The Reverse New Deal: Turning our backs to the children who need help

(Click on images below to enlarge)

In their mission to sabotage the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), and thus prevent low-income families and children from receiving affordable health insurance, Congressional Republicans and Tea Partiers have forced a government shut down. This shut down is hurting children. As Mother Jones' reporter Tim Murphy points out:

--"30 children who were supposed to be admitted for cancer treatment at the National Institute of Health's clinical center were put on hold, along with 170 adults."

--"Several states had promised to pick up the tab if the US Department of Agriculture stopped funding the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)—but not Arkansas, where 85,000 meals will no longer be provided to low income women and their children."

--"2,000 newborn babies won't receive baby formula in Arkansas, due to (the) WIC cuts."

See "30 Ways The Shutdown Is Already Screwing People."

During the New Deal-era, however, there were initiatives to help children and to raise awareness about children's health issues and their educational development, as the following WPA posters illustrate (all images courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, whose website is now closed due to the government shut down):

We've come a long way since the New Deal era. As corporations and the super-wealthy keep raking in cash, and income & wealth inequality soars to record levels, children with cancer are told, "Sorry, we can't help you." Welcome to the Reverse New Deal: Turning our backs to the children who need help; twiddling our thumbs while cancer victims are pleading for our help. Unbelievable.