My question is - how can a great country like ours slide into the
toilet like this?

What's the end-point? We're all going to be collecting social security
disability payments once our unemployment payments run out?

If this keeps up, if we keep becoming disabled, then we'll be easy
pickings for Russia or China if they want to invade and take us over.

Our labor participation rate is at an all-time low (63.5%). What's with
that?

We used to be a great country. This is sickening...

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http://cnsnews.com/news/article/8786...ing-disability

8,786,049: Yet Another Record for Americans Collecting Disability

(CNSNews.com) - The Social Security Administration has released new data
revealing that 8,786,049 American workers are collecting federal
disability insurance payments in September. That sets yet another record
for the number of Americans on disability.

The 8,786,049 workers taking federal disability in September is a net
increase of 18,108 from the 8,767,941 workers who took federal
disability in August.

Over the past 45 years, the number of American workers taking federal
disability payments has increased four-fold relative to the number
actually working.

In August 1967, 74,767,000 Americans were working (according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics) and 1,152,861 were taking federal disability
insurance (according to the Social Security Administration). That means
that at that time there were about 65 Americans working for each worker
collecting disability.

In August 2012, 142,101,000 Americans were working and 8,767,941 were on
disability--meaning there were only 16.2 people working for each person
collecting disability.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a record 88,921,000
Americans were “not in the labor force” in August. These were Americans
who were at least 16 years old, who were not in the military or in an
institution such as a prison or a nursing home, and who did not have a
job and had not actively sought one in the last four weeks.

Also in August, according to the BLS, only 63.5 percent of the civilian
population (those over 16, who were not in the military or in an
institution) participated in the labor force. That was the lowest level
of labor force participation in 31 years. To participate in the labor
force a person must either have a job or at least be actively trying to
find one.