This morning I posed a question to Turq a little off topic and I want to start a new one on that topic. I've been thinking a lot about the economic crisis and something Turq was mentioning a while back about low crime in Europe and how one could walk the streets there at night without worrying about being mugged where such would be rare here in the US. Then I recalled how some folks in some European countries I know were out of work for some time but were able to keep functioning. So I'm wondering if some of these countries finally figured out there are probably more people than jobs there, in fact a lot more?
That I think is the future. We have more people than jobs and in such a situation either you invent jobs, ala the work programs of the 1930s which may not work this round as you can't put tech people to work building highways (they get bored really fast and will probably start fights with the grunts that like that kind of work). We've probably come to the point (as Bucky Fuller once stated) that we need to pay people for not working (I think I hear Shemp barfing right now). Why not pay everyone enough to have a roof over their head and food on the table? If they want more then they can take one of those rare jobs (or if innovative start a small business). Otherwise go the local square and actually talk to folks (instead of online), play chess, parchesi, gin rummy, or checkers just like in many third world countries (where people are friendly and more compassionate than uptight America). When the basics are provided then folks are less likely to commit crime to survive. Sure there will be a rare few out of the loop who will still steal probably because they're off the books and living under a bridge or something. Currently America's "Sink or Swim" economy doesn't work. It rewards the most greedy and materialistic among us. Some of the more creative and innovative may get some success but often exploited by the greedy and materialistic. The founders of this country stated that they wanted to provide "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" for their citizens. They were particularly not enamored with the "elite" and run amok capitalism such as the British East India Company. I think it is time for change or maybe for getting back on track.
