Your favorite federal government program may disappear tomorrow and it's probably your fault
14 May 2025
What is your favorite federal program, or at least one that benefits you?
It may be health care related: Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, medical residency funding or Veterans health care.
It may relate to medical research for cancer, dementia or other disorders.
It may relate to social security or income support: Social Security, SSI or Unemployment insurance.
It may relate to Food and Nutrition assistance: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or School lunches.
It may relate to Housing: Section 8 or other public housing.
It may relate to Education: Student loans, Student loan debt relief or Head Start.
It may be economic: Small business loans, antitrust enforcement or regulation of the financial markets.
It may be safety related regarding air, water, food and roads.
It may be anti-discrimination activities for women, children, minorities, LGBTQ or others.
It may be promoting democracy worldwide and reducing war.
In any event, the American people, likely with your help, elected a President intent on turning the Federal government into his personal business, whose major priority is to benefit himself financially and try to satisfy his sociopathic tendencies. As a result, he is destroying or at least severely damaging all aspects of the federal government.
Did you vote for Kamala Harris for President? If not, it’s your fault because she would not have done any of this. Even if you voted for her, how hard did you work on her campaign? Trump’s actions were predictable - if they bother you now, you should have worked harder.
The same is true for Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. If in the majority, they would have some power to limit Trump’s actions, but they are not. If you didn’t vote for them, this is partly your fault.
My point is not to make you feel bad for no reason. It’s to convince you that voting matters and that you should try extra hard to campaign for Democrats in elections for the next 10 years if you don’t want a continuation of Trump.
I know - you hate politics, you are too busy or you are not sure what to do. None of these replies is really a good excuse. Start today with a small activity, and over time, you will realize other things you can do to help. Pick a cause, a candidate or a campaign and get to work. If you don’t know how to start, think about what issues or programs you care about and look for individuals or groups that focus on that. Or be prepared for the status quo to continue or get worse.
Related activism essays:
The resistance rises, 1 April 2025
Pro-democracy activities for you, 31 March 2025
The index to my prior essays (mostly post 5 November 2024) is here.
I have another blog on Cancer and Medicine.
You can also follow me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nat-pernick-8967765/ (LinkedIn), npernickmich (Threads and Instagram) and natpernick.bsky.social (Bluesky).
Email me at Nat@PathologyOutlines.com.
I also publish Notes at https://substack.com/note. Subscribers will automatically see my notes.
This is beautifully said—thank you for the clarity and conviction. It can be overwhelming to face how much is at stake, but your words cut through the fog. I’ve benefited directly from federal programs, and I’ve also felt the weight of watching them be chipped away. I’m trying to show up in whatever ways I can. Your reminder to keep going—even when we feel small—really lands.