Why we need an open job program!
I don’t like the phrase “job guarantee”. I think it misses the point.
First of all, you can’t guarantee that everyone will have a job. That is an unrealistic expectation. A job requires cooperation of two parties. An open job program is simply a commitment to include everyone willing to participate in society’s efforts and meet requisite standards adapted to their needs and abilities.
We need to move past the question “can this person make money for me?” and ask “what would be a good way for this person to participate in society’s efforts?” This is a question employer, employee, and political entities such as governments need to work together to answer.
If you’ve read “The Pizza Theory of Money”, you’ll understand why we don’t need to worry about running out of money. We just need to answer these two questions:
- Can we make enough pizza to meet everyone’s needs?
- Can we divide the pizza fairly, so everyone gets enough and everyone wants to participate?
When you search for a job in the private marketplace, no individual employer has the incentives to appreciate the value to society that comes from you having a job. A job and the income that comes with it are two of the biggest factors in many important areas like personal health and stable social and family relationships.
Also, individual employers have limited resources and influence. They aren’t in a position to provide a job for everyone who wants or needs one.
Why should we have to play job roulette? Why should we have to apply to job after job, not knowing when an employer will say yes or even take the time to consider us earnestly? Why should we have to play games where we hold our cards close to our chest?
Job seekers don’t have assurances that encourage them to be up front about their needs and weaknesses. Employers can’t be honest with their feedback without being punished. It is the epitome of passive aggressive behavior.
Part of this comes from political rules such as labor laws. But I think the more fundamental problem is that we don’t appreciate the role that government needs to play in society.
Without governance, there is no society. I think it’s possible to have rules without rulers, but usually this is not the most effective approach. Rulers can proactively represent our common interests and needs. This doesn’t mean they should be tyrants.
In my book, government should be creating productive programs open for participation from anyone. You can’t do this without political authority. You can’t have ownership or boundaries or freedom without creating political rules that are followed and enforced.
It’s the most wasteful thing we have ever done to leave people without reliable recourse to have a place in society. We need to change this!
