General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWanted to share an e-mail with you all-
The headlines and quotes below come from The New York Times and Washington Post this past month:
Big Companies Paid a Fraction of Corporate Tax Rate... "Using allowed deductions and legal loopholes, large corporations enjoyed a 12.6 percent tax rate."
Joblessness Edges Higher to Hit a Eurozone Record... "Eurostat estimated that 19.2 million people in the Euro area were jobless in May, an increase of 67,000 from April."
Budget cuts shave 15 percent off payments to the long-term unemployed... "The federal budget cuts took effect in March, slicing $2.4 billion from the benefits paid to the long-term jobless under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program."
Making $7.75 an Hour, and Figuring Theres Little to Lose by Speaking Out... "Her wages erode on all sides. Often, she said, she finds her check is hours short. And when she works overtime, she receives two checks, each at straight time..."
Here and abroad, millions of hardworking people are saying, "Our government ignores us. We cannot find jobs that our families can live on. And our leaders couldnt care less. They dont even see us!"
So whats to be done?
People are taking to the streets across the globe, in Greece, Brazil, and other countries. How long before that happens here, and what might it look like when it does happen?
Here are just a few possibilities:
A ticker tape parade in New York "celebrating" the fourth anniversary of the End of the Great Recession with Paul Krugman as the parade marshal and thousands of unemployed and underemployed wearing their old work uniforms...
A Dome to Dome March from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to the United States Capitol would take participants from the largest Roman Catholic church in North America to the largest concentration of mis-leaders in the history of the republic...
An If-You're-Late-for-Work-Don't-Blame-Me-Cuz-I'm-Not-Working demonstration that deploys stalled out cars for a few minutes during the morning rush hour and targets the expressways, parkways, beltways and interstate highways that commuters use to get to their jobs...
Informational picket lines around newspapers and television stations demanding real news about real unemployment levels, ripped-off consumers and the desperation of children living in poverty rather than pabulum we are fed daily...
A nationwide boycott of chains that refuse to pay their employees a living wage, refuse to schedule them for a minimum of 35 hours per week and refuse to provide benefits so taxpayers wont have to, complete with flash mobs on nearby sidewalks and access roads...
Some of these tactics may seem radical in a country where we've become seemingly resigned to our economic fate, but history suggests that even here, desperate times trigger desperate measures.
So, we can take to the streets now, or, better yet, we can launch a multi-year, all-out campaign to defeat McConnell's Navy and GOP politicians at every level.
One thing the Union of Unemployed will not do is sit back and watch this tragedy continue to unfold. We're going to lead the charge to defeat as many job-killing GOP candidates as possible. Are you with us?
In Unity -- Strength,
Rick
Rick Sloan
UCubed President
Union of Unemployed
I think there are some real valid ideas put forth in this e-mail
TheMastersNemesis
(10,602 posts)its feudalistic agenda. They are ignoring the underemployed and unemployed and even punishing them for being "lazy takers" HA! like they are ignoring women. Just look at Texas, Virginia and NC with anti women laws.
The GOP has been dismantling and dissembling forever. They have the idea that they cannot be touched and can control elections and suppress, repress and disenfranchise permanently.
Detroit is where the GOP wants to lead the country and I am sure will use every means imaginable including force given the chance. They are the stoolies of people like the Kochs who want supreme power.