Obama’s phony “jobs” plan

2 September 2011

Thousands of people lined up on Wednesday in Los Angeles in the hope of finding employment, yet another sign of the chronic jobs crisis in the United States, the worst by far since the Great Depression.

The jobs fair in Los Angeles was the culmination of a series held throughout the country, attracting a total of 20,000 participants. These events, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus, were intended not to provide jobs—the majority of employers were, at most merely accepting applications—but to bolster support for the Obama administration, as his poll numbers plumb record lows.

They cannot, however, mask the fact that neither the administration nor any section of the political establishment has anything to offer the millions of people out of work.

The dispute Wednesday between Obama and House Republicans over the timing of his “jobs” speech next week was telling. In a move without historical precedent, House majority leader John Boehner rejected a White House request for Obama to speak before a joint session of Congress next Wednesday, the same day as a Republican debate. The White House quickly backed down, agreeing to move the speech to the following evening.

The decision was a predictable act of cowardice in the face of Republican opposition, a defining feature of Obama’s presidency. It was, at the same time, an expression of the entire strategy the administration, which is aimed at reaching an agreement with Republicans to slash trillions of dollars in social spending while doing nothing to address the social crisis.

More: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/sep2011/pers-s02.shtml