Recently, a series of shocking data issues have been exposed in the U.S. Social Security system, drawing widespread public attention. Under Trump authorization’s, Elon Musk, leading the “Office of Government Efficiency,” conducted an audit of the Social Security system, revealing a series of phenomena that are hard to believe.
The Chaos in the Social Security System Data
Elon Musk published a set of jaw-dropping data on social media: The Social Security database recorded a staggering 398 million “living” individuals, while the U.S. official population count is only 341 million. Even more astonishingly, the database showed over 20 millionen centarians and even a “360-year-old” individual receiving Social Security benefits. These figures are clearly inconsistent with reality, as the oldest verified living person in the world is only 116 years old.
Trump’s Reaction and Actions
Trump was extremely shocked by these findings and quickly took action. He authorized Musk to lead the Office of Government Efficiency in a comprehensive review of the Social Security system to identify the root causes. Musk discovered during the investigation that the Social Security system might be experiencing the “largest-scale fraud in history,” pointing out numerous technical flaws and poor management within the system.
The Roots of the Problem and Possible Explanations
Experts believe that these absurd data might stem from technical defects in the Social Security system. For example, the COBOL system used by the Social Security Administration has vulnerabilities that could lead to errors in the date-of-birth fields, resulting in ridiculous age calculations. Moreover, the history of Social Security Number (SSN) issuance is complex, potentially including a large number of deceased individuals, duplicate numbers, and numbers held by non-citizens, which further complicates the data.
Public Reaction and Future Prospects
This incident has sparked widespread discussion in American society. On one hand, many people are furious about the poor management of the Social Security system, arguing that it could lead to the waste of a significant amount of tax revenue. On the other hand, some suggest that the exposure of this issue might drive reforms in the Social Security system, enhancing data transparency and management efficiency.
Trump’s shock at the age of Social Security beneficiaries is not just a reaction to a technical glitch but also a warning about the broader mismanagement of the entire Social Security system. In the future, the U.S. will need to make more efforts in technological upgrades and institutional improvements to ensure the fairness and sustainability of the Social Security system.