Alan Grayson: Unemployment--Why

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/274-41/11463-unemployment-why

I recently happened to be at an event where billionaire George Soros was being interviewed. The right wing hates Soros because he is: (a) liberal, (b) rich, and (c) fearless. [I could also make a case that they hate Soros because he is (d) Jewish, but I leave that up to you.]

Soros said a lot of things, but he said two sentences that I wish that everyone could hear. This is what he said:

You can't cut your way out of a recession. You have to grow your way out of a recession.

The simple truth in those nineteen words seems to have eluded our policymakers, both Democratic and Republican, for the past four years.

[tclambert]

1. Sometimes I amuse myself by imagining what it would be like with 2% unemployment.

What a different America we would see then. At 2%, employers would be desperate for workers. They wouldn't have 6 applicants for every job opening like we do now. They'd have six job openings for every applicant. Instead of workers competing with each other for jobs, employers would have to compete for workers. If they want to attract new hires, they would have to, HAVE TO offer higher wages and better benefits. They would be desperate to retain current, experienced employees as well. They might even resort to the extreme of treating workers with respect.

America works better when businesses compete with each other, both for customers, and for workers.

[FogerRox]

3. This effect starts to occur

with Unemployment levels of 6% or less for a prolonged period.

[grasswire]

5. it used to be like that

Last edited Thu May 17, 2012, 03:25 PM - Edit history (1)

Young people would graduate from college with no debt and find a good job before commencement. Their single-income parents owned a home and car and had no debt hanging overhead. This was at a time when America had no troops in a hot war, diverting trillions from taxpayers to Halliburton. And a Republican was in the White House -- Eisenhower.

[NNN0LHI]

6. College? Hired into the factory I retired from before I graduated high school

Last edited Thu May 17, 2012, 04:06 PM - Edit history (2)

Making top union scale the day I started. The college courses I needed after hiring in were all paid for by the company.

That is what it used to be like.

Don

[Quantess]

8. Which is exactly what our ruling class (.0001%) does NOT want!

You imagine what the world would be like with 2% unemployment... but soon enough you figuratively get kicked in the head from some unseen boot that wants to keep you down.

[fasttense]

2. Austerity for the working class 99% and luxury for the rich 1%.

That's the meme both RepubliCONS and Democrats have bought into. But look at Europe. It's not working there. It's just another form of trickle down, voodoo economics. When a country is in an economic depression/recession, cutting government services has never ever brought the country out of debt or improved the economy.

Only 3 things have caused this federal budget deficit.

1. Unfunded wars

2. Tax give aways to the uber rich

3. The 2nd RepubliCON Great Depression

Solve those problems and you solve your budget deficit. Note that Medicare, Social Security and all social programs are NOT the cause of the deficit.

[FogerRox]

4. Yup, should be plain as day. KnR

You can't cut your way out of a recession. You have to grow your way out of a recession

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. But Soros is EVIL so says my tea party neighbor.........and the tea party is a grass roots movement

and OWS is funded by the EVIL Soros......who makes his money by crushing the economies of other countries.......AND people who are unemployed are just lazy because there's plenty of jobs and Social Security is a ponzi scheme and Medicare is a handout.....and and and NO SOCIALISM!!11!!!