OP-ED: Let's Talk About Social Media Alarmists Who Misconstrue the News

We can't have a conversation about the "walter cronkiting" of the media any more. 

That has dissipated and malfunctioned in the face of easily-manipulated news on the Internet these days.

Information reporting has given way to sensationalism (something we used to call "yellow" journalism) and also some pretty stiff competition between independent journalists and mainstream media, especially when it comes to advertising dollars and revenue.

For instance, headlines like this: "Tell Congress to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid from Elon Musk's cuts..."

According to Snopes, the online fact-checker that claims to check the facts, but has often had to be checked for their own inaccuracies ... Musk never said anything about "cutting" social security.

This is how SNOPES defines themselves: "The definitive Internet reference source for researching urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation."

So, one has to wonder about the validity of SNOPES.com when the fact-checkers end up getting fact-checked and flunk the test: LINK.

And most assuredly, if you ever use Wikipedia.com for a primary source of information, you've lost all credibility with MOST people who were actually taught how to research their facts back during the time of the library's CARD CATALOG.

Old School Card Catalog

That said, what did SNOPES say Elon Musk said, and what did Elon Musk actually say?

"While Musk has not personally advocated reforms or cuts to Social Security, other Republican figures have - in defiance of Trump's election promise not to cut entitlements. As Social Security is the largest single mandatory spend for the U.S. government - totaling $1.4 trillion in 2023 - it could be a consideration for Musk's $2 trillion cost-saving agenda in 2025." - Newsweek

SNOPES summarizes: "In other words, while Musk has publicly advocated for reductions to federal spending in the trillions, there was no explicit evidence of him saying he wants to cut Social Security benefits, specifically, or tangible proof of him working towards that alleged objective, as of this writing."

Maybe the social security social media alarmists will turn out to be right, maybe not.

Time will tell; but speaking from a completely editorial point of view, I wouldn't trust Musk or anyone he plays with any farther than I could pick them up and toss them.

Now let's see what Musk's 'DOGE-style' brings to the America that is not Elon Musk's and to which he was not born and in which he has no real stake...the America where he/Musk is only oriented to what the average politically-affected American will never have.

You may not "do" politics, but politics will most assuredly do you.