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I'm afraid your answer makes it very clear that you in fact do not understand the concept of a welfare trap. They exist in many countries, whether you believe i

I'm afraid your answer makes it very clear that you in fact do not understand the concept of a welfare trap. They exist in many countries, whether you believe in them or not. It's existence was documented in Germany just two months ago. [0] Let's be honest here: we're talking about low paid unskilled labour. The first rung on the ladder out of welfare. Such an abundance of those positions exist that the US imports Mexicans, Canada imports Filipinos, and Germany imports Turks. The type of solution employed in Germany is essentially forced labour. [0]https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/03/11/germ-m11.html https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/03/11/germ-m11.html

bayesianhorse 11y ago
You seem to have a very low standard regarding "proofs". The article you cited derives broad macro-economic conclusions from storified anecdotes. In the particular case of a "masseuse course" the agency just doesn't see it as a valuable and accredited program. Such courses prefer taking money from participants directly rather than trying to make bureaucracies believe in them. And yes, then the participants have to pay to attend. They might even have illusions on their employment prospects. If they were to attend an actual physiotherapy course, things may be different. The problem with these types of programs in Germany is that they are mostly privately funded. That is a problem yet to be addressed. People tend to attribute the "being stuck" in welfare to the welfare system itself. That may happen, I just don't see it as a significant factor. The subsidizing of low-skilled labor is a different problem, and is partly addressed by the recent minimum wage. The US is an entirely different place. Lower unemployment, but there, even many employed workers have a much harder life and live in poorer conditions than jobless Germans. Full Healthcare, and mostly free education, for starters.

bayesianhorse 11y ago

You seem to have a very low standard regarding "proofs". The article you cited derives broad macro-economic conclusions from storified anecdotes. In the particular case of a "masseuse course" the agency just doesn't see it as a valuable and accredited program. Such courses prefer taking money from participants directly rather than trying to make bureaucracies believe in them. And yes, then the participants have to pay to attend. They might even have illusions on their employment prospects. If they were to attend an actual physiotherapy course, things may be different. The problem with these types of programs in Germany is that they are mostly privately funded. That is a problem yet to be addressed. People tend to attribute the "being stuck" in welfare to the welfare system itself. That may happen, I just don't see it as a significant factor. The subsidizing of low-skilled labor is a different problem, and is partly addressed by the recent minimum wage. The US is an entirely different place. Lower unemployment, but there, even many employed workers have a much harder life and live in poorer conditions than jobless Germans. Full Healthcare, and mostly free education, for starters.