If you're unemployed, it's not because there isn't any work.

[mwooldri]

59. I *hate* the term "unemployed".

To me, "unemployed" means that one is not engaged in any form of work whatsoever - employer paid, volunteer unpaid, self work (paid or unpaid). IMO *everyone* can be self employed. Now employment does not equal being paid... the "stay at home parent" may not get paid a dime but to say that they're unemployed... oh no... they're employed alright. Try chasing down a 3 year old boy who is into everything and anything.

As to the OP - I wholeheartedly agree with the essence of the message. There is plenty of work to be done. The organizations that can get this work going either have not got the resources to do the work effectively... or the organization is deciding not to use its resources to do that work. For some organizations, it's time to put the "out of order" sign on the cash elevators.

We often hear about "independence", but pure independence IMO is absolutely absurd. Humans are social creatures, and there is a level of interdependence. Whether it is more like independence or more like dependence depends on the individual. Businesses are interdependent - on their customers and their workers. It used to be that if you keep your workers happy, pay them well, train them well, and have enough of them... your customers will like you more and do more business with you. I'm glad Costco is still proving that point. Sadly, Wal-Mart shows there are exceptions to the rule. Not enough workers, not given their due respect and pay... doesn't make them happy. Doesn't mean happy customers either. Sadly in a lot of places there is *only* Wal-Mart. There is no choice, the customer can't just go over to XYZ place because it doesn't exist. In low income areas, the same problem... Wal-Mart has an awful lot of clout in the purchasing area. They *can* get the best prices. The smaller businesses can't compete on price. They definitely can compete on service (frankly, what business can't do better than Wal-Mart for treating its customers and workers?) but if a smaller grocery store can charge its customers $100, and Wal-Mart can charge its customers $80 for pretty much the same thing... and you're tight on money and you have $120 and you need gas money too... you're going to go to Walmart because your pocket book doesn't have the money to support the smaller, friendlier business. Only problem is that when peoples' pocket books become too small then they're not going to spend as much at Wal-Mart. If things get really bad, then oh dear, I actually think we've been there and gone beyond it. Wal-Mart may be the place to get work because the smaller businesses have closed. If you get a wal-mart job you may hate it but you cope up with it to get some food on the table, pay some bills, keep a roof over your head. Probably a McJob is better perhaps?

Again, IMO there is no such thing as "unemployment" - we can all employ ourselves but we may not get any money out of it. But the 1%ers need to understand that there is a degree of interdependence that must be maintained. If that interdependence shifts too far one way or another, the 1%ers will have a problem. The people they depend upon just won't be there.