Editor’s note: A
longer version of this article first appeared at American Spectator
.
The
latest unemployment figures are again depressing, but not for the usual
reasons. They provide further confirmation of
Barack Obama’s fundamental transformation of America,
specifically through his creation of a growing government class.
The
numbers show a massive increase in government jobs created over the last five
months—621,000, to be exact, dwarfing private-sector job growth. Those new
government jobs account for a staggering 73 percent of overall job growth. In
all, 21 million citizens now work for government, out of 143 million employed
in America, or one in seven Americans.
The
vision and policies and programs of President Obama
and “progressives”/liberals are rapidly generating a new government
class. The current class—the one that
re-elected Obama—is comprised of federal
workers; of state, county, and municipal workers; of employees in
public-sector unions; of Americans
collecting food stamps,
welfare, and unemployment benefits; of
those looking to government for
healthcare; and more. They don’t all vote
Democrat, of course, but many do. And Democrats desperately hope many more
will. Incredibly, there is even a rising group of young women suddenly
demanding that Uncle Sam (i.e., taxpayers) pay for their
contraception and abortions.
Most
remarkable, this new class of Americans constitutes a huge and expanding
segment of the population (and voters) who are becoming not merely dependent
upon government but dependent upon Democrats. The more dependent this group
becomes, and the more it enlarges, the more it redounds to the political
enshrinement of liberal-Democrat politicians
All
of these segments of the
citizenry—or, perhaps,
constituencies—have steadily expanded over
the last 100 years of progressivism/liberalism,
and have surged under Barack Obama. Under Obama, there are a record 48 million
Americans on food stamps, up from 32 million at the start of his presidency.
The welfare rolls have exploded. Unemployment has not only increased but
remains stuck and stagnant, with the actual unemployed around 15 percent and
rising. Not only do federal workers continue to balloon, but so do employees
joining public-sector unions beholden to Democrats: SEIU, AFSCME,
teachers organized through the American
Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.
Writing
on this phenomenon, my colleague,
Dr. Marvin Folkertsma, observes that
roughly half the population receives some form of aid from the federal
government, a figure that will utterly explode once
Obamacare takes full force.
It
goes without saying that
this is disastrous for the literal solvency of the
republic, but it’s good news for those hoping to
expand the boundaries (and collective
dependency net) of progressivism/liberalism.
So,
where does this leave us as a republic? Well,
in very deep trouble. Most of those in the
new government class become rapidly conditioned to their reality. Easily lured
into their situation, they will be easily prompted into vociferously defending
their position—especially those in unions. They will defend their status with
ferocious loyalty when the right buttons are pushed by liberal-Democrat
organizers and agitators (and their media allies) who benefit from their votes.
Ronald Reagan said the only guarantee of eternal
life in this world is a government bureaucracy. He was correct, especially once
the bureaucracy is unionized; ditto for the bureaucracy’s programs and goodies.
You will not be able to undo Obamacare; trying to do so will be like
unscrambling eggs. Look at Britain’s National Health Service; it is the
third-rail of British politics. Even
Margaret Thatcher couldn’t touch it.
Ironically,
Margaret Thatcher might offer the lone
glimmer of hope. America four years from now will look increasingly like Britain
circa 1978-79, when the electorate had enough and somehow awakened and hired
the Iron Lady, who took on the government class. In the United States, however,
it will not be easy. We will need a leader with the combined skills and
determination of Thatcher or Reagan, who will be demonized unlike any American
heretofore. Moreover, we will need that leader soon. If this isn’t halted
quickly, America as we know it is over.
How
long? We have four years at best. Think about it: How many more Americans over
the next four years will be employed and unionized by government; collecting
food stamps, welfare, and unemployment; looking to government for healthcare,
for contraception, and more? And they will be further trained to believe this
is the norm and their natural right, and that anyone standing in the way is a
monster.
It
may already be too late. The federal government under Obama is hiring 103 new
government employees per day, with nothing stopping them. These new additions
to the government class will populate areas like Northern Virginia, turning
Virginia (politically) into another Maryland, which dutifully pulls the lever
for Democrats every four years.
Well,
Barack Obama promised
a fundamental transformation of America,
and now we’re getting it.