Being a little sick again I was able to watch the top of the news on NBC, ABC and CBS this evening and the lead story on all three networks was the unemployment figures released today — 7.2%, a 16-year high with attendant grim figures (13% “underemployment,” meaning part time workers and folks out of work who have just given up; smaller work-week hours).
On ABC, Charlie Gibson sought a silver lining with a secondary report on who is hiring: the nursing profession needs workers. Yes, boomers, you too can start taking of other people’s parents, if you’re not busy taking care of your own. Who will be taking care of you is anybody’s guess.
This shock to the economic system pushed the news from Gaza (where calls for a cease fire were rebuffed by Israel and Hamas alike) below the fold; it was about ten minutes into Gibson’s show that he announced the new numbers: 810 Palestinian dead, 16 Israelis and no, that’s not a typo. For real coverage of the war in Gaza you need to tune into Al Jazeera English, which has been effectively blocked in nearly every US market.
I’m not saying the conflict there should be of greater concern to us than the looming threat of another depression. But the indifference of Americans to the plight of innocent women and children being killed, albeit accidentally, by Israeli troops is depressing in a different way. That’s a situation we could actually do something about if we raised our voices (as thousands have across Europe and the Middle East). All we can do about our tanking economy is hang on and pray.
There is another growth industry in the US: suicide hotlines are ringing off the hook, and people are needed to take those calls. It doesn’t pay, of course.
This was a very interesting post, as it sparked many concerns:
-First, the US is funding Israel, and still funding Israel while this conflict is going on. If the US stopped funding Israel, our country would probably be a war-zone like Gaza because of the protests (but at least we would have money for a job stimulus-type plan). My problem with the US funding Israel: their GDP is higher than ours (not in terms of purchasing power parity) and it’s not like don’t have their own democratic government. They don’t need our money.
-There was a protest in Times Square two days ago, but between the two feuding groups. Those supporting Palestinians were sporting keffiyehs, while those supporting Israel were mainly Hasidic and Lubavitcher Jews. Some voices are being raised, but there will always be a divided opinion.
-Speaking of raising voices: that probably won’t help anyway. How many people have openly opposed the Iraq war (even before it started) and it still went on?
-Good call on Al Jazeera English.
-Why is there a number for a deaf suicide hotline? How does that even make sense?