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September 21, 2004 The "Job-less" America Hype
"But we don't have any jobs!"A likely story. In fact, it is always amusing to hear complaints about the workforce uttered from the lips of someone getting paid to do so. There is an entire gang of Kerry supporters who continue to stand on their shaky soapboxes, yelling collectively in hoarse high-pitched voices about how Bush has left this country without any viable jobs. To put it bluntly, they make me sick. What's worse are the pathetic and sappy Kerry "A stronger America" commercials with the poor, sad, blonde-haired woman whining about how the only jobs available are paying $8 an hour and "who can live and raise a family off of $8 an hour?". More nauseating are those with the "horror music" playing in the background, damning Bush for his lies about creating jobs in this country. Meanwhile, John Kerry plays the emotional strings of those displaced by outsourcing and the other unemployed like a harp, promising to cut health care costs to benefit small business, and convincing others that his leadership will increase entrepreneurship in America. But most importantly, reminding us all that the evil rich-boy Bush lied. *Whatever. I could very easily throw around statistics about how evensome sensible Democrats have argued that Kerry simply does not have Bush beat in the area of the economy and jobs. In actuality, America's rebound economically from the events of 9/11 have tremendously exceeded everyone's expectations. Meanwhile, manufacturing is up and unemployment is down. I could discuss how both sides (Democrat and Republican) manipulate statistics to their own benefit, or how the unemployment rate under the Bush administration is 5.4% (point two percent lower than Clinton) and further surmise that that statistic really means nothing since Americans are lazy, and the perceived "lack of jobs" should be examined in light of the fact that the average American lives beyond their means, refuses to take the work that is available, and the middle-class only thinks it needs to make more money because of the burden of consumer debt. I could argue a lot of things, but instead, I'd rather just say, "Tough cookies". I do not believe it is the government's job to ensure that every American citizen has a means of earning income. In fact, I don't believe that the government is responsible for ensuring that anyone has a job. Earning our keep and being productive on the Earth is our responsibility, and the earth is aplenty with ways to do it. The biggest problem with the mentality of Americans is they have bought into the "job" mentality. Why do most people get an education? So that they can eventually get a job. We center our profitability as workers around the availability of viable employment. We define "viable employment" as reporting in to a company who will pay us according to our labor or area of expertise. As it goes in America, when there is nothing available that fits the aforementioned description, we determine there to be no work available, file for unemployment and hit the classifieds with an attitude. How incredibly lame and sad. This is America, the "land of opportunity". Foreigners risk their lives and the lives of their children, running across the highway stretch of 10-lanes of 70 miles per hour traffic with the hopes of gaining entrance into a country that promises them economic success. Others are drowning in large bodies of water because they were convinced that "making it to America" would be a better life for them. Thousands are dying enroute to come and become prosperous in a country who has citizens that haughtily declare "there simply are no jobs". The sad thing is, many of the immigrants here have more work ethic than the average ninny, city-bred American. It always amazes me how people who came here with "nothing" can establish more wealth in 20 years than many Americans can in their whole lifetime. Here, we live in a completely free market society where people will pay for anything. The market for ideas, ingenuity and prosperity is unmatched. Do you have a unique product idea? Someone is bound to buy it. Do you have a special talent or skill? Someone is bound to pay for it. In fact, you can even stand out on the street singing very badly and put a hat out and people will quite simply give you money. You could write a book in jibberish, and there is a market of individuals who will buy it. In America, we package and sell dirt, water, and rocks. Tell me that's not genius! Someone made millions of dollars because they patented the concept of a doll whose head wiggles back and forth. The success of "bobble-head dolls" is astounding. The growth of the internet leaves endless possibilities for cashflow. Every day, regular nobodies who are dissatisfied with their financial situation are taking advantage of a country that will essentially allow you to do anything for the sake of a dollar. Yet, people continue to contend that there are "no jobs". As a vivid example of the reality of creating your own market, in theUnited States alone, the Vietnamese community has the entire nail industry on lock--fingernails that is. I don't care what city you go to and what part of town you're in, chances are, you will find a nail salon, and therein will be an entire Vietnamese family, giving pedicures and manicures, and probably making more money than you. I'm not sure when the women of America decided that getting their nails done was more important than paying the light bill, but many Vietnamese families have tapped into a never-fading market: vanity. Illegal aliens aside, the reality is the immigrant population of America realizes a principle for survival that natives are either too dense, too lazy, too arrogant, too spoiled, or too forgetful to understand: if you don't work, you don't eat. Work can be defined a number of ways. Work does not equal "a job". Anyone can create their own work if they are hungry enough (literally and figuratively). Which often leads me to believe many Americans aren't really hungry. Of course not, we're overweight. The reality is, most Americans would rather have society hand them the perfect job on a silver platter. That is an unrealistic expectation. The cry of "unemployment" is whiny to me. Considering the country we live in and the opportunities available, there should be no excuses as to why we cannot become independently profitable one way or another, jobs or not. If people can get paid to walk the streets of Manhattan, telling me why I should vote for John Kerry, surely (MOST surely), there is opportunity for all. *People who believe this are dense and silly. Comments Posted by: Jonathan at September 22, 2004 6:24 AM Because they want to go back to The Way Things Used To Be. Uh, uh- life- and a dynamic economy- don't allow it to happen. Posted by: Gerard E. at September 27, 2004 12:29 PM I think we've found the answer to our unemployment problems! Everyone should drop out of school to become freelance writers and do each others' nails and provide for our own damn health care and insurance. Forget about the engineering and innovation that this country's wealth is built on that people are desparately trying to contribute to while their jobs are being handed over to people who can survive on minimum wage in their home countries! It's all about the hustle!!! Posted by: Chrissy at September 27, 2004 12:30 PM The sad thing is, many of the immigrants here have more work ethic than the average ninny, city-bred American. RIGHT ON! As a son of an immigrant I can tell you you this is 1000% on the money. Posted by: Joe from Jersey at September 27, 2004 12:30 PM Too bad you missed the point Chrissy. Maybe next time. Posted by: Ambra Nykol at September 27, 2004 12:31 PM No, I got the point. You are saying that anyone who is unemployed needs to get out there and hustle and make their own way. I agree with this 100%. However, in this era of unemployment, we have professionals who contribute to the WEALTH of this country, which lies in technology, who are out of work. There is not wealth in doing nails, it's in building up the nation to a higher standard of living which happens in engineering, medicine, and other technical fields. If we decide, as a country, that these people are interchangeable with professionals abroad, and young Americans see no future for themselves in these fields and decide to hustle instead, this will be very sad for the future of wealth-building in the US. Posted by: Charisma News Feed at September 27, 2004 12:31 PM Oh, and I have no problem with professionals abroad. They are great, but have the advantage of being able to survive on lower wages. And my distinction between wealth-creating enterprises, and other (service-type) enterprises such as burger-flipping and perming hair, is the difference between staying ahead in the global economy and subsisting. Posted by: Chrissy at September 27, 2004 12:32 PM That's a typical conservative view to the unemployment issue. Too bad the government is intertwined into everything we do. For those of you who say that the government hasn't a piece of responsibility for job growth or social security......Give me my taxes back! So I can take care of myself. This is ridiculous. In effect, the government has to take responsibility for the job situation. If people don't work, the economy won't grow. Just some thoughts. Posted by: Ade at September 27, 2004 12:32 PM Ade, Posted by: Chrissy at September 27, 2004 12:32 PM Let's not get the concept of "hussle" pegged as trifle. Sure Larry Flint gave the term a bad rap, but let's get real...Bill Gates was a hussler who has done more to revolutionize computers in the last 10 years than anyone would have expected. The idea of hussling is essentially overriding a trust in the bigdaddygovernment in providing for us our well-being. I never said that the government shouldn't be looking out for the industries they regulate. Of course it is important to keep the economy flowing. However, the good economy=lots of jobs equation is one that I can't get with. Peopple say that they agree 100% that people who are unemployed need to "make it happen", but at the same time it's the government's responsibility to provide sufficient jobs for all? The focus of the post was not letting the government off the hook, it was placing more responsibility on the people. You have to admit that when it comes to work ethic, Americans ain't exactly leading the pack. As far as the government not taxing people on their income, I agree, there is progress that needs to be made in that area and some of my quibbles with Bush are in the area of spending. However, I feel it's important to the nature of government spending is to support certain infastructures of this country. EVERYONE pays taxes. The self-employed and even the hussler (the honest one that is). The idea of "rendering to Ceasar" is a reality when we're privileged to live in this country. If we were paying taxes to the government solely because they provide us jobs, then we'd all be out a cow. There's a lot more to this issue. Posted by: Ambra Nykol at September 27, 2004 12:33 PM Change is violent! In any case I think for the most part people have a problem shifting paragidms. See about 100years ago most people in this country were entreprenurial (yes there were problems immense ones) yet then the farmers started going to work in industries, companies and huge corporations were formed! Now along with these unions came(this is a very simplified take on history by the way by no means exhaustive or representative of what has chronologically taken place) into power producing the mindset of "Job security"! And your "rights" as a worker, same thing as a citizen of the USA we have emphasized our "rights" soo much that we are in detriment of beeing blinded to see our "responsibilities" to God, our families, neighborhoods, communities nation and globe! But then again what happened to innovation? The fiber that holds this nation together! One idea! What happened to creativity where people would do whatever(legally ethically morally centered) it takes to make sure their family was taken care of! One Elder in my church once told me how he has trained his children to work! Their is no excuse in his mind for not having income! He has trained them (as a working class trade living blue-collar,union priveledged American) to know how to roll up their sleeves and hustle (whether that is washing windows, cleaning houses, doing lawns, selling goods and services,) he has equipped his children with the mindset of work! Posted by: Advocate at September 27, 2004 12:33 PM Chrissy I see your point in wealth being created by the professional occupations but you have to consider that only SOME wealth is created thereby. Technology (like professional labor) is only one of many factors in the economic cycle. Your basic beef seems to be that "professional" occupations are being "outsourced" overseas. That is a valid point. It has happened with manufacturing, and now the pattern is being extended to the service industries, with technology related occupations and even some medical (imaging analysis for example) being "sourced" overseas. Not all of this is bad. Some of it is natural and inevitable, according to the law of comparative advantage. Low paid Chinese can crank out low-end textiles, while higher skilled Americans can crank out things like higher value software or SUVs. Economics 101. What is bad is that government has used its regulatory powers, not to maximize American advantages at the higher end, but to undermine such advantages with policies encouraging a poorly performing educational system, favoritism towards inefficient unions, subsidies towards inefficient enterprises, wasteful government spending, unrestrained illegal immigration, taxation that discourages innovation and risk, and a host of assorted environmental, labor and other measures that simply make it much more attractive to do business elsewhere. It is a shame for example that the US educational system is turning out more lawyers than engineers- a pattern of priorities that speaks volumes about contemporary US society. It is a shame that the regulatory regime imposed on businesses create every incentive for them to escape to more hospitable environments. In this environment, increasingly, the casualties of that government "help" will need to scramble and hustle as Ambra says- like the Vietnamese nail salon operators. That's what it has come down to. Yet, come next election, we will yet again vote in or support the same people that brought us the negative policies noted above. We complain, yet we vote for more of the same. Posted by: Enrique Cardova at September 27, 2004 12:34 PM |
 "...playful philosophizing" Dan Leroy, National Review Online
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A few weeks ago, while in Manhattan doing what I do best (shopping and spending hard earned dollars), some friends and I stopped off at an uptown Barnes & Noble (the surest way for me to quickly waste three and a half hours). Upon our entrance to the bookstore, we were accosted outside by two strapping young gentlemen in their late-teens/early-20's, one black and one white, both toting clipboards and wearing corny t-shirts with the "Kerry/Edwards" logo on them. "Oh brother," I thought, "I don't feel embarrassing anyone today". I've always preferred not to mix politics and shopping. It was just one day after the close of the Republican National Convention, and even minus the cheezy "Kerry/Edwards" slogan on their chest, it was clear who they were working for. Call it a sixth sense, but those who espouse vastly Liberal views have this certain hapless aura about them. Not sure why, but I think it just exudes from their bodily orifices. I of course, just wanted to go peruse books, but my friend, who is black, and also happens to be a self-proclaimed Bush lover (to unnerving and questionable obsession), was on the prowl for hot discussion. The gentlemen identified themselves as representatives of the DNC out getting support for the Kerry Campaign. When we informed said lackeys that we would be voting for Bush (at the time, I would've preferred to just tell them to shove it), they seemed both amused and appalled and immediately began the typical berating of the entire Bush administration. The first thing one gentleman said was,
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You rock. Thank you for saying this so well. And happy early birthday (it is still early, right?)!