Unemployment benefits should only be paid to those who worked for companies that paid into the benefit fund. The one time (3 months) out of my entire life I collected unemployment, I got a note in the mail explaining how much my salary had paid into the fund and how much I was due. It explained, quite effectively, that I was entitled to an amount per check for a period of time. After that, I was on my own.
END OF STORY.
If I had my benefits run out, there would have been two choices at that time:
FIND WORK
or
STARVE
The fact that I can go down to my local Chik-fil-a and see "Help Wanted" means that people just aren't accepting the work at a certain level. And that's fine. With my current salary, I'd find it demeaning and insulting to have to work for minimum wage. But you know what? When faced with the termination of my benefits and feeding my family? "Would you like fries with that?" would become my personal catch phrase.
We continue to extend these benefits, and continue to pile on the debt, raise taxes for those of us who DO work. Let them expire. They've been extended how many times now?
Now, stating that, I also agree with the OPs comment regarding how much we spend for various countries of the world. That needs to stop too. Until we get our own house in order, spending money on anyone but ourselves is asinine.
LOL