In addition to killing over 600 thousand Americans, the pandemic has completely upended daily life in America for over a year and a half.
Shutdowns of non-essential businesses like bars and restaurants helped slow the spread of the virus, but resulted in millions of people being suddenly unemployed. While much of these businesses have reopened, the Delta variant of the virus is wreaking havoc in some communities across the nation.
To curb the financial downfall of those left unemployed by the pandemic, Congress extended increased unemployment benefits earlier this year, a move that's left conservatives stark-raving mad.
Far-right Fox News host Laura Ingraham, a habitual promoter of disinformation throughout the pandemic, brought on Bar Rescue host Jon Taffer to talk about the expanded unemployment benefits.
The pair appeared to endorse cutting off employment in order to keep people "hungry" enough to work.
Watch below.
Laura Ingraham: "What if we just cut off the unemployment? Hunger is a pretty powerful thing."\n\nBar Rescue guy: "They only feed a military dog at night, because a hungry dog is an obedient dog. Well, if we are not causing people to be hungry to work..."pic.twitter.com/Pw5C6n6l02— Justin Baragona (@Justin Baragona) 1628823955
While even Ingraham suggested only cutting off unemployment for those who "can work but refuse to work," Taffer endorsed keeping people hungry, comparing the process to training military dogs.
He said:
"I have friends in the military who trains military dogs Laura, and the only feed a military dog at night, because a hungry dog is an obedient dog. Well, if we are not causing people to be hungry to work, then we are providing them with all the meals they need sitting at home."
The bizarre comments revealed a lot.
Well America, at least you know what these two rich folks and their friends think of you\u2026https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1426017141724270597\u00a0\u2026— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid \ud83d\ude37 (@Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid \ud83d\ude37) 1628865325
this entire video openly shows the disdain these millionaire business owners feel towards the working class. hunger should motivate you if you're a worker. this bald dipshit openly compares workers to dogs.https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1426017141724270597\u00a0\u2026— hasanabi (@hasanabi) 1628883698
Giving up the entire game here. They want starving obedient workershttps://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1426017141724270597\u00a0\u2026— Krystal Ball (@Krystal Ball) 1628884865
A clear admission that poverty is just a tool used by employers created with austerity to keep the labor force docile and complacent.https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1426017141724270597\u00a0\u2026— Michael Kofi A.||\u2664\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udded (@Michael Kofi A.||\u2664\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udded) 1628874648
Barbaric. Exposes the fault line between capitalist and socialist ideology: should people exist to serve the economy, or should the economy exist to serve people?https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1426017141724270597\u00a0\u2026— Meagan Day (@Meagan Day) 1628870398
They were astonished by the cruelty.
The cruelty is the point. These aren\u2019t mere jokes. These aren\u2019t jokes at all.https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1426017141724270597\u00a0\u2026— Be A King (@Be A King) 1628864023
Aside from this being unjustifiably cruel, anyone who has worked with hungry children knows "obedience" is not the response hungry humans take. They lash out.https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1426017141724270597\u00a0\u2026— Leah Golubchick (@Leah Golubchick) 1628875023
How cruel can they get? https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1426017141724270597\u00a0\u2026— Benedicta Weir (@Benedicta Weir) 1628865594
Yikes.
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