united states - built on sand
WORKERS, JANUARY 2004 ISSUE
Analysis of the economic record of George Bush demonstrates how US power is built on sand. Government statistics show that an estimated 43 million people have no health care insurance. Nearly 35 million people -- 1 in 8 of the population -- are deemed to live below the poverty line. Over 13 million of these are children.
The US has the worst child poverty rate in the industrialised world. Over 31 million are deemed to be 'food insecure' -- capitalist-speak for hungry or starving. Nine million are officially unemployed. Health care, education and pensions have collapsed. 54,000 children in Texas have been removed from school health insurance during the last 12 months due to budget cuts. Personal and business bankruptcy is running at unprecedented levels.
Tax cuts in the USA were supposed to generate 306,000 jobs a month. Actual figures indicate that only 125,000 jobs per month have been created. At election time the jobs deficit will be an estimated 6.9 million worse than Bush promised.
While the war of aggression against Iraq continues, Pentagon casualty figures which are an estimated 3 months in arrears, are showing that nearly 10,000 US personnel have been killed, wounded or been too ill to continue serving in Iraq. This is the equivalent of one US division. The mood in the USA cannot sustain such blood-letting abroad and internal collapse of jobs, health, education and pensions at home