Quote:
Originally Posted by Dozer523
And as long as we think of people as expenses to be minimized this is what will continue to happen.
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But unskilled labor is, in a purely economic sense, a commodity - nothing more and nothing less. (I recognize that labor is comprised of real breathing people, but I have qualified this as a "purely economic" POV).
The issue, as I see it, is one of incentive and motivation for people to move out of the "commodity" pool and move into the skilled labor pool. If we believe in the right of self determination, then we cannot legislate or mandate social engineering at the government level. The consequences of doing so result in making the situation worse - fewer jobs, fewer new businesses, lower GDP, more taxes to compensate, and on and on.
Labor unions (big labor) are counter-productive IMO so that isn't the answer either. Case in point - Hostess.
I know its trite to say it, but IMO the approach lies in education and this requires not only great teachers and good schools, but involved parents most of all. How we get parents involved, particularly in the inner cities, is the real problem IMO. Policies that strengthen and reinforce families might be a start?