unemployment and racism.

Half a million jobs were lost in June. This is a staggering number. It shows the economic crisis continues and deepens. It also shows that the so called stimulus of Obama and his financial advisers such as the right wing Summers who was involved and supported the entire deregulation mess are determined to let  finance capital rule and let it fill its pockets at the expense of the working class. Obama and his regime is a conservative outfit of swindlers and hypocrites. They supported all the deregulation that led to the present crisis and now they sit quiet pretending to be in favor of a reversal of course. But of course it is all lies. They are not prepared to challenge capitalism. Let us go further. Not only are they not prepared to challenge capitalism but they are not prepared to even challenge this brand of capitalism which loots the world, which pays out the massive bonuses, which destroys the planet.  The Obama regime is nothing but a slick bourgeois outfit which goes along with whatever the dominant wing of finance capitalism wants. 

Back to the unemployment figures. They say there are 9.5% unemployed. But other figures say the real percentage is over 15%. This includes the people who have given up looking for work, the people who can only get a few hours a week and the people in prison. 

Then another side of it. According to the official figures 8.7% of white people are unemployed. The reality is that it is much higher than this. But take this as the official figure. The official figure for black people unemployed is 14.7%. Almost double. For teenagers between the age of 16 and 19 it is a staggering 24%. 

Now look at another issue. The US has no social safety net that can be called such. For example in most European countries if you are unemployed the state provides enough for rent and to buy food. What about here in the US? If you are a young single male in the US with no dependent children you are on your own. So in this case what is the alternative? Crime. Starve or steal is pretty much it. And those sections of the population with the highest unemployment rate are more likely to be faced with this alternative. 

The US is a vicious racist society. It is also a vicious class based society. A united working class movement has to be built. One that fights for Equal pay for all, Full employment for all, Affordable housing for all, Free health care and education for all. We hear the right wing and the capitalists claim this is the greatest country in the world, until it provides these for all its citizens it will remain an inadequate country which exploits its own working class. And until it changes its system into a democratic socialist society it will continue to attack and occupy the working class in other countries round the world.

Sean.