A National Disaster: Examining a Welfare System Broken by Reform

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Monday September 06, 2010 · 9:39 AM PDT

2010/09/06 · 09:39

This is a long read, but I believe it's well worth it. On this Labor Day, I hope we can all take a few moments to remember the poor and working class of America and to consider the struggle they endure while the wealthy and the comfortable ride on the backs of their labors. Happy Labor Day, America.

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Within the sphere of American politics, there is extensive debate about controversial topics that range from same-sex marriage, to abortion, and other “culture war” fare. In the midst of the ideological firestorm, one particular subject has faded into political obscurity, left behind and forgotten in a nation that cares more about the latest pop star scandal than basic food security for poor children. That subject, of course, is poverty—specifically, the poverty that has persisted in a post-welfare-reform America, and has even flourished in some respects. There is no doubt that it is more than past time that we re-evaluated our welfare system and reformed the "reforms" that have left our social safety net barren, gaping, and not the least bit safe for anyone involved.

oktoberain

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Saturday December 12, 2009 · 1:39 PM PST

2009/12/12 · 13:39

I mean, that's the heart of the problem, right? Corporate America doesn't want or need working class Americans anymore. They can get their labor overseas now, cheaper and with fewer complications (like unions, or healthcare, or occupational safety rules, or minimum wages, or child labor laws...) Oh sure, they still need a few of us around for the menial tasks of running their little isolated continental kingdom here in North America, and they need a few peasant boys willing to play soldier for them so those pesky Chinese don't get any bright ideas about expanding their empire, but that's about the extent of it.

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A National Disaster: Examining a Welfare System Broken by Reform

They No Longer Need Us. Now What?