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The problem with the government inventing jobs out of thin air is that those jobs tend to be counter-productive - They add bureaucracy and slow everything down

The problem with the government inventing jobs out of thin air is that those jobs tend to be counter-productive - They add bureaucracy and slow everything down further - They add negative economic value.

gech 10y ago
Not if it creates demand.
decebalus1 10y ago
Agree to some extent but as this thread's OP pointed out, there is always work to do - it's not inventing jobs. There is always a need for flooding reinforcement or landslide mitigation for example (I kinda cherry-picked these as it's becoming a pressing matter in my home country). I would say that by comparison, the private sector does a better job lately at inventing (bullshit) jobs. The value wouldn't be negative. For example was the CCC negative?
- colanderman 10y ago
  Indeed, the US could use thousands of workers to fix our roads and bridges. Or to build renewable energy infrastructure. Problem is getting any of that funded, especially in today's political climate.
petra 10y ago
What if you'll be required to join a non-profit organization, with goals approved by the government(and possibly financed by it)? Hopefully choosing such organization would lead to less exploitation and more community value, since there's less profit motive. Also less work on bullshit jobs and commercial crap. And often, there can be some sort of competition between non-profits, which is helpful too.
astrange 10y ago
Paying someone to pick up litter or replant trees would add more value to the world than many an adtech business.
- crestedtazo 10y ago
  Adtech businesses generate revenue.
  - Can_Not 10y ago
    For themselves, but not for society and civilization. Advertisements impose an external cost on society. Advertisements are a type of mental pollution. Like other types of pollution, there are laws and regulations on advertisements to protect society from the worst of public nuisances, negligence, and other damages.

gech 10y ago

Not if it creates demand.

decebalus1 10y ago

Agree to some extent but as this thread's OP pointed out, there is always work to do - it's not inventing jobs. There is always a need for flooding reinforcement or landslide mitigation for example (I kinda cherry-picked these as it's becoming a pressing matter in my home country). I would say that by comparison, the private sector does a better job lately at inventing (bullshit) jobs. The value wouldn't be negative. For example was the CCC negative?

colanderman 10y ago
Indeed, the US could use thousands of workers to fix our roads and bridges. Or to build renewable energy infrastructure. Problem is getting any of that funded, especially in today's political climate.

petra 10y ago

What if you'll be required to join a non-profit organization, with goals approved by the government(and possibly financed by it)? Hopefully choosing such organization would lead to less exploitation and more community value, since there's less profit motive. Also less work on bullshit jobs and commercial crap. And often, there can be some sort of competition between non-profits, which is helpful too.

astrange 10y ago

Paying someone to pick up litter or replant trees would add more value to the world than many an adtech business.

crestedtazo 10y ago
Adtech businesses generate revenue.
- Can_Not 10y ago
  For themselves, but not for society and civilization. Advertisements impose an external cost on society. Advertisements are a type of mental pollution. Like other types of pollution, there are laws and regulations on advertisements to protect society from the worst of public nuisances, negligence, and other damages.