Bush is the one who started the new precedent that our government will decide who is going to be a winner or a loser in the so called free markets. I agree with the free market system (let the weaker corporations fail and let us all deal with the fallout no matter how ugly it gets); period. America has enough corn fields to feed the people if it really comes down to that...as there is no impending dust bowl to screw with our crops.Now that being said, I also believe that socialism...or more importantly, social programs help to prop up our capitalist economy. It's kind of like a double edged sword. We need free markets, lower taxes for corporations, because free markets generate job growth and the middle class and all the good stuff that comes along with that. However, on the other hand, even in a thriving free market economy, there will never be enough jobs to employ every member of our society.
We effectively have a system that works on both Keynesian economic principles as well as the social programs that were created by the great FDR. There is a percentage of the work force that is institutionalized. They for whatever reason cannot actively participate in the labor market. Individuals who are institutionalized are school children, people in mental institutions, those who are incarcerated, and others in government sectors such as the Marines, Air Force, Navy, Army etc. Then we have those who are just unemployed, unemployed and have been actively looking for work within the last week, those who are unemployed and still want to find work but have given up on actively looking for work, and those who are loosely connected to the work force through General Relief and welfare who are looking for work but not necessarily interested in obtaining gainful employment. Then there are those who are retired or (independently wealthy) or living off pensions, and those who are disabled or on welfare who are no longer active in the workforce or do not need to participate in the work force for whatever reason. And last but not least those who are currently employed and fully active in the work force.
Well, there are going to be quite a few who also cannot actively participate in the work force who have not been described in the above paragraph due to a gross lack of skills or geographical location. How many laid off ford assembly line workers are going to find gainful employment in Detroit these days? What, are they just going to compete with illegal aliens digging ditches or move to other geographical regions where their current set of job skills are in demand? So, as you can see, we need to have welfare and social programs to prop up the economy in areas where there is little or now job gworth. Governemt projects and welfare checks do stimulate local economies and help businesses in those areas remain viable and there is no reason why these programs shouldn't be available within reason. Programs like unemployment insurance and government funded skills training are necessary to help workers with no job skills or antiquated job skills find employment in other sectors of our economy. You can't completely eradicate poverty from any society and stating that terminating entitlement programs will eradicate poverty is just plain ignorant. Thus I believe we need to have a good strong uninterrupted free market system as well as a safety net to protect those who cannot be viable in the marketplace for whaterver reason.
Remember, social security was created not as a total retirement program but rather as an incentive to move the older workers out of the market place in order to create new job opportunities for the younger workers. America saw it's greatest boom in production, jobs, education, and creation of personal wealth after WW2. Do you know what made it possible for the soldiers who were returning home to become professors, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and working professionals? It was the GI bill that allowed all men and women who returned home from the service to get a free college education. So, to knock social programs and say that they do not serve a useful, necessary, and often times meaningful purpose is hog wash. What we need to do now is look back into our history as Americans and figure out what is going to be best for us all. Do I agree with everything Obama has done; no. But I will at least give him one term to show me that he is a uniter and that he will help turn this country around. Attack me if you like; i'm not going to apologize for at least giving Obama and our congress a chance to fix this.
We effectively have a system that works on both Keynesian economic principles as well as the social programs that were created by the great FDR. There is a percentage of the work force that is institutionalized. They for whatever reason cannot actively participate in the labor market. Individuals who are institutionalized are school children, people in mental institutions, those who are incarcerated, and others in government sectors such as the Marines, Air Force, Navy, Army etc. Then we have those who are just unemployed, unemployed and have been actively looking for work within the last week, those who are unemployed and still want to find work but have given up on actively looking for work, and those who are loosely connected to the work force through General Relief and welfare who are looking for work but not necessarily interested in obtaining gainful employment. Then there are those who are retired or (independently wealthy) or living off pensions, and those who are disabled or on welfare who are no longer active in the workforce or do not need to participate in the work force for whatever reason. And last but not least those who are currently employed and fully active in the work force.
Well, there are going to be quite a few who also cannot actively participate in the work force who have not been described in the above paragraph due to a gross lack of skills or geographical location. How many laid off ford assembly line workers are going to find gainful employment in Detroit these days? What, are they just going to compete with illegal aliens digging ditches or move to other geographical regions where their current set of job skills are in demand? So, as you can see, we need to have welfare and social programs to prop up the economy in areas where there is little or now job gworth. Governemt projects and welfare checks do stimulate local economies and help businesses in those areas remain viable and there is no reason why these programs shouldn't be available within reason. Programs like unemployment insurance and government funded skills training are necessary to help workers with no job skills or antiquated job skills find employment in other sectors of our economy. You can't completely eradicate poverty from any society and stating that terminating entitlement programs will eradicate poverty is just plain ignorant. Thus I believe we need to have a good strong uninterrupted free market system as well as a safety net to protect those who cannot be viable in the marketplace for whaterver reason.
Remember, social security was created not as a total retirement program but rather as an incentive to move the older workers out of the market place in order to create new job opportunities for the younger workers. America saw it's greatest boom in production, jobs, education, and creation of personal wealth after WW2. Do you know what made it possible for the soldiers who were returning home to become professors, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and working professionals? It was the GI bill that allowed all men and women who returned home from the service to get a free college education. So, to knock social programs and say that they do not serve a useful, necessary, and often times meaningful purpose is hog wash. What we need to do now is look back into our history as Americans and figure out what is going to be best for us all. Do I agree with everything Obama has done; no. But I will at least give him one term to show me that he is a uniter and that he will help turn this country around. Attack me if you like; i'm not going to apologize for at least giving Obama and our congress a chance to fix this.
Last edited by a moderator:
