Economic Desperation Is On the Rise

Economy: In another sign of how lousy the president's so-called recovery's been, millions of desperately unemployed are now threatening to sink Social Security's disability lifeboat.

This year, 3.3 million people are expected to apply to Social Security for disability benefits. That's 700,000 more than in 2008, and a million more than a decade ago. As a result, the Congressional Budget Office expects the program to run out of money in six short years.

Social Security's disability program is meant for those who, because of a serious handicap, are unable to find gainful employment. But Social Security commissioner Michael Astrue is blunt about the cause of the recent application explosion, telling the Associated Press that "it's primarily economic desperation."

This isn't the only sign of desperation out there. Nearly 46 million people are on food stamps - a 74% increase from 2007. The number of discouraged workers - those who've given up looking for a job - is 52% higher today than when Obama took office and 41% higher than when the recession ended way back in June 2009. The unemployment rate among blacks has topped 15% for 24 months - and now stands at 15.9%.

Yet this growing sense of desperation is being met only by increased cluelessness from the White House.

Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack argued that the explosion in food stamps will stimulate growth. "Every dollar of (food stamps) benefits generates $1.84 in the economy," he said.

Earlier this month, White House press secretary Jay Carney argued that extending unemployment insurance is a job creator because "everyplace that that money is spent has added business."

And Obama's Environmental Protection Agency actually believes that regulations create jobs, saying in a February report that "an increase in labor demand due to regulation may have a stimulative effect that results in a net increase in overall employment."

So by this line of reasoning, all the government really needs to do to get the economy going is pile on the mandates and hand food stamps and unemployment checks out to everyone. Then again, given that this pretty much sums up Obama's economic policy to date, shouldn't the economy be at risk of overheating?

If this is the kind of advice Obama's getting, it's no wonder desperation is the only thing on the rise these days.