“Let’s say Social Security didn’t send out their checks. . . this month. . .My mother-in-law, who is 94 years old. . .she wouldn’t call and complain. She just wouldn’t. She would just think that something got messed up. A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling, and complaining.”

These are the words of President Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard William Lutnick as he talks about his mother-in-law who receives Social Security. He is a billionaire businessman who made his money on Wall Street and donated generously to Trump’s re-election. I would assume that if his mother-in-law did not get her check, she could definitely count on her son-in-law to look to her welfare.

On May 17, 2025, WSVN-TV of Broward County, Florida shared the story of 78-year old White woman Carolyn who has been suffering homelessness and living in her car for the past two months. Carolyn had her clothes hanging neatly in the back of her car, along with her silks that need dry cleaning folded nicely in her trunk. Carolyn eats one meal a day, survives on Social Security alone, and Medicare pays for her gym membership where she can shower and put on her makeup. I believe that if Carolyn’s Social Security check did not land in her bank account, she would have every right to call and complain. Further, Carolyn is not a fraudster but would definitely be entitled to make as much noise as possible.

The people who are supposed to be representing the citizens of the United States are completely out of touch with the citizens of the United States. This includes many in all branches of government. The role of a democratic government, as a formal organization that directs the political life of a society, is to represent its people. What we are seeing today is the problem of extreme economic inequality since the extremely wealthy have way too much clout. Such inequality has given rise to a welfare state where governmental agencies, which are supposed to provide benefits to its neediest population like Carolyn, instead provide the most benefits to corporations and the wealthiest citizens – the passing of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” in the House of Representatives being a timely example.

The lamely named “Big, Beautiful Bill” passed in the House by a vote of 215 to 214 and will go to the Senate. This legislation cuts Medicaid by at least $500 billion. It also cuts SNAP benefits by $300 billion. Student aid is also not off the hook as it would be cut by $351 billion. ICE’s budget would triple. The Bill slashes taxes, steers more money to the military and border security, and diverts funds from public schools. It also gives Trump more power to censor non-profits while blocking access to Planned Parenthood. Moreover, it also boosts the debt limit by $4 trillion, allowing the government to continue borrowing to finance its obligations. So, no matter what, we have to call the Republicans, who like to claim fiscal responsibility, LIARS! If this Bill passes, they are adding to the deficit while also robbing from poor people like Carolyn to give money to rich people like Elon Musk. What the actual hell are we doing?

While skeptics doubt that the Bill can pass the Senate, I am left wondering “where is the fight from the Democrats?” While I know there is little that can be done from a minority party with little power, I still wonder what fight looks like? I am fascinated with Carolyn’s story because she lives in Broward County, Florida. Broward County, Florida is one of the sites of the famous case of the “hanging chads” from the 2000 election between Vice President Al Gore and George W. Bush. At first, Florida was called for Bush and Gore conceded but, Gore called for a recount because of “hanging chads” in Florida’s outdated system. The counting was headed toward Gore’s favor to overtake Bush since Florida’s Supreme Court had ordered a selective manual recount of the ballots. However, the Supreme Court of the United States stepped in to stop the counting of the ballots, thus essentially handing the 25 electoral votes to George W. Bush making him the next President of the United States. This case was the beginning of the belief that perhaps the Supreme Court of the United States does act in a partisan manner.

Fast-forward twenty-five years, the Supreme Court has solidified society’s belief that it acts in a partisan manner with the many cases that have been ruled in partisan ways that have also stripped rights and hurt American society. It began with the Dobbs case that gutted the right to choose and continued with Trump v. U.S. where the Court made up “Presidential immunity.” As I think about Carolyn and the growing homelessness problem in the United States, the Supreme Court has allowed the criminalization of homelessness with City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson et al. which was decided in June, 2024. In essence, unhoused people will be forced to live in more dangerous places, thus, increasing a dystopian risk of death among increased isolation.

All of the talk of tackling “waste, fraud, and abuse” is just a tactic to steer money from governmental programs that aid the least fortunate and funnel money to the wealthiest 1% in this nation. The way things are going, the United States will double the number of Carolyns by 2030 unless we do something about this situation now. I argue that there needs to be calls for actions to stall this government. Actions to harass this government. Actions to mock this government. Actions to taunt this government. Even if there is no power to change what they are doing, they should not be able to do these horrific acts easily. Also, we should be calling these horrific people out for their lies, their ineptitudes, and their frauds (e.g., accepting the Qatar plane is a BRIBE, keep calling it a bribe!) No matter what, we have to keep the pressure up.