The damage caused by under Empoyment

reply to post by silent thunder


I do feel to a degree that this perpetual change has to do with workers expectations and rights mixed with the level of profit that can be gleamed from those workers and their labour.

The Aisan powers are in the acendancy due to the cheap labour and low workers expectations, which hands more power to the employer than would be available in the West and increasing investors profit margins.. you probably could use the word unionisation as the transition point, the US lagged behind Europe in that regard and the Asian powers lag behind the US.

But as the Asian powers ascend so will worker expectations, just look at the growth in demand for white goods in China.. eventually the Asian powers will have the same level of worker expectation that exists currently in the US and Europe, at which point I suspect that trade will move on again and teh Aisan powers hollowed out as another power will be in the acendancy.

The only advantage I can see at this moment in time is that we are at that point where we (in the West) need a radical change in society.. letting go of the past and embracing the future.. if this does not come from and driven by the Establishment, then it will be driven by the people.

Humans need productive work, they need to create, not shuffle debt around..

reply to post by thoughtsfull


One interesting thing I saw in the news yesterday is that IBM moved its call centers back to the US because its now cheaper to pay Americans in the falling dollar than it is to pay the Indians in their currency!

We can hope that change takes place peacefully through such shifts, but world history shows frankly that it does not in many cases. And people are running out of time for a return to mass US industry. There are few factories left in the US and many of them are crumbling relics of yore. Can they be re-tooled and re-staffed to create a viable industrial complex that allows for a decent standard of living before people who haven't been able to eat in three days start thumping skulls?

reply to post by silent thunder


We've already seen some pretty extreme reactions by people when faced with losing their jobs, so I am rather concerned how people will react when they have spent all their savings and leaveraged all their credit and have nothing left..

I do wonder what level of industry can be set up in a short space of time to turn this into a job based recovery.. but I am not sure how the coporate world would react to that!.. the West at least still has the knowledge on how to set things like that up and the skills to do it... but for how long those skills remain useful is another question altogether.

Originally posted by thoughtsfull
When I saw last year the police chiefs stating there would be a “summer of rage”.. I thought, what a load of B*ll*cks, this is just government hype and spin to keep everyone afraid and fearful.

Being a process person, I know we were not at that breaking point yet, but would be in a year if things are not done to reverse the damage being done by under employment (especially while the fat cats still get their nice bonuses)

I spoke to youon another thread about this, your thread is most prescient and definitely needs more eyes on IMHO.

Great thread and absolutely spot on as we have seen from the 'Robbing Riots' of this month.

Kudos

reply to post by spacedonk


Thanks the slow drowning that has been ongoing was bound to spill over into unbridled rage...

I like your phrase, "Robbing Riots" it seems apt and concise.

I really hope that we see a real movement for change evolve once the rage dies down.

reply to post by spacedonk

Copied from a text book in Henfield Sussex.

To illustrate the problems a labourer from Henfield showed his itemised expenses and income.

His food and rent came to 14 shillings and one and a halfpenny (about 70.5 pence)

His income was 12 shillings and thrupence (about 61.5 pence) for seven working days in the summer, The parish added 1 shilling and six pence (about 7.5 pence) relief per week

Which bought his total income to 13 shillings and 9 pence (about 69 pence) for the week.

The cost of clothing, footware and heating added on meant that he was getting deeper in debt with no way out.

Regardless if someone is working, working on benifits or just on benifits the same rules apply if you are not able to pay your bills you will get further and further into debt, which is where I feel the bulk of the rage lies.

More and more people I know are falling into that under employed trap and that is certainly not limited to the UK.

reply to post by thoughtsfull


Indeed, also the fuel poverty many are experiencing now due to the ludicrous prices being charged is a massive factor.

This is reflected in every other purchase we make from food to clothing also. In the current market this is the over riding factor dictating the rate of inflation. Governments must act to cap prices because the profiteering we are seeing is beyond contempt and as you say makes the burden of under employment too much to carry. In the past under employment meant you could still eat and heat, today it means you have to choose!

reply to post by spacedonk


I know... very few people in my road uses their car.. and the last 2 years the people around here have been going to the local woods and cutting down the commons trees to keep warm..

While last winter saw heating oil double to £1 a litre making it almost impossible for pensioners and the less well off to hear their homes. This rampant profiteering marries with the rampant displays of corruption within the system really make my blood boil and my head is just above water..

I honestly dread to think what it must be like for those who are drowning and If there is a culprit to the rage it lies there..

The government really needs to get those things under control otherwise I fear the people will do it for them.