Happy New Year 2025

The year of the billionaire

Photo by Jacob Vizek on Unsplash

New Year’s Eve celebrations are many of us have made our New Year resolutions for 2025. Some have chosen to lose weight, some to stop drinking, some to join a gym, and others to work harder. In a few weeks, those resolutions will all be broken and abandoned. Oddly, these resolutions are the only parts of our future we can control.

Because almost half of all Americans thought a racist old white millionaire felon and former President would improve their lot in life more than a Black woman, they gave their future to Donald Trump. In reality, their future is in the hands of Elon Musk, who purchased the presidency and allowed Trump to be president by name only.

Trump’s choices for his new cabinet are all billionaires or, at least, millionaires. Musk, aiming to be the first and only billionaire in modern history, has already flexed his newly purchased muscle.

He attempted but failed to have Congress shut down the government and significantly shut down the government. However, he did succeed in eliminating money for research into childhood cancer and raising the salaries of Congressmen.

Musk’s latest endeavor is to significantly increase the number of H-1B Visas. This is something that Trump was dead set against during his campaign, but he has since come into complete agreement with Musk. Musk has a history of laying off workers at Tesla and hiring H-1B visa holders at a lower pay rate, who cannot ask for a raise or unionize.

American workers can now expect a somewhat shaky employment future, knowing foreign workers can easily replace them, something Trump promised he would not allow. So much for Trump’s promises.

Speaking of promises, Trump said, during the campaign, he would lower gas and grocery prices. He has since walked back that promise, admitting he couldn’t do that. This doesn’t bode well for the future many of us will be experiencing soon.

Musk and Rivik Ramaswamy, Trump’s picks to head DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, a non-existent agency to cut government spending. The billionaires naturally have targeted government spending essential for the most vulnerable Americans, such as Social Security and Medicare. By cutting these two programs, the government can give much-needed tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires.

Don’t think for a minute your healthcare will get better or cheaper. Cost reductions in some drugs, such as insulin and asthma inhalers, passed by the Biden administration, are future targets for President Musk and his loyal servant, Donald Trump.

The traditional greetings for the new year include, “Have a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!” Thanks to the idiots who voted to return to office the worst President this country has ever had, the new year will not be healthy for millions, nor will it be prosperous, except for the uber-wealthy, so I hope you’ll be happy for the choice you’ve made.

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There’s No Fool Like an Old Fool,

Yes, my fellow retirees, you’re going to pay for your actions.

Photo by Kaspars Eglitis on Unsplash

I remember seeing a lot of old guys walking around Walmart and Lowe’s proudly wearing their red MAGA hats. I remember hearing them talking together about how Trump will take better care of veterans and retirees instead of Biden giving all the money to illegal immigrants. Occasionally, I heard them say they’d never vote for a woman, especially a Black woman. I’ve heard a few oldsters say, “We’ve already had a Black President; we don’t need another one.”

Well, they didn’t get another Black president or a woman. They got what they wanted: an old White male racist, just like them. By voting their racism, they got a hell of a lot more than what they wanted.

Two programs every senior citizen over the age of 65 depends on to survive are Medicare and Social Security. During Trump’s first term in office, he attempted to change both programs in ways that would be devastating to senior citizens. Thanks to the Democrats in Congress, Trump didn’t succeed.

As Trump campaigned for his second term, he promised to initiate these changes. But did these old fools listen and pay attention? Of course not. Even though Kamala Harris vowed to protect Medicare and Social Security, they didn’t believe her because she is a woman and she’s Black.

Now Trump has nominated one of the most unqualified people in the country to lead the Medicare and Medicaid Programs, Dr. Mehmet Oz. Dr. Oz was a successful surgeon who saw he could make more money by becoming a television huckster hawking medical misinformation and unproven supplements. His colleagues at Columbia University voted to remove him from the faculty of their College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Oz has voiced his support for privatizing Medicare, which could lead to higher costs for seniors and fewer options. Prescription drug prices will most likely increase, as the private insurance companies running the Medicare Advantage plans would have no competition.

Assisting Dr. Oz, will be Trump’s choice to lead Health and Human Services, the conspiracy theory nutjob, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy is a staunch opponent of vaccines and drug research. He supports the discontinuation of research into new drugs to treat cancer and other deadly diseases. He also supports eliminating the Food and Drug Administration, which protects the safety of our food supply and prescription drugs.

These old fools will not have to worry about their healthcare costs or lack of insurance because Kennedy and Oz’s plans for the future will most likely kill them. That’s an acceptable price to pay to make sure a Black woman never becomes President.

Regarding Social Security, no one knows what will happen to the program. Trump-backed Republicans favor raising the retirement age to 70 and cutting some benefits. According to the Republican Study Committee in the House, their 2025 budget sees social security benefits cuts affecting 3 in 4 Americans. Hey, but at least the old racist white guy is in charge!

I know that a majority of these old MAGA fools get their news from Fox News, so their ignorance is understandable, if not acceptable. But what gets my ire is the nation’s largest organization that purports to advocate for senior citizens, AARP, did not once warn seniors of the dangers of a Trump presidency. Instead, they asked its members to study the candidates’ views on Social Security and Medicare and make a wise choice. As if its member would actually do that!

Instead of pushing Life Insurance, Car Insurance, and its favorite Medicare Advantage plan, AARP chose not to take a stance in the most important election of their members’ lifetimes. They are nothing but cowards and wimps protecting their own financial interests.

As Trump continues to name his picks for his Cabinet, or as I will from here on call it, his “Wrecking Crew,” things will become worse for not only senior citizens but all Americans. The old adage proves to be true once again: “There’s no fool like an old fool.”

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my Newsletter, click on my photo below.