Get Ready for the Poverty Deniers

I knew this was coming. It's a trend I wrote about last year. As the US economy continues to struggle, the free-market, get-the-government-off-my-back organizations will become more and more insistent that unemployed Americans are losers and loafers too lazy to help themselves.

The latest evidence of this propaganda campaign surfaced a few weeks ago when the Heritage Foundation published a "report" (a word that sounds very official) asserting that the "actual standard of living of America's poor -- in terms of amenities in the home, housing, food consumption, and nutrition -- is far higher than expected."

It's the sort of claim that makes good campaign fodder, like holding up a copy of the want ads in front of a crowd and announcing, "Anyone who's looking for a job should just look right here!" What they never mention is that in most cities right now, dozens if not hundreds of applicants are chasing each of those job postings.