For those of us foreseeing that "things are going to get very bad," Sherrilynn Ifill offers some valuable pragmatic tips about surviving

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Nonya_Bidniss Yes, I think of that, too, and of the sudden yanking of Social Security and Medicare. I think much more is possible than many folks have begun to imagine.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@hacks4pancakes @Nonya_Bidniss Yes, a definite concern.

[nonya_bidniss@infosec.exchange]

@wdlindsy Yep all of it. And my Federal pension which I live on.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Nonya_Bidniss Yes — sad to say, everything's now vulnerable.

[lolonurse@ohai.social]

@wdlindsy
Obviously not speaking to low-income seniors living on nothing but SS, or the working poor juggling bills/ food/rent/healthcare... etc.

[lolonurse@ohai.social]

@wdlindsy
Resilience & a backup have become luxuries.

[therieau@bitbang.social]

@wdlindsy This is probably a good spot to share a link to the privacy tools page on the @eff site. Lots of great stuff here.

https://www.eff.org/pages/tools

[lolonurse@ohai.social]

@wdlindsy @Nonya_Bidniss
I'd be screwed.

[philip_cardella@historians.social]

@wdlindsy @MoiraEve even if this is a pessimistic appraisal everyone needs to come to grips with the fact that it's a very possible outcome. Given it's possible, likely even, we have to prepare as if it's certain.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@philip_cardella @MoiraEve I agree.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@lolonurse @Nonya_Bidniss Same for me.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@therieau @eff Thank you for this helpful information.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@lolonurse So it appears, doesn't it?

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@lolonurse I don't read her that way, myself. I think as a well-informed an African-American woman, she's likely well-informed about the struggles many of us have to set some money aside. I suspect she's also very aware of the strength her own community has shown historically at supporting one another, pulling together to combat oppression, scrimping and saving in family units and larger communities to gather money to sustain folks during crises.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Nonya_Bidniss I honestly do think about this possibility — as one whose income is almost entirely limited right now to SS, though my spouse keeps bringing in income for both of us in retirement by taking contract work.

[nonya_bidniss@infosec.exchange]

@wdlindsy I have to hope that crashing the banks would be against the oligarchs' interests...as to our fixed incomes, I don't trust the Republicans at all.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Nonya_Bidniss Yes — and even today, I can hear my grandmother telling me that when the banks shut down as the Depression hit, she and my grandfather realized five cents on every dollar they had saved. I know what can happen since I heard those stories right from my grandmother, about the hardship that ensued for so many people.

[nonya_bidniss@infosec.exchange]

@wdlindsy When my mom was little they pretty much lived on catfish they caught and potatoes. All this can easily happen again and remember, this is Bannon's entire plan. I don't know how well that meshes with the Heritage nuts but I can tell one thing, I think we're gonna see.

[lolonurse@ohai.social]

@wdlindsy
I've always had a lot of respect for her (although her cousin Gwen was my favorite). (& long ago, I had a professional colleague who was a cousin of theirs). But it seems to me that successful immigrants & their kids can be a bit harsh, or maybe not quite understanding of poor Americans. I saw it in my family- "just work hard, apply yourself, don't slack off"... they'd be horrified (not so much sympathetic) if they could see me now!

[moiraeve@mastodon.world]

@wdlindsy Taking a walk w/ your friends is one of the best things you can do right now!