Unemployment Insurance Is Just Obama's Socialism, Get Rid of It and the Poor Will Find Jobs

Submitted for your disapproval:

“[Unemployment benefits] don't create jobs, they just prolong joblessness for those who are on the dole.  But the president seems to think that if people sign up for some government program, that they have therefore gotten off the rolls and into a good place.  But the good place isn't government subsidy, and that's what he wants, he wants people under the control of government.  And therefore, the more people under the control of government, the better the socialist agenda turns out. 

But statistics seem to show that when you cut unemployment benefits, and people really, honest-to-goodness are faced with the stark reality of getting a job, that they find ways of getting employment in the private sector. 

It isn't being cold-hearted to say the government cannot afford to continue, month after month, year after year, keeping people on the dole of unemployment.  You can't do that.  Sooner or later, you have to say we rely on the private sector.  Then we have to create a climate in this country where people can be employed, where business is booming, where regulations are cut down, and taxes are cut and people can go to work.  That's what we need to do, but the president doesn't see it that way.”

Remember—this is coming from a man whose best advice he could muster for an unemployed viewer was, "Ask God, or consider telemarketing."

As for that last part, where we need to get the economy moving again?  Turns out extending unemployment benefits is the second-best way to stimulate the economy, right behind increasing food stamps, according to Moody's:

But then again, that Moody's is just another socialist outfit on Wall Street, what do they know.

Pat Robertson's Advice to the Unemployed: "Ask God. Or Consider Telemarketing." (Oct. 1, 2013)

Pat Robertson thinks there are 90 million Americans out of work, which I guess is true if you're counting children as "unemployed."  (Damn freeloaders!)  Last week, one of those 90 million 11.3 million wrote in to ask Pat if it would be a sin to work in a local casino that's hiring.  Pat's response?

“Get another job.  There have to be—ask God to open a job for you… I'm a great believer in these telemarketing things, you can get work from home, you can do all kinds of things.”

Ask God.  What a great idea!  I'm sure that none of the millions of other people looking for work—and remember, Pat thinks there are 90 million of them—even thought to pray for a job.  Oh, you'll be the first!  The rest of the unemployed probably aren't Christian, anyway.  I mean, if they were, they'd be praying to God for jobs too, right?

But hey, there's always telemarketing—because what the world needs is even more people calling us up to sell us stuff.  Anyway, there's plenty of work out there besides that sinful casino job.  The rest of the 90 million are just lazy bums.

Pat Robertson Thinks 90 Million Americans Are Out of Work (Sept. 9, 2013)

If you haven't read the introductory post, or noticed from some of the other posts, this blog is going to be spending a lot of time around 1997.  In a bid to avoid taunts of irrelevance, we'll be posting current Pat Robertson/700 Club clips on a regular basis.  You may also notice that compared to the robust Pat Robertson of yesteryear, today's 83-year-old version is—how can I put this delicately?—comparatively enfeebled.  (Was that delicate enough?  I did say "comparatively.")

The U.S. unemployment report for August 2013 was 7.3%, or 11.3 million Americans who are looking for work.  The report was released at 8:30 AM on Friday, September 6, but The 700 Club, which airs at 10 AM, did not make mention of the report.  Nor did its CBN News segments on the following Monday, September 9, mention the report, either.  Instead, we were treated to this from Pat Robertson:

“We understand that there are ninety million people—ninety million people—out of work in America right now… It approaches the Great Depression time.”

And no, he did not say "nineteen"—a number that is still wrong, not to mention larger than the worst unemployment level of the 2007-09 recession—he clearly said "ninety."  And of course, longtime co-host Terry Meeuwsen sat stunned and gasped, "That's unbelievable!" because even if she knew Pat was wrong—and it's not clear whether she recognized his blunder—you simply do not correct Pat Robertson on the air of his own show.  Or maybe she wanted us to take "That's unbelievable!" literally.  Because it is unbelievable that 90 million people—58% of the workforce—are unemployed.  (That 58%, by the way, would more than double the unemployment rate of the Great Depression at its worst, not just "approach" it.)

It's enough to make you wonder whether Pat's going senile, but no one has the power to tell him it's time to retire from the show.