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A Thanksgiving Reality CheckPosted on Nov 22, 2007
Along with family gatherings and counting one’s blessings, Thanksgiving has come to signify a rather rosy view of the unity of American society. This weekend, however, two largely overlooked news items—one about unexpected financial issues that some wounded American veterans face and another about hunger in New York City—tell a different story. First, much has been made of the need to support our troops at war in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, as wounded veteran Jordan Fox found out rather abruptly, some government officials don’t always make sure that U.S. forces get the treatment they deserve when injuries prevent them from continuing their service. Fox, who returned from Iraq to his native Pennsylvania after a roadside bomb made him blind in one eye, discovered shortly after his homecoming that the Department of Defense wanted him to return some of the money he received when he enlisted:
Next, it apparently took another country’s news media to take note of some startling statistics about hunger in one of America’s biggest cities. The BBC reported Wednesday that “[o]ver 1.3 million people, one in six New Yorkers, cannot afford enough food, with queues at soup kitchens getting longer,” according to anti-poverty groups based in New York. What’s more, some of the city’s food distribution outlets were unable to serve turkey dinners Thursday because of drastic cuts to federal food supplies:
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By 1drees, November 30, 2007 at 1:30 am # FemPatriot: I think that Americans can be very thankful for being ignorant of certain aspects of the current situation as it will only cause stress to the americans AND the americans definately not do anything about the current situation as most are not even focused on politics or current events, they are only intrested in being yes-people to be able to earn their wages So in this Unawareness there is a blessing tht many people are not stressed out at all atleast for this situation.
By Fempatriot, November 26, 2007 at 10:38 pm # There are many reasons why Americans are getting poorer and poorer. (1) Our government is importing poverty. Looking the other way as millions of poor, uneducated, often sick illegal aliens slither into this country, take on false IDs, get jobs that pay below-minimum wages helps to keep wages perpetually down for us all. Why hire a cook from an agency (who has had a health check, is a citizen, etc.) if you can hire an illegal to do it for pennies a day? (2) The government is borrowing billions every month to wage wars for the corporations and Israel. Borrowing from China, who has been given access to our western ports, and who has inundated us with contaminated toys and food. One day China will pull the financial rug from under us. (3) The US government allowed factories in the USA (beginning with steel mills back in the 60s & 70s) to move overseas and hire slave labor. (4) The US government has allowed corporations to steal huge sums of moneys from employees and stockholders. During the 80s when we had the Savings & Loans scandal, there were as many bankruptcies as there were during the Great Depression (Crash of 1929). (5) Our government throws money around like there’s a money tree in back of the Capitol Building, yet the truth is, the Federal Reserve (a collection of 12 European banks--nothing to do with “government") prints worthless paper money with no gold or silver standard to back it up, then the US government BUYS this money from the Federal Reserve. Americans have little to be thankful for. Unfortunately most don’t know it yet. Hard times are coming.
By thomas Billis, November 25, 2007 at 10:28 pm # The ridiculous situation in this country the richest in the history of the civilized world is that will not a put a floor beneath which no American citizen can fall below.It is done in Europe and in some countries of Asia and they seem to compete with us at every level.It is not Communism or socialism it is concern for the overall health of the society.In capitalism there will always be inequalities and people should be encouraged to attain whatever heights there abilities take them.When your concerns are not moving ahead but eating and living from day to day you have no chance at upward mobility.Will some at the bottom take advantage of the system for small money yes but the great majority will use it as a stepping stone to the middle class.We seem to have no problem with people abusing the system at the top for billions of dollars.I am an LBJ guy except for Vietnam and always thought that the"War On Poverty"was a tremendous success.I firmly believe that LBJ’s policies help make the large black middle class we have today which has made society as a whole better.I am not an economist but I think that the people who moved up to the middle class because of LBJ’s programs have more than paid back the investment he initiated in taxes and increased worker productivity.I look gforward to your comments.
By JOHN DICKERSON, November 24, 2007 at 1:58 am # WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE RepubLikud Party?
By BushWacked, November 23, 2007 at 2:57 pm # Just be thankful we are getting SCREWED, by Repugnicants & Dumbocraps.
By jimijazz, November 23, 2007 at 10:13 am # The number of bankruptcies, homelessness, hunger, and unemployment increased dramatically and horrifically over the Bush years. Presidential candidates need to start talking about THAT. Now their’s your Bush Thanksgiving.
By Melissa, November 23, 2007 at 4:21 am # David, your claims are unsupported. If the Truthdig author is incorrect about either the treatment of American vets or the growing poverty in New York, why do you not offer some evidence? We would love to see it. If you cannot disprove Truthdig’s claims, accusing Truthdig of not being thankful does not make the truth go away. Who says he is not thankful? Aren’t you making an assumption, while ignoring the whole point of the article? It seems to me that you speak from a faulty premise and are not intellectually honest with yourself enough to seriously consider the truth. Many of us are working hard to keep americans informed, and we are hated rather than loved, because some people prefer the bliss of ignorance.
By rodney, November 22, 2007 at 10:14 pm # American history is full of lies. The first lie is that Columbus discovered America. People were already here . But the say it wasn’t discovered until the white folk found out about it. They say that Thanksgiving was founded when Pilgrims and Native Americans sat down had dinner and made peace. I always thought the Natives were murdered,raped and forced from the the land they were living on and onto reservations and land the White man did not want. Those same lies are in effect today as were are told that Iraq was a danger to us when all we really want is the resources from the land [oil] the same way we wanted the resources from the Native Americans [food water and sea ports]. So after 400 years the White man is still going around the world killing raping and stealing land in order to take that countries resources. And to the world’s amazement we don’t have a clue as to why we are hated and not respected throughout the world. Not to mention 240 years of slavery and 100 years of Jim Crow. But our history books are full of lies because the true existence of the United States is a Big Lie.
By David, November 22, 2007 at 7:37 pm # Truthdig, this is a juvenile parody of yourself, right? Tiresome snipping from the sidelines while real men and women build a better future. Not even grateful this Thanksgiving to the forbears who gave you your unearned bounty? Add Your Comment |
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