DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Unemployment In Feb Thru Early Mar Still Too High

**flopay** · 01-04-2011, 06:30 PM

But isn't the conservative position (not necessarily yours) that if people aren't getting paid enough, it's because they're not working hard enough?

It's these people's fault, not our fault, not the company's fault, and surely not President Obama's fault, right?

I don't think that's really the conservative position outside of what you might hear from the fringe.

As far as it goes though, you have to place at least some (and I would actually argue most) liability for being personally unemployable on the individual.

The fact that America and the American economy is changing isn't new news. This shit has been going on for decades. Even when I was a kid 25 years ago my high school guidance counselor was telling me that "if you don't get a college degree you're not going to be able to get a good job".

We hear that so much in America that it's become cliche.

But there's really no cliche about it. The God's honest truth is that if you don't get a college degree you're not going to be able to get a good job. Sure there are exceptions to this rule, and there are plenty of folks with GEDs doing okay for themselves, but as a rule you need an education to get ahead in America today.

Yet only 29% of Americans have so much as a bachelors degree. Only 29%!

What's worse, only 55% of undergraduates actually graduate. Of the folks who actually have or make the opportunity to go to college nearly half can't be bothered to see it alll the way through.

Sure there are some of them who because of extenuating circumstances have to drop out. But most drop because it's "hard" or because they want to drink and party or because they just can't be bothered.

Then they take that same attitude with them out into the work force and demand "a living wage" even though they're low-quality factors.

So to say that they're not making good money because they don't work hard on the job is a fallacy in my opinion.

But to say thhat they're not making good money because they don't put enough work into understanding the new economy, getting educated enough to be part of today's workforce, making themselves employable, and then keeping their nose to the grindstone with their job hunt until they actually find something they enjoy that pays them well?

I'd say that most Americans don't work anywhere near hard enough at that stuff.

It's easy to blame it on the "big mean corporations" that send all the poor American's jobs offshore. But there are still plenty enough of us holding down good, well-paying, jobs here in the United States to give the lie to that assumption.

Want a good job in America?

Put in the ground work and it will come.

More interested in drinking beer, playing Angry Birds, watching Jersey Shore, showing up last, always being late, wearing chothes and tattoos that show the world how much "personality" you have?

Pick up a shovel or spatula and form a line to the left.

As an afterthough, I wonder how many of the millions of Americans who have been unemployed or under employed over the last few years used that time to go down to the library, borrow some Rosetta Stone, and learn a foreign language? How many jumped through all the hoops necessary to get the government to fund a couple courses at the local junior college? How many volunteered at the local fire or EMY squad since they had all that time on their hands?

How many sat on their ass doing nothing - maybe checking the want-ads in the newspaper a few times a week and doing a little "networking" down at the corner bar?

These folks had years to develop their job skills.

I'd be knocked over in astonishment if more than 2% made wise use of that time.

01-04-2011, 06:30 PM	#33
flopay Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 503 Senior Member	But isn't the conservative position (not necessarily yours) that if people aren't getting paid enough, it's because they're not working hard enough? It's these people's fault, not our fault, not the company's fault, and surely not President Obama's fault, right? I don't think that's really the conservative position outside of what you might hear from the fringe. As far as it goes though, you have to place at least some (and I would actually argue most) liability for being personally unemployable on the individual. The fact that America and the American economy is changing isn't new news. This shit has been going on for decades. Even when I was a kid 25 years ago my high school guidance counselor was telling me that "if you don't get a college degree you're not going to be able to get a good job". We hear that so much in America that it's become cliche. But there's really no cliche about it. The God's honest truth is that if you don't get a college degree you're not going to be able to get a good job. Sure there are exceptions to this rule, and there are plenty of folks with GEDs doing okay for themselves, but as a rule you need an education to get ahead in America today. Yet only 29% of Americans have so much as a bachelors degree. Only 29%! What's worse, only 55% of undergraduates actually graduate. Of the folks who actually have or make the opportunity to go to college nearly half can't be bothered to see it alll the way through. Sure there are some of them who because of extenuating circumstances have to drop out. But most drop because it's "hard" or because they want to drink and party or because they just can't be bothered. Then they take that same attitude with them out into the work force and demand "a living wage" even though they're low-quality factors. So to say that they're not making good money because they don't work hard on the job is a fallacy in my opinion. But to say thhat they're not making good money because they don't put enough work into understanding the new economy, getting educated enough to be part of today's workforce, making themselves employable, and then keeping their nose to the grindstone with their job hunt until they actually find something they enjoy that pays them well? I'd say that most Americans don't work anywhere near hard enough at that stuff. It's easy to blame it on the "big mean corporations" that send all the poor American's jobs offshore. But there are still plenty enough of us holding down good, well-paying, jobs here in the United States to give the lie to that assumption. Want a good job in America? Put in the ground work and it will come. More interested in drinking beer, playing Angry Birds, watching Jersey Shore, showing up last, always being late, wearing chothes and tattoos that show the world how much "personality" you have? Pick up a shovel or spatula and form a line to the left. As an afterthough, I wonder how many of the millions of Americans who have been unemployed or under employed over the last few years used that time to go down to the library, borrow some Rosetta Stone, and learn a foreign language? How many jumped through all the hoops necessary to get the government to fund a couple courses at the local junior college? How many volunteered at the local fire or EMY squad since they had all that time on their hands? How many sat on their ass doing nothing - maybe checking the want-ads in the newspaper a few times a week and doing a little "networking" down at the corner bar? These folks had years to develop their job skills. I'd be knocked over in astonishment if more than 2% made wise use of that time.
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