Too Many People, Too Little Work | 23 comments (23 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Too Many People, Too Little Work (4.00 / 2)

Yeah, but isn't the vast majority of economic activity related to stuff that isn't actually needed? To survive you need food and shelter.

So what you need is consumer confidence so that people will go out and buy stuff that they don't really need, so other people will have jobs making that stuff so they can get money to buy stuff that they don't really need. Seriously, isn't that exactly how it works?

If that's the model, there can never be too many workers, because all you need to do is have them start making something to meet some newly identified desire. Like iPhones, or makeup, or fancy clothes, or Bentleys.

by asdf on Fri Apr 17th, 2009 at 10:32:37 PM EST

Re: Just had another disturbing thought. (none / 0)

If most human activity is "unnecessary", i.e. not focused on food production, shelter creation, in these times, Green Activities, past solutions frequently involve the identification of "an enemy" and the activities of the war machine. Another "terrorist attack" on America would really give the Repubs a boost, even if they have to help it along. And the Repubs seem to be desperate these days. Just a thought.

They tried to assimilate me. They failed.

by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Mon Apr 20th, 2009 at 10:54:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Too Many People, Too Little Work (none / 0)

asdf:

If that's the model, there can never be too many workers, because all you need to do is have them start making something to meet some newly identified desire.

The can be too many workers, relative to the population's appetite for consumption. When people's livelihood appears at risk, they moderate their desires.

Most economists teach a theoretical framework that has been shown to be fundamentally useless. -- James K. Galbraith

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Apr 20th, 2009 at 10:57:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Too Many People, Too Little Work | 23 comments (23 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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