Website owner: James Miller
On jobs and personal security in a capitalistic system
There is an experience that I have never had and would not wish to have. It is the experience of having no money to live on and being without a job and unable to find a job. It seems to me that that would be an extremely stressful, traumatic experience. It would be especially stressful if you had a wife and children dependent on you. I can imagine the feelings of depression, worthlessness, and emotional stress it would cause. My father graduated from high school and got married during the 1930s — the depression years. He told of how he worked for a farmer for 50 cents a day during those years. That was the best he could do. He had to work. He did what he had to do. His father also had a very difficult time during those years (he cut railroad ties from oak logs with a crosscut saw — he at one end and one of his boys at the other).
Right now there are many young people just out of school in this country and in many other countries who are just unable to find work. You read about it on the internet. The employment situation is especially bad in China right now. Young people who have just graduated with graduate degrees in good fields send out hundreds of applications and get no response. No one is hiring. Their parents have invested a lot of money in their education and they are under pressure from their parents to find work. But they are unable to find it. It must be very stressful. I certainly feel sorry for them. I have read of similar type situations in many countries in western Europe. Young people just can’t find work and continue living with their parents. The quest for jobs is the reason so many Latins come into our country illegally. I certainly understand.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other research sources, 20% of businesses close within the first year. 50% fail within five years. 65% do not last beyond ten years. And, of course, if your company goes out of business you are without a job. And, of course, there is also always the potential of losing your job because the company is downsizing or re-organizing for cost cutting reasons — and you are one of those who are released. And there is another way you can find yourself without a job: your boss simply fires you for one reason or another. All of this means that a great many Americans go through the experience of losing their jobs and having to find others. Many people lose their job and never find another equal to it. I have seen it many times. And the job situation can be just as bad or worse in other countries. I have read that business competition can be very fierce in Japan and South Korea. Many businesses only last two or three years before being forced into bankruptcy from competition. Consequently, many people in these countries have unstable lives due to unstable employment.
See
The facts of life --- a job is like a place at a table
All of this means that a capitalistic-type, free enterprise system can be a very competitive, dog-eat-dog, every-man-for-himself, survival-of-the-fittest kind of world. Is there anything that can be done about that? I haven’t thought of a good solution. I don’t think communistic or socialist type systems work well. But there is an obvious thing that a sensible person can do: he can save money and build up a cushion for bad times. I am always amazed when I read about how little money most Americans save. See
I guess the real problem here is one of character and self-discipline. Some societies have more good sense, good judgment and self-discipline than others. Americans simply don’t have the will power to resist all of the temptations. The pull of the temptations is stronger than their fear of being caught without resources in case of losing their job. (Maybe they are counting on government welfare to help them in such a circumstance.)
From what I have said one can see why I would have become interested in the idea of self-sufficient country living in my younger years. I was raised on a farm. I like the country. See
Self-sufficient Country Living
Just as the spinning jenny and the power loom destroyed the livelihoods of huge numbers of people back in the late 1700's, other modern inventions have destroyed huge numbers of jobs. Now everyone is talking about a new age of AI (Artificial Intelligence) being right around the corner. I certainly do wonder about what the effect of that will be on the number and kinds of jobs. With ever-increasing automation, what are people going to work at? Factory jobs have been replaced with robots and office jobs will be replaced with AI. We will still need policemen. I think teachers could be replaced by internet instruction. Will we need cooks in restaurants? That job might get automated too. What guarantee is there that enough jobs will be created to accommodate everyone? We could have a situation like in musical chairs where a lot of people end without chairs. People do need to have jobs. They need to work. See
It is hard to criticize all of the changes brought about by modern science and invention. The internet has had a great transforming effect on modern society for the good — in its effect in disseminating knowledge and information. Life has always had its dangers, frustrations, and hardships and I am sure there are a lot fewer now than there were in ages past. Back in the early 1800's a great many people died of diseases like TB and Cholera. I am sure that no one would want to go back to those days.
Some people have suggested the idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI). It wouldn’t work. I would love it but it wouldn’t work. With it, noone would work. I wouldn’t. You need someone to work for the society to function. No one would grow food. We would all starve. It sounds like the idea of an eggheaded professor in one of our ivy league colleges.
We are always going to need some people to work to keep the society going. And if only a small part of the population needs to work who will decide who will be forced to educate themselves for some occupation and do the necessary work and who will be allowed to just loaf their life away and enjoy themselves? There are medical doctors today who are unhappy in their chosen profession and are leaving it. Perhaps doctors will be replaced by AI.
2 June 2025
Jesus Christ and His Teachings
Way of enlightenment, wisdom, and understanding
America, a corrupt, depraved, shameless country
On integrity and the lack of it
The test of a person's Christianity is what he is
Ninety five percent of the problems that most people have come from personal foolishness
Liberalism, socialism and the modern welfare state
The desire to harm, a motivation for conduct
On Self-sufficient Country Living, Homesteading
Topically Arranged Proverbs, Precepts, Quotations. Common Sayings. Poor Richard's Almanac.
Theory on the Formation of Character
People are like radio tuners --- they pick out and listen to one wavelength and ignore the rest
Cause of Character Traits --- According to Aristotle
We are what we eat --- living under the discipline of a diet
Avoiding problems and trouble in life
Role of habit in formation of character
Personal attributes of the true Christian
What determines a person's character?
Love of God and love of virtue are closely united
Intellectual disparities among people and the power in good habits
Tools of Satan. Tactics and Tricks used by the Devil.
The Natural Way -- The Unnatural Way
Wisdom, Reason and Virtue are closely related
Knowledge is one thing, wisdom is another
My views on Christianity in America
The most important thing in life is understanding
We are all examples --- for good or for bad
Television --- spiritual poison
The Prime Mover that decides "What We Are"
Where do our outlooks, attitudes and values come from?
Sin is serious business. The punishment for it is real. Hell is real.
Self-imposed discipline and regimentation
Achieving happiness in life --- a matter of the right strategies
Self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline basic to so much in life