The Reverse New Deal: Taking Food Away From Children

(A child prepares to eat a lunch provided by a New Deal surplus commodities program. Image courtesy of the FDR Presidential Library and Museum.)  

(A WPA poster promoting good nutrition. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.)

During the New Deal, an effort was made to provide nutritious food to children and young adults. Surplus food was distributed to low-income Americans, the CCC fed it's forest soldiers, and the WPA served school lunches and had a summer lunch program.

Today, however, there is a concerted effort to reduce the amount of food assistance that low-income children receive. In supporting food stamp cuts that would kick about 200,000 children off the program, Congressman Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn) quoted a bible verse: "If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.” (This same Congressman has allegedly received millions in government-provided farm subsidies.) The problem here is that "Most households that get food stamps include either a child, a person over 60 or someone who is disabled, according to federal data. And all are either poor or low-income."

As Republicans in Congress attempt to cut off food assistance to 200,000 children (because they are not willing to work I suppose), Apple and other multi-national corporations are paying little (if any) taxes on their profits, and the mega-wealthy are utilizing offshore, tax-evading bank accounts to hide billions in wealth.  

Welcome to the Reverse New Deal. Welcome to cruelty.