our economy requires a certain number of unemployed

[ulysses]

in order to keep inflation in check. I've generally seen 5-7% as a "healthy" range.

Doesn't that fact alone require us, as a civilized society, to provide assistance to those in need?

[etherealtruth]

1. Yes it does ...

I have been using this and similiar arguments for years ... in defense of the most vulnerable in our society.

[bananas]

10. especially the ones who understand economics

With zero unemployment, inflation goes to infinity.
You can't say the unemployed are just lazy or it's their fault,
it's built into the system,
like the children game where there are 9 chairs for 10 kids,
they walk around the chairs until the music stops,
then whoever doesn't sit in a chair is out.
A lot of it is random, being in the right place at the right time,
being born to the right parents.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. were double that now though

[LostInAnomie]

3. Not if you have the philosophy of "I've got mine, fuck the poor."

When 50% of the country are petulant children who care nothing for the common good it's a hard sell.

[ulysses]

5. that's where we've lost our soul.

Of course, we've all been raised to think we're cowboys, riding the economic range in need of no one.

[LostInAnomie]

7. Well honestly, if you asked most people on the street...

... what would be the optimum level of unemployment the majority would say 0%. No realizing that there has to be a certain level of unemployment in order to have job mobility.

The majority of people have no idea what it takes to run a healthy society and just fall for whatever platitude sounds good. And what usually sounds good is paying less taxes and having the cheapest possible commodities so that they can afford health care or education for their children.

Our ignorance keeps the system entrenched.

[ulysses]

9. all true.

[applegrove]

4. Yes it does. Because the rich need to do their part.

[wli]

6. unemployment numbers are mostly fabricated

The unemployment numbers Bushler's pushing have no relationship to reality.

[ulysses]

8. I have no doubt that that's true

having been unemployed twice during this administration, but the question goes beyond Bush.