Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 24 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
OpEdNews Op Eds   

Connecting the Dots to a Frightening Future

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   1 comment
Message Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

Reprinted from the Black Agenda Report

--

by Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

Austerity, perpetually high unemployment and other aspects of the New Domestic Order are creating a new "precariat" -- a class condemned to permanent precariousness and insecurity.

 

Connecting the Dots to a Frightening Future

by Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

" They are saddled with debt from school loans, working two and three jobs at subsistence wages with no health care, no pension, and no sense of permanency or security."

Post Racial America, New Normal, Austerity, and The Precariat Class.

These concepts, when discussed individually, make for interesting dialogue. Moreover, when assessed in a larger context, these same concepts should become a cause for concern.

Right after Senator Obama became President there were many discussions and articles written about a Post Racial America. Had we evolved into an America devoid of racial preference, discrimination, and prejudice? During the 2008 presidential campaign The New York Times published an article by Matt Bai entitled Is Obama the End of Black Politics? The premise of the article was that in 2008, 60 years after Strom Thurmond left the Democratic Party over the issue of integrating the armed forces and 45 years after Dr. King's " I Have a Dream Speech" the Democratic party was poised to deliver its nomination for the nation's highest office to an African-American. Bai's article asked if Obama's nomination somehow signaled the end of Black politics?

The answer to Matt Bai's question is; of course not. America cannot be closer to being post racial when a candidate for president has to run a deracialized campaign in order to make the masses comfortable with the obvious aesthetic. We are not in a post-racial America when the unemployment rate in the African American community is more than double the national average and the wealth accumulation of the average European American family is 20 times that of the average African American family. The dangerous subtext to that question is that it ignores the struggle for justice and equality that African Americans still face. It also reinforces the conservative view that the government should no longer enact and enforce legislation guaranteeing the rights of minorities.

" We are not in a post-racial America when the unemployment rate in the African American community is more than double the national average."

As the American economy has remained stagnate with 1.3 percent growth, the national unemployment number has stayed close to 8%, 17% in the African American community. Close to 5.4 million people have dropped out of the workforce and now analysts and commentators have started talking about a "New Normal." Americans are supposed to get used to dismal rates of growth and high unemployment while the stock market soars and American corporations sit on record cash balances. According to CNBC , corporate " cash balances have swelled 14 percent and are on track toward $1.5 trillion for the Standard & Poor's 500, according to JPMorgan. Both levels would be historic highs."

These record amounts of cash being stockpiled by corporations are not "trickling down" to the working and middle-classes. The "job creators" are not creating jobs. According to Pimco Investment founder Bill Gross. "It's time to recognize that things have changed and that they will continue to change for the next--yes, the next 10 years and maybe even the next 20 years." This is the "new normal" and it's not good.

The solution being proposed by conservatives and subtly endorsed by President Obama to address the financial crisis is "austerity." Austerity is t he policy of   deficit-cutting by lowering spending   via a reduction in the amount of benefits and services   provided by the government. Instead of focusing on what to save, they are debating what to cut.

" The "job creators' are not creating jobs."

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Rate It | View Ratings

Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Dr. Wilmer Leon is the Producer/ Host of the nationally broadcast call-in talk radio program "Inside the Issues with Wilmer Leon, and a Teaching Associate in the Department of Political Science at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Go to www.wilmerleon.com or email: (more...)
 

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Connecting the Dots to a Frightening Future

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend