60 Minutes just did a 15 minute segment on how much folks are hurting...
Touching, but unlike most every other 60 Minutes episode, they never delve into the possible causes as to why all these folks are hurting.
Not even a mention of the Bush admin anti-regulatory policies? That would've been expected from 60 Minutes. But not a word.
And no word either to the fact that when the Dems took over Congress in 2006, unemployment was at 4.7 percent. Or that when Obama took office, unemployment was at 6.x percent and he pledged that passing the 800 billion dollar stimulus would hold unemployment below 8 percent.
We are 2 years now at 9 to 10 percent unemployment. Not a critical word by 60 Minutes about the administration's plan. Typical.
Perhaps we were watching a different segment.
The segment I saw showed people w/ myriad personal failings deciding to stay in an area where there are no jobs and that they can't afford to live in anymore.
I'm not sure what that has to do w/ government policies other than the fact that some of those policies caused the economy to get soft.
But none of the people said that they were going to move...that they need to change their styles of interacting...or what they would do going forward. The woman that was an office manager that is taking money from her 83 year old mother so she could stay in her apartment (why not move in w/ Mom,lady?) was especially pathetic.
Moving to a cheaper place to live...or a cheaper area (or state)....selling your home and any non-essentials and getting training in skills that there is a market for would solve MOST of the people's issues,IMHO.
Bad segment 60 Minutes.
Bad films are a crime against humanity.
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cbartal
14 years ago
I'm pretty sure we watched the same segment.
And you are correct, it all does come down to personal responsibility. People need to move and adjust their lifestyles. Most of those folks were digging into their savings and 401k's. They will be forced to adjust.
The consequences of the economy were pointed out vividly in the episode, but the repeated tone of the piece was joblessness. Folks on unemployment for 99 weeks.
60 Minutes most always has a opinion on the root causes. Except for this episode. Not a word spoken.
Government actions have a dramatic effect on economic policy. And 60 Minutes has been fervent in it's opinions on the Government's policies for decades.
But for some reason, and a reason that most likely is based on the political slant of the program, 60 Minutes was painfully silent on the root causes.
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jmix66
14 years ago
Yeah...
I'm not trying to be unpleasant or cold, but the people on the show had some less than realistic expectations. And since they are running out of (or have run out ) unemployment benefits, they need to make some hard choices.
The personnel manager was making $200k a year.
He had to know that his company was downsizing and that he might be one the heads that would be cut.
Yet (and they didn't say this but you can tell) his wife isn't working;his kid is going to college (now the military) but not a state college and he is living in a pretty awesome looking home.
That,at least to me, wasn't someone who understood the gravity of his situation.
The woman that was living w/ her friend's brother and his wife.
She doesn't have any family (they said she had a daughter who is apparently an adult) that would put her up?
And when it was apparent that she wouldn't be able to find a job (which should have been after the 3rd month)around San Jose,why did she stay there?
I'm taking any of the blame off the government and the banks. The government needs to create job programs immediately and as long as the banks are receiving (and have received) taxpayer funds, they need to lend money to businesses.
Congress also needs to work w/ the president to find a solution other than market forces.
Having said that, those solutions are distant from where those people are now.
And they can't wait to be "saved"; they have to save themselves. If that means make hard choices, then they should make before they are forced to.
Sorry about the soapbox.
I'll step down now.
Bad films are a crime against humanity.
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