Recipe for Riots: Take Cruel Republicans and Wall Street Democrats,

[Joanne98]

Imagine if the U.S. Post Office had just shut down, leaving its almost 800,000 employees without a paycheck. And then imagine Wal-Mart was planning to lay off two-thirds of its workers -- or 1.2 million people -- by Christmas. What would they do? And what would two million more people with no income do to a U.S. economy that was teetering on the edge as it is?


Well, you don't have to imagine, because that's the situation we're in as of midnight last night. Congress has failed to appropriate money for emergency unemployment benefits for 800,000 Americans. And another 1.2 million people will be in the same boat by the end of December. They'll have no income in the worst economy since the Great Depression -- and with no sign of hope on the horizon.


(Note that these are NOT the "99ers" -- those who've exhausted 99 weeks of unemployment benefits. There are approximately 3.5 million 99ers. The two million who're now falling through the safety net with them have been unemployed for fewer than 99 weeks, but Congress has refused to appropriate the funding for their benefits.)


You don't care, you say? You have a job and don't want to hear about these millions of people who suddenly suffered from a mass attack of laziness starting in late 2008? Well, care about this: without these two million spending their unemployment checks, up to another million people will likely lose their jobs , with the total effect stomping on whatever little momentum the economy has. You might be getting a sudden attack of laziness soon yourself.


So what do we do now? Two things:


1. Find the contact information for your representatives and call, fax and write them demanding that they all -- Democrats or Republicans -- vote for the money for the needed benefits. And tell Democrats to stand up to the GOP Senate blackmail where they're holding the unemployed hostage unless Democrats vote to extend Bush's tax cuts for the richest 2%. (Of course, don't forget that the Democrats could pay for this right now on their own if they were willing to get rid of the filibuster ).


http://www.opednews.com/articles/Recipe-for-Riots-Take-Cru-by-Michael-Moore-101201-412.html

[RC]

1. More Treason by the Party of NO!

Why do they hate America so?

[Citizen Worker]

2. Why write and phone? We've seen how unsuccessful that has been. Instead we should be occupying

their district offices and showing up at every public event during their christmas break. Take the battle to them in their domains whether republican or democrat.

[Vitruvius]

3. Or do onto them what the Tea Party did

since they aren't paying attention.

It's time we Dems got our own Tea-Party equivalent to hold their feet to the fire.

[Doctor_J]

6. Don't kid yourself

Anyone who did what the teabaggers did, at a Repuke rally, will be arrested if they're lucky. More likely they'll be killed on the spot.

[mudplanet]

4. Point of information: isn't unemployment insurance paid for out of

deductions from the pay of people when they are employed? If so, is the reason that the Federal govt is having to pass a special bill to fund it because the money deducted from people's pay is being funneled into the general revenue and not set aside for use specifically for unemployment insurance?

[IDemo]

5. I could just as well call my reps and play the harmonica for them

Telling my wack-wing reps how to vote on this would get the same results as Twain's injunction against teaching pigs to sing: it will accomplish nothing and irritate the pig.

[4dsc]

7. People are sheep

DO you expect anyone who is unemployed to riot? I don't and they never will because they are sheep. I feel bad for their situation but come on. Americans don't riot over starving and going homeless. But don't get me wrong though because I believe they should show their disdain for those who would deny them some kind of support during these hard times. But I don't see them getting off their collective asses and rioting.