Unemployment Among Europe’s Youth

       

                           

A massive European employment problem exists that few Americans currently comprehend. If we did, we would be more concerned with our future plans as a country.

Our concern is the poor state of our budget deficit-ridden economy and the condition of our educational system.

Unemployment among those under age 25 Is10% in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. But it averages 20% overall in Europe because of the mess elsewhere. Out-of-work youth are almost 30% in Italy, 40% in Greece and 45% in Spain. Many other countries suffer the same way, for the same reasons.

The U.S. is headed in the same direction.(See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Are Liberals Realy Well-Read And Smarter?

           

                           

We refer to a December 2008 study of 4835 respondents. By Zeljka Buturovic, who is a research associate of Columbia University, and at Zogby International, and Daniel Klein, a professor at George Mason University.

                           

The results: The study found that respondents who tend to be liberal also score lower on basic, or what can be called Economics 101 tests.

                           

Because this is highly controversial for those whose politics lean leftward, I suggest the original source. Go to Econ Journal Watch, at http://econjwatch.org for more details.  (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

It’s Easier to be a Lawyer Than a Science Major

                       

Many observers have been arguing for decades, that  training in law school for prospective attorneys and their subsequent bar exams are merely means of keeping practitioners out of more essential endeavors.

They question whether all the training is necessary in an age when legal precepts can be readily consulted and searched via the internet.

Just before World-War II, many states would not require a formal law degree, in order to take the bar exam.

And remember, our most famous lawyers, including Patrick Henry and Abe Lincoln, never went to law school. They “read” law in a lawyer’s office and passed the bar with a test from a local judge.

                           

These days, you can buy vast assortments of routine-application legal forms that are created by lawyers. You still need them for serious work but the demand for their high-priced hands-on efforts is diminished.  (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

The Myth Regarding “Robber Barons”

                       

The term “robber baron” was conjured up for the wrong reasons and continues to stay alive. It turns up conveniently in the media, which helped make it popular many decades ago.

Robber baron was originally used to maliciously represent tycoons who developed our oil, steel, telegraph, railroad and other basic 19th century industrial revolution enterprises. The term is used to describe ruthless, dishonest businessmen, bankers or successful entrepreneurs.

                       

It took aggressive business people to succeed in those days. Rules were not the over-regulated variety of today. Were today’s in effect, much of the development of our own industrial growth would have been stifled. And consumer prices would not have been reduced as they were.(See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Energy Reserves and Faulty Environmental Planning

                         

America has more than sufficient natural gas and oil reserves, in addition to offshore and Alaska. We have practically unlimited coal supplies, in addition to oil shale. In fact, we would never need to drill for oil in deeper waters. We can build new nuclear plants whenever we decide to make that practical decision.

Developing sources of energy would save us trillions of dollars as a substitute for presently imported fuels, while increasing much-needed jobs at home. It would give the U.S. essential energy independence.

All the while we would develop more solar, wind and renewable energy for the future. Those prospects are bright only in the distant future, not now. Plus, the practical energy policy would help our foreign policy.

But our environmental policy is unhinged by unthinking, ivory-tower environmentalism.  (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

                       

Using Unemployment Statistics as a Misleading Media Tool

                           

Job statistics are misleading because they don’t accurately give current employment figures. It seems their only purpose these days is to provide content for the media and data on which politicians can contrive messages that help confuse an economically illiterate voting public.

Many job seekers give up looking when there is a prolonged recession. Thus the truly unemployed figure always looks better than it is.

                           

The unemployed tend not to look for employment energetically until unemployment insurance is ready to run out. So extending the periods of insurance during recessions may appear compassionate, but makes unemployment statistics more acceptable than they would ordinarily be.

                           

In addition, many jobs may be part time or  temporary during recessions. Employers are unable to hire permanent help, or fear hiring because of rising costs and taxes.This adds to the confusion.

                           

So we constantly measure apples and oranges and produce questionable numbers that the media loves to repeat as gospel. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)    

The Government in Control of Private Billions

           

                         

The recent disclosure of the U.S. potential multi-billion dollar loss in General Motors ownership serves another lesson.

Did it also make sense to put the Executive Branch of the U.S. government in charge of $20 billion or more of BP’s funds, to hand out to victims of its oil drilling accident?

                           

Would it not have been far better for effected individuals to have gone directly to BP for compensation through independent intermediaries, supervised by courts?

                           

Without the politics involved? Without the federal government in the middle of what became an obviously unconstitutionally dubious form of meddling?

                           

This was just one of many instances of state capitalism that is a slippery slope best avoided.  (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)