USA 2008: The Great Depression

[cal04]

Food stamps are the symbol of poverty in the US. In the era of the credit crunch, a record 28 million Americans are now relying on them to survive – a sure sign the world's richest country faces economic crisis

By David Usborne in New York
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/usa-2008-the-great-depression-803095.html

We knew things were bad on Wall Street, but on Main Street it may be worse. Startling official statistics show that as a new economic recession stalks the United States, a record number of Americans will shortly be depending on food stamps just to feed themselves and their families.

Dismal projections by the Congressional Budget Office in Washington suggest that in the fiscal year starting in October, 28 million people in the US will be using government food stamps to buy essential groceries, the highest level since the food assistance programme was introduced in the 1960s.

The increase – from 26.5 million in 2007 – is due partly to recent efforts to increase public awareness of the programme and also a switch from paper coupons to electronic debit cards. But above all it is the pressures being exerted on ordinary Americans by an economy that is suddenly beset by troubles. Housing foreclosures, accelerating jobs losses and fast-rising prices all add to the squeeze.

Emblematic of the downturn until now has been the parades of houses seized in foreclosure all across the country, and myriad families separated from their homes. But now the crisis is starting to hit the country in its gut. Getting food on the table is a challenge many Americans are finding harder to meet. As a barometer of the country's economic health, food stamp usage may not be perfect, but can certainly tell a story.

[LakeSamish706]

1. And still no serious outrage from people on the streets... When are people going...

to wake up to the fact that it very well might or will be them next?

[gateley]

4. When it DOES happen to them.

We don't realize just what's in store for us at this point.

[ladywnch]

8. I remember as a child my father explaining the difference: between recession and depression

recession is when your neighbor is out of work, depression is when YOU are out of work.

until more of 'us' are out of work there will be no outrage.

I've said to my husband that there is a revolution coming in this country unless something turns around SOON. Between how the BFEE has so divided this country into have/have nots, red/blue, conservative/progressive, white/and all non white, etc., effects of global warming and looming water shortages and other devastations, and now the economy so tanking.....if we get a * third term and additional war with Iran or whoever I seriously do believe there will be a revolution in this country.

Help us all........

[Doctor_J]

10. Good.

we are desperately in need of a revolution. A general strike followed by 30 million people marching on DC and not leaving until some people have stepped down. As shown, they can ignore 3 million of us marching. But if 50 million of us don't go to work for a week, and then 30 million show up in OUR NATION'S CAPITOL, we will be hard to ignore.

[gateley]

11. My bumper sticker reads:

Stop Bitching. Start A Revolution.

I think it's begun. The increase in violent crime is, in my opinion, a symptom of peoples' feelings of helplessness, anger and frustration. We're on the road to becoming like Mexico -- Uber wealthy, ultra poor.

We need a revolution because the evil, greed and power is systemic. We need to revamp. And if anybody had told me 5 years ago that I'd be saying things like this today, I would have handed them a :tinfoilhat:

After THIS revolution, let's hope we learn how to do and KEEP it right. :headbang:

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. I agree with U 100%...BUT...

Darth Cheney is already a step ahead of us..
when and if revolution comes, he will simply enforce the Martial Law order that has been signed and is waiting for a use.
Sooner rather than later, The Darkness Lords will do something that finally forces the majority of people to act.
It could be bombing Iran
it could be cancelling the election
It could be assassinating someone.
It could be closing the banks.
Any and/or all of this might create a rebellion.
Then comes martial law.
They are already practicing how to do this, in Iraq, neighborhood by neighborhood, if you follow the news.
The rebellion of the 70's was sparked in part because of the draft,
so people had an immediate issue and something to lose.
Dunno what it is going to take this time around.

[ladywnch]

16. I don't know what it will take either, but as far as martial law.....

I don't think the military particularly supports this administration and enforcing martial law on a bunch of "godless, lawless, dark skinned foreginers" is a far cry from enforcing it on your neighbors and relatives.

[lovuian]

2. yep this is a repeat of the Robber Baron years that caused

the Depression

its going to get uglier

[Richard Steele]

5. Yes, 8 years of B*sh has rolled back 140 years of US sociopolitical progress...

When folks finally realize that, "uglier"
won't even begin to describe what happens next.

[gateley]

3. Yes. Food stamps -- the breadlines of the 80's. nt

[knitter4democracy]

6. And they don't pay enough as it is.

Food stamps don't pay for enough food, since they're supposed to just be supplemental, but people really rely on them for food, and in Michigan, they only average $88/month per recipient, if I remember right.

It's time for us to band together as a nation again and help each other out instead of focus so much on ourselves.

[bonito]

7. I agree, grow your own , invest in raised bed gardens

It can be done on the cheep, attend veggie growing classes, together with the information and exercises in gardening and of course the benefits of your harvest, you can lift yourself both rationally and spiritually, one and the same to me, no matter though, it's a course of action in the right direction.

[Skittles]

12. nice if you have some F***ING LAND

or even a BACK YARD

[Patchuli]

17. Container gardens work!

http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Plants/contain.htm

http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/containerindoor/container.asp

There is nothing as good as eating baby greens from your own container garden for a dinner salad, with your own container tomatoes, green onions, etc. We don't have much in the way of decent gardening/sun area and a lot of our edibles go in containers.

[twiceshy]

13. Nice idea, I'm putting one in this year...

Tomatoes and potatoes (amazing how many you can get out of a 4' x 8' plot. I remember some of the old Italian homes in the neighborhood. Lots are only 1/16th of an acre, but they would grow peppers, tomatoes, grapes, greens, and even have a fig tree. Batten down the hatches.

[knitter4democracy]

14. Well, that only works if you have some land.

There's a family starting a community garden in our city this year that I'm going to give some of my extra seedlings to. They're hoping people without enough space for a garden or living in apartments will want to participate.

Still, if you're homeless, it's pretty darn difficult to have a garden.

[Doctor_J]

9. Things are bad on Wall Street?

the bailout of Bear Stearns wasn't enough for them?