Let's Make Work Mandatory or you go to jail!

Originally posted by StinkyFeet
Let's make work mandatory, just like they want to make healtcare mandatory. Almost everyone in this country is capable of some sort of work. Even a person with Downs Syndrome can work at McDonalds.

I say unless you are quadrepalegic then you should be able to do something useful. I know there is high unemployment, but lets put people to work for minimum wage to clean the streets by hand or to carry a working person's breifcase from place to place.

I say if you refuse to work, you should get the same fines as what they propose in Healthcare "Reform" for not having insurance.

There is no excuse not to work unless you are severly ill or severly handicapped. Even most people in wheelchairs can drive around and move somthing from place to place or work in an office answering the phone.

Work is good. Work raises your self worth and makes you a contributor instead of a taker. Work is a health issue. Work is healthy!

[edit on 13-10-2009 by StinkyFeet]

I agree with you in theory but this can never happen. There are approx 250 million americans over the age 18 and able to work in this country. at any given time there are only 200-225 million jobs (and thats with a good economy) Can you explain how you plan on creating these jobs. The comment about carring a working mans briefcase is at best ludacris. While I do agree with you that everyone should work but for this to work you would have to define what work is. There are house wives that do nothing but take care of the kids, clean the house, and cook dinner. They dont get paid but if you force some of them to work you may put the family in finacial ruin. You have to tak into account how many jobs require some kind of training. You may want to force people to work but you can't foce them to go to school to get training. That will drop the jobs they can go for by millions.

If you can show me a solid way to make this happen then I would support this 100%.

reply to post by StinkyFeet


Sounds like somebody is a little hyperbolic to me.

What you suggest is unrealistic.
Case in point:
I havent worked in over 3 years. I'm 22 years old, able bodied and more then willing to work.
HOWEVER.
I have many visible tattoos (that cannot be removed, so dont suggest it) and i live in an area where this is not acceptable in the working environment. For godssake i cant even get a Mc-job with tattoos! I've applied and reapplied and REreapplied at every stinking place here. I dress well, im friendly and polite, other then my tattoos, im pretty conservative in my appearance. My tattoos arent even offensive, in the least, no skulls or swears or big bloody things. Yet all i hear time and time again is "Well... we have a policy against visible tattoos... we're sorry." I live off the government and the small amount of cash i make from doing custom tattoo designs. I dont have the resources to move to someplace where i could find work because i cant find work HERE to make the money to get THERE. Its a vicious cycle.
What about people in my position? People who WANT to work but cant for whatever reason? Jail for me too? This whole idea seems ridiculous.

Originally posted by StinkyFeet
Let's make work mandatory, just like they want to make healtcare mandatory. Almost everyone in this country is capable of some sort of work. Even a person with Downs Syndrome can work at McDonalds.

I say unless you are quadrepalegic then you should be able to do something useful. I know there is high unemployment, but lets put people to work for minimum wage to clean the streets by hand or to carry a working person's breifcase from place to place.
[edit on 13-10-2009 by StinkyFeet]

The problem with your whole plan there is that it is barred by the 13th Amendment to the US constitution. You see, after we fought a war over slavery, the country decided that involuntary servitude was a bad idea. Crazy huh?

13th Amendment to the US constitution

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Also, your plan seems to be designed to "save money" to some extent. Putting 20% of the country's population in jail is not going to save money. Moreover, making the children of that 20% wards of the state is also not going to save anyone money.

If you're a fan of slavery, you're a few hundred years too late. Sorry - the party's over. Wacko. I guess you could try to get the 13th Amendment repealed? Fox News talking points are getting more and more stupid. Making slavery jokes is crossing the line in my mind.



[edit on 19-10-2009 by andrewh7]

Originally posted by pavlovs cat
Seriously another thread thread like your "GW Nobel Prize thread" ? Ill offer you some of the attention you crave with a response.

Im not certain why people cannot figure out the main reason for the unemployment. Its not due to the lack of people's desire to work , If you've paid any attention to whats going on its the LACK of jobs. Come here to MI and youll see exactly what im talking about, the Mcdonalds down the street doesnt hire the handicapped because the laid-off engineer with a masters is flipping the burgers.

I chose the school option after my job at the worlds largest robotics company scaled back dramatically. I made it through to the last cut, last October. I choose , actually desire to work. Im also fortunate I rent, and I buy everything I need in cash , I have no debt. Alot of people in my situation have families and huge mortgages for devalued homes. Get off your attention kick long enough to realize this is not a game. Its not a fun time for many americans and you somehow derive your pleasure off of trolling these forums where many are victims as well. Have your laughs now , karma is a beach.

Americans have been sold out to the lowest bidder, many of my friends jobs have "relocated" out of country and its seriously sickening to watch them and their families struggle. It disgusts me that this mornings news also stated "The recession is over".

Perhaps you should pick up a second job instead of being a hammer in an already fragile situation.

As an unemployed robotics engineer I agree completely.

It's really difficult for me to "hang in" with this thread, due to the sheer aburdity, however before I delete it from my subscribors list, I would like to ask you all to put your thinking caps on, and answer this question, and/or give a little thought to it, privately, if you must:

In the event this should suddenly come to pass, and be made a law,

what SOCIAL implications/repercussions do you think this might lead to?

Do you think this would be an acceptable law to the unemployed people? To the drug dealers? To the professional criminals? Do you think there is a remote possibility that the crime rate might rise? Just a little? Hmmm?

Do you think the "have nots" would be coming after you? Your home?
Your money? Your "stuff"?

If this idea had a dog's chance of working it would have been implemented decades ago. Also, get ready for your tax rates to quadruple, because you are going to need much more prison space.

Not to mention our constitution, to hell with that, huh.

THis is like a really low level sociology course, and you make an F. Maybe you should try to think ideas through a little before you determine it would be a good idea for a thread on ATS.
Sorry.



Edit to add: Hm. Just noticed you have been banned. Guess your feet aren't the only thing that stinks. (Sorry, just a little joke). Bonjour!



[edit on 10/19/0909 by ladyinwaiting]

arbeit macht frei

what a "great" idea

Don't you think there are already enough people in prison?

Originally posted by StinkyFeet
Let's make work mandatory, just like they want to make healtcare mandatory. Almost everyone in this country is capable of some sort of work. Even a person with Downs Syndrome can work at McDonalds.

WTF!? Are you a supporter of the nazi regime or what!? If you are dependant upon dollars, how can you be free and thus how could you advocate such an atrocity?

Be a human for gods sake! Stand up for the rights and freedoms your forefathers gave to YOU! Is it really that hard for you to give up the entertainment, the weak technology and the lies the (powers to be) have given you and live off the land?

WHO and WTF are you? A drone? A borg? An expendable asset for the PTB? Be a soldier and fight for your rights and freedoms and never ever give in to their ways. As long as you play by their rules you play their game. Be something. Die for something or live for nothing.

Tesla had free energy back in the 1890's and with free energy noone needs the government, or anyone else,only you. Grow your own crops, manage your own families and quit being dependant upon what the PTB gives to you. Thats the only way to freedom.

Our youth and our futures depend upon it. You are an important key to the equation as are all of us. WTF are you thinking? Work for yourself to make you rich, not others.

Im sorry but you hit a nerve here. Try thinking for yourself for once.

reply to post by StinkyFeet


How are you going to get the whole population working in MacDonald's if no one has the money to buy a hamburger?

Being able to work is one thing. Finding a job is another.

Sure, I can sweep the streets if I want to, but how am I going to find someone to pay me for doing it?

I've had periods of unemployment in the past, where I wasn't working, and never was on unemployment 'taking the government's money', I've also had a period where I was effectivel a hermit up in the Adirondacks, I also currently don't 'work at a job' as much as make my mney on art commissions, selling things I have built or created on ebay or etsy, and beer money selling my surplus veggies at the local farmers market. I dont consider most what I do work, there's other people who don't consider it work, I make enough to support myself and be happy with what I'm doing.
your idea, would you consider me working? or times in the past I was a hermit, or unemployed, but not on any unemployment? and what would you consider work? would stay at home moms/dads be fined for not working?

I think this guy is either joking around, or just trying to do a really weird philosophical thought experiment...

havent had time to read all the replys, so im srry if this has been said.

are you retarded? if it were illegal to not have a job than it would with out a doubt have to be illegal not to hire any and all applicants.. im 25 yrs old and ive filled out thousands of apps in my life, ive only held a small handful of jobs however. this means that just because someone wants a job and even trys to get said job it doesnt mean that thay will be hired. you cant punnish someone for something that is so beyond there control.

side note: jails in the USA are already filled to the max as it is.. no disrespect to you, but you sir [snip].



personal attack removed



[edit on 20/10/09 by masqua]

This thread wins the award for dumbest threat on ATS.

You propose solutions to one of the main issues in our society. Yet you propose no solutions, and lack the ability to see what this unravelling of the system would do. You have failed to address the issues of work, because you fail to understand why some choose not to.

Many issues will raise their heads in this debate, many that not only were you not aware of but choose to overlook them. Most of the new or next generation already realize the system is broke and many may "opt-out" of this system for the flaws are enormous. The laws that dictate us are mostly obsolete, and many people realize this, as a matter of fact the main reason so many people are in prison or jail is because they have subconsciously opted out of the BS game. They choose not to be a part of the heap of BS we have to swallow every day, and try to carve their own reality out of what’s left. And when fish leave the school they are eaten very quickly.

Your suggestions show how weak and feeble today’s thinking is, as you tow the line for TPTB or statuse quo, and only serve to keep the rich on top and the poor or "average" on bottom.

From here it looks like you would have no problem running a fema camp maybe you already have plans to do so, id imagine it would take a lot of ass kissing to be given a lil power, are you prepared to smell like ass all day just for a lil power over your fellow man?

anyone acturly know the real number of unemployed in the u.s , not the number that they brag about on in tv land but the real number wich includes thouse unemployed not on the unemployment list aswell , the "long term unemployed" ?


seams to me majority of people get offended on this thread when the word WORK gets mentioned

ill leave you with this

taxable WORK/labour is mandatory in the sence that the goverment needs that tax for it to function properly and that includes free school, free healthcare, keeping up infrastructure in general.

Originally posted by zerbot565
seams to me majority of people get offended on this thread when the word WORK gets mentioned

ill leave you with this

taxable WORK/labour is mandatory in the sence that the goverment needs that tax for it to function properly and that includes free school, free healthcare, keeping up infrastructure in general.

The 13th amendment bars involuntary servitude - case closed. If I break a contract to rake your leaves, a court cannot force me to perform the contract due the 13th Amendment. I can be sued for damages in the difference in price after you hire someone else, but the court cannot force me to perform the work. You don't have to be an attorney to know this entire thread is a joke, but I am.

Some states use labor as a form of punishment for convicts, but they are convicted of other crimes. You can't make unemployment itself a crime due to the 13th amendment.

What a rediculous idea.
OP. You can SAY 'let's make work manadatory of you go to jail,'
but are YOU the one actually making new jobs for people TO work in the first place?
What jail is going to hold all these people- and wouldn't it suck if, (even hypothetically,) wouldn't it suck if these people were put in jail, by the government for not being able to get jobs that were allowed to go over to China>?
[I could- and may- be wrong, but was that also allowed by the government?]

I work 16 hours a day right now. I have done so for more than a decade. I own a restaurant, a real estate investment company and a software development company. My plan - to work just a few more short years, then retire by the time I'm 45 so that I can enjoy what's left of this life and our deteriorating nation.

I understand exactly what you are trying to say by suggesting law to require people to work. You are sick and tired of the lamers sitting in the park with their hands out, drawing welfare and sucking the working class dry through schemes such as health care. I am too. But if you're going to suggest a law that requires people to work, at least consider those of us who work three times as hard as others so that we don't have to work beyond the golden years.

I think your serious when you say that.... are you for real or are you just trying to get something going?