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"Send unemployed to tsunami zone"

tsunami | 09.01.2005 20:41

Politicians idea to save money, rather than aid victims.

Politicians in Germany and the Netherlands have suggested that the unemployed should be sent to the tsunami zone, as a form of aid. Chancellor Schroeder has supported the idea, although he wants to keep it voluntary.

The idea seems primarily intended as a form of punishment - "let them clear decaying corpses, that'll teach the layabouts to get a job". Remember that 99% of the unemployed have no relevant experience or training, for disaster relief work.

Sending the unemployed away would save money, if unemployment benefits were replaced by a cost-of-living allowance, based on South-East Asian prices.

Are similar proposals circulating in other countries?

tsunami

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Why not ?

09.01.2005 21:04

What an excellent idea. Part of the problem of long term unemployment is the feeling of a lack of self worth through the knowledge that you are not contributing to society. This would help with that.

Now working but have been unemployed

Better idea .. Listen up Blair

09.01.2005 22:31

Make the upper classes pay a fixed amount that can go towards the tsunami fund or jail them for non payment after being given a certain time limit to pay up.

Why should they sit around doing nothing surrounded by their luxuries?

Alternate

If it's voluntary wha'ts the problem?

10.01.2005 10:49

I'd go.

People should be encouraged to do stuff themselves rather than expecting the bureaucrats to do it.

It would be no more punishment for unemployed people than it would for anyone else doing the work.

Hugh

could be a liability

10.01.2005 16:01

to avoid becoming a liability through injury or sickness there is a requirement for some training and vaccination (unless you are vegan or otherwise unable to receive vaccines)

sending unsuitable people to a disaster area could end up dumping problems on an area with plenty of it's own problems.

I'm not slagging unemployed people here but some jobs require training that cannot be given 'in the field'. in the case of the supposedly unskilled business of clearing bodies, there are quite a few ways you could end up in a plastic bag yourself.

bobby