***GRRR!!!! I'm so pissed!!!***

[ColbertWatcher]

At some other point in America's history, it became acceptable for there to be a certain percentage of "unemployed" people. The common economic belief was that if we went over that number we were in trouble, but if we were below it everything was okay. Maybe not so much for the people without jobs, but it seemed to be okay because the country was doing relatively well overall.

Then came the 1980's and the Reagan era, when Americans became desensitized to the idea of people living on the street. We called them "homeless".

How this happened, I don't remember, but it looks like another GOP administration is about to make us accept another portion of our population as a second class.

Not everyone has returned home to the Mississippi gulf coast since Katrina and Rita and now we have thousands more people in Texas joining them since Ike.

All of these people, like the homeless, are dependent on others for food and shelter.

How is this acceptable to anyone? Who benefits when America has a population that is treated like second class citizens?

[babylonsister]

1. The "first-class" citizens who are filling their pockets?

Tent camps are being raised as I type, I suspect. :(

[tblue]

2. AP: Tent cities are popping up across the nation

Homeless setting up camp wherever they can

From Seattle to Athens, Ga., homeless advocacy groups and city agencies are reporting the most visible rise in homeless encampments in a generation. /snip

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-tent_cities_bdsep21,0,2661016.story


This is an American disgrace.

[billyoc]

3. You're right to suspect that.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/09/19/tent.cities.ap/?iref=mpstoryview

I'm dubbing them McHoovervilles. :grr:

[yellerpup]

6. The Shruburbs. n/t

[barbtries]

8. good one n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

10. That's the story (not that link necessarily) that made me think of this. n/t

[magellan]

4. Who benefits? Those in power

They get to use all that lovely taxpayer money for more important things like starting wars for profit and bailing out their criminal corporatist cronies.

They deploy intentional incompetence in disasters like Katrina and Ike to convince the slavish dolts who support them that they're right: "See, we told you the government has no business providing social services to the people!"

The tide will turn. But for now, the neocons/neolibs have ensured it's too late for the American people to expect the same kind of help that our government jumps to lend their corporate backers...at our expense.

[ColbertWatcher]

5. There's no such thing as a "neolib" just because there is such a thing as a neocon. n/t

[magellan]

12. Really? That's news to me. n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

13. It's another one of those things the GOP-controlled media invented ...

... to provide "balance" to conversations about "neocons".

It's like when the talking heads discuss corruption, they'll always say something like, "McCain has 100s of lobbyists on his staff, well, republicans and Democrats talk to lobbyists" both parties do it."

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!

It's ridiculous really.

[magellan]

14. PNAC was invented by the corporate media?

Ron Paul's 2003 floor speech "Neo-conned" was a GOP ploy??

[ColbertWatcher]

15. What you call "corporate media" I call GOP-controlled media.

So, yes, the PNAC is the GOP just as much as the media.

BTW, I prefer to use the term "laissez-faire" but some may find that term a bit "French".

[magellan]

16. "Laissez-faire" is just another way of saying "free market capitalism"

Neolibs support laissez-faire economics. Both Repubs and Dems can be neolibs, just as both can be neocons. These are philosophies that transcend political party...which is what makes them so difficult to root out through simple elections.

I call it the corporate media because that's the truth of it. They have a GOP bias only because the Right have been more willing to reward friendly CEOs with perks like tax breaks and deregulation, thus allowing them to turn betters profits. If the Dems sucked up to corporations and their lobbyists the way the GOP does (and they're doing that more and more) we'd see a shift in allegiance.

[Swamp Rat]

7. k&r

:(

[stillcool]

9. As long as I've got mine..

it's cool. It's a shame about poor Johnny down the street..but he must have done something wrong, or he was born on the wrong side of the tracks. Maybe I'll be nice and let poor Johnny shine my shoes. He can use my laces to pick himself up seeing as he has no boot straps.

[ColbertWatcher]

11. And that's how divide and conquer works!

It's too bad too many people are in such bad shape that they don't have the luxury to take a look around and see what's happening. They're either sleeping, or working 3 or 4 jobs or going to one of their 3 or 4 jobs.

[madamesilverspurs]

17. It's very acceptable

to those at the top. When the homeless and unemployed population increases, those at the top have a much wider pool from which to select those workers who perform menial tasks for minimum wage. The serfs must support the lords of the manor, doncha know.

[ColbertWatcher]

18. LOL! Yeah, I know.

But, it's more than just the homeless and unemployed we have hurricane refugees!

Remember those garbage barges that simply carried trash around? This is how people are being treated!

The GOP and their followers couldn't care less about anyone but themselves, but they don't even realize how close most of them are to joining that population.

So sad.

[opihimoimoi]

19. Who benefits??? The mega Rich of course...The Canes spent 220000$$$ last year on their domestic help

:toast:

[ColbertWatcher]

21. And they have 13 cars, and 8 houses! n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

20. It's acceptable to bu$h's base, the haves and have mores.

And most of the rank and file repugs who aren't yet homeless. Those who advocate pulling one up by one's bootstraps, yet who are the first ones in line for the welfare they claim to hate. It's okay if they need a hand up, you see.

[Hugabear]

22. There could be tens of millions more homeless before this is all over

As the financial institutions force people out of their homes, as entire subdivisions sit empty because nobody can afford to buy houses, there's going to be tent cities springing up all over the country.

[ColbertWatcher]

24. I think if a bailout is given, the foreclosures should be rescinded. n/t

[Jamastiene]

23. Yet, the rich asses who fucked up got a 700 Billion dollar bailout.

I hear ya. :thumbsup: