Quote:
Originally Posted by Dop
The unemployment thing: Is is that nobody is unemployed because business and the economy are booming and there's jobs for all, or is it that nobody is allowed to be unemployed but is instead sent on pointless 'make-work' tasks to tweak the figures?
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Well, you're not literally forced to work an actual job, as we saw by the example of the original Talisman. My guess, though, is that every adult citizen is expected to be self-sufficient (things like welfare, food stamps, and employment insurance might not exist in this world). If you can pull that off through personal private enterprise (running your own business, say), then great. Otherwise, the Sibyl System (and/or a similar system) helps you determine which jobs you're qualified for, and makes employment recommendations.
The exact nature of these jobs is obviously up to question. Perhaps the bureaucracy has grown by leaps and bounds, finding employment for everyone. Perhaps restaurants are never understaffed, as people who are capable of working at restaurants (but not many other places) are expected to work there if no other options are there,
period.
Yes, there's definitely a potential downside to achieving maximum employment for its own sake (Episode 3 clearly shows how certain forms of employment can be downright hellish), but I still lean towards seeing this as a net benefit.
Also, to be fair, real life does have its share of very mundane jobs. I think of the people who hold up "Stop/Slow" signs during road construction, out there in all sorts of weather conditions. I think I'd go crazy if I spent 8 (or more) hours a day, 5 (or more) days a week, just holding up signs and watching traffic go by.