Comments on: The Cure for Unemployment http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-cure-for-unemployment/ Ideas on Liberty Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:25:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: agnew http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-cure-for-unemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-46423 agnew Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:00:49 +0000 http://www.thefreemanonline.org/uncategorized/the-cure-for-unemployment/#comment-46423 i have a cure, just thinking about this the government is paying out for unemployment take the monies and place these people in jobs the companies pays half of the base pay and the gov pay half that will equal or pay amount of thier travel (gas and Childcare). this is a ideal that i had to get the ball rolling and get a lot of americans back to work and give us some hope, so that we will not be sitting around trying to fiqure out what are we going to do. i have a cure, just thinking about this the government is paying out for unemployment take the monies and place these people in jobs the companies pays half of the base pay and the gov pay half that will equal or pay amount of thier travel (gas and Childcare). this is a ideal that i had to get the ball rolling and get a lot of americans back to work and give us some hope, so that we will not be sitting around trying to fiqure out what are we going to do.

]]> By: John Zube http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-cure-for-unemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-31876 John Zube Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:28:59 +0000 http://www.thefreemanonline.org/uncategorized/the-cure-for-unemployment/#comment-31876 While the author is right in saying that compulsory unionism and labor laws manipulating wage levels do increase unemployment, the major factor that causes unemployment is not mentioned by him. Namely, that under monetary despotism the monetary demand for labor can only be expressed in the government's monopoly money, which is, usually, insufficiently supplied, even during inflations, not to speak of stagflations and deflations. Under it alternative sound means of payment cannot be freely produced and agreed upon to pay wages and salaries with, using a value standard that is sound and also agreed-upon and definitely better than the value forced and exclusive value standards the governments used for the last century. If, for instance, local shop associations, whose services and goods represent the most important current turn-over or working capital in any country, were free to issue shop-foundation money, in short term loans, discounting the sales credits of the producers against the wholesalers, then the turnover problems of the shops and the payment of the wages and salaries (at market rates) of the producers (employees and employers)and the payment of other production costs with such alternative local currencies, could be assured, also a the use of sound value standards. Then good monies and good value standards would be free to drive out bad ones. But the central bank's issue monopoly and its legal tender power (compulsory acceptance and forced value) would have to be repealed or simply ignored, as it was, widely in the USA, during the currency famine in 1893, when private clearing certificates were extensively issued. Holmes, too, took monetary despotism for granted and looked only at superficial other other causes, that made matters even worse. When the monetary demand for labor can only be expressed with a monopoly money - then we should always expect at least some unemployment and also emergency sales prices for labor, services and goods. Without an issue monopoly and legal tender power a currency cannot be inflated. Nor can a money shortage occur when all monetary issue and reflux options can be freely utilized. For a long but still very incomplete and flawed list of free banking or monetary freedom writings see: http://www.panarchy.org/zube/money.index.html - See also the numerous hints that Google offers in a search for "monetary freedom" and "free banking". A sufficient supply of sound exchange media is not impossible but merely outlawed. People should not be forced to sell their labor, skills and knowledge only for the government's monopoly money. While the author is right in saying that compulsory unionism and labor laws manipulating wage levels do increase unemployment, the major factor that causes unemployment is not mentioned by him. Namely, that under monetary despotism the monetary demand for labor can only be expressed in the government’s monopoly money, which is, usually, insufficiently supplied, even during inflations, not to speak of stagflations and deflations. Under it alternative sound means of payment cannot be freely produced and agreed upon to pay wages and salaries with, using a value standard that is sound and also agreed-upon and definitely better than the value forced and exclusive value standards the governments used for the last century. If, for instance, local shop associations, whose services and goods represent the most important current turn-over or working capital in any country, were free to issue shop-foundation money, in short term loans, discounting the sales credits of the producers against the wholesalers, then the turnover problems of the shops and the payment of the wages and salaries (at market rates) of the producers (employees and employers)and the payment of other production costs with such alternative local currencies, could be assured, also a the use of sound value standards. Then good monies and good value standards would be free to drive out bad ones. But the central bank’s issue monopoly and its legal tender power (compulsory acceptance and forced value) would have to be repealed or simply ignored, as it was, widely in the USA, during the currency famine in 1893, when private clearing certificates were extensively issued. Holmes, too, took monetary despotism for granted and looked only at superficial other other causes, that made matters even worse. When the monetary demand for labor can only be expressed with a monopoly money – then we should always expect at least some unemployment and also emergency sales prices for labor, services and goods. Without an issue monopoly and legal tender power a currency cannot be inflated. Nor can a money shortage occur when all monetary issue and reflux options can be freely utilized. For a long but still very incomplete and flawed list of free banking or monetary freedom writings see: http://www.panarchy.org/zube/money.index.html – See also the numerous hints that Google offers in a search for “monetary freedom” and “free banking”. A sufficient supply of sound exchange media is not impossible but merely outlawed. People should not be forced to sell their labor, skills and knowledge only for the government’s monopoly money.

]]> By: Mei http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-cure-for-unemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-31847 Mei Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:52:02 +0000 http://www.thefreemanonline.org/uncategorized/the-cure-for-unemployment/#comment-31847 Labor market isn't as efficient as the author believes; there are transaction costs to hiring/firing. Furthermore, labor isn't a standardized commodity, so the bidding process doesn't always work. A low asking price could signal inferior productivity, so to disguise, the inferior workers would eventually ask for higher wages. This becomes a mixed problem of lemon and shirking. Labor market isn’t as efficient as the author believes; there are transaction costs to hiring/firing. Furthermore, labor isn’t a standardized commodity, so the bidding process doesn’t always work. A low asking price could signal inferior productivity, so to disguise, the inferior workers would eventually ask for higher wages. This becomes a mixed problem of lemon and shirking.

]]> By: Cry Aboutit http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-cure-for-unemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-31842 Cry Aboutit Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:53:33 +0000 http://www.thefreemanonline.org/uncategorized/the-cure-for-unemployment/#comment-31842 I experienced the downside of this situation firsthand when I began working for Wal-Mart after graduating college. I followed the market rules by reducing the wage I demanded (changing tires for Wal-Mart often doesn't pay as well as being a staff accountant) and got employed. So step 1 was working out pretty well...then I hit a roadblock. Wage laws say that employers have to pay time-and-a-half for workers who put in more than 40hrs/week. That makes a low wage earner, like I was, a much more expensive laborer. So Wal-Mart simply cut our hours to be certain that even if we had to work late or got called in early, we would still remain below 40 hours for the week. The result? I was lucky to get 30 hours per week. Not even enough to live on with the price of goods in that area. I don't blame Wal-Mart for using this tactic, though. I wouldn't want to pay my $10 worker $15 for the same level of skill and production either. I blame the politicians who stood on their podiums and declared that they were saving poor wage-earners from evil corporations. Couldn't they have even given us the option to waive the time-and-a-half requirement? Given my circumstances, I would have jumped at the opportunity to work 60 hrs a week at straight rate. I didn't need time-and-a-half...I needed money, and that meant I needed hours! Things worked out for me and I got a job as a salaried accountant. But I never forget how hard it was to get the hours I needed to stay afloat, not because I lacked the motivation to work, but because my employer had to protect its profits within the confines of an ill-advised law that hurts rather than helps the most vulnerable workers. I experienced the downside of this situation firsthand when I began working for Wal-Mart after graduating college. I followed the market rules by reducing the wage I demanded (changing tires for Wal-Mart often doesn’t pay as well as being a staff accountant) and got employed. So step 1 was working out pretty well…then I hit a roadblock.
Wage laws say that employers have to pay time-and-a-half for workers who put in more than 40hrs/week. That makes a low wage earner, like I was, a much more expensive laborer. So Wal-Mart simply cut our hours to be certain that even if we had to work late or got called in early, we would still remain below 40 hours for the week. The result? I was lucky to get 30 hours per week. Not even enough to live on with the price of goods in that area.
I don’t blame Wal-Mart for using this tactic, though. I wouldn’t want to pay my $10 worker $15 for the same level of skill and production either.
I blame the politicians who stood on their podiums and declared that they were saving poor wage-earners from evil corporations. Couldn’t they have even given us the option to waive the time-and-a-half requirement?
Given my circumstances, I would have jumped at the opportunity to work 60 hrs a week at straight rate. I didn’t need time-and-a-half…I needed money, and that meant I needed hours!
Things worked out for me and I got a job as a salaried accountant. But I never forget how hard it was to get the hours I needed to stay afloat, not because I lacked the motivation to work, but because my employer had to protect its profits within the confines of an ill-advised law that hurts rather than helps the most vulnerable workers.

]]> By: Employment Numbers Still Look Bleak | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-cure-for-unemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-31839 Employment Numbers Still Look Bleak | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:32:36 +0000 http://www.thefreemanonline.org/uncategorized/the-cure-for-unemployment/#comment-31839 [...] Timely Classic “The Cure for Unemployment” by Roland W. [...] [...] Timely Classic “The Cure for Unemployment” by Roland W. [...]

]]> By: John http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-cure-for-unemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-22152 John Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:45:40 +0000 http://www.thefreemanonline.org/uncategorized/the-cure-for-unemployment/#comment-22152 Great article! Thanks! BTW -- in the paragraph starting "Nothing could be simpler" there is a typo. The word should have been "fRee" but was accidentally spelled "fLee". Keep up the great work, FEE. I read you guys every day. =) Great article! Thanks!

BTW — in the paragraph starting “Nothing could be simpler” there is a typo. The word should have been “fRee” but was accidentally spelled “fLee”.

Keep up the great work, FEE. I read you guys every day. =)

]]> By: Tax Credits for Jobs Endorsed by President | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-cure-for-unemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-22150 Tax Credits for Jobs Endorsed by President | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:51:51 +0000 http://www.thefreemanonline.org/uncategorized/the-cure-for-unemployment/#comment-22150 [...] rate.” (ABC News, Friday) Tax simplification! Oh, never mind. FEE Timely Classic “The Cure for Unemployment” by Roland W. [...] [...] rate.” (ABC News, Friday) Tax simplification! Oh, never mind. FEE Timely Classic “The Cure for Unemployment” by Roland W. [...]

]]> By: charles braly http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-cure-for-unemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-2412 charles braly Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:34:57 +0000 http://www.thefreemanonline.org/uncategorized/the-cure-for-unemployment/#comment-2412 this is a good overview of the problems and free market solutions. for those who have not been exposed to such ideas it should stimulate further interest. the big problem, which is a part of each of the article's solutions, lies with government's involvement. hardly anything that we do is not burdened by government interference with free markets... usually, in an attempt to "help" voters, using other people's money. until the nation's citizens realize that government is NOT the solution, economic problems will persist. We need to stay focused on politicians who recognize this to be true and who promise to work towards reducing and NOT expanding government's role in the economy...... and, we must all be willing to help our own neighbors who might be in need of a lending hand.... and help them from turning to government for help. this is a good overview of the problems and free market solutions. for those who have not been exposed to such ideas it should stimulate further interest.

the big problem, which is a part of each of the article’s solutions, lies with government’s involvement. hardly anything that we do is not burdened by government interference with free markets… usually, in an attempt to “help” voters, using other people’s money.

until the nation’s citizens realize that government is NOT the solution, economic problems will persist. We need to stay focused on politicians who recognize this to be true and who promise to work towards reducing and NOT expanding government’s role in the economy…… and, we must all be willing to help our own neighbors who might be in need of a lending hand…. and help them from turning to government for help.

]]> By: Jorge Dieppa http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-cure-for-unemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-2392 Jorge Dieppa Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:00:26 +0000 http://www.thefreemanonline.org/uncategorized/the-cure-for-unemployment/#comment-2392 I enjoyed today's link to this classic article, except... I'm pretty easy-going when it comes to typos, but "flee-market labor" and "flee-market union"? Ouch! I enjoyed today’s link to this classic article, except…

I’m pretty easy-going when it comes to typos, but “flee-market labor” and “flee-market union”? Ouch!

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