2009-11-21 The Critical Unraveling of U.S. Society

2009-11-21 David DeGraw Amped Status \America\reports\2009 economic crisis\Barack Obama/criticism http://ampedstatus.com/the-critical-unraveling-of-us-society The Critical Unraveling of U.S. Society The Critical Unraveling of U.S. Society A slightly shorter version of the report's first section is here, given as "15 Signs American Society Is Coming Apart at the Seams". A summary of the points listed :
 * 1) "The inequality of wealth in the United States is soaring to an unprecedented level."
 * 2) Economic looting: "...the three big banks that took taxpayer money and benefited the most from the government bailout have just set a new global economic record by issuing $30 billion in annual bonuses this year..."
 * 3) Economic feudalism (?): "The profits of the economic elite are 'now underwritten by taxpayers with $23.7 trillion worth of national wealth.'"
 * 4) An abrupt increase in economic disparity: "Workers between the ages of 55 to 60, who have worked for 20 to 29 years, have lost an average of 25 percent off their 401k. During the same time period, the wealth of the 400 richest Americans went up by $30 billion..."
 * 5) People losing their homes (due to foreclosure) in record numbers, with no end in sight
 * 6) 25 million people (roughly 10% of the US population, presumably a larger fraction of the working population) are unemployed or underemployed.
 * 7) Banking favoritism and/or irresponsible management of banking regulation
 * 8) Financial crisis getting near to breaking point in several states: "As bankruptcies surge across the board, 10 U.S. states are on the verge of bankruptcy, with several ready to declare a financial state of emergency."
 * 9) The Federal Government is in deep water too, and near to its own crisis point.
 * 10) An even larger percentage than the number of un(der)employed is the number of homeless, which is now rising at an increased rate: "47.4 million U.S. citizens live in poverty, and the U.S. poverty rate is the highest in the industrialized world."
 * 11) Even larger than that percentage is this one: "50 percent of U.S. children, one out of every two children, will need to use food stamps to eat."
 * 12) "In 2008, according to the Census Bureau, the number of U.S. citizens without health care grew to a record 46.3 million" -- a figure which may well understate the true number, due to the timing of the census
 * 13) Healthcare isn't just unaffordable, it's adding to the economic problem: "Lack of health insurance has caused 45,000 preventable U.S. citizen deaths in the past year", and "nearly two out of three bankruptcies stem from medical bills."
 * 14) What are people buying with the little cash they have left? "The demand for guns and ammunition has hit a record high and the gun industry cannot produce enough bullets to keep up with orders."
 * 15) And they're organizing, too: "In the past year, 100 new armed militia groups have been formed, as militia members have doubled in numbers."

&ldquo;You may have missed it in the mainstream news media, but statistical societal indicators are reading red across the board. ... Add to this picture an environmental crisis the likes of which humanity has never faced. ... We have just witnessed the greatest theft of wealth in history...&rdquo; ...and Obama is apparently working for the thieves.   