Critical, Reluctant and Desperate
Something interesting happens when hardworking, fiscally minded Americans find themselves on the public dole: They resent the government that lends a hand and feel guilty for accepting help. A major article from The New York Times documents the anxiety, frustration and confusion of a growing class of dependent Americans.Hardworking, fiscally minded Americans feel guilty when they land on the public dole. A New York Times article documents the frustration of a growing class of dependent Americans.
Something interesting happens when hardworking, fiscally minded Americans find themselves on the public dole: They resent the government that lends a hand and feel guilty for accepting help. A major article from The New York Times documents the anxiety, frustration and confusion of a growing class of dependent Americans. –ARK
Your support is crucial...The New York Times:
The government safety net was created to keep Americans from abject poverty, but the poorest households no longer receive a majority of government benefits. A secondary mission has gradually become primary: maintaining the middle class from childhood through retirement. The share of benefits flowing to the least affluent households, the bottom fifth, has declined from 54 percent in 1979 to 36 percent in 2007, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis published last year.
And as more middle-class families like the Gulbransons land in the safety net in Chisago and similar communities, anger at the government has increased alongside. Many people say they are angry because the government is wasting money and giving money to people who do not deserve it. But more than that, they say they want to reduce the role of government in their own lives. They are frustrated that they need help, feel guilty for taking it and resent the government for providing it. They say they want less help for themselves; less help in caring for relatives; less assistance when they reach old age.
As we navigate an uncertain 2025, with a new administration questioning press freedoms, the risks are clear: our ability to report freely is under threat.
Your tax-deductible donation enables us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes the reality beneath the headlines — without compromise.
Now is the time to take action. Stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and uncover the stories that need to be told.
TD Original
An historic progressive coalition looks to change the course of politics on the island.
Social Justice
As many as 70,000 child care centers are projected to close in the next several months as pandemic-era federal funding ends, pushing an industry already in crisis to a breaking point.
The budget proposal offers a terrifying preview of what we can expect from Trump if he wins another four years in office.
The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, draws fire for claiming it's "not fashionable in progressive circles" to talk about the deficit.
Iraqis are demanding an end to corruption and sectarianism, while also objecting U.S. troops and Iranian influence.
From Chile to Iraq, popular uprisings against austerity and corruption are spreading like wildfire at a crucial point in history.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.