Comments on: Circular Logic Watch

By: Detlef

Detlef — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:25:39 +0000

I´m somewhat suspicious of unemployment rates. Especially comparisons between different countries.

For example, there were several British studies in 2003 (including the OECD) saying that disability and sickness benefit numbers were a lot higher in the UK than in continental Europe. Meaning that the unemployment rates in the UK were significantly reduced because these people were no longer counted as available for work. The best estimates back in 2003 put these numbers as close to 3% of the available workforce (1 million workers). Which would almost double the UK unemployment rate.

Are there any new studies available to change that outlook?
Because with them, the “real” unemployment rate doesn´t look that differently from France and Germany.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:03:20 +0000

Of course the underlying error of his discussion is the presumption that people are essentially economic beings, i.e., that we live in order to work.

I think this presumption works more or less this way: If people are essentially economic beings, then their value is correctly judged in economic terms. If a person’s value is correctly judged in economic terms, then one with low economic value is correctly judged to have low human value. If one has low human value, then one must be eliminated from the economic system.

This may have been true of primitive humans, but is as outdated a human reality as leeches are to medicine.

While a redistribution of wealth may not be wise, disincentives to hoarding it accomplish much the same effect.

By: Guy-Michel Brandtner

Guy-Michel Brandtner — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:48:46 +0000

We have a quite serious problem in France with employers who are reluctant to recruit young people, but are very prone to fire the experienced (and more expensive) older workers who will in turn be unable to find a new job. It is not true that people retire early, there are simply too many unemployed seniors who are disregarded by would-be employers… It also amounts to some circular logic, a very distructive one for that matter!
A French (already senior but still employed) citizen.