An incredibly offensive article for the unemployed

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 12/6/10 at 11:23pm

http://bobbi85710.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/us-military-do-you-know-the-unemployed-will-be-collecting-a-third-year-of-benefits/

One of my FB friends posted this. Normally I try really hard not to argue politics with people, but this article offended me so much as someone who spent six months on unemployment and am lucky enough to be working only part-time right now that I had to comment on it.

Here is what I wrote:

"I greatly honor and respect our military, and yes there are people who abuse the system, but most people I know (including myself) do not enjoy being unemployed. We are working incredibly hard trying to get back to work (in my case trying to get another part-time job), but the economy is still in shambles after the Bush administration destroyed it. And if you don't want the government giving out "free money", then we had better get rid of social security and disability. My grandma is barely getting by as it is and I don't even want to think about what would happen if tomorrow she lost her social security. This article is incredibly offensive to me and everyone out there who is not working and struggling to get by."

[siny]

Posted: 12/6/10 at 11:54pm

Did your friend respond ? Unfortunately this is a common view among the tea partiers. Even the ones who are on the dole themselves - Social Security, Medicare, disability.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 12/7/10 at 12:03am

If tomorrow Obama turned around and said "no more social security" the Tea Baggers will either
A) All of a sudden turn and be supporters of Social Security and Unemployment (this is likely since anything...and I mean ANYTHING Obama does they will fight against)
or B) Say "Thank God" and then in a matter of weeks see how stupid that idea is and beg for it to be put back into our system.
Seriously, the Tea Baggers and the GOP (in general terms) are morons. They don't know what the hell they are saying...just as long as it came from Beck, Palin, O'Reilly, Limbaugh, or Bush's mouth then all is fine.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/7/10 at 12:23am

Not shocking. Shaming the 'welfare queens' and the poor has been as American as apple pie for the right since Reagan. Ironically my late grandfather was a retired veteran of the Navy (over 20 years of service) spent a good year looking for work in the 70s, eventually finding work in Arizona (long ways from Upstate NY). My father went to West Point since that was the only way to balance going to school for free and getting world class education. Funny when my Grandfather joined the Navy the purpose was to send money to his family who like many people for their time were in financial straits. What I am saying is that it is funny that this post seems unaware of just why many members of our Armed Forces joined in the first place. I understand there are many reasons why people sign up but a five-figure bonus in this economy sounds pretty nice right now, especially for kids who have no options with colleges being so expensive or their parents are possibly one of the 9.8%.

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 12/7/10 at 2:35pm

He responded back "We should get rid of social security. People should pay their bills wothout help." (paraphrasing)

I didn't dignify that with a response, but I pretty much wanted to jump into my computer screen and kill him.

[siny]

Posted: 12/7/10 at 3:17pm

How old is your friend ?
When I talk to people like that, I just agree with them. I would say something like "yes, if someone gets sick and doesn't have a job, we should just let him die" and "yes, we should get rid of social security and let old people starve to death. Who needs them anyway ?". That usually shuts them up pretty fast.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/7/10 at 3:29pm

Well I have not mentioned it here but I am a 99er. I exhausted my benefita a while ago. I have benn lokking and looking and looking for a job. (In and outside of my field) As it is, I am now facing giving up my apartment and moving across country to live with my ex and try to start over there. It is becoming, possibly, obvious that this deal will not include 99ers at all. The VP's economic advisor said on CNN today that the 99ers "obviously need more job training/job skills". THAT offends me. What is happeneing, in my case for example, is that what I have been doing for the past several years, Executive Adim., has now been turned into 2 jobs in most companies. You now have to be a Buisness Manager along with the exec. admin. duties and in a lot of cases have a degree. The people who are about to lose their benefits that will benefit from this extension have no my skills than those of us who have lost them. And a lot of us are keeping our skills up in various ways. This is frightening. Even those on the right who are on unemployment or have lost it are supprting statements like the one linked above in the op. Unless we find out differently as the details of the extension unfold, it looks like Obama backed off of providing for the 99ers. Yes, there are people abusing the system, but there always have been and always will be. Contrary to the right's opinion on this, we want to get back to work. I know too many people who have gone through their 401k's, saving and pensions while trying to find work. Do they really think people just want to sit at home and deplete all of their funds? And the whole thing about taking any job you can get doesn't fly. Flipping burgers at McDonald's does not pay the rent. Not even for a studio apartment. Let alone pay the basic bills. This is scary and this segment of the unemployed are just being swept under the rug.