Or not any more doomed than the rest of us, anyway. One morning in the recent past, I woke up and saw this headline on Slate: The Long-term Unemployed are Doomed. Although this isn't meant to be a blog advocating a political position, every once in awhile you're going to have to tolerate my left of center stance. Or don't--it's fine with me.
The article is really about the lack of compassion and advocacy shown by the government and the culture at large. I have no problem with it. But the headline is reprehensible. Imagine being one of the long-term unemployed and reading that headline before you'd had your coffee or whatever it is that gets you through the day. It's fine to say that times are tough for a lot of people looking for a job. It's another thing to suggest hopelessness. I'm unemployed at the moment, or more or less so. I am fortunate that I have a few other things going for me other than the capricious U.S. government. Still, it makes me feel a lot of empathy with those who don't have any nets to catch them. And also a sort of duty to protest this fatalism.
There are actually a couple of options that this headline doesn't take into account. First, it underestimates human resourcefulness. So let me just say to people job searching right now--don't give up! You never know what's going to happen when it comes to the future. Secondly, as a protest against the current callousness of government on this topic, I am posting a little YouTube excerpt, reminding people that when a government and society lets you down, there is always another, more collective remedy....
The article is really about the lack of compassion and advocacy shown by the government and the culture at large. I have no problem with it. But the headline is reprehensible. Imagine being one of the long-term unemployed and reading that headline before you'd had your coffee or whatever it is that gets you through the day. It's fine to say that times are tough for a lot of people looking for a job. It's another thing to suggest hopelessness. I'm unemployed at the moment, or more or less so. I am fortunate that I have a few other things going for me other than the capricious U.S. government. Still, it makes me feel a lot of empathy with those who don't have any nets to catch them. And also a sort of duty to protest this fatalism.
There are actually a couple of options that this headline doesn't take into account. First, it underestimates human resourcefulness. So let me just say to people job searching right now--don't give up! You never know what's going to happen when it comes to the future. Secondly, as a protest against the current callousness of government on this topic, I am posting a little YouTube excerpt, reminding people that when a government and society lets you down, there is always another, more collective remedy....
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There's a certain satisfaction is pronouncing this, that, or the other doomed. I have fallen prey to it myself.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Merry Christmas.
Have you read Whats The Matter With Kansas? Unfortunately an entire segment of the population has been convinced that the GOP is working in their interest instead of against it.
ReplyDeletePeter, apparently a comment I wrote a couple of days ago didn't make it here. Since I was trying to type it on an IPad, I'm not that surprised. Anyway, happy holidays. And I suppose it is possible that they actually are doomed now, but there is absolutely no point in telling them that.
ReplyDeleteAdrian, I haven't read it, though know of it. I don't if understanding why people have allowed themselves to be duped would actually help me, but I will bump it up the list.
ReplyDeleteI'd be more interested if they were telling themselves that they were doomed. The doomsayers and the doomed so rarely seem to be the same.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Thanks, and a Happy New Year to you, too.
ReplyDelete