Unemployment

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-april-jobs-report-20110506,0,6724981.story

The private sector surges forward adding 268,000 jobs as the government continues to shed jobs(14k)

These gains were not enough to reduce the Unemployment rate though as more people return to the work force, it inches up .2% from 8.8% to 9% flat.  Although a rise in the unemployment rate may seem bad, it comes in the light of the fact that the economy is adding plenty of jobs (although still not enough for a full recovery) so there's still reason to stay optimistic.  These jobs were added when stocks were stagnant and oil prices rising, a result of government inaction on debt and deficit issues and turmoil in the middle east.

Personally I think if Qaddafi abdicates and we get real deficit reduction measures put into action we can expect a speedier recovery. However whether or not either of those things will happen is quite up in the air.

There would be more jobs if the government slashed spending, started paying off the deficit, replaced welfare checks with food tokens and homeless shelters, froze minimum wage and evicted illegal immigrants.

>>2
No, there wouldn't.

>>2

Slashing spending is the main reason government has shed jobs for the past year month on month.  The government is considerably smaller than it was when Obama took office.  The bad part is that it's state and local governments which are shedding jobs and it's because of all the republican governors recently elected.  Although I do admit, they are balancing the budget at least (well, some of them anyways)

>>3
Recessions are ended by restoring long term stability and investor confidence.
>>4
The people who take government jobs are educated and just choosing the highest pay as they should in accordance with true american values and market forces (even if those market forces are warped by the state), I must not mince words though, these jobs are paid for by the tax collector and if they are useless or just luxuries then they have to be axed. Of course we should keep firefighters, et cætera.

>>5
>The people who take government jobs are educated
lol!! Most government jobs go to affirmative action recipients, the rest go to leftists/statists and other sorts of untrustworthy vermin. Almost all of them are makework.

You are correct though, the government jobs are absurdly high pay and go to qualifications completely different then what the free market would demand.

>Of course we should keep firefighters
It would be better done by the free market, and the majority of fires are insurance fraud.

>>4
Why do you think cutting jobs is a bad thing?

>>6

In areas where firefighters are privatized the result becomes that people who can't afford to pay them have their houses burn down.  Don't be absurd.

>>7
It's a personal choice/responsibility. You can either use your money to pay the fire department, or spend it on luxuries like HDTV's, a 2nd car, tumorectomies, or overseas vacations. I know what I would choose.

>>8

Some people can't afford either of those options.

>>8
Haha. Fucking idiot. Lots of us don't have the money for the luxuries or the necessities.
We had to eat rice and beans for a month_ literally_ so I could afford to buy my kid a couple small presents for his birthday and make cupcakes for his little party.
And we are not the only working family I know in the same boat. Get a fucking clue buddy.

>>10
You can't afford cupcakes for your kid and I'm the fucking idiot?

I don't see why society should reward you because you live above your means and made crappy life decisions.

I think it's fair to say poor people are ignorant and slothful. They may work hard but they don't work smart, they seem to have some kind of aversion to education and intelligence, they do not continuously develop their trade, optimize, maximize and search for new avenues to obtain profit. They fail to realize they need to be pro-active in the pursuit of wealth, chip away at the boundaries, innovate, monopolize, gain the edge, do what few can and not be afraid of the backlash from the haters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vscG3k91s58
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsx1X8PV_A

>>10
How on earth am I living above my means? Learn to read.
The point I made is that I make sacrifices for _very small_ luxuries. I live directly WITHIN my means: being the only person I know, rich or poor. who is not in debt.
Food costs have risen to an insane degree, so that in order to feed my family healthy simple food, I have to budget a large amount. And I am happy about the choices that I have made: I'll put up my quality of life any day against anyones. Our family is happy spending meaningful time together, enjoying music and friends and nature. We don't need the  luxuries so many consider necessary.

>>12
Maybe some of us don't want to be rich. Some of us reject the treadmill and choose simplicity.

In the Fifth Reich, there is no sloth.
The "work-shy" will be eager to be of use when they find out what the alternative is...

>>13
You can't even feed your family....that's pretty embarassing, dude...i don't think i'd be tellin people that if I were you....i'm just sayin'..

>>15
>implying I am a dude
Also, my family eats pretty damn well, thank-you, also local and organic. We make it work, but these days it's not so easy.

>>13
reject the treadmill and choose simplicity
And why does that justify theft from people who choose the treadmill because they realize the world isn't that simple?

Greed is good, so by not being greedy you are being bad. You should be greedy then.
>>14
A fascist dictatorship may cause other problems.

>>17

>theft
 explain? I see no logic in your assumption here.

>greed is good

Wow. You and I really come from completely opposite sides. I hope that I never have to depend on you. On the other hand, if you're ever hard up, I'll throw another potato in the pot and offer you some.

"Greed" has a negative connotation, yet "ambition" is the same thing and it has a positive connotation.

>>18
We're not on opposite sides of an ideological continuum, just different positions on how best to classify and analyze the material world given our limitations in intelligence.

Greedy people continue to strive to obtain wealth even during the good times, as a result they are less likely to become hard up. What better way to reduce poverty by encouraging the vulnerable in society to get greedy and value material wealth more?

I care little for altruism because it's not an ends, it's a means, and a frequently misunderstood and inefficient means as illustrated by Friedman right here, there is no point in taking anything other than a pragmatic attitude when it comes to something as important as reducing poverty which causes so much suffering. Any state and economic system based on the assumption that it is altruistic will become hopelessly corrupt at the same time greed needs to be actively encouraged so the people strive to gain economic power and compete for control over the means of production.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsx1X8PV_A