Unemployment is a boil on the neck of prosperity and economic recovery in America and we must do more than lance it -- we must cure it. There is constant debate as to the cause of the current unemployment/economic crisis in America. Numerous theories are espoused -- everything from blaming the poor for wanting adequate housing to the laissez-faire policies which took a foothold from the time of President Reagan onward. While it is an interesting academic pursuit to debate the causes of the present crisis, it does no good for the American people. The problem is: The crisis is real, the people are real and their lives are real. As a result the solution must also be real and must be soon.
Unemployment is bad for the entire country not just for the individuals who are unemployed, here are several reasons why:
1. A severe decrease in the tax base and a heavier burden on those employed to pay taxes.
2. An Increased medical burden for all as those who are unemployed can neither afford preventive care nor pay for non-emergency care despite the current Health Care Reform Act.
3. Higher incidents of crime and in particular fraud, and in the number of those victimized by fraud as people feel desperate to find means of support.
4. The ripple down effect on consumerism as the number of consumers of goods and services is diminished by high unemployment. Thereby causing more unemployment.
5. And suicide,in particular suicide of people who ordinarily would not think of such a dramatic solution, but who have become hopeless as a result of long periods of unemployment.
So how do we solve this crisis? As some expected of him apparently, the President cannot simply wave his magic wand and poof crisis over. To solve a crisis of such epic proportions requires thinking outside of the box and the cooperation of us all in developing new and innovative ideas. And we have an example in President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who, when faced with the same sort of crisis in the 1930's, developed creative programs such as the WPA, Social Security, the GI Bill. I am not arguing that 20th century programs are appropriate for the 21st century per se, but that we need our own version of creative policy thinking. I believe President Obama is developing such programs but he faces intense opposition and obstruction.
And it's like déjà vu all over again. President Roosevelt faced the similar opposition. Cries of socialism (The S word); the changing of America forever; constitutional violations were all the same things said in the Roosevelt administration.
The modern day Republican Party is the opposition of the day, often obstructing attempts at finding solutions to the present unemployment crisis. Recently, the Republican Party touts the end of the current jobs program, despite the fact it would result in further unemployment. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/27/tanf-emergency-fund-congr_n_660365.html#comments. A recent filibuster of unemployment benefits left millions in despair. To end this crisis and for the good of America we cannot let the obstructionist stand in the way of progress. The past is our guide to the future. To end the unemployment crisis innovation is required, spending is required, and all of these programs are required. All of this must be done and perhaps more! Let us urge our Congress and our President to support and create innovative ways to end the unemployment crisis; and let us not let obstructionism stand in our way. It is crucial that we do so. It is urgent that we do so.
Sheri and Allan Rivlin: Toward an Economic Message for Democrats
Ask a Republican to name a single economic program they support that was not part of George W. Bush's economic plan just before the economy collapsed, and wait for the answer. You will hear crickets chirping.
June Carbone and Naomi Cahn: Obama: A Feminist Scorecard
Imagine what would happen if the Obama administration fought back long enough to make the opposition explain exactly why they are so opposed to real "sex education."
John Feffer: Obama on Immigration: Faking Right?
In its head fake to the right on immigration, the Obama administration expects to deport 400,000 undocumented people this year, 10 percent more than the 2008 total of the Bush administration.
3. "Higher incidents of crime and in particular fraud, and in the number of those victimized by fraud as people feel desperate to find means of support."
With regard to fraud, in the medical field this is reality that a large number of Americans will and by now resorted to. We don't condone such actions but are sympathetic to these people and will support any legislation to remedy this. Undoubtedly Republicans will oppose, and worst still show no sympathy.
Newton's third law is applicable here for every negative Republican voice we have a positive Democratic voice such as yours Paula.
Keep all doing as you have and be a catalyst for change. I hope there will be more articles from you on HP, because your voice needs to be heard.
Job creation is an issue on two fronts. We need to manufacture and we need people who want to work in the manufacturing field.
Not everyone can have a white collar job and as a society we have looked down on blue collar jobs and have created the atmosphere that education is the only way to live and make a decent wage.
The blue collar worker needs to be paid a fair wage and no corporation is going to cut into their profits for the worker. I like the idea of workers having a stake in the company. Voting on the board of directors. being part of the company not just an employee.
America has a lot to learn and most of time I feel its too late.
All the inventions and innovations have already been shipped overseas along with the jobs. Multinationals opened factories overseas and gave the offshore labor force access to trade secrets and patents.
It's been going on for more than a decade. Globalization and free trade is really another word for maximizing profits as you exploit a workforce worldwide, where the multinational doesn't have to worry about labor laws, unions, healthcare, worker safety etc.
When multinationals can avoid paying taxes by creating subsidiaries offshore and paying slave labor wages, remember Congress and the politicians who enabled this, are quite happy with the results. Do you really think they care about jobs? The jobs are gone forever, unless we change our trade policies:
*Tariff on imported consumer items
*Penalties for corporations that employ labor offshore
*Tax loopholes closed forever, that enable multinationals to defer their offshore profits indefinitely, thereby avoiding taxation
*Fund science at the grass roots level, not through a government agency (which are populated with those who give grants to their friends and colleagues) but through an independent agency.
*Subsidies to small businesses and low interest loans for small businesses.
The current laws and policies support multinationals, not small business because they're the ones who lobby Congress.
Without these measures, nothing will change. It can't, because current policy enables exploitation of slave labor offshore, so why would any large corporation, use local labor?
I'd like to address the "... the changing of America forever" issue. That happened with Reagan - up until that time, most Americans looked upon the federal government as a force for good. While not perfect, or even always living up to our ideals, most thought that the government was for the "general welfare" as our Constitution states and most trusted the government. Reagan, and his "The most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'." has led to a deep distrust in government, especially on the federal level. Since then, the GOP has been very good at "proving" the incompetence of government by governing incompetently or not at all (while still lining their pockets). Why do some voters fall for the "government IS the problem" candidates and vote for them?
Sorry for the rant, but we have changed, fundamentally and for the worse. It was Reagan who did it, and those whining about Obama wanting to change America think of Reagan as a saint.
It was tough for FDR, who far from being a socialist, saved American capitalism, but it's tougher for Obama, because he has to deal with many Americans who have bought Reagan's mantra. The good news is that some Americans are waking up to Reagan's fallacies.
http://andysart-andyboerger.blogspot.com/2010/06/change-he-cant-believe-in.html
"The problem is: The crisis is real, the people are real and their lives are real. As a result the solution must also be real and must be soon."
Words to heed, my friends, words to heed!
Count me as another fan!
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Boils and such will have no meaning in the end if the cancer eats away everything from the inside and THIS is where America is at.
Prosperity is but a distant dream propagated by the conservative men at the top to continue preying on the false hope that one day the average citizen can make it. People fall victim and become subservient to that message without ever realizing it , which bears out repeatedly at the polls for falling back at the polls for these guys.
I think this November , Americans are going to demand to move forward and give this President , the democratic party and as an extension , themselves a chance at some surgery.
Regards,
Funky
You analysis of the situation is thought provoking. Thanks
welcome and good luck .:o)
I read all you points and all of them are valid.Certainly job number one has been to create jobs and all the prosperity and ripple down effects from that.
The President was left with a mess of epic proportions , and has tried to deal with the situation head on. His first order of business was to initiate the stimulus and carry on tarp to lance that boil of a freefall.
Here is where we diverge in opinions . This is not the 1930's and FDR., and no matter how we wat to go back in history and compare things..we simply cannot.
The underlying root ( beating heart ) to all these problems are three fold :
- class warfare ( started 30 years by a failed trickle UP policy that has wiped out the middle class)
- Race warfare that by just elected the first black President has not solved , but actually exaserbated and amplified the problem
- Power where the singular focus of an entire minority power has focused on with their continued utterance of NO to ANYTHING that this President has tried to achieve ...in the hope of cynical voters sweeping them back into power to go back to the same ole same ole.
My suggestion is to create and develop new programs which immediately put people back to work. Perhaps each state can be allotted specific funds under a Re-employment initiative to hire unfilled positions in their state, to perform tasks which are neglected in all areas and industries.
Or a federal re-employment initiative which is used to train workers in future green engineering and robotics and manufacturing.