How I make MAGA heads explode

[maxrandb]

I tell them I worked a federal government job that allowed me to retire at 54, with a life-time pension and great health insurance.

They look at me like I'm a FUCKING thief, until they ask; "what did you do"? When I say; "served 30 years in the United States Navy", they sputter and stammer like I've asked an AI program to explain why Musk is a genius.

Their brains kind of short circuit as they try to figure out if I'm a "French Surrender Monkey Commie", or if they should thank me.

I really wish they instead would ask WHY THEIR PENSIONS AND BENEFITS CAN'T BE LIKE MINE!!!!!!?????

[MineralMan]

1. Nice!

[walkingman]

2. Good post - I dodged the draft in 1968 simply because I did not think that the Vietnam War was justified

and I think all the other wars that followed have been meaningless and seemingly never ending. So I think you deserve whatever compensation you get for being willing to put your life on the line for some bureaucratic politician who takes no risk for himself or his family.

More power to you. I hope you are doing everything you can to promote a more peaceful world as someone that understands the impact it has on real lives and families. ☮

I'm already against the next war.

[Emile]

3. 30 years, that's a lot of cruises.

[PCIntern]

4. There's an old joke that goes something like this:

An older retired guy takes a job at Walmart as a greeter. One night he goes home, has his dinner, and the phone rings. It’s his manager, who says to him, “You know, you do a great job when you’re here. You’re extremely nice to the customers, you execute your job duties beautifully, you understand your role in Walmart Hierarchy, you read and follow the manual, everything. But you constantly show up 10 or 15 minutes late. Did you do that in the job that you had before us?“

Yes, says the man, I did.

“And what did they say to you when you showed up for work earlier at that job?“

They said, “Good morning, Admiral.”

[SarcasticSatyr]

7. funny, but in fairness . . . . .

he had to show up early for many years before he could get away with that ...

Just a Navy vet talking ...

[BOSSHOG]

23. My Sailors quickly learned

My first order of business. When You’re on time you’re late.

[maxrandb]

36. OMG! I just had a flashback!

I worked for a great XO on one of my ships when I was a Chief. He was tough, but fair, and his catchphrase was "if you're on time, you're late".

Fast forward about a decade and I was a Department Head at an F-18 Squadron. My new Chief was supposed to check-in with me and showed up right on time.

I said; "Chief, if you're on time, you're late". He turned white as a ghost, looked like someone just walked over his grave and said; "did you used to work for Captain (blank)?"

I laughed and said "yeah". I don't think either of us was "on-time" again.

Bravo Zulu for making me remember that.

[BOSSHOG]

44. Roger That My Friend

I don’t know when I originally heard it, but it worked like magic. My other favorite, if you will, is a quote by Henry Ford.” If you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” Worked most of the time without too much supervision being used. I had it on a sign on my desk facing the visitor.

[Genevra]

5. HAHAHA! Brilliant!

NT

[iluvtennis]

6. Love it 😍. n/t

[DENVERPOPS]

8. Or why everyone's pension and benefits

Can't be like the Members of the House and Senate..........

[TBF]

9. That's the real question - I think the military (at every level) deserves every cent of compensation

that comes their way. But I may have a different opinion of Congress.

[DENVERPOPS]

10. Were they able

to shove thru their pay increases for congress critters which they tried to include on their budget bill proposal????????

[TBF]

12. I'm pretty sure that came out - it likely wasn't as high as Musk was ranting about

but I also think it was controversial enough that they took it out. This extension they passed is only 3 months and includes key spends like disaster relief (apparently NC is still a mess up in the mountains) and farm $$$. They will wait until a longer term bill and try to get that pay raise in there.

[Lochloosa]

31. It was 3.8% and they have not had a raise since 2009. It was bullshit to get rid of it.

[Callie1979]

33. They're paid over 174,000 a yr. They dont need a raise & one certainly isnt deserved.

None of them have ever retired from Congress poor either. Plus they get other compensation
Plus if they serve 20yrs they can retire with pension at 50. THATS early. If they're 62 they can retire with only FIVE years in office. not a full pension, but still better than private sector.

Maybe they should do what the framers intended & serve a few terms and LEAVE.
A term limit amendment would easily pass pretty much every state.

[DENVERPOPS]

37. In most cases

we have the best Politicians money can buy..............

[Callie1979]

39. LOL

[Lochloosa]

43. BS. My brother works a lot more than 40 hrs a week.

And the retirement is the same as the military. Your point?

[DENVERPOPS]

35. I can only imagine

that a small portion would need it........A large percentage are worth more than a couple of million......

[Lochloosa]

38. That's why so many are wealthy. They can afford to be in congress

[Callie1979]

40. Maybe look how their wealth has INCREASED since they GOT there.

And that goes for both sides of the aisle.

[TBF]

42. I'm inclined to agree with you after living in Wash DC

as staff in law firms (back in the 1990s) ... the pay was better in the private sector at my level and we had massive O/T. The staffers on the Hill did not make as much. Most of the partners in the major law firms actually had higher salaries than the president, much less Congresspeople.

However the optics of it probably weren't great. I hope it's done after the new year, I don't keep up with it much anymore but like I said I wouldn't disagree with you.

[DENVERPOPS]

41. The most important thing they will do

is increase the debt limit a trillion or two so they can RENEW the huge tax cut he passed for the Uber Rich last time he was president, AND, so he can pass even yet ANOTHER huge tax cut for the Uber Rich....

[Wiz Imp]

15. The pay raise was NOT in the bill that passed.

[HUAJIAO]

26. No

[Lochloosa]

30. OK, let's talk about the pay raise. It was a 3.8% raise not the 40% that the illegal immigrant said.

Second, they have not had a raise since 2009. How would you like that at your job?

Third, My Step-brother is a congressman and sleeps on his office couch because of the cost of living in DC. Maintaining two households on his salary would be impossible. He could walk away and make a high 6 figure salary, but chooses to fight the good fight.

You are spouting right wing talking points with the "congress critters" remark.

[COL Mustard]

32. I agree with you that they deserve an appropriate level of compensation

My GS-15 salary is actually higher than theirs but they get an allowance to run their offices. They can use that as a discretionary fund to pay their travel, salaries, etc. but their Federal retirement is based on their salary.

[Mr.Bee]

18. Congressmembers Should be

paid the national MINIMUM WAGE with any additional income from any source being unlawful.

[OrangeJoe]

25. Not to rain on your rant but..

Members of Congress get the same retirement benefits as every other federal retiree. That “them politicians get 100% of their salary and free health care for life” was invented by the right wing that wants to end democracy. Stop spreading the lie and do some research. The Congressional Research Service had excellent papers that clearly address this subject.

[LymphocyteLover]

11. LOL!!!!

[lindysalsagal]

13. Also the big reason they hate public education: Teacher pensions.

[mountain grammy]

14. Thank you for your service.

When my husband met our Congressman at a Veterans breakfast the Congressman thanked him for his service. My husband said you can thank me by not messing with the VA except to improve it at the time it was Jared Polis who answered “yeah I hear that a lot”. Duh.

[LogDog75]

16. I do the same thing

I retired, at age 53, after serving 28 years in the AF and have the same benefits you do. It was the benefits that convinced me to enlist.
Except, when then begin complaining about government employees being lazy and, in general, being worthless. I ask them why they hate our military since everyone in the military is a government employee.

It's hilarious watching their brains and mouth work out-of-sync trying to come up with an explanation that doesn't make them look like they're dissing the military.

[BOSSHOG]

24. Yes Indeed Teammate

I am a proud military retiree, enjoy a modest pension, use TRICARE sparingly, take care of myself physically. All of us who retire today are volunteers. I will say we deserve our retirement package. But we also volunteered to die for our country to get it. Good On Us.

[Callie1979]

34. I still recommend military service to young people all the time.

Especially if they dont know what they want to do for a living.
It will educate you in so many ways plus you'll see the world like most never do.
I never served long enough for a pension but my dad did. Best thing he ever did. I STILL wish I'd done my 20 even today in my 60s

[Blue_Tires]

17. Brilliant!

[Blue1Red2]

19. A thinking man

Ha ha good one FLY NAVY!

[Quanto Magnus]

20. WHY THEIR PENSIONS AND BENEFITS CAN'T BE LIKE MINE!!!!!!?????

Because they've given up and are looking for someone else to blame.... They can't blame their leaders because then they'd have to admit that their whole political ideology is terrible for them.

[kevink077]

21. Keep taking about "president Musk"

Drives him crazy . 100%

[kairos12]

22. I get the same response when I explain my politics and also say

I'm an Army Ranger, and I ask, where did you serve?

[odins folly]

27. The look on the face

When i tell someone that 20 years in the USAF taught me to be a diehard liberal...

I did my 20 twice, USAF and TSA...

It occurs to me that the folks who disparage federal workers who retire with pension and benefits are the same jag offs who didn't want to answer to the man and thought the would be better off self employed..

[Martin68]

28. I love it! MAGAts are so limited in their understanding of what the government does.

30 years of rightwing media have rotted trotted their brains.

[Initech]

29. I tell them they're doing the billionaires' dirty work for them for free.