Third problem: Unemployment

I heard Mitt Romney at the Republican convention say that, if elected President, he would create 12 million new jobs.  He previously said that jobs come from the private sector which seemed to imply that the government does not create them.

The more pressing question is, what kind of jobs will these be?  One would hope they would be jobs performed in this country by American citizens, although he did not specify that.  They would probably be mostly minimum wage jobs.  That would be better than jobs below minimum wage or volunteer jobs.  There is dignity in working for any wage.  But what sort of work would these 12 million jobs entail?  Republicans seem not to be big on details, preferring sweeping generalities instead.  Details like what effect will these wonderful new jobs have on public health and the environment?  Or how about how many of these jobs will involve clear cutting of our national forests including the redwoods?  How many of these new jobs will involve fracking, mountain top removal, oil drilling on the devastated landscapes of our public lands?

I believe unemployment can be a stressful source of depression.  I've experienced it more than once in my life.  I am sympathetic to those who have lost jobs.  But I believe that not all jobs are created equal.  Some of us, hopefully most of us, would rather be unemployed than do the following jobs:
1.  Professional assassin.
2. Mafia hit man and other organized crime activities
3. Stealing antiquities from sacred burial sites
4. Poaching
5. Smuggling
6. Burglary
7. Running a business that deliberately fails to follow safety and environmental regulations
8. Illegal logging
9. Running a business that fails to follow financial regulations and ethical principles
10. Illegal drug trafficking
11. Human slavery and forced prostitution
12. Organizing animal combat, such as cock fights
13. Selling products made from endangered species
14. Terrorist
15. Kidnapping women and children and selling them into forced prostitution and slavery

It is work to buy small businesses, sell the physical assets, fire the employees thereof, depriving them of promised pensions and health benefits in the process.  This is the type of job Romney probably has first hand experience doing.  It is a job that certainly does not enhance the lives of those whose jobs were eliminated.  Would you agree that many people would be better off if the Bernie Madoffs of this world were employed on prison chain gangs rather than engaged in ripping people off?  What about high-priced defense lawyers that get guilty wealthy clients acquitted so they are free to offend again?  The only people whose lives are enhanced by that job is the rich criminal and their law firm members.
Do we really want more of those jobs?

If we had a national goal of enhancing the quality of life for ALL Americans, that national goal could be the basis of guidelines for determining the kinds of work we should be willing to create and pay for in America.  Those would be jobs that contribute to the health and well-being of all life forms.
Desirable jobs would include those that produce clean renewable energy from wind, waves and sun.

Thousands, perhaps even millions, are employed in the acquisition, distribution, and use of coal, natural gas, and oil to produce energy in this country.  On one hand these jobs have been beneficial, especially in the past, before alternative renewable energy-producing technologies were common.  Oil rig workers, coal miners, natural gas producers were essential to creating American prosperity.  They worked hard and we should be grateful to the non-renewable energy companies for their contribution to the creation of modern conveniences.  The problem is there is an increasing demand for energy in this country which, when it comes from non-renewable sources like coal, oil and natural gas, causes an increase in pollutants like mercury, small particles, sulphur, etc.  These pollutants damage human health, property and the environment.  If there was a way to contain all poisons from these sources, that would be excellent, but it would also be expensive.  Instead of trying to contain 100% of the poisons, the utility companies, car companies, etc. pass on the cost of the damage their poisons cause.  Yes, renewable energy sources seem more expensive because the cost of the negative effects of non-renewable energy sources is never considered.  To create more jobs that increase production of non-renewable energy rather than increasing clean renewable energy production jobs would not be conducive to a national goal of enhancing the quality of life for all Americans.

The corporations that control the production of non-renewable energy seem to care more about profits than helping the country to transition to clean energy production.  The government is also complicit in preventing the creation of jobs that would support clean energy production by subsidizing companies that produce dirty energy and by giving them tax breaks.

Yes, unemployment is a problem.  But creating any sorts of jobs is not the best solution.  Not if we care about the quality of life of all Americans.  If there is something I am missing or if you agree, please comment.