Stay in School

The red line is unemployment for high school dropouts.

The purple line in unemployment for high school graduates.

The green line is unemployment for some college or associate degrees.

The blue line is unemployment for college graduates.

Now, you know two things:

1) Stay in school.  You played Life as a kid right?  You stay in school, your life works out better.

2) No one in Congress or the media hangs out with folks with GEDs.  They might exchange friendly hellos and chit chat with the guy who changes the oil on their car.  They might offer a Coke to the landscaper on a hot day.

But they don't follow them home or drink in the same bars or belong to the same clubs.  Their kids probably don't go to the same school or play on the same sports teams.

Which is why very few people in power give a shit about 10% unemployment and 25% underemployment.

They literally don't see it as anything but a number on a stat sheet.  It is invisible to them.

Which is another reason why I can swallow this tax cut deal.  Because until the economy gets better for the red line, the economy is not better.  And unemployment benefits are most likely going to people on that red line.  

Because, as Obama said today, you have to negotiate with the hostage takers if it keeps them from hurting the  hostages.

All the comfortable liberals in Berkeley - I'm looking at you Markos - seem to forget what this economy really means for the folks on the red line.  For them it's a depression.