GOP Economic Terrorism Destroys the Safety Net of 38 Americans Every Minute

[marmar]

from AlterNet:




Daily Kos / By Meteor Blades

GOP Economic Terrorism Destroys the Safety Net of 38 Americans Every Minute
The GOP's shameless goal is clear: worsen the economic situation for millions in hopes of scoring more seats, so they can cause even more damage to people's lives.

July 12, 2010 |


Thirty-eight Americans a minute. That's how many people have been losing their unemployment benefits since June 2. Every minute.

Rounded off, 55,000 a day. For 41 days. That's 2.25 million Americans who have lost the ability to keep a roof over their heads, buy food, keep the electricity on, pay health premiums. They wouldn't be at so great a risk if most Senate Republicans, Sen. Ben Nelson and the damned filibuster rule weren't standing in the way of extending their benefits. And those couple of million may soon have another million for company. If Harry Reid can't twist Ben Nelson's or Gov. Joe Manchin's arm hard enough - or figure out how to get another Republican to join Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins in voting for the extension - an additional 1.1 million people will see an end to their benefits by the end of July.

These aren't Americans who lost their jobs in the past few months and are still making do from savings, credit cards and parental assistance. They're the long-term unemployed – some of the 6.8 million Americans without work for 27 weeks or longer. Most of them, 4.7 million, have been jobless for more than a year. If you've been following the details of our ongoing jobless disaster, you know that both those official figures are post-Depression records. Almost certainly an undercount.

No six degrees of separation comes between them and us. Who doesn't know somebody – or somebody who knows somebody – caught in the grinder of long-term joblessness? A typical case: the guy laid off at 55 and unable to find another job to cover the routine costs of survival, much less provide care for an aging parent and keep a kid or two in college.

Foes of extending unemployment benefits keep spouting two excuses. First, benefits create hobos, layabouts who enjoy spending every day watching cable, drinking six-packs of brew and luxuriating on an average $315 a week instead of looking for a job. For a three-person family, that comes in at $16,380 a year, a couple of grand below the poverty line. Cushy, eh? The second excuse, which we've been barraged with for weeks, is that America cannot afford another extension because of the federal deficit. Between now and November, the extension would cost $33 billion. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/economy/147510/gop_economic_terrorism_destroys_the_safety_net_of_38_americans_every_minute/

[BridgeTheGap]

1. This is what happens when there is little or no working class consciousness. The working poor

and downtrodden masses vote the least of any segment of our population. Electronic Voting Machines could make anyone cynical. Reforming and guaranteeing the integrity of the ballot is the first step.
Organizing the working poor is also critically important, as is strengthening the power of unions to organize.

[Stuart G]

2. How can one deal with this??honestly???

The GOP doesn't give a shit about anyone but themselves.
.For 33 Billion..one month in Iraq..to help our own people?? I can't stand these assholes.....
I know a couple of people caught in long term joblessness.. Too much to talk about..

K and R

[madrchsod]

3. "..if you do`t say it`s wrong...then that says it right.....

none of us are free,one of us are chained,none of us are free..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hv6sQXI1WY






there`s not enough people saying it`s wrong..all i hear is whispers from those of cower in the shadows.

[paparush]

4. Systematically killing off the middle class for years.

Repubs (rich Repubs, that is) do not want an educated middle class that possesses enough capital (intellectual and financial) to effect real change. They want a working-poor, serf underclass, that is too poor, too exhausted, too afraid to rock the boat, that does not have the means or will to organize.

Smart people with the means to organize (travel, assemble, publish information) are a threat to the ruling 1% and the financial elites are systematically destroying the middle class.