Thoughts on unemployment

A common topic of debate amongst conservatives AND liberals is unemployment. Conservatives argue that taxpayers shouldn't be responsible for paying for the well being of people who are too lazy to get jobs, and therefore make a living (albeit modest) off of welfare. Liberals argue that taxpayer money should fund welfare programs to help those who are down and out, and it is an American citizen's responsibility to help his neighbor.

While there most certainly are people out there who leech off of welfare, the conservative generalization that the vast majority of the unemployed are slackers is groundless and ignorant. A few weeks ago, I read an article in the New York Times about a woman named Terri from Kentucky. She lost her job at an automotive parts plant in 2008, and has since been desperately looking for any work whatsoever. Her unemployment insurance has expired, and she has literally been left with $44.

It would seem cold-hearted to call this woman, who has lost all hope that she'll have a roof over her head in a month, a slacker or a welfare leech. I'm sure, however, that many conservatives will seize the opportunity to say: "She's been unemployed for almost 2 years? She must be lazy and living of my tax dollars!" But because, however, that she is looking quite frantically for a job, it just goes to show how scarce they have become, and what horrible ruin the economy is in. I have a theory as to why this is happening.

When Reagan became President, his neo-liberal economic theories began a steady cycle of economic deregulation, that many economists believe set the country up for the major unemployment rates we are seeing today.

In a neo-liberal economy, also known as laissez-faire capitalism, the government is completely uninvolved with the economy of the country. As a result, tariffs on international goods and prices on domestic goods drop significantly. This is good for consumers, but is crippling for workers in the long run. With lower prices comes less profit for the corporations, and what's the classic answer to a tighter budget?

Outsourcing.

As jobs are outsourced to save money, unemployment rates rise in the United States, and something like the current recession begins.

With unemployment currently at about 9.5 percent, conservative generalizations about the work ethic and motivation of the unemployed are ignorant and closed-minded. As Americans, we have a responsibility to help the poor, as opposed to just saying "We're rich! Fuck the poor!" as conservative politicians repeatedly insist on doing.

Sources:
http://www.bls.gov/cps/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/us/18unemployed.html?_r=1&scp=81&sq=unemployment&st=nyt