(image: Social Security Works)
This week on CounterSpin: Social Security is not just about the ability of individuals and families to stay afloat; it’s an acknowledgement that all of us are more secure when hardship is relieved. Well, to hell with that, says the Trump administration—pushing a rule change to take Social Security benefits out of the reach of millions of people with disabilities. Never mind that it’s already hard to qualify, never mind that cutting benefits for many disabled people means taking them out of the workforce, never mind that people will die—and by “never mind,” we mean it can’t mind much to corporate media, based on their relative disinterest in the story we talk about with Alex Lawson, executive director of the group Social Security Works.
Transcript: ‘Say No to Stealing Our Social Security Benefits’
(cc photo: Iryna Yafimchyk/Working Families)
Also on the show: Elite media call themselves caring about the problem of antisemitism, but how deeply? Recent attacks on Jewish people in the New York area have led to demands for increased policing in Jewish communities. But harder questions about what defines a “Jewish community,” and what it would mean to truly value their “safety,” are going unexplored—by the press corps, that is, not by communities, who have long seen a shared future across religious and ethnic lines, and are standing up for that, even as others suggest they divide and hunker down. We talk with Audrey Sasson, executive director of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice.
Transcript: ‘This Is a Moment to Be Really Vigilant Against All Forms of Oppression’
Social Security disability is NOT hard to get. There is only one rule: the disability has to keep you from working at any job for one year. The new rules for disability will not take a single disabled individual off the rolls. The new rules only remove persons who are no longer disabled.
Gene, are you or have you been on disability? Or do you work for them? I had multiple Dr.statements, a disability lawyer after the 3rd year and it still took near 4 years of living on bare minimum and food banks before I was finally approved. My disability is nobodies business but mine but I’m here to tell you it IS hard, near impossible to get disability so stop telling people it’s easy. It’s not. My son had an accident and broke near most of his bones with.a fractured pelvis, all 4 extremities broken, punctured lungs, broken ribs,hips,collarbone and permanent damage . It too almost 4 years for his disability to be approved while my husband and I had to support him, paying his medical bills, prescriptions,etc. So I don’t know who you know but obviously you had help.
There is this false belief that there are thousands of people getting SSI who aren’t disabled. The truth is that it often takes over two years and piles of medical documentation to prove permanent disability. Not easy to accomplish when the deficits from physical or mental health disability have already taken away your ability to work, your home or the stamina needed to advocate for yourself throughout the process.
Prove it. The DNA of Ashkenazi Jews proves that we are from Judea. Go peddle your hate elsewhere.
Very disappointing and disturbing that more funding is being taken away from people that could really use it. There are lots of advocacy groups out there like, http://www.citizensdisability.com, but why make life even more difficult for those that need a hand.
Anti-semitism might not have the power it currently does if:
1. Political leaders like Trump didn’t openly echo it and coddle neo-nazis.
2. Anti-zionism wasn’t falsely termed anti-semitic,
conflating political opposition with racial/ethnic/religious bias
3. Israel didn’t commit horrible crimes against humanity in the name of all Jews.