The unemployment situation has to be scary to anyone who isn't retired or holding a guaranteed job. Even the retired should worry as who will pay for their retirement if not the working population? What about our children? Where will they find jobs?
I hate to keep writing negative blogs here but we have to face reality even when it's unpleasant. Head in the sand doesn't work for long. Herbert wrote,
"Analysts at the Economic Policy Institute noted that the economy has fewer jobs now than it had in 2000, “even though the labor force has grown by around 12 million workers since then.”The statistics are worse for young people than those who have been working for more years.
"Only 65 of every 100 men aged 20 through 24 years old were working on any given day in the first six months of this year. In the age group 25 through 34 years old, traditionally a prime age range for getting married and starting a family, just 81 of 100 men were employed.For you who didn't like the Stimulus/Recovery program, who think government should not be involved in this problem, what solution did you have in mind? W
"For male teenagers, the numbers were disastrous: only 28 of every 100 males were employed in the 16- through 19-year-old age group. For minority teenagers, forget about it. The numbers are beyond scary; they’re catastrophic."
ait it out? Let the young not be employed and see how that impacts our culture? How do we get back jobs that are now going to China or India? Can we sustain the kind of lifestyle that most of us today grew up experiencing?I recognize that life is about change but there are some things that we really do need to think long and ha
rd about. The loss of good jobs overseas has to be one of them, doesn't it?The dragonfly and grasshopper photos weren't chosen for any deep philosophical purpose other than maybe they don't have to worry about economics,which would be nice for us also. Actually, they don't have much to worry about other than eating, not being eaten, and maybe breeding to sustain their species.
I am always interested in insects and sat in the pasture quite awhile, got a touch of sunburn, to get these photos. I was fascinated by the differing colors of the grasshoppers within a few feet of each other. The dragonfly, who was less than cooperative on getting its picture taken, was a different color than what I had photographed there last year (bright red). I only saw the one dragonfly, but then the way it flitted in and out, maybe I did see more than one. Who would know?
Rain, your photos for this blog speak to a problem I've had too: how to illustrate "dark" posts. Your choices are just right--low-key and, like you describe yourself, contemplative.
ReplyDeleteNow to catch up on your healthcare post...and join you in getting ready for August 20 initiative via timegoesby.net
Looking at insects we see the almost infinite variety of survival solutions. A very uplifting illustration in justaposition with a look at our deplorable job market. Yes we need to face the ugly truth of our economy at present and realize that we can be as varied in adaptive solutions as the insects. The bad turn in the economy is an opportunity to imaginatevly fine tune what and how we make and do work. And quick response requires more governmental power temporarily. The marvelous character of our Constitution and balance of governmental power is beautifully flexible and inflexible at the same time. A large part of our problem is what has always plagued us like greed, fear, and feeling of helplessness. The best we can hope for in presidential leadership is one who inspires hope. At the moment I feel the president is putting forth the logic as a good educater but he needs to establish a link with the citizens like talking to us like we are friends and we are going to roll up our sleeves together and work through the repression. I think for too long he is trying to assure us that he he is Presidential.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very scary time---For Sure!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest..I can't stand to think about it. I don't know if it is because I have so many personal problems I am dealing with abd at my age it's about all I can deal with---OR, it is just too overwhelming, because I don't know what I can DO about it! OY!
LOVE these pictures, Rain....I find sometimes concentrating on Nature helps to give me a perspective....At least, I think it does.
The issue of good jobs, those that a person can actually support a family with, leaving our country has never made sense to me. While it might be good for the stockholders of the companies involved, how can they not recognize that if those jobs leave the people here may not have enough discretionary spending money left to buy the products these companies are selling? And it sure doesn't make sense to have the government continue to give them tax breaks.
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