Poverty rate anyone?

Cut spending, balance the budget, curtail government give aways, cut unemployment benefits, cut Social Security and Medicare; these are all being touted by the “cons” as what we must do to “save” the country.

Meanwhile the poverty figures were released, and were not as high as was expected. This is scary, considering that 1 in 5 Americans now live in poverty. The poverty rate is worse than in 1960, before the “War on Poverty” reduced what at time was a major embarrassment for the United States.

Today the poverty rate for people of color is above what it was before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. When Martin Luther King marched on Washington the goals were social AND economic justice, because of the huge poverty rate for African-Americans. That rate is now HIGHER for African-Americans than before the March on Washington.

What a disgrace for the “richest country on earth”. And what do the “cons” say in reaction?

Cut government spending is their response.

Now we must remember the poverty rate for whites is higher also than in during the 60s.

The “cons” are also disrespecting poor whites who actually make up the vast majority of poor people in this country.

No country has EVER lasted very long when a huge disparity existed between the rich and the poor. The United States right now is hedging up against a gap that has destroyed other countries in the past.

The first manifestation of the decline is political-social unrest and violence. The incarceration rate for the past twenty years, the rampant gang warfare in cities, is stark evidence of the social unrest in America. The political anger and reaction of the “tea parties” and other splinter groups are evidence of political unrest. This political unrest borders on violence all the time. It is just a matter of time before it boils over.

So, what does this mean? It means that America is really in trouble this time. Because of the “cons” out of touch approach to government, and the deficit their leadership created, government is constrained from addressing poverty in a comprehensive manner. States are cutting their welfare programs to balance their budgets. Cons in Congress are taking advantage and plotting assaults on the new Health Care Bill, Social Security and Medicare. This in the midst of an unprecedented poverty rate that will break us all.

The results will be dramatic and are NOT predictable. This is the problem. The “cons” may benefit in the short run from upper middle class reactions to the recession, but in the long run, the entire political system could be de-stabilized with disastrous consequences.

What kind of consequences: fascism for one; riots for another; mass imprisonments; suspension of Civil Rights; the end of democracy in America.

It can’t happen here you say? There is absolutely no guarantee that our civil society can remain civil in the face of a staggering poverty rate. The results of this inequality cannot be good for America.

We need to suspend ALL the TAX CUTS now. The government must aide the poor and America’s safety net must be repaired or the recession/depression will destabilize our society and culture to the point that we all will lose. We will lose our inner cities, we will lose our freedom and we will lose the American Dream. Free enterprise has NEVER dealt with depressions and poverty in the short run. In the long run, a growing economy has improved the poverty rate and “raised all boats”. We are not there yet by a long shot.

It is a dangerous time in America. The poverty rate proves this. We all know it. The LAST thing we should do is weaken the shredded safety net more.

The choice is a stark one. Adopt the reactionary conservative approach and drive the country into a violent hole, or eliminate the tax cut for ALL, and begin to heal the nation.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.