Despite Obama’s promise to bring down unemployment, months ago, it is still hovering around 9.5%.  And despite a constant drumbeat that the economy is improving, all indicators point to stagnation or for things to get even worse.

While scarcity breeds the perception of value for a commodity, in a world where the balance of power also hangs on the ability of an administration to control the economy, as if, the survival of the administration also hangs on the perception that things are indeed improving.  High unemployment numbers foster an environment of economic uncertainty, no matter what other economic numbers improve.  This will be the one area of the economy that the administration will focus most intently on.

With little to nothing being done to improve the business climate in this country, there are only two ways that the unemployment rate is going to improve.  You have to either decrease the number of people who want jobs or the number of people who need income.  Those who need income, but aren’t looking for a job can easily be manipulated.  They are willing to take hand-outs from their neighbors to allow them to stay on their feet.  Government needs only pass another stimulus package with the aim of creating a new class of dependents, to get this people on the dole and off the lists of those looking for jobs.

I would classify those who want jobs as those who are unwilling to allow themselves, for whatever reason - be it pride, independence, religious faith, or something else, to become dependent on the government for their survival.  These are the ones that are going to be the most problematic for the current administration in its efforts to bring unemployment down.  If this number is less than the number of those willing to prostrate themselves to government for survival, then unemployment will go down.  But if there are more who want to work that are unwilling to take whatever the government offers, then the administration is going to be in a very tight spot.  The question then becomes how do you decrease the number of people looking for work, when they are not willing to be bought off?  In an society that is becoming increasingly godless, immoral and removed from its foundation, that is a very scary question.