—that tries to address this “bait ‘n switch”…here is an article about it: https://www.commondreams.org/news/democrats-bill-medicare-advantage
Wonderful, Barbara. thanks for chiming in. It took me months to research this when it first began to dawn on me. It’s not easy to untangle. We, too, were misled.
To me, Kelly, it’s criminal to allow this kind of marketing to go on. Some investigative orgs are digging into the billing & payment from REAL MediCare funds to the Advantage plans….it ain’t pretty and is VERY disturbing…greed & misdirection on steroids! Ideally, to me, a true gov’t-private partnership would be a great collaboration, that is until folks rub their hands together and figure out a way to “make bank” off the Feds. Folks on either side should make a decent wage & decent benefits….you know, make a living, not a killing!!!
I believe privatization since Reagan has destroyed health care and everything else it touches. Certain things like healthcare, education, criminal, justice, prison system, belong in the public square.
Yeah, he was twice elected gov of my state, CA, and as an employee of the State Univ system I saw firsthand the gutting of CA’s “jewel in the crown of public ed” (at all levels), not to mention all the other safety nets that never really recovered. I was aghast when he was elected POTUS, again twice!, and he & his minions championed “trickle down” economics—-I call it “piss down” economics. Will Roger’s had it right when he quipped “Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellow's hands.”…that was called “trickle up”.
Since the election, I keep asking myself, “what can I do?” This is an excellent place to start and has me thinking about some things I can do. Thanks, Sari.
Thank you for this . I learned a lot. Would you consider following up with a story of what we can do on the individual level other than policy advocacy? Callie started to get into the topic when she mentioned um… was the term “care groups”? Setting up a network with friends and neighbors to help each other. I wonder if I can do something specific to proactively position myself to buffer the expected hits.
I am willing to give financial support to advocacy organizations, to the degree I’m able, and I will sometimes go out to a protest or write letters, but to be honest, trying to change national policy is … well … it feels like shouting into a black hole … i get that it’s important but it does feel all that impactful I think the impact of those actions/efforts will not be felt for a long time…. if ever.
Isn’t there something that we could be doing that would be more immediate in its protective power? Even if small. I feel like I need to do something much more concrete. Like I don’t know, rearrange my life in someway. Or if not on a personal level, maybe there’s something that’s a lot more local that would feel more concrete/impactful.
Just to take one topic: I think the rise in aggressive misogynistic behavior is already happening and going to get a lot worse, so learning self-defense (physical, emotional, and psychological) becomes increasingly important for all women,. How do we do that? Take self-defense classes, create support groups, start a book club, team up to walk each other home at night, help a local school with safety issues? Things like that.
As for aging .. Should I be looking at Social Security and learning something more about it? What questions should I be pondering for my own timing? Does this situation mean I should start drawing Social Security earlier? Or changing my financial planning in someway?
So well put, Ann. I, too, want to DO something concrete, but it’s like pushing back against a Kraken (remember “release the Kraken”…think it was Sidney Powell who said that)…too many tentacles to manage alone. I live in a very rural area, fortunately in a “blue” area of my big state—CA (which is overall “blue”, with big swaths of “red” regions). Your mention of taking self-defense courses reminded me of a progressive male friend who recently bought acreage in a very “red” rural area of Michigan—he wants to be a presence there & had hoped to offer such courses. He told me about the online site Damsel In Defense that carries products that can be used for safety, defense, etc.; here is a link: https://damselindefense.net/ I really like the other ideas you propose!!!! Resist and persist!!!!
Glad you found this useful, Ann. I think Callie gave us places to start. I don’t know that there is much else we can do right now. I think if there was, she’d have offered it.
Such good information, and I really love this quote: “I'm still paying attention to the things that are going to hurt other people and kind of expanding my advocacy beyond myself.” We should all be doing this for sure.
Good idea Sari to bring in a policy expert like Callie. Very informative and good ideas about what to do with our anxiety!!! Thank you both. I have Project 2025 bookmarked and it is very detailed and specific in how it plans to undermine our democratic and socially minded values/protections.
And, Roberta, it is concerning to me how their online site has for awhile now actively recruited interested people in online “courses” on how to become an employee in a “2025 administration”. I first came across it really soon after the Heritage Foundation made their announcement about it & linked to the full Mandate…the whole thing is online or you can pay for a printed copy (nope, not giving them a penny!). At first I thought it was a spoof until I looked into it more…then I was chilled to the bone and my hair was on fire—this was real!!! I could’t believe there was no outrage shouted from the rooftops…tried talking to my friends to pay attention & got a mostly “meh” response. Recently, while walking into a cafe to meet friends for lunch one friend gave me a “Stop Project 2025” button…she said I’d tried to alert them over a year ago & they’d not listened….and now—finally!!!—the media has been all over it—she said “you tried to tell us”. I was gobsmacked there was just *crickets* in coverage when it first dropped. At least they, the MSM, are now making up for lost time…. Project 2025 (as it is currently called) had been bubbling below the surface for decades & the supporters, I guess, feel the time is ripe to finally say the quiet part out loud and publish the newest version of their longtime vision. It was growing for a long long time behind the walls of our democracy, not unlike black mold spreading & infecting our Republic.
The more I think about the fact that your readership is mostly left-leaning, the sadder it makes me. I wonder why everyone - left, right, and center - isn't interested in reading about other people's experiences. I probably shouldn't be surprised but it's a sad commentary. Thank you for all that you do.
Wow. This was extremely interesting. Espesh for someone like me who's one of 3 co-caregivers of a parent with dementia. When she said "paid family leave", that's FMLA, right? Family Leave Act?
As someone who just spent four years trying to keep my mother safe in her home as she aged, first during the pandemic shutdown, and then as her physical and cognitive abilities declined further, making it less possible for me to leave her alone at home, I am directly affected by the long term care issues discussed here. She took in 8K too much to qualify for Medicaid. Not that I would have wanted to be paid to care for her, but I COULD have been, under Medicaid. But not under Medicare. Either way, being paid to care for her would not have given me back the four years out of the workforce that ended at the age of 59 for me, leaving me at rather a tactical disadvantage as a job-seeker. Being a 60-year old searching for a job? Ha. Try it sometime.
And yes, I did my duty, and lots of people think it was “beautiful” of me to do it, but it wasn’t, and frankly, beautiful doesn’t pay the rent or save my mental health after four years of caring for someone (in my mother’s case, someone who has been affected by lifelong antisocial personality disorders and obvious complicated PTSD, having immigrated from Ecuador after growing up there during the 40’s and 50s). Yeah. All this hits hard. The future is scary for me. The past four years have been exhausting, and I have little to show for it (aside all the folks determined to think I’m a saint), and since the nursing home is going to take all my mother’s money, there will likely be very little to inherit to help me survive my own post-60 years. This was not what our parents planned for us when they told us to do well in school so we could get a good job and a pension. Pension? What’s that? Who gets pensions anymore? Right?
I was thinking about you and your situation as Callie and I were talking, Carolita. I’m so sorry for all that you have been through and are going through with this. You really are in the eye of this particular storm. How shameful, what is happening. You (we all) deserve so much better. <3
As I listened to the videocast I thought of the people who would be affected most, who end up having to do the care giving when there is no-one else and it is us women. I'm the same age as you. If I had to give up my job, to take care of my parents or husband I couldn't survive. Older women are at the most risk of becoming homeless too!
Thanks Sari and Callie. Like many of your readers, I've been doing a financial reassessment. I agree with Callie that petitions are probably not effective. I think they are more about organizations soliciting donations and I do donate to those anyway. I agree that it was visuals on TV that kept Trump from doing some of his worst, or ended policies like family separation. But back then there were a few people in the White House who had some sense of shame and responsibility. All those people are out now. So, I will do my best to rethink now, as much as possible. I am involved in the care for my very oldster dad and his wife and this has been a harsh education. Perhaps Callie can become a regular guest, to update us as the Trump administration takes office?
I’d be happy to have Callie back for more! Good luck with your dad and his wife’s care. <3
This was a VERY important discussion. I am 85 years old (still writing and getting published!) and I am lucky enough to have just enough money to see me through to the end....but I still worry because I lean heavily on Social Security and it looks as though I'm going to live a long life. Oh what fun! (sarcasm). Thanks for this interview.
You’re welcome!
Sari and Callie, thank you.
This was very informative. I'm 65 and have decided to take social security now because I was concerned it may not be available in the future.
Sari, thanks for asking if petitions are effective I've always wondered.
I'm encouraged to get involved with Missoula Aging Services, Meals on Wheels. It's something.
Frances, I'm also 65 and am also seriously considering taking my SS now. Some of my friends think I'm over-reacting, but like you, I'm worried it won't be available down the road. And thank you Sari and Callie for this informative conversation and the resources Callie mentioned.
My pleasure, Dorothy. Good luck with your Social Security.
I took SS on my 62nd birthday, continued working and will keep working until I absolutely cannot. People say it is a bad deal, wait as long as possible, but a bird in the hand may be worth more than 85% of a bigger bird further devalued by inflation 8 years from now. And anyone can drop dead tomorrow, especially Oldsters!
Someone told us the other night that my 62-year-old husband is eligible to start receiving SS, even if he keeps working, and we are thinking about it…
Most every working class person takes SS at 62.
It’s an indicator of your class that this seems to come as a surprise to you. All the people without college educations know this all their working lives. (Trump voters)
Interesting point.
You’re welcome. And good ideas…
This was an excellent (if scary) conversation to have. I applaud you and Callie for having it, Sari. Advocacy and mutual aid seem to be the best ways to respond to what a second Trump term might bring. As a writer, I plan to resist by implementing my art. And I'm going to look into Caring Across Generations! (Also, an insolvent Social Security fund in 10 years will be a bitter pill for lifelong workers to swallow ... cutting to 85 percent of current benefits would put a lot of low-income elderly people in dire straits).
Thank you! The social security cuts terrify and infuriate me.
Agree. It's unconscionable. I don't know why Bernie Sanders' advocacy for Medicare for all didn't catch fire enough to wend its way through Congress and become law. Since Social Security is the other big safety net for elderly Americans, losing those benefits or having them severely curtailed is a very frightening prospect.
I’m terrified.
I get that. Terrified, not sleeping, desperately searching for truth and for consequences. It’s a hard, hard time.
I’m trying to work out how this is even legal. We work and pay taxes all our lives, and have no choice but to pay into Social Security. How is it the government can mismanage our funds, or a president can decide not to tax
Social Security knowing it puts the next generations at risk? Admittedly I am no expert in these matters and I suppose we’ve sadly moved into a time where the incoming administration can do whatever it likes. But it is our money. What is the recourse, or is there none?
The new administration is all about the end of the rule of law, unfortunately. 😔
Was talking to a friend of mine today who is more savvy in this area. He said part of what’s happened is the Boomers are all starting to use their benefits, and the job market for younger people has gotten worse, not better. So lower wages currently being taxed, essentially (factoring in inflation/cost of living as well). The share of people earning more than their parents has been on a steady decline since the 1940s. And if the next administration decides not to tax social security then we’re really screwed. And if fewer people have children, same. It’s a mess, basically, but we all understood that part.
OK, this is snarky, but reading your comment about the impact of the possible reduction in SS benefits (would hit me hard, tho I am so so so lucky to have a modest defined pension—a rare thing these days—after a 40 yr career as a CA state employee; I too weighed my options & forecast of the future and opted to take SS @ 62) brought an image to mind. Bear with me here….but envision that the “planned” mass deportation of many immigrants will leave a huge void in many occupations/jobs—think agricultural work, meat packing, caregivers, hospitality workers, etc……well well well, if we will have legions of older persons who need to re-enter the workforce because of SS reductions…presto!….there will be lots of jobs to be filled. A dystopian vision indeed.
I get what you're saying, Barbara. I took my Social Security at 62 as well. Hoping for the best, but as a pragmatist, it's still frightening to think about what this guy's second round "policies" could do to us.
A few other things people can do:
-Start saving for retirement as early as possible: a 401(k) if your job has one; also an IRA. If you have kids, advise them likewise. It's never too early to start. And at the age of 50, if you have a 401(k), also take advantage of doing "catch-up contributions" if at all possible. Yes, I realize this requires having more than a subsistence income, so it's "do this if at all possible."
-Think of civic involvement as part of life, not a short-term emergency. A democracy doesn't run on cruise control. There will never be a point where we can just sit back and forget about government, because the people who want to use government for their own ends at the expense of everyone else will never get tired, will never give up. Most of Project 2025 is not new at all; these ideas have been pushed over and over again, and are now consolidated into one playbook; the ideas that don't get enacted now will keep getting pushed in the future. So, when finding ways to get involved, think of how to do it sustainably and for the long haul.
-Talk to your kids about civics and voting and democracy and the causes you care about. Don't assume they're learning any of that at school. Talk about why you vote, and why you vote the way you do. Ask them what they know about their government and what they like and don't like. If you go to protests or do volunteer work, consider bringing them along. They will be eligible voters very soon, and some of them will eventually be elected officials themselves ...
Great ideas. Thanks.
This is great, Sari. Thank you! I recommend taking the fee for service (as she calls it) Medicare option as soon as you qualify because if you take the HMO option, you’ll be stuck and have to qualify for private insurance. we did that but luckily we were able to reverse it because we’re in good health and so we passed the test and were able to get the original Medicare with a supplement which we are fortunate to be able to pay a little extra for. HMOs are a scam, a total scam. Yes if you’re healthy it’s a streamlined assembly line healthcare that is easy to navigate and they give you bonuses like free toothpaste or whatever. But if you get really sick, you have no options except the ones they provide. You’re unable to get second opinions or go outside the network for treatment. We want the choice that we’re entitled to having paid into Medicare all of our lives. The reason they are doing the so-called Medicare advantage? It’s privatization and they are able to skim off the top of your benefits to profit them. The public Square has been steadily, eroded and privatized since Reagan and now they’re coming together to divide up the rest of the pie and make profit off the backs of the people the argument back in the day was that privatization would improve services. That the government was lazy and corrupt and privatization would be more efficient. None of this is true. It turned out that, privatization made our services worse, not better. We privatized healthcare and it is now for profit. Healthcare education, the criminal justice system. All of this should be not for profit in order to serve the public based on the taxes that we pay now I’m sure with Trump and office they will privatize our public education. It’s enough to make me weep. I grew up using the library, which is also public. The post office is public. The public Square has been raped and they’re just finishing up with the last crumbs.
Thanks for this, Kelly!
Totally agree, Kelly. If one really investigates the rise (and why of it) of MediCare Advantage plans it is so disturbing (follow the money!). I’ve talked to people who think they have MediCare, but don’t, not really. Some months ago at a breakfast gathering of retirees who worked at the same CA State Univ we were taking about this issue & one fellow insisted he had MediCare & pulled out his “card” (a shiny plastic one) the rest of us pulled out ours—we all know they are NOT plastic!—and showed him what a real MediCare card looks like…he was dumbstruck; I later followed up by sending him some information he could research. Another friend didn’t even realize she’d signed up for an Advantage plan, but so far her health is good & her coverage hasn’t been really been put to the test. There is legislation—hasn’t gone anywhere as far as I can tell—that tries to address this “bait ‘n switch”…here is an article about it: https://www.commondreams.org/news/democrats-bill-medicare-advantage
Wonderful, Barbara. thanks for chiming in. It took me months to research this when it first began to dawn on me. It’s not easy to untangle. We, too, were misled.
To me, Kelly, it’s criminal to allow this kind of marketing to go on. Some investigative orgs are digging into the billing & payment from REAL MediCare funds to the Advantage plans….it ain’t pretty and is VERY disturbing…greed & misdirection on steroids! Ideally, to me, a true gov’t-private partnership would be a great collaboration, that is until folks rub their hands together and figure out a way to “make bank” off the Feds. Folks on either side should make a decent wage & decent benefits….you know, make a living, not a killing!!!
I believe privatization since Reagan has destroyed health care and everything else it touches. Certain things like healthcare, education, criminal, justice, prison system, belong in the public square.
Yeah, he was twice elected gov of my state, CA, and as an employee of the State Univ system I saw firsthand the gutting of CA’s “jewel in the crown of public ed” (at all levels), not to mention all the other safety nets that never really recovered. I was aghast when he was elected POTUS, again twice!, and he & his minions championed “trickle down” economics—-I call it “piss down” economics. Will Roger’s had it right when he quipped “Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellow's hands.”…that was called “trickle up”.
Since the election, I keep asking myself, “what can I do?” This is an excellent place to start and has me thinking about some things I can do. Thanks, Sari.
So glad, Jennifer. :)
Thank you for this . I learned a lot. Would you consider following up with a story of what we can do on the individual level other than policy advocacy? Callie started to get into the topic when she mentioned um… was the term “care groups”? Setting up a network with friends and neighbors to help each other. I wonder if I can do something specific to proactively position myself to buffer the expected hits.
I am willing to give financial support to advocacy organizations, to the degree I’m able, and I will sometimes go out to a protest or write letters, but to be honest, trying to change national policy is … well … it feels like shouting into a black hole … i get that it’s important but it does feel all that impactful I think the impact of those actions/efforts will not be felt for a long time…. if ever.
Isn’t there something that we could be doing that would be more immediate in its protective power? Even if small. I feel like I need to do something much more concrete. Like I don’t know, rearrange my life in someway. Or if not on a personal level, maybe there’s something that’s a lot more local that would feel more concrete/impactful.
Just to take one topic: I think the rise in aggressive misogynistic behavior is already happening and going to get a lot worse, so learning self-defense (physical, emotional, and psychological) becomes increasingly important for all women,. How do we do that? Take self-defense classes, create support groups, start a book club, team up to walk each other home at night, help a local school with safety issues? Things like that.
As for aging .. Should I be looking at Social Security and learning something more about it? What questions should I be pondering for my own timing? Does this situation mean I should start drawing Social Security earlier? Or changing my financial planning in someway?
Like that.
So well put, Ann. I, too, want to DO something concrete, but it’s like pushing back against a Kraken (remember “release the Kraken”…think it was Sidney Powell who said that)…too many tentacles to manage alone. I live in a very rural area, fortunately in a “blue” area of my big state—CA (which is overall “blue”, with big swaths of “red” regions). Your mention of taking self-defense courses reminded me of a progressive male friend who recently bought acreage in a very “red” rural area of Michigan—he wants to be a presence there & had hoped to offer such courses. He told me about the online site Damsel In Defense that carries products that can be used for safety, defense, etc.; here is a link: https://damselindefense.net/ I really like the other ideas you propose!!!! Resist and persist!!!!
Glad you found this useful, Ann. I think Callie gave us places to start. I don’t know that there is much else we can do right now. I think if there was, she’d have offered it.
Such good information, and I really love this quote: “I'm still paying attention to the things that are going to hurt other people and kind of expanding my advocacy beyond myself.” We should all be doing this for sure.
Good idea Sari to bring in a policy expert like Callie. Very informative and good ideas about what to do with our anxiety!!! Thank you both. I have Project 2025 bookmarked and it is very detailed and specific in how it plans to undermine our democratic and socially minded values/protections.
Glad you liked that, Roberta. Project 2025 terrifies me. Oy vey… <3
And, Roberta, it is concerning to me how their online site has for awhile now actively recruited interested people in online “courses” on how to become an employee in a “2025 administration”. I first came across it really soon after the Heritage Foundation made their announcement about it & linked to the full Mandate…the whole thing is online or you can pay for a printed copy (nope, not giving them a penny!). At first I thought it was a spoof until I looked into it more…then I was chilled to the bone and my hair was on fire—this was real!!! I could’t believe there was no outrage shouted from the rooftops…tried talking to my friends to pay attention & got a mostly “meh” response. Recently, while walking into a cafe to meet friends for lunch one friend gave me a “Stop Project 2025” button…she said I’d tried to alert them over a year ago & they’d not listened….and now—finally!!!—the media has been all over it—she said “you tried to tell us”. I was gobsmacked there was just *crickets* in coverage when it first dropped. At least they, the MSM, are now making up for lost time…. Project 2025 (as it is currently called) had been bubbling below the surface for decades & the supporters, I guess, feel the time is ripe to finally say the quiet part out loud and publish the newest version of their longtime vision. It was growing for a long long time behind the walls of our democracy, not unlike black mold spreading & infecting our Republic.
While I greatly appreciate this interview, I wish it had happened before the election.
Maybe. But I think most of my readership are left-leaning, and I doubt this would have gotten through to anyone persuaded by Trumpism.
Good point.
The more I think about the fact that your readership is mostly left-leaning, the sadder it makes me. I wonder why everyone - left, right, and center - isn't interested in reading about other people's experiences. I probably shouldn't be surprised but it's a sad commentary. Thank you for all that you do.
Wow. This was extremely interesting. Espesh for someone like me who's one of 3 co-caregivers of a parent with dementia. When she said "paid family leave", that's FMLA, right? Family Leave Act?
Not sure but seems like it.
Thank you!
Wait and see but prepare .
Prepare.