Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

[necron99]

This seems to be the article that Fred was hoping to post, back in March ("Death of a Salesman"), but at the time a lot of commenters pooh-pooh'ed the guest column in its comments. Try this one on for size instead:

http://www.truthout.org/060409R

This article lists in some detail 33 different people who have committed murder, suicide, and/or arson in 2008 & 2009, in each case where the perpetrators or the survivors mentioned foreclosure, job loss, or business failure as a causative factor. The author claims to have data from 30 different States of the union, and assumes the other 20 have similar incidents that were simply not reported in detail.

The article clarifies, of course, that we have no way of knowing whether these events would have happened even without the economic crash. But it's still pretty disturbing to see case after case after case rack up like this.

[thunderdownunder]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

Read the comments - not one person is uninformed as to what causes this - everyone is aware and wants, that the guns to be turned outward, against the perpetrators of 'debt burden' and their cohorts who spruked the 'get rich the easy way' scam and lined there pockets from the flow of suckers.
I feel sorry that people just don't get it - foreclosure/bankrupt/eviction is not the end of the world - GM will go on - life resumes albeit at a slower and more affordable way. So much anger clouds the Sun I guess and loss of your work is probably the worst event in a persons life, It makes you feel unwanted and useless(yet you were wanted and useful for the time you were in work).

We all need to step back occasionally to see if the path we walk is a journey or a treadmill. If the answer is a treadmill find a path to a journey through green pastures or continue doing the same circle. I will give you a 100% certainty - In the last hours of life, not one, ever, in all of humanity has wished they had spent more time at work.

"I used to complain I had no shoes until I meet a man with no feet"

[Master Shake]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

Read the comments - not one person is uninformed as to what causes this - everyone is aware and wants, that the guns to be turned outward, against the perpetrators of 'debt burden' and their cohorts who spruked the 'get rich the easy way' scam and lined there pockets from the flow of suckers.

I feel sorry that people just don't get it - foreclosure/bankrupt/eviction is not the end of the world - GM will go on - life resumes albeit at a slower and more affordable way. So much anger clouds the Sun I guess and loss of your work is probably the worst event in a persons life, It makes you feel unwanted and useless(yet you were wanted and useful for the time you were in work).

"I used to complain I had no shoes until I meet a man with no feet"

You're right, but still, I wouldn't mind seeing more than a few banksters and corrupt politicians shot. Some people just need a good killin'.

I used to complain I had no shoes until I meet a man with no feet. So I asked, "Hey, got any shoes you're not using?"

-- Steven Wright

[Master Shake]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

This seems to be the article that Fred was hoping to post, back in March ("Death of a Salesman"), but at the time a lot of commenters pooh-pooh'ed the guest column in its comments.

We dissed that guest column because it was bull. The guy the author wrote about didn't kill himself; he was obese and chain-smoked.

[necron99]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

Thanks for the replies. Yeah, Master Shake, the previous piece was a bit fluffy, and perhaps worthy of the derision, but I posted this to show that Fred did indeed have some sort of a point with it.

And I agree with Thunderdownunder... I find it incredible that people look on these events as a cause for murder/suicide... I don't get the mind-set. I could imagine the pressure on some people, the self-imposed panic, to take care of their families and be seen as the breadwinner, but doing stuff like this leaves their families worse off. I don't get the mind-set, but the evidence seems clear that some percentage of humans are just fragile creatures who fail under certain pressures.

[Mango]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

I can't give you any statistics on this, but it was well known years ago (when I saw the stats) that men, as a sex, are particularly vulnerable to suicide upon loss of a job/career. It's pretty easy to theorize why--their traditional roles as breadwinners and all sorts of social pressures seeing them as valuable for what they can DO for their family (support them). Take away what they do for their family, or what they have done, and they feel worthless. Of the people who attempt suicide, men also successfully kill themselves at a much higher rate than women. For some men suicide is a last attempt to support their families--via life insurance they feel they are worth more dead than alive. Other men turn their anger at the perceived source of the pressure to perform....and kill their families. Not very many turn it outward toward social or financial institutions, but during the 1980s farm crisis here in Iowa at least one banker was shot and killed. Suicides among farmers were definitely noted at the time--which is an interesting because as a group they tend to be conservative, traditional, stable, and come from strong social support structures--some of the very men you might think least likely to kill themselves.

[Guinnesstime]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

I can't give you any statistics on this, but it was well known years ago (when I saw the stats) that men, as a sex, are particularly vulnerable to suicide upon loss of a job/career. It's pretty easy to theorize why--their traditional roles as breadwinners and all sorts of social pressures seeing them as valuable for what they can DO for their family (support them). Take away what they do for their family, or what they have done, and they feel worthless. Of the people who attempt suicide, men also successfully kill themselves at a much higher rate than women. For some men suicide is a last attempt to support their families--via life insurance they feel they are worth more dead than alive. Other men turn their anger at the perceived source of the pressure to perform....and kill their families. Not very many turn it outward toward social or financial institutions, but during the 1980s farm crisis here in Iowa at least one banker was shot and killed. Suicides among farmers were definitely noted at the time--which is an interesting because as a group they tend to be conservative, traditional, stable, and come from strong social support structures--some of the very men you might think least likely to kill themselves.

I am a little uniformed on the subject so I will ask..... Do most life insurance policies cover suicide? I have never had a policy that would do so.

[dummass]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

Accidental death policies do not pay anything if you kill yourself on purpose. That's why people will often fake an accident (i.e., negligent drunk driver wraps himself around a tree...). Now you have coverage!

[cbxer55]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

Having been unemployed for six months now, I can tell you I am not even considering suicide. And yes I have guns around all the time, seeing as I have a concealed weapon permit, and never leave home without one, usually two.:eek:

We have plenty of family near by, and if worse came to worse, we would have a roof over our heads. My main concern is how bad things will really get if the economy totally collapses sue to TPTB mis-handling things, as they are currently doing a fine job at that.

I suspect the higher you are on the food chain(high income), the further you fall when TSHTF. Evidentally some folks just do not have a high tolerance for things going wrong.

Fortunately we never got in over our heads, and only have a house payment every month. No other bills except the usual utility bills. So things would have to get real bad for us to lose our house here. My wife was unemployed for six months as well, and only recently landed a good job.

I have an interview thursday, and there is hope in this one.

Good luck to everyone out there, we are going to need it I fear.

[ASH]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

I am a little uniformed on the subject so I will ask..... Do most life insurance policies cover suicide? I have never had a policy that would do so.

I have a term life policy. It will cover death by suicide, starting 3 years after initial issuance of the policy.

[touchring]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

Having been unemployed for six months now, I can tell you I am not even considering suicide.

What about places where there is no social security? Like China. No job, zero income. Return to the farm and plow the rice fields. People still live on.

[cbxer55]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

What about places where there is no social security? Like China. No job, zero income. Return to the farm and plow the rice fields. People still live on.

Absolutely they still live on, their tolerance for a lower level of existence is far higher than those who have lived high-on-the-hog for too many years.

As for those who feel the need to off themselves, please feel free. But please just take yourself, and leave those others you feel must accompany you on your journey.:rolleyes:
They will be just fine without you.:cool:

[touchring]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

If you're down, and not on antidepression medication, try north american ginseng. I'm taking it to overcome work lethargy, boost immunity and fix my psoriasis problem, but it also helps to combat stress, and recently i read that it has the effects of valium, but milder. Buy american ginseng in root form, sliced, the low grade ones will work and is very cheap, $10-$15 a packet. Throw in a few slices, add boiling water and if you can't stand the taste, add honey.

[flintlock]

Re: Econocide: This Recession Has A Body Count

Accidental death policies do not pay anything if you kill yourself on purpose. That's why people will often fake an accident (i.e., negligent drunk driver wraps himself around a tree...). Now you have coverage!

Actually there is a two or three year exemption on suicide, then most polices pay off regardless of how you go.