Posted on 04/25/2010 3:51:15 PM PDT by blam
Growing Anger At Collapse Of U.S.A. Standard Of
Living Politics / US Politics
Apr 25, 2010 - 07:03 AM
By: Global Research
Hiram Lee writes: A series of recent studies conducted by the Pew Research Center shed new light on the scope of the economic crisis in the US and the level of hostility the majority of the American population holds for the US government.
Released in March, before the passage of the Obama administration’s health care legislation, a survey entitled “Health Care Reform—Can’t Live With It, or Without It” indicates that 92 percent of Americans give the national economy a negative rating. No fewer than 70 percent of the respondents report having suffered job-related and financial problems in the past year, an increase from 59 percent the year before. Fifty-four percent report someone in their home has been without a job and looking for work in the past year, up from 39 percent in 2009.
The poll saw an aggravation of conditions in every area of economic life studied the year before. Increasing numbers of people are reporting difficulty receiving or affording medical care (26 percent) or paying their rent or mortgage payments (24 percent). More Americans faced problems with collections and credit agencies (21 percent), or had mortgages, loans or credit card applications denied (19 percent).
As could be expected, the poorest Americans are suffering the most. Some 44 percent of those making $30,000 per year or less report difficulty obtaining medical care, compared to 11 percent of those making $75,000 per year or more. A similar gap can be found in the category of rents and mortgages, with 37 percent of those making $30,000 or less reporting difficulty making rent or mortgage payments, compared to 11 percent of those making $75,000 or more. However, the percentage of those facing difficulties paying rent has increased dramatically for both groups since 2009.
Large numbers of workers polled in the study say they have little confidence in job security and prospects for the future, with almost half (49 percent) saying it is “very or somewhat likely” they will suffer “job-related financial stress” in the next year. Twenty-five percent of workers say they expect to be forced to take a pay cut this year, while 24 percent expect to be laid off.
The Pew survey found that 85 percent of Americans reported difficulty finding jobs in their communities. This and other statistics revealing the increasingly dismal employment opportunities facing millions of Americans are provided context in another study released this month by the Pew Economic Policy Group.
“A Year or More: The High Cost of Long-Term Unemployment” reports that no fewer than 44 percent of unemployed Americans met or exceeded the standard measure of long-term unemployment (six months or more) in March 2010. This marks the highest rate for long-term unemployment levels since World War II.
In addition to this, the Pew study reports that “23 percent of the nearly 15 million Americans who are unemployed have been jobless for a year or more.” This translates to 3.4 million people, “roughly equivalent,” the study points out, “to the population of the state of Connecticut.”
These alarming numbers should be considered along with findings in another recent Pew research study entitled “The People and Their Government,” released April 18. This report finds that “by almost every conceivable measure Americans are less positive and more critical of government these days.”
Only 22 percent of Americans say their government can be trusted, according to the new survey. The report puts this among the lowest measures of trust in the government in half a century.
The study also shows across-the-board declines in approval ratings for numerous federal agencies, including the Department of Education, the Food and Drug Administration, the Social Security Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Forty-three percent say the government has a negative effect on their daily life, up from 31 percent in 1997.
While approval ratings for the government are remarkably low, with 65 percent saying the federal government and congress have a negative impact “on the way things are going in the country,” the approval ratings for other major institutions are as low or lower. Sixty-nine percent of those surveyed say banks and other financial institutions have a negative impact on the way things are going in the country, while 64 percent say “large corporations” have a negative impact. Some 57 percent say the national news media has a negative impact, while 49 percent say labor unions have such an impact.
The report states that “more than six-in-ten (62%) say it is a major problem that government policies unfairly benefit some groups while nearly as many (56%) say that government does not do enough to help average Americans.”
Taken as a whole, the Pew studies from March and April offer additional insight into the growing social misery under conditions of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the outrage it is generating.
Wide layers of the population, who have seen trillions of dollars funneled from the public treasury into the coffers of Wall Street executives while their own living standards have been assaulted, their jobs slashed, their children’s schools closed, and vital social programs such as Medicare cut by billions of dollars, have no faith in the US government to secure their most basic social needs.
The corporate-controlled news media, along with the major institutions overseeing the nation’s educational needs and basic food and medical resources, are considered corrupt and untrustworthy, contributing to the suffering of millions.
President Barack Obama, continuing to pose as a populist man of the people when he finds it necessary or beneficial, stands exposed as the chief representative of the interests of the American ruling elite and the standard bearer in the assault on the working class.
The restructuring of society taking place, in the direct interests of the corporate-financial elite and at the expense of the working population, is not occurring unnoticed. The American and international working class will inevitably find itself drawn into struggle against the present, untenable form of social organization.
Growing Anger At Collapse Of U.S.A. Standard Of Living
Is it your position that millions of voters aren't idiots? ;) (cue Carl Sagan voice 'Billions and Billions')
/johnny
At least this survey shows that no one is alone in the pain and sacrifice, except, of course, those benefiting at the expense of the majority.
We cut back drastically 2 years ago and within 9 months or so, we saw rises in taxes, fees and core consumer goods take back over 1/3 of what we had *saved*. It increased over the next year and a half and we are now on a second wave of cutbacks. There is very little left to cut.
I have felt for months that everyone is suffering, if only from frugality fatigue. This survey confirms it. It isn't only about what is being done to future generations, it is here and now.
Americans usually don't complain. We figure we are going through a rough patch, but the system is ok and we will come through it. Now, people just aren't so sure.
It will get worse before November.
I would describe it as TREASON.
More than just millions.
I don’t understand ...
What did everyone expect???
http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/02/13/marxist-obama-why-the-media-has-been-silent/
We now know the full details of Barry’s Occidental years.
He was an avowed and committed Marxist.
He looked forward to the revolution when the Marxists would overthrow our government.
His love for Marxism was unusually strong .
He was in passionate agreement with the most radical Marxist Leninist professors.
The full interview is devastating.
Too bad Fox News ignored Dr Drew in 2008 when he contacted them.
But
but
but
Obama said we should thank him ......
Great post.
Thanks
You are right and that is what socialists/communists do - wipe out the middle class.
In 2008, we had a Presidential candidate that openly embraced the policies of Herbert Hoover (i.e. protectionist trade and raising taxes on our best wealth creators during a recession). It was no secret. And voters examined those policies and voted in favor of them. So there is really no reason for anger here. They should instead be ecstatic at the success of those policies.
People haven’t seen ANYTHING yet... We’re in the process of de-valuing our currency. It’s our only way out of this debt hole.
What it means is, 20+ years of decling Standard of Living. How mad will they be then?
“Great post. Most are utterly clueless as to what is coming. Utterly clueless.”
Yep. For all our whining, let’s say China decided (for whatever reason) to stop trading with us. Has ANYONE assessed that? We thought it was bad in WW2 when we realized that Japan had cornered all sources of natural rubber. That’s child’s play compared to where we are now. I even doubt that we could build basic weapons to fight them with...without their imports (of some type).
I’m relatively ready. I have roughly 4 years of non-perishable supplies...but I still worry. I’ll have to deal with my neighbors that think I’m some kind of John Bircher. But I’m not. I’ve NEVER expected a meltdown and ALWAYS ignored the people yelling FED, CFR, etc. But I can do the math...and I can see what we can and can no longer do as a country. I don’t even think we could operate our farms without Chinese supplies...and I bet I’m right.
You know me well I guess, I saw it earlier today and now I see it again.
25 seconds of my time wasted in total on that video. ; )
“We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK.” - Barack the Kenyan
Uh, he used to drive a SUV
before he got his own 747.
.-————————————
Didja see the article where he keeps the White House so hot, almost all the staff can hardly stand it ?????
Maybe like Kenya???
Just kidding on that last one.
“What will step 2 bring?”
The Kenyan will invite foreign troops into the U.S. to put down unrest fomented by right-wing hate groups. This move will be applauded by the UN and the majority of nations around the world. Citizens will be disarmed and those living in areas of resistance will be moved into guest facilities and re-educated or eliminated. Non-productive people living in public housing that are able bodied will be used as labor, those that are not will be eliminated.
The wealthy that supported Obama will be moved to secure zones until the unrest has died down and then will be allowed to resume their lives with the assistance of domestic labor from the re-educated.
You get the picture.
Americans citizens have learned what many of us knew for years. Big Government, Big Unions, Big Businesses and Big Banks are not your friend.
The elitist Pol and Corps. have sold us out to the Globalist market. U.S. citizens have lost manufacturing and now technical jobs to those counties who hate us for so long, that if we “decided” today to manufacture here it would take a long time to recover the skills. And WHAT have we gained?? Bigger chains of economic slavery.
Even though we are still working we still feel the pinch of democratic polies like the minimum wage increase 2 years in a row whcih increased the price of food dramatically. We no longer buy many extras because there just isn’t the money for it and paying the bills. I’m just really glad we aren’t too far in debt like some are. They must really be in awful shape right now.
bump
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