Empathy deficit

The American public is starting to feel an empathy deficit regarding the long term unemployed.  The republicans in congress want to cut loose the 4 million long term unemployed instead of extending relief.  Along with the cuts to the food stamp program, this is represented as doing the lazy moochers a favor.  Instead of lying back and collecting all these cushy government benefits, the formerly employed should get in line for those Walmart greeter jobs.  Then they can apply for government largesse to cover the deficit between their munificent paycheck and what the real world demands.  While it is comforting for those of us with jobs to discount the millions who are collecting unemployment as unrealistic.  Take any kind of job and try to improve from there.  For a mid level executive who was dropped due to downsizing or off shoring or general economic downturn, flipping burgers or picking up trash is probably not an option, even if he or she were willing and able.  Many of these people have generated hundreds of job applications for low paying work and were told they were over qualified.  If the lone factory which supported most of the good paying jobs in town closes, there is relatively little chance you'll be able to sell your house and move to where there is an equivalent job without taking a huge loss.  Those of us who grew up in the latter part of the 20th century did not see the grinding poverty our grandparents experienced in the great depression.  The benefits many of us would deny the unemployed are what keeps communities around the country from imploding.  So even if our dark side would like to see the lazy moochers afflicted, in the end, the rest of us will pay the piper.