Forum Post: "Demoralization caused by vast unemployment is our greatest extravagance."
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 19, 2011, 10:42 a.m. EST by benlebovitz
(11)
from New York, NY
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
"To those who say that our expenditures for Public Works and other means for recovery are a waste that we cannot afford, I answer that no country, however rich, can afford the waste of its human resources. Demoralization caused by vast unemployment is our greatest extravagance. Morally, it is the greatest menace to our social order. Some people try to tell me that we must make up our minds that for the future we shall permanently have millions of unemployed just as other countries have had them for over a decade. What may be necessary for those countries is not my responsibility to determine. But as for this country, I stand or fall by my refusal to accept as a necessary condition of our future a permanent army of unemployed. On the contrary, we must make it a national principle that we will not tolerate a large army of unemployed and that we will arrange our national economy to end our present unemployment as soon as we can and then to take wise measures against its return. I do not want to think that it is the destiny of any American to remain permanently on relief rolls."
Your "shovel ready" conclusions are wrong. At the end of a project presumably, our infrastructure is improved and we are a better economy for it. The reason to improve infrastructure is not to make money from that project, but rather to improve the productivity of the businesses who use it. This does make money indirectly, by increasing productivity and therefore increasing our exports, and therefore increasing the tax base.
Giving funds to innovators to make new products is good, but you are overlooking that government needs to engage in public works projects in order to compete as a society.
I agree about the space and energy program.
sustainability is predicated on the growth of value... The size of the pie has to get bigger...re-slicing the pie into smaller pieces doesn't make it sustainable... This is where innovation comes into play.... the government should not promote entitlement programs that consume resources but does not add value.... and example: "shovel ready" road projects will put people to work temporarily but doesn't add value. There is no revenue generated from the project.... resources are consumed... when the project is done, we are further in debt and the employees are again out of work...
An alternative would be to provide funds to small innovators that will create new products. These products will require employees to implement. The product will generate revenue which will sustain the effort.... the innovator can afford to pay back the government and sustain their existence... win-win for everyone...
If the government sponsored a "space program" for energy we would create sustainable employment, reduce our reliance on natural resources and help balance the trade deficit. Look at the innovation, products, jobs, and improved standard of living that came out of the space program.
Its about focus...