In the world’s richest nation, millions of Americans silently battle hunger, humiliation, and hopelessness while politicians argue, markets soar, and empty kitchen tables multiply nightly.
Those that stubbornly insist on supporting Trump and his gang deserve to become hungry, homeless and desperately in need of medical care. I know that sounds harsh, but I am beyond angry at this Titanically terrible ship that calls itself our government that is taking too damn long to sink.
The question was how many still support the Orange Puddle of Smegma. My response was 37% (according to his approval rating on most polls.). Your comment to me makes exactly zero sense. Please come up with something coherent and try again
I have seen this hunger while teaching in one of the poorest sections on Long Island. Thank God for school breakfast and lunch programs. What about the little ones who aren’t in school yet? What about the parents? What about all of the children when school is out for the summer? Where are the politicians then? Who is watching these families as they struggle? Their hunger has no end. They feel hopeless, so they turn to crime. So many of my students have been imprisoned for stealing and selling drugs. Who is protecting them? Their poverty goes unchecked and unfortunately nobody seems to care. They are eating filet mignon and my students are stealing for milk and bread! Welcome to America
And the Biggest Baddest Bill assures Big cuts in food aid after the midterms.
Meanwhile, wages remain unlivable. Then we get companies laying off workers while making the remaining ones work mandatory overtime. Salaried workers often don’t get compensated for the extra hours. Obama tried to fix this, but this was scuttled by he who shall not be named. Workers can’t get ahead.
I got lucky by getting a union job in a large corporation many decades ago. Not so easy now. We need safety nets now more than ever.
Yes, this is partisan. Yesterday, I wrote to my 3 horrible un-representatives (Florida) and asked them, since you chose to vote for legislation that put 70,000 people off food stamps, answer these 3 questions: What child deserves to go hungry? What child deserves to be unhoused? And what are you going to DO about it? This should NEVER be happening in America.
My heart goes out to you after your great contributions to our society, Michelle.
In the 50’s, unions gave workers the American Dream. They could buy houses and allowed everyone to be big consumers. Thus, the economy hummed and workers could be paid.
Starving the workers starves the economy. Prez’ solution: more deportations of cheap laborers!
I was a teacher in San Diego and I know what you are saying. I used to keep a refrigerator and pantry in my classroom for kids to take home food for the weekend. I bought food with my own money. I collected the unopened milk and juice cartons right after lunch to put in my refrigerator. I always bought extra bread, peanut butter, lunch meats, and bananas to help feed my kids.
Indiana refused to fund $5 million for a summer food program, but has billions to build an Interstate highway to serve truckers and industry in southern Indiana. A project the people down there don't want. Hint: the Governor's friends would benefit.
For most of my life, I was fortunate to be able to give to food pantries. Trump's actions have put me in a situation that is new and scary. I now have to go to those pantries to get food. I can get enough food, my SNAP benefits have been reduced to $24 a month, and my rent has almost doubled. I still feel fortunate. I can afford my medicine. Poor people don't have a voice. Voice=money. No one lobbies for us. Not enough people are willing or able to help. At least for now, I am holding my own with the assistance provided. My heart sobs for the child who has ketchup packets for dinner. Our country is morally bankrupt. It is sickening.
Halfway through this piece, I thought to myself, the obvious outcome of Citizens United. As you said, voice = money thus the poor have no voice. And we can't blame this solely on Republicans. There are plenty of Democrats who belly up to the same trough to put bribery, er campaign donations, before their constituents. Until we do something to overturn Citizens United and end the constant lobbying/bribery, this will just continue to get worse. Companies boast record profits yet cannot figure out how to pay people a living wage. Jeff Bezos can spend more money than my family can make in a lifetime on a second wedding, yet his employees have to piss in bottles to keep up with their quotas. What a country we live in.
It's so sickening Jennifer I have heard about Amazon employees needing to use a bottle instead of missing time from work to go to the bathroom. Can this possibly be true in our America?? I don't think the women can do that....
I’m a 77 year old Canadian and I can remember when my father, in the 1980’s said “The United States is perhaps the greatest nation on earth but it’s one in which you don’t want to be poor”. He was very right.
Here's a novel idea, Michael. It's good that you're using your megaphone to shine a light on this awful national travesty of hunger in the richest nation on Earth. What would be even better is actually doing something about it. Because you (and by association) your friends at those Hamptons BBQs actually can do something about it.
Here's the novel idea: get your buddies who all reside on that upper line of the K economy to agree to lobby Washington for a different kind of wealth tax, a new tax deductible charitable contribution law; one that makes it mandatory for people at a certain income level (say the top 10% of earners) to pay a certain percentage of your taxable income toward a private organization that directly supports feeding America's hungry. The organization is not controlled by government (so we know it doesn’t end up going to programs like say, slush funds for J6ers who beat up cops but is independently monitored and guarantees that every dollar received goes directly toward supplementing those families. That contribution, while mandatory, is 100% tax deductible. What do you think?
Republican view: any program to help any and all Americans must be expensed and administered by private for profit companies or individuals with minimum of 15% profit or it is socialism.
💜💜 The President Trump admin is taking every social program from American families while spreading quack remedies over real medical facts and doctors support.
Most cogent takeaway: "[O]utrage in America has become selective. We have endless energy for culture wars but very little for actual human suffering." And this is why virtually ALL religious institutions fail in their purported purposes.
Brilliant and gut wrenching piece of writing. We The People can’t last another 2 years like this. Everyday I wake up and think this could all be over. If only MAGA had a millimeter of empathy. They don’t. We suffer. They’re thriving. We’re suffering. Shameful and 💯 unacceptable.
The sad thing is that a giant part of MAGA is also suffering. Look at who shows up at his rallies. I'm willing to bet a lot of them don't have 401k's and are really struggling right now. The problem is that they cannot (or won't) break free of the cult to see that their golden idol is really a conman. I would feel some pity for them if they hadn't voted for this and forced it upon the rest of us.
Then suddenly everybody remembers the forgotten Americans again.
Except they don't. I've lived that hunger. I've watched my kids grow up hungry in spite of everything me and my partner could do. I've gone without food; we wore shoes until they were almost falling off our feet and clothes far longer than we should have because we couldn't afford replacements; living with no health insurance, praying we wouldn't need it. Snap and wic were godsends for us... and now they're cutting that and medicaid.
My family is (at the moment) in a better place now, but we're only one unfortunate mishap from going back to where we were before. The government tells you they care (they lie). The government promises to put in policies to help (nothing happens). The government says a lot of things. I'll believe it when I see it.
Michael, the question is: How many will still support Trump in spite of this situation?
Sadly, IMO, those Trump voters will vote for whoever Trump endorses. Remember yesterday, the post about cultism.
Sadly, you are probably right.
What I would give to be wrong!!
Those that stubbornly insist on supporting Trump and his gang deserve to become hungry, homeless and desperately in need of medical care. I know that sounds harsh, but I am beyond angry at this Titanically terrible ship that calls itself our government that is taking too damn long to sink.
Yep. Only when it directly affects them, do they care. I have no empathy left for this bunch.
About 37% of this piece of shit country
Well, that’s the diehard MAGAts. The rest of the Republicans will also continue to support Trump because they’ll never vote for a “socialist.”
Then why did you read it????
The question was how many still support the Orange Puddle of Smegma. My response was 37% (according to his approval rating on most polls.). Your comment to me makes exactly zero sense. Please come up with something coherent and try again
I have seen this hunger while teaching in one of the poorest sections on Long Island. Thank God for school breakfast and lunch programs. What about the little ones who aren’t in school yet? What about the parents? What about all of the children when school is out for the summer? Where are the politicians then? Who is watching these families as they struggle? Their hunger has no end. They feel hopeless, so they turn to crime. So many of my students have been imprisoned for stealing and selling drugs. Who is protecting them? Their poverty goes unchecked and unfortunately nobody seems to care. They are eating filet mignon and my students are stealing for milk and bread! Welcome to America
And the Biggest Baddest Bill assures Big cuts in food aid after the midterms.
Meanwhile, wages remain unlivable. Then we get companies laying off workers while making the remaining ones work mandatory overtime. Salaried workers often don’t get compensated for the extra hours. Obama tried to fix this, but this was scuttled by he who shall not be named. Workers can’t get ahead.
I got lucky by getting a union job in a large corporation many decades ago. Not so easy now. We need safety nets now more than ever.
Yes, this is partisan. Yesterday, I wrote to my 3 horrible un-representatives (Florida) and asked them, since you chose to vote for legislation that put 70,000 people off food stamps, answer these 3 questions: What child deserves to go hungry? What child deserves to be unhoused? And what are you going to DO about it? This should NEVER be happening in America.
Good for you, Signe K.
I know Dulcie. Retirement wages do not go up to fit our needs either. What was was viable is killing me now.
And it is very difficult to get a job after retiring.
My heart goes out to you after your great contributions to our society, Michelle.
In the 50’s, unions gave workers the American Dream. They could buy houses and allowed everyone to be big consumers. Thus, the economy hummed and workers could be paid.
Starving the workers starves the economy. Prez’ solution: more deportations of cheap laborers!
I was a teacher in San Diego and I know what you are saying. I used to keep a refrigerator and pantry in my classroom for kids to take home food for the weekend. I bought food with my own money. I collected the unopened milk and juice cartons right after lunch to put in my refrigerator. I always bought extra bread, peanut butter, lunch meats, and bananas to help feed my kids.
Indiana refused to fund $5 million for a summer food program, but has billions to build an Interstate highway to serve truckers and industry in southern Indiana. A project the people down there don't want. Hint: the Governor's friends would benefit.
"Nothing says “greatest nation on earth” quite like a child eating ketchup packets for dinner."
Well expressed Michael. Good work this morning.
That quote was a punch to my stomach as well as to my heart.
After Ronald Reagan became president, he changed the national school lunch program to have ketchup as a vegetable.
For most of my life, I was fortunate to be able to give to food pantries. Trump's actions have put me in a situation that is new and scary. I now have to go to those pantries to get food. I can get enough food, my SNAP benefits have been reduced to $24 a month, and my rent has almost doubled. I still feel fortunate. I can afford my medicine. Poor people don't have a voice. Voice=money. No one lobbies for us. Not enough people are willing or able to help. At least for now, I am holding my own with the assistance provided. My heart sobs for the child who has ketchup packets for dinner. Our country is morally bankrupt. It is sickening.
Halfway through this piece, I thought to myself, the obvious outcome of Citizens United. As you said, voice = money thus the poor have no voice. And we can't blame this solely on Republicans. There are plenty of Democrats who belly up to the same trough to put bribery, er campaign donations, before their constituents. Until we do something to overturn Citizens United and end the constant lobbying/bribery, this will just continue to get worse. Companies boast record profits yet cannot figure out how to pay people a living wage. Jeff Bezos can spend more money than my family can make in a lifetime on a second wedding, yet his employees have to piss in bottles to keep up with their quotas. What a country we live in.
It's so sickening Jennifer I have heard about Amazon employees needing to use a bottle instead of missing time from work to go to the bathroom. Can this possibly be true in our America?? I don't think the women can do that....
Bernie Sanders lobbies for the poor.
But corporate Democrats and fascist Republicans don't like him.
So sorry to hear that, Joanne. And my heart aches, too, for those kids.
Michael ,
Excellent view of the Trump moral depravity.
Thank you for putting the words on paper I just don’t know.
So sorry you were ensnared by the bastard.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m a 77 year old Canadian and I can remember when my father, in the 1980’s said “The United States is perhaps the greatest nation on earth but it’s one in which you don’t want to be poor”. He was very right.
Painful and it remains painful. You hit the nail on its head Mr. Cohen. However, Mrs. Carol Hamm's question hereunder is a good one.
Here's a novel idea, Michael. It's good that you're using your megaphone to shine a light on this awful national travesty of hunger in the richest nation on Earth. What would be even better is actually doing something about it. Because you (and by association) your friends at those Hamptons BBQs actually can do something about it.
Here's the novel idea: get your buddies who all reside on that upper line of the K economy to agree to lobby Washington for a different kind of wealth tax, a new tax deductible charitable contribution law; one that makes it mandatory for people at a certain income level (say the top 10% of earners) to pay a certain percentage of your taxable income toward a private organization that directly supports feeding America's hungry. The organization is not controlled by government (so we know it doesn’t end up going to programs like say, slush funds for J6ers who beat up cops but is independently monitored and guarantees that every dollar received goes directly toward supplementing those families. That contribution, while mandatory, is 100% tax deductible. What do you think?
Glib
💯 Michael, hunger has no political emotions only the people feel the pain. Great Article 👍
Das Capitalism.
But we are told helping the needy is Socialism.
Republican view: any program to help any and all Americans must be expensed and administered by private for profit companies or individuals with minimum of 15% profit or it is socialism.
💜💜 The President Trump admin is taking every social program from American families while spreading quack remedies over real medical facts and doctors support.
Most cogent takeaway: "[O]utrage in America has become selective. We have endless energy for culture wars but very little for actual human suffering." And this is why virtually ALL religious institutions fail in their purported purposes.
Brilliant and gut wrenching piece of writing. We The People can’t last another 2 years like this. Everyday I wake up and think this could all be over. If only MAGA had a millimeter of empathy. They don’t. We suffer. They’re thriving. We’re suffering. Shameful and 💯 unacceptable.
The sad thing is that a giant part of MAGA is also suffering. Look at who shows up at his rallies. I'm willing to bet a lot of them don't have 401k's and are really struggling right now. The problem is that they cannot (or won't) break free of the cult to see that their golden idol is really a conman. I would feel some pity for them if they hadn't voted for this and forced it upon the rest of us.
Well said.
Then suddenly everybody remembers the forgotten Americans again.
Except they don't. I've lived that hunger. I've watched my kids grow up hungry in spite of everything me and my partner could do. I've gone without food; we wore shoes until they were almost falling off our feet and clothes far longer than we should have because we couldn't afford replacements; living with no health insurance, praying we wouldn't need it. Snap and wic were godsends for us... and now they're cutting that and medicaid.
My family is (at the moment) in a better place now, but we're only one unfortunate mishap from going back to where we were before. The government tells you they care (they lie). The government promises to put in policies to help (nothing happens). The government says a lot of things. I'll believe it when I see it.
Yes, Jin, That is the reality that too many are living in. It shouldn't be that way.
Many families have been affected by the deep cuts to SNAP, plus everything else.