the jimmymac attack!
This is a collection of assorted observations from my travels and experiences. Many of the posts refer to life in Taiwan where I spent a year living and working. And many others are about my own country, Canada.Thursday, December 29, 2005
Zero unemployment
I wonder if it is possible to have no unemployment. Everyone who wants to work and is able to work has a job. It would help reduce poverty, crime, homelessness and despair. Is it possible? I think it is possible but it would require a shift in priorities. Now business is focused on profit and return on investment. There is nothing wrong with profit but people must also be made a priority.
The owner of the Four Seasons hotel chain is a Canadian with a social conscience. He works hard to help find a cure for cancer. It's a very noble cause. I imagine most wealthy business people are basically good people and many help worthwhile charities. But wouldn't it be marvelous if we had no need for charities? Instead of giving money for homeless people how about trying to eliminate homelessness?
If very rich business people started taking action to help employ everybody perhaps poverty and even a lot of disease would be reduced or eliminated. After all disease is aggravated by stress and poor diet and even monetary problems.
Imagine if large corporations developed programs to employ more people. One example could be crews to help make our cities and towns cleaner. Unemployed people could work in teams to clean the streets and be sponsored by the Four Seasons or GM. It would be great public relations and improve our communities in so many ways. That is just one example. Creative thinkers could come up with many different ideas. And as people became employed they could move up to better jobs through training and education. But having 5 or 6% or even 2 or 3% of our population chronically unemployed just leads to the endless problems of crime, poverty and homelessness. And those situations are not good for anybody. In the short run it might cost big companies but in the long run it would be a fantastic benefit for everybody. This idea would require a shift in thinking by some people but if it caught on it could have a profound effect on our world. Such shifts in thinking have happened before. Maybe it can happen again and the welfare of people will take priority over profit.
The owner of the Four Seasons hotel chain is a Canadian with a social conscience. He works hard to help find a cure for cancer. It's a very noble cause. I imagine most wealthy business people are basically good people and many help worthwhile charities. But wouldn't it be marvelous if we had no need for charities? Instead of giving money for homeless people how about trying to eliminate homelessness?
If very rich business people started taking action to help employ everybody perhaps poverty and even a lot of disease would be reduced or eliminated. After all disease is aggravated by stress and poor diet and even monetary problems.
Imagine if large corporations developed programs to employ more people. One example could be crews to help make our cities and towns cleaner. Unemployed people could work in teams to clean the streets and be sponsored by the Four Seasons or GM. It would be great public relations and improve our communities in so many ways. That is just one example. Creative thinkers could come up with many different ideas. And as people became employed they could move up to better jobs through training and education. But having 5 or 6% or even 2 or 3% of our population chronically unemployed just leads to the endless problems of crime, poverty and homelessness. And those situations are not good for anybody. In the short run it might cost big companies but in the long run it would be a fantastic benefit for everybody. This idea would require a shift in thinking by some people but if it caught on it could have a profound effect on our world. Such shifts in thinking have happened before. Maybe it can happen again and the welfare of people will take priority over profit.
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