One of the most pernicious lies peddled by Republicans has to do with the idea its fault of the unemployed that they are out of work, and that by extending unemployment insurance, you increase unemployment by removing the incentive to work.
This denigration of the unemployed can be seen today as part of the Republican's vicious assault on #occupywallstreet - their assertion that it's the protesters' own fault that they don't have jobs. As Tea Party presidential candidate of the month Herman Cain recently pronounced to #occupywallstreet:
"If you don't have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself!
Like just about every other time Republicans have claimed that it's necessary to punish American workers in order to improve the economy, objective data is proving them wrong.
An overlooked study from the Department of Labor asserts that unemployment insurance, in addition to what it provides for those thrown out of work, saves literally millions of other jobs. More below.
Read More