#419. Labor Day 2009

Labor Day signifies one of the last weekends of summer and the transitioning into the fall season, as in many states across the nation leaves begin to change color and a crisp can be felt in the air.

Labor Day has an interesting history in the United States that few people think about as they host friends for a barbeque or enjoy one last weekend by the pool:

“The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the US military and US Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.”

In 2009, fears of economic destabilization are felt by millions across the United States, as even under the watchful eyes of Mein Obama, the country is heading into a territory not seen since the 1930s:

“Since late 2007, seven million jobs have vanished in the United States and industrial production has fallen nearly 17 percent, statistics show. Official unemployment hovers just under 10 percent in the United States, the highest since the early 1980s. But the unemployed and underemployed together total 16.8 percent of the labor force, which means one out of six American workers is unemployed or underemployed."

We here at SBPDL view the state of economy with trepidation, for if even under the incredibly capable hands of Mein Obama the country can see horrifying job loss and the erosion of the middle class, then what does that tell about the future of the country in Post-Obama America?

What is really doing on currently in the economy? Do the collapse of AIG and the complete destruction of the credit-default swap scam and the massive sub-prime mortgage disaster portend the economic ruin of the AGE OF OBAMA before it even gets started?

Black people are afraid to answer this question, for the data does not paint a pretty picture and puts the AGE OF OBAMA is serious danger of defaulting:

“Men are clearly in worse shape than women. The unemployment rate for adult men is 10.1 percent, compared with 7.6 percent for adult women… Black unemployment increased 0.6 percent to 15.1 percent, compared with an unemployment rate of 8.4 percent before the start of the recession.”

Black people have seen disastrous results since supporting Obama with 96 percent of their vote in the 2008 presidential election. Yes, they have a Black person occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but when a white guy was in office they could always claim racism whenever things went collectively bad for Black people.

Now, Obama is beginning to see disingenuous white liberals pull up anchor and leave the glitz and glamour of the AGE OF OBAMA to the same fate as the Titanic:

“Among white Democrats, Obama’s job approval rating has dropped 11 points since his 100-days mark in April, according to surveys by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. It has dropped by 9 points among white independents and whites over 50, and by 12 points among white women -- all groups that will be targeted by both parties in next year's midterm elections.”

Now, only Black people are fully behind Mein Obama and are in hope that he can be the force needed to get Black people back into the job market:

“Blacks led the national increase in unemployment as the jobless rate for African Americans soared to 15.1 percent – up from 14.5 percent in July…As for Blacks, the situation could get worse before it gets better. Employment is usually the last section of the economy to recover from a recession. Further, African Americans have historically been plagued by the tendency to be the last hired when things do start to get better.”

Worse, in New York City, Black people find themselves out of work at a pace that for some reason can’t crack the edifice of Mein Obama’s popularity:

“While unemployment rose steadily for white New Yorkers from the first quarter of 2008 through the first three months of this year, the number of unemployed blacks in the city rose four times as fast, according to a report to be released on Monday by the city comptroller’s office. By the end of March, there were about 80,000 more unemployed blacks than whites, according to the report, even though there are roughly 1.5 million more whites than blacks here."

Jefferson County, Detroit and the reality of Clayton County are all becoming the reality of life in Post-Obama America. The middle-class is eroding and Black people are getting mad at the ineffectiveness of Obama to help find Black people jobs:

“When asked about the black unemployment issue by American Radio Network's April Ryan, Obama had to do a difficult dance. In light of the country's impatience, this was no time for America's first black president to actually be a black president. Obama took the question in stride, explaining that the best thing he can do for black people is to help the entire economy. He also succumbed to the fact that African American unemployment is traditionally much higher - nearly double - that of whites.”

Black people aren’t too concerned about the record unemployment for white males in Georgia – a whopping 211 percent increase in unemployment insurance by white males since 2007’s numbers were counted – nor will they ever worry about the lack of diversity in Federal employment:

“This year the First Place prize in the federal quota competition again goes to Court Services and Offender Services (CSOS) for employing 808% more blacks than their affirmative action target (quota).”

Black people view their economic displacement as the preeminent cause to combat in this country. They had high hopes for THE AGE OF OBAMA and with the rate of Black unemployment rising quickly they can’t blame THE MAN, for the highest office in the land is occupied by a Black dude.

The reality of Labor Day 2009 for Black people is that the economy under Mein Obama is not going to get any better – for them or any race. The nation has been savaged by feckless policies for far too long and not even the touch of the Barack Obama can save the economy now.

Stuff Black People Don’t Like includes Labor Day 2009, for the jobless rate for Black people is reaching historic highs, and the promise of Black people no longer putting gas in their car or paying their mortgage is out the window for good.