Two Economies Equal Two Different Worlds

[Rohirrim]

Robert Reich is one of the only people left who actually sees what's going on.

Congress, meanwhile, doesn't know much about the bottom 90 percent. The top 10 percent provide almost all campaign contributions and funding of "independent" ads.

Moreover, just about all members of Congress are drawn from the same top 10 percent -- as are almost all their friends and associates, and even the media who report on them.

Get it? The bottom 90 percent of Americans -- most of whom are still suffering from the Great Recession, most of whom have been on a downward escalator for decades -- have disappeared from official Washington.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert...b_4202871.html

[Rohirrim]

As of November 1 more than 47 million Americans have lost some or all of their food stamp benefits. House Republicans are pushing for further cuts. If the sequester isn't stopped everything else poor and working-class Americans depend on will be further squeezed.

We're not talking about a small sliver of America here. Half of all children get food stamps at some point during their childhood. Half of all adults get them sometime between ages 18 and 65. Many employers -- including the nation's largest, Walmart -- now pay so little that food stamps are necessary in order to keep food on the family table, and other forms of assistance are required to keep a roof overhead.

The larger reality is that most Americans are still living in the Great Recession. Median household income continues to drop. In last week's Washington Post-ABC poll, 75 percent rated the state of the economy as "negative" or "poor."

So why is Washington whacking safety nets and services that a large portion of Americans need, when we still very much need them?

It's easy to blame Republicans and the right-wing billionaires that bankroll them, and their unceasing demonization of "big government" as well as deficits. But Democrats in Washington bear some of the responsibility. In last year's fiscal cliff debate neither party pushed to extend the payroll tax holiday or find other ways to help the working middle class and poor.

Here's a clue: A new survey of families in the top 10 percent of net worth (done by the American Affluence Research Center) shows they're feeling better than they've felt since 2007, before the Great Recession.

[elsid13]

I am actually amazed how many American families are dependent on food stamps to actually survive. I didn't realize how bad it was, and it make no sense that Congress is cutting those benefits while increase tax breaks or providing subsidiaries for large agribusinesses.

The media myth of the welfare queen doesn't match the realty of who is dependent on the 32 dollars a month to live. Or the food banks that depend on federal funds to keep their selves stocked.

[Rohirrim]

I think Reich is right about this one. Congress doesn't have the slightest clue. They spend all their time with millionaires who keep telling them how great everything is and how they've made over 20% on their investments since the "recovery" began. I'm sure the overwhelming majority of these office holders in the Capitol are also part of the investor class and also doing very well.

[barryr]

Gee, Congress has members making tons of money with deals for themselves. Wow, what a revelation. It's only been going on for decades. And shocking as this is, hold on to your pacifiers and your Jimmy Carter buttons, it's democrats who have been doing it too. Oh, the horrors. The high numbers on food stamps has been reported for a few years now too, but I know it is hard to find it in any liberal type website since it makes Obama and his policies look bad and we just can't have that. It's better to blame republicans of course.

[Rohirrim]

Gee, Congress has members making tons of money with deals for themselves. Wow, what a revelation. It's only been going on for decades. And shocking as this is, hold on to your pacifiers and your Jimmy Carter buttons, it's democrats who have been doing it too. Oh, the horrors. The high numbers on food stamps has been reported for a few years now too, but I know it is hard to find it in any liberal type website since it makes Obama and his policies look bad and we just can't have that. It's better to blame republicans of course.

Since Reich points this out in the article I guess we should question your ability to read.

[baja]

As of November 1 more than 47 million Americans have lost some or all of their food stamp benefits. House Republicans are pushing for further cuts. If the sequester isn't stopped everything else poor and working-class Americans depend on will be further squeezed.

We're not talking about a small sliver of America here. Half of all children get food stamps at some point during their childhood. Half of all adults get them sometime between ages 18 and 65. Many employers -- including the nation's largest, Walmart -- now pay so little that food stamps are necessary in order to keep food on the family table, and other forms of assistance are required to keep a roof overhead.

The larger reality is that most Americans are still living in the Great Recession. Median household income continues to drop. In last week's Washington Post-ABC poll, 75 percent rated the state of the economy as "negative" or "poor."

So why is Washington whacking safety nets and services that a large portion of Americans need, when we still very much need them?

It's easy to blame Republicans and the right-wing billionaires that bankroll them, and their unceasing demonization of "big government" as well as deficits. But Democrats in Washington bear some of the responsibility. In last year's fiscal cliff debate neither party pushed to extend the payroll tax holiday or find other ways to help the working middle class and poor.

Here's a clue: A new survey of families in the top 10 percent of net worth (done by the American Affluence Research Center) shows they're feeling better than they've felt since 2007, before the Great Recession.

There is a series on The History Channel called Titans of America or something like that. It's a great documentary about the rise of titans like Carnegie Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan. It so mimics today it is fascinating. Did you see it?

[baja]

Cutting food stamps, cutting healthcare, one would think the federal government is trying to provoke a revolt from the people. Question would be is why would they do that?

Are they looking for an excuse to implement marshal law, if so why.

Could they be looking for a reason to disarm American citizens?

Maybe they need to cripple America as a necessary step toward a global government with a global currency?

Maybe they feel there are just too many people and need a mechanism to cull the herd?

[Meck77]

Cutting food stamps, cutting healthcare, one would think the federal government is trying to provoke a revolt from the people. Question would be is why would they do that?

Are they looking for an excuse to implement marshal law, if so why.

Could they be looking for a reason to disarm American citizens?

Maybe they need to cripple America as a necessary step toward a global government with a global currency?

Maybe they feel there are just too many people and need a mechanism to cull the herd?

Or maybe just maybe the idea of a balanced budget is still a goal of our government? Imagine that! As stamps get cut motivation to find food goes up. That means getting a job. That person goes from a liability to a revenue producing member of society. Is this concept that abstract?

Of course it's all lip service as long as our government continues to spend billions on war and shipping billions to countries like Israel who don't even need our tax dollars to survive.

Would rather us cut foreign aide to countries that entangle us in their wars over hungry Americans but hungry Americans don't have a powerful lobby.

[elsid13]

Or maybe just maybe the idea of a balanced budget is still a goal of our government? Imagine that! As stamps get cut motivation to find food goes up. That means getting a job. That person goes from a liability to a revenue producing member of society. Is this concept that abstract?

Of course it's all lip service as long as our government continues to spend billions on war and shipping billions to countries like Israel who don't even need our tax dollars to survive.

Would rather us cut foreign aide to countries that entangle us in their wars over hungry Americans but hungry Americans don't have a powerful lobby.

You really don't get it do you? Most of the folk getting food assistance are working, but those wages aren't enough for them to live. They making the decision to pay rent or food for their children or utility bill. This recovery is still going on, as much as some want to deny it.

[Meck77]

I really do get it. You know what people in pour countries do? They farm. Our country is holding these people hostage. Obama ran on a platform of change for the middle class? Where is it? If we really wanted to help feed people we could easily pour billions into back yard gardening programs, community gardens, greenhouse projects. Teach the poor how to raise their own food. This would require real work and real change. Easier to just print money that doesn't exist or in this case just cut them off. The reality is Obama is wall streets best friend. He doesn't want to upset the Monsanto and big Ag of the world and actually help people become independent/eat healthy food.

Have plenty of "poor" family in Ukraine. They are up to their necks in AMAZING food. They don't have cash and don't even know they are poor. Not all of them own land but land is made available to farm via community plots.

Forget the food stamps. Let's just fatten everybody up with 99 cent burgers from McDonalds. That will fix everything!

[W*GS]

What a poorly-thought-out idea, Meck.

[Meck77]

What a poorly-thought-out idea, Meck.

Yeah cutting off billions of our tax dollars to countries like Israel and helping Americans doesn't sit well with you. I know.

Shifting tens of billions of dollars to help Americans becoming more self sufficient and eat healthier! Insane!

A better idea rather than helping Americans to become healthier is to force feed them garbage and force them all into Insurance exchanges or fine them! That's the answer!

[orinjkrush]

the results of de-industrializing America are now apparent. the only industry we have left is the military-industry (thank goodness).
Baby Boomer Corporate Elites have perpetrated the tragedy of the commons en masse and have decimated America's ability to have a healthy economy.
Repubs and Demos are merely vassals of these corporations (people now, I guess).
The only way to start getting healthy is to throw all the Repugs and Demos out. All of them. Even then its a long shot.

[W*GS]

Yeah cutting off billions of our tax dollars to countries like Israel and helping Americans doesn't sit well with you. I know.

I happen to agree that we shouldn't help Israel at all with taxpayer money. I don't harbor any delusions that all will be sweetness and light if we cut 'em off.

Shifting tens of billions of dollars to help Americans becoming more self sufficient and eat healthier! Insane!

Producing some of one's own food is laudable goal, but asking folks who already work two jobs and have a grand total of 20 square feet to "garden" in to add the chore of food-growing to their day is more than a bit much.