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Fox News Attacks the Disabled for Mooching Off the Government
According to Fox News there can’t possibly be millions of disabled people in America, so the people who are on disability are mooching off the government.
Here is the video from Media Matters:
UPDATE: If the video is not working you can watch it here.
Steve Doocy started off the segment by asking, “”Are more people getting sick and disabled, or are we just wasting more money?” Doocy then brought in right wing talk show host, and the author of the book A Nation of Moochers, Charles Sykes, and asked him, “So, has the number of people on disability gone up because they are moochers, or because more people need help?”
I’ll give you three guesses where the author a book on national mooching stood on that one, “You have to ask yourself. Have we had an epidemic of disability? Have we become that much less healthy of a society, or do we have an epidemic of dependency.” Sykes said that the disability program has been turned into another pathway into dependency in the entitlement culture.
Later Sykes broke out the Ayn Rand, “This is one of those moments we have to step back and say, OK, do we really want a safety net that is targeted at the genuinely disabled, or are we just creating another program for the takers in society? I mean this thing has ballooned to about a 130 billion dollars a year. There’s no indication that it’s going to slow down any time soon, and, quite frankly, you know the whole approach of the Americans with Disabilities Act was to integrate the disabled back into society. What this program is doing is essentially saying, no, you don’t have to work, we’re going to create this permanent alternative, and unfortunately that means that a lot of people, I think, are figuring out that it’s easier to collect these checks than it is to go get a job, integrate into society, and learn what earned success is all about.”
Fox News compared the number of people on disability today to the number of people receiving benefits 52 years ago. There are many reasons why more Americans are on disability. Including an aging population, advances in medicine, and population growth. The reality is that it is very difficult for people with disabilities to find a job. Before the Bush recession, only 16% of disabled men, and 15% of disabled women were employed.
There is still rampant employment discrimination against the disabled. Many Americans with disabilities who lost their jobs in the recession have to turned the disability program for economic survival.
These millions of Americans aren’t lazy. They want to work. Many of the people who are collecting disability now have worked in the past. The sharp rise in Americans on disability has more to do with conservative policies that crashed the economy than any culture of entitlement or mooching.
Disabled people faced major employment hurdles before the recession, now the situation is even worse. The demonization and perpetuation of stereotypes against the disabled by Fox News and Charles Sykes was not only cruel, it was also despicable.
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33 Responses to Fox News Attacks the Disabled for Mooching Off the Government
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djchefron
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Whats funny is their very audience who watch this drivel is more than likely on disability and or wrap their shriveled lips on the government teat.Other than that you cant fix stupid so why try.
Paws
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 1:17 pm
This is just despicable. I am really offended when people who should know better blame the less fortunate among us for their lot in life. You know, no one wants to be disabled. No one wants to be poor. No parent wants to send their child to bed hungry. Children cannot sit in school all day without a meal. Veterans did not ask to be disabled in a war, either physically or psychologically. If you asked all of these people (except the children of course) if they would rather be able to work and earn a living wage and not live off the government, they would choose to do that rather than be in their situation.
It’s unfathomable that when we are in hard times as a country, the first people we blame for it are the people who are less fortunate and have nothing to do with why we’re in hard times. These people did not bring on the financial collapse. These people are not the ones in Congress obstructing the jobs bill that would put a few million people back to work and help get the economy going. It is not their fault yet the GOP, and I consider Fox to be nothing but an arm of the GOP, continues to blame them.
It is absolutely sickening.
Galen A Gregory
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
I worked for 30+ years as a pediatric occupational therapist, helping kids with disabilities. Now because of a degenerative spine condition and neuropathy, I am unable to work and am on SSDI (which I paid into all these years, by the way). Does that make me a moocher, Doocy and Sykes????
Reynardine
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
It’s enough to make me wish these smug ratbastards would lose both their money and their health.
DC
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
I’m offended that some people think that its great being on disability.I worked my a$$ off and got injured at my place of work that caused my disability while 4 months pregnant maybe alot of these companies need to be questioned if the work place is safe and monitored closely so there are less work injuries and less people on disability.
postaljohn
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Stop the mooching by General Electric, Boeing, Bank Of America, etc, and then complain about the disabled.
Bren
Dec. 8th, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Agreed..The suck up MORE of the taxpayer $$ than aid to the poor does. Disability and Social Security does not add to the deficit in any way. Why do you think that the Republicans want it so bad? To hand it over to Wall Street to play with.
I am disabled myself and can honestly say I would rather still be working and making a decent wage. I didn’t ask to get sick. I AM glad I did pay into the program for two and a half decades.
Maureen Mower
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
These people are just downright appalling. My husband is on SSD. He is a hemophiliac, had cardiac bypass surgery in 2010, and is currently in chemo for stomach cancer (after having his entire stomach removed). Before going on disability he worked his ass off for 40 years to support himself, his former wife, and their children.
I’d like to see the whiners and complainers on Fox endure all he has gone through in the last 3 years and then say he doesn’t “deserve” his EARNED benefits!
Shiva (Moderator)
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Anything to do with Doocy is going to be stupid to start with.
In order to be determined you are disabled, you have to have a doctor say so. Are they saying doctors are committing fraud on a huge scale?
Want the number to come down Fox? Get single payer healthcare
A Walkaway
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
It’s not that easy. If it was, I’d have been approved many years ago.
I had five different doctors put it in writing, and three different witnesses testify that I could no longer do the work I was doing, and that I was unemployable and disabled (at the time – no degree, and while I had other skills I didn’t have the paper stating so hanging on the wall). Yet I was denied by the judge 4 different times.
The judge said (in writing too) that I wasn’t obviously in pain, therefore I wasn’t really disabled and he discounted the testimony without even giving a reason beyond that.
It’s tough to get help, especially when your health problems are not obvious.
RMuse
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
It is tempting to wish a debilitating disability on these vile human beings, but like most decent Americans, one cannot stoop to their level or wish such misery on anyone…even if they deserve it.
Lori
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
I won’t wish disability on any of them (or at least I’ll try really, really hard to not wish evil upon them), but I’d like to know if they would be willing to trade places with any of the people receiving SSDI. I bet most of the people receiving SSDI would be happy to trade places with people who are physically & mentally able to work & have “normal” (note that I put that in quotes) lives.
46A9MA
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
This guy makes Vice Principal Strickland in Back to the Future, who calls anyone he dislikes “slackers”, seem to be a nice guy in comparison.
Maranon
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
“…There are many reasons why more Americans are on disability. Including an aging population, advances in medicine, and population growth…”
One of the biggest reasons for having people with disabilities is sending people to wars, there people get mangled, permanently damaged and killed.
Many of the people we sent eagerly to fight the endles wars, return with serious issues and many are not able to take care of themselves.
Please Read:
www.rtmagazine.com/…... K VonFeldt
“Since 2001, approximately 2 million US military men and women have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan in support of OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) or OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom), respectively. Over the past decade, evidence has emerged that military personnel and civilian workers sent to southwest Asia may be at risk for developing potentially disabling chronic lung diseases, including asthma and constrictive bronchiolitis.”
It is the responsibility of the rest of the nation who want those wars fought to pay for these individuals.
Being a politician is what has turned into …
” another pathway into dependency in the entitlement culture”
Yes, the politicians have been groomed to suck the life of the very same voters who believed in their promises.
But now in the Hill, are eating their free lunches, being driven around in limos, flying in private jets, getting farm entitlements, and who know what other favors are receiving under the table.
Mary
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Fake news is setting up the new gop/rand talking points. In fake news world only their corporate sponsers are allowed to huge amounts of Corporate welfar. Thr repugs really want to go after SSD.
djchefron
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
The whole network is just sick
O’Reilly Exploits Story Of Formerly Homeless Veteran To Call For Spending Cuts
mediamatters.org/blog/201...
And now Murdock wants to add the Chicago tribune and the la times to his propaganda machine.The Obama administration must stop this right now
STOP MEDIA CONSOLIDATION: NO MORE FCC RULE CHANGES FOR MURDOCH
www.ritholtz.com/blog/201...
Review queen
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Let them hobble a day in shoes, then let’s see how their tune changes.
It is easy to sit back a judge, when it’s not you that
Has a disability. I had a business worked for years made great money
Now I had to close shop cause I became I’ll. Now cause of the Economics of the
Country… But cause iam sick! I wish I was not…
So once again fox news, has proven to me they are spawns of the devil.
Phillip Roberts
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
What do you expect from NAZIS, people? These jerks who call themselves “newspeople” (read: propaganda arm of the republicaNazi party) seem to try to turn average AMERICANS into the “problem” of the country, when in reality, NO PROBLEM EXISTS EXCEPT FOR THE GREED, AVARICE, HATRED, BIGOTRY, MYSOGNY, RACISM AND IGNORANCE of those who follow and watch fox “news”…..and what’s worse is that murdoch and his “news” station plays into the fear, ignorance and intolerance of those who, in the past, would’ve followed Hitler into the madness and hate that killed so many Jewish people……
And we have SO many in this country who are like that today that it is sickning.
clarence swinney
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 5:01 pm
ENTITLEMENT CRITICS
SOCIAL SECURITY is praised worldwide as the very best program.
I gladly paid a little for 35 years for a small pension. I appreciate it.
It pays it’s way. Since 1981, the government has borrowed 2700 Billion from it.
It draws interest on those securities.
The top rate can be increased as needed to keep it solvent for decades.
A change to tax “all” income will do much to keep it solvent.
Gambling in derivatives should be taxed. It is usually simple one on one betting.
Such actions adds nothing to our Standard Of Living.
MEDICARE is pay your way. The problem for 50 years has been rising costs.
The World Health Forum ranks us 37% on Efficiency in Health Care yet we pay far more than most efficient. President’s audit team has gotten billions in fines and paybacks from overcharges.
VETERAN ADMINISTRATION. Yes! They earned our upkeep for fighting our wars.
Try criticizing benefits to top 10% for such as tax breaks, refunds, etc.
Wuzzi
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 7:08 pm
I struggle terribly with having become ‘one of them’ – I was taught that to be on disability was shameful. I endure a LOT of grief from a few in my family – the constant, “If you just TRIED harder I am sure you could work without any trouble; what are you thinking wasting taxpayer money doing nothing all day?” :(
I was taught to hate people like me growing up. Well hate is kind of strong, but definitely look down on and … believe they were slackers and worse. I was assured by family that the best possible thing to do in life was work hard, do what I was told and get ahead, and when I worked I never had a supervisor that didn’t marvel at how much more I accomplished than their average employee (breaks and lunches made me feel awkward and were usually cut short).
Now I can’t work, part of my family judges me openly, the other part, well I THINK they aren’t judging me, but they might just love me enough to not bring it up and guilt me about it. My illness is so severe and I am so sick that I was approved immediately without appeals, but I still struggle with guilt about this.
Now there are people calling for my disenfranchisement with the only reason being that I developed an incurable and devastating illness. I really have to wonder if (no, actually, I know they DO) they would rather I was dead?
A Walkaway
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
Being on disability was shameful and most of the people on it were scammers and not really ill. Yeah, I also used to think that. Now I know better.
I heard that for years, and because I’ve grown up with pain (and weakness and low energy and exhaustion) and still worked in spite of it, I admit I looked down on anyone who was on disability. I figured if I could work hard in spite of sometimes searing agony (and real stomach problems), they could too. Nobody cut me an inch of slack, therefore they shouldn’t get it too.
The pain grew to where I could no longer do the work I used to do (unable to even use the tools for a while) – and because of corporate greed and racist bigotry, working for myself didn’t pay worth a damn anyway. All along I’d been hearing from Republicans “If you REALLY can’t work, there are programs for you like SSDI”. Well, I applied for disability and suddenly – the minute I applied in fact, I went from being a human being with a severe problem to a slacker who only wanted government handouts.
They had no problems with telling me that to my face. The most humane of the lot told me I’d never get it because I was too honest. I never got it (got locked out from the system, in fact), but I don’t think my honesty had anything to do with it.
That woke me to reality and started my departure from the mainstream churches (only slightly better than the dominionist ones). It also started the change from conservative to extreme liberal.
Wuzzi
Dec. 8th, 2012 at 12:12 am
This journey has really given me a lot of humility – now I can’t even trade on the things that were ‘supposed’ to make me a good person. I have to admit that it probably has also been part of what converted me to a liberal… that and (ironically, because many in that church are very much die-hard conservative Republicans, including hubby) joining hubby’s church – they love prophecy and a lot of prophecy spends time talking about “God’s justice,” and surprisingly, it isn’t hellfire and brimstone – it is take care of the people among you who are more likely to be exploited or might not be able to take care of themselves. Honestly that definition of God’s justice was never preached to me before.
It opened up a different thing – though I was always taught the “do unto” thing and always treated others with kindness, I had the same issues you did – I had been told 15 years before I finally got too sick to continue that I would be eligible for disability and should apply for it. Then I found out it can take 2 to 4 years to get approved and you had to not work that whole time to demonstrate you were unable to work. Well, starvation didn’t sound like a good idea, so I sucked it up and kept working, and as things got more and more difficult, I kept getting more frustrated imagining people who weren’t being as tough as I was.
Now that I am on disability I struggle with whether or not I was tough long enough and some really terrible words from some family members. At the same time I feel so blessed that it is here even as I worry that one day the wrong people might finally get it dismantled and set me to the wolves. I really think they believe a large part of our country would be better off dead.
Reynardine
Dec. 8th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
If most of the country ended up dead, they wouldn’t have the labor surplus they need to keep the ewepeople down. They need a few of them (and their dependants) dying an ugly death as an example, and then a large number of the rest of them so scared of this fate that they’ll work for bare subsistance and never dare to get uppity again.
amazonfeet
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
I have the same medical condition that killed my maternal grandfather at age 39. It tried to kill me in my mid 30s. I survived an aortic dissection, aortic regurgitation, pericarditis, cardiac tamponade, and congestive heart failure. I had two open heart surgeries in 11 months. I went back to work 10 and 1/2 weeks after the second one and worked for 7 1/2 years. I was turned down locally 4 times in 10 years for SSDI. My last attempt I got an attorney and had a senator’s staff (US Senate) keeping tabs on the case. That 4th turndown was reversed by an administrative law judge. I would probably have dropped dead on the job or killed myself if I hadn’t gotten SSDI. The first time I was turned down, I was between open heart surgeries and had congestive heart failure so bad I could barely walk across my living room. Today, if I overdo in the slightest, I have muscle and bone pain. I have permanent Atrial Fibrillation. We threw anti arrhythmics at it for 13-14 years till they quit working, and the rest of the meds in that class would kill me outright. My atria are enlarged, the left is 7.3 cm, and the left ventricle is thickened and enlarged. Ask any of those idiots on Fox if they even know jack about the Marfan’s system that nearly put me in a grave, that affects my mother, and that killed my maternal grandfather. I know better than to ask if they care. This is the same “news network” that goads right wing terrorists into killing doctors and picketing churches they don’t like. I learned the hard way that the so called pro lifers don’t give a good god damn whether I live or die. Look at what they have done to the social safety net. I live every day in terror of losing the two things, SSDI and Medicare, that stand between myself and the cemetery, just as I lived in terror of dying from a rape induced pregnancy because of the ghouls outside the clinics for years before my hysterectomy. My contempt for Faux “News” cannot be adequately expressed in words.
amazonfeet
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 7:58 pm
Correction: Marfan’s “System” should be Marfan’s SYNDROME…sorry
A Walkaway
Dec. 8th, 2012 at 1:09 am
I’ve heard and read a bit about Marfan’s syndrome – that’s a tough row to hoe! (Don’t remember the particulars, however.)
I also have read or heard that researchers are pretty sure Abraham Lincoln had it, and probably wouldn’t have lived that many years more because of it.
harris stein
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
It’s like any program that the government has put in place to help people whether they have been laid off due to economic conditions, injured on the job, have a disease or medical condition that makes it impossible to continue working the kind of work they did to earn a living. The overwhelming majority are honest and would really rather be pulling their weight. Of course there will always be people who game the system just like the ultra wealthy who game the tax system. In the case of the ultra wealthy there are probably more who game the system than there are honest people.
To receive social security disability benefits one must have a disease or medical condition that will last a year or more or result in death. Levels of daily activity are also taken into account. Single people who have no social support network and therefore must take care of all their daily needs are much more likely to be denied benefits repeatedly. And don’t think that lying on the activity report gets you benefits. The state agencies hire private detectives to watch claimants.
A Walkaway
Dec. 8th, 2012 at 12:52 am
You might be interested in knowing that there is a study which shows that the rich are far FAR more likely to be crooked and dishonest – stealing candy from children dishonest, than ordinary people.
It came from UC Berkley I believe. I think I posted a link to a report about it a while back.
Wuzzi
Dec. 7th, 2012 at 8:56 pm
Geez Harris – I hope they log my regular rest periods…
A Walkaway
Dec. 8th, 2012 at 1:06 am
(Laugh) yeah… I can still do some manual labor if I can do it sitting in a chair that leans back and with frequent short breaks (a folding portable chair works fine), or for short periods of time standing but moving around (followed by sit-down rest breaks). I’ve found some work like that, but it’s few and far between.
The funny thing is that I can walk far longer than I can stand, especially if it’s on grass or soil.
You’ve probably ran into the people who think that if you can do some work, you can do it all and without stopping. They can’t seem to get their head around “rest for few minutes to get the pain under control”.
kfreed
Dec. 8th, 2012 at 1:33 am
Instead of allowing the tea party theocrats to throw the elderly, sick, disabled, young, women, monorities, immigrants, and workers under the bus… I suggest we hijack the bus and run over their despicable arses with it.
I’m sorry, but I can’t take anymore of the GOP’s “Despicable Me” act. I’m so done.
amazonfeet
Dec. 8th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
There are many days I feel the same, kfreed…I used to believe everything they told me before the near-death health crisis…it was a rude awakening to find out they didn’t give a damn about me, and could care less whether I lived or died…I will be a resister to authority and a hair away from atheism for probably the rest of my life.
A Walkaway
Dec. 9th, 2012 at 11:08 am
I’m not that close to atheism, but your story is very much like my own.
I learned how much I’d been lied to – and then returned to school (act of desperation as I had no income and no assistance whatsoever) and started REALLY learning how much they’ve lied.
I hate the churches and the Republicans. Plain and simple.
You know what’s funny? They think that the misery they’ve caused will force people to “turn to Jesus”.