How much further does America have to fall down before you stand up? The death of the American dream

(Cross posted by author from the Daily Kos.)



(Written by an American expat living in the European Union)

Why are there 59 million Americans who don’t have health insurance; 132 million who don’t have dental insurance; 60 million who don’t have any paid sick leave; 40 million who are on food stamps?

This diary attempts to look at why the American social safety net is so weak and the European social safety net is so strong. In a posture where everyone in the European Union has some type of medical and dental plan, paid sick leave, and no one in Europe is ever humiliated by the use of food stamps. As a business librarian with graduate degrees in both of those areas I am periodically asked to write reviews. This review will look at European media sources unavailable in the US which declares an end to American exceptionalism and therein the death of the American working class dream.

America’s rich, corporations and individuals have decided that the solution to all future problems in America will be solved by austerity measures, rather than higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy. They have socialized risk and privatized profits! So it is that this diary by way of a European media seeks to chronicle the betrayal of the working class American dream by America’s power brokers and plutocracy from the perspective of European media sources.

(Please click on this link to read the full diary.)

And continues under Obama. Only Democratic Party presidents can dismantle the social safety net. We expect Republican to try to dismantle social security -they have been trying to do it for nearly 80 years. Why do you think we had a Democratic majority and president for so many years? It was because, above all else, they protected the New Deal. Then Clinton agreed to dismantle Glass-Steagal.

...and it seemed a watershed in driving a wedge in the Democratic party.

You have the ( ever shrinking ) populist wing for the working class.

You have the DLC ( 3rd way wing ) types who are basically Republicans that don't like guns, or carry the flag for a single socially liberal issue. Heard it enough times: Socially liberal, economically conservative.

bereavement leave for an uncle. From him I learned that as a national policy he was entitled to 66 paid sick days per year! I nearly fell over when he told me. In turn I informed him that in the US the best a worker could expect was 12 days and only if the worker had a Union contract. Absent a collective bargaining agreement mandating payed sick leave there wouldn't be any. From him I also learned that like Spain he was entitled to one month payed vacation. Not merely payed his regular wage while on vacation but an additional one month's wages so he could actually take a vacation. How humane those socialist societies are. How dare them treat people with dignity and respect. During our discussion I explained that bereavement leave in the US is usually limited to 3 days and applies only to direct family members, i.e., mother, father, brother or sister.

Our European brothers and sisters are so far ahead of us when it comes to a social compact we will NEVER catch up. Instead, we view preserving Social Security as a victory and no consideration of advancing the program. To lower the retirement age or increase the monthly benefit is out of the question. If you think about it it is a innovative strategy by the right and their corporate paymasters.

The American RICH are RICHER than ever as the Wealth Disparity INCREASES.
Mission Accomplished!
Party ON!!!!
:party: