The New Choice for Young People - Live on the streets or take to the streets?
By louisehartmann
Young people are screwed. Only 54% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 are employed – that’s the lowest number ever recorded since tracking began more than 60 years ago. There’s now a 15% gap in employment between young people and all working Americans – that’s also the largest gap ever recorded.
On top of that – they’re drowning in over one trillion dollars worth of student loan debt. This is quickly becoming a lost generation of Americans – which might explain why there’s an Occupy Wall Street movement out there. The choice is simple: live on the streets or take to the streets.
Comments
#2
This morning's comments on the bankster settlement via Eric Holder. I foresee a crack in their wall; i.e. they are making a "federal AG deal" to escape prosecution by the FEDS, right? What is to prevent someone who has been foreclosed, forced into bankruptcy, from filing a Chapter 13 (personal reorganization) bankruptcy; APPLYING FEDERAL RULE 2004, uncovering fraud, and then suing in Civil Court for damages, using someone like Gerry Spense and giving the banksters a "real" black eye?
#3
Early retirement for Boomers is the answer.
Many aging baby boomers have plenty of savings and would gladly retire early if they had access to reasonbly priced health insurance, so I suggest a temporary lowering of the minimum age for Medicare to encourage high-wage older people to leave the work force. Many would retire even if charged a higher Medicare premium than those age 65+. Perhaps one of the details could be a sliding scale based on number of years younger than 65.
Taking it a step further, the federal government could subsidize the retirement of anyone over a specific age by paying them some percentage of what they would collect from Social Security until they reach the Social Security retirement age.
These steps would help business by exchanging long-tenured, high-wage workers with younger people fresh out of school and would be cheaper on a per-job basis than almost any other jobs program I have ever heard of.
#4
BTW I have no dog in this fight. I am already retired, collecting both Social Security and Medicare.
#5
My son is 16. He owns two businesses and is employed as a life guard. He has more work than he knows what to do with. His friends whine about not being able to find a job, nor do they want his excess work. Jobs might not be available, but work is still there. He started weeding and mowing lawns at 13, and now people give him tips earning more than $15/hour. On top of that, he owns another business selling a product he manufactures (where he makes much more than $15/hour). If he desires more $$, he can sell door-to-door or at more Farmer's markets.
I just think this generation will have to learn to find the work themselves (whether that is fair or not). The paradigm has shifted....
#6
That's great...you are lucky enough to live in a prosperous neighborhood where the other residents can afford to pay someone else to do their gardening. Unfortuately, that is the exception rather than the rule.
#7
I'm 50 and I'm taking to the streets!!! START THE SOCIALIST REVOLUTION NOW!!!
"They've got the guns, but we got the people..."
Jim Morrison
#8
Well, that would work if you didn't lose HALF of your retirement in the crash of '08.....
THANKS GEORGE "DUMBA$$" BUSH!!!
#9
I bet not one of the unemployed young persons is a Republican. I hope they will understand that the problem is being exacerbated by a do nothing Congress led by the Republicans and that President Obama and the Democrats are doing everything they can to get America back to work.
#10
Actually it’s obsolete to talk about jobs these days, because these guys will take almost all the work away from us:
http://world.honda.com/ASIMO/
http://www.retrevo.com/content/blog/2012/01/most-realistic-android-human-robots-we-seen
Looks like humanity will have to organize societies in a totally different way.
#11
We need a no-nonsense national industrial policy that takes the best "Best Practices" from Germany and adopts them for our combined benefit. It galls me that my state is importing steel from China for the [San Francisco] Bay Bridge. Heck, yes, the steel's probably cheaper. But I want decision makers who are tough-minded enough to figure out how to employ U.S. steelworkers without busting the budget. And please don't tell me it can'y be done ! And then to listen to a Democratic Representative ask why INDIA steel pipe will be imported, sent to Arkansas to be finished, and then installed on the Canadian tar-sands-to-Gulf-Coast pipeline, galls me even more. Bernie is RIGHT: We need to DEMAND that Congress start protecting AMERICAN jobs.
#12
There are all kinds of ways to occupy. Interesting project at link accomplishes two things: 1) shows that the faces of occupy are different and more diverse than the stereotypes shown in MSM amid tear gas and smoke, and 2) that peaceful protest through art can be effective and powerful.
Visit http://insideoutoccupyoakland.wordpress.com/ and read the statements under the portraits or visit the kickstarter version: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/insideoutoccupy/inside-out-occupy-oa...
#13
Perhaps everyone should automatically retire at 50 and all the jobs could go to the young people the retired people would be given sufficient living allowance paid for by the money saved on weapons of defense and offense approx 1 trillion a year !!!.
Folks we are in the Storm Before The Calm
#14
Congress, meaning the House of Representatives and the Senate, correct?
#15
I saw this guy at OWS in NY. I felt so sorry for him. He quit a regular job to get a masters degree in pupettry. Can you imagine. He can't find a job.
#16
Of course all jobless have a masters degree in pupettry. I mean, your example is so remaaaaarkable, it should be part of the president's job's plan: Puppeteer Job Agenda 2012 -- WOW!
Happy Presidents' Day everybody!
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