The $33 billion of US taxpayers' money about to be spent on extending unemployment benefits has sparked heated debate online in the past few days.
President Obama has been arguing in favour ahead of today's vote in the Senate which looks like it'll finally approve the spending on 2.5 million jobless Americans; or as Obama put it:
... honest, decent, hardworking folks who've fallen on hard times through no fault of their own, and who have nowhere else to turn except unemployment benefits and who need emergency relief to help them weather this economic storm.
The argument online mainly boils down to whether sustaining people who aren't working is government money well spent - and whether there really is "nowhere else to turn".
These are a couple of views from the 6000+ comments on CNN's page on this story ...
Mike SP: "I remember as a child going through weeks with no power and collecting bottles to get by on. My mother tried welfare once and was too ashamed to try again. We came out of that experience much more rounded individuals and I have always ensured that I had legal fall back plans to avoid such a situation ever since."
unemployed44 (who has 2 kids and refers to her husband who lost his job): " ... when he was receiving those bi-weekly unemployment checks it was enough to keep our heads above water. Now we are in danger of losing our electricity, not being able to have enough food on our table, and there is always the possibility of losing our home."
But of course, the sorts of payments you can claim in developed countries are unthinkable for the jobless in many other countries: here are debates in Malaysia and Nigeria on the subject.
Should you be paid for not having a job? Or is it more of a help to people to NOT pay them? Does it encourage drive and entrepreneurship if jobless people are left to help themselves? How should unemployed people be dealt with in your country?
Off air now but you can continue the conversation on the blog or on our Facebook page
Comment sent via Facebook
18:57
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Daria writes on Facebook - I'd never pay money for "friendship"! But guys any human communication is a luxury! We tend to forget it. It's good to have so much communication today.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:55
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Mitch in Oregon posts - Facebook should have a separate list for friends and acquaintances.
Comment sent via BLOG
18:55
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Lynn posts on the blog - What is lost by using technology to keep in touch with friends is the ability to 'read' someone's body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. It is too easy to hide emotions from others when there is no human contact.
Comment sent via Twitter
18:50
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Wow RT @主播大秀_WHYS Dave in Kenya: Once I posted something on facebook, lost most of my friends now I'm more cautious, they aren't true friends
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:51
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Todd from Atlanta emails - having lived in west Africa for some years in my youth, I took for granted how easy it was to make friends. When I came over to the U.S, I was taken aback at how difficult it was to cultivate such friendships. This problem has been around since before computers, so blaming it on the use of digital culture is a bit of a cop-out to me.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:50
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Kevin in Kampala on Facebook - Yes i have got some real friends in real life. Of course not all of my facebook and myspace friends are real since i haven't met most of them
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:49
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Joseph in Seattle emails - A good friend is one who recognizes your need and provides it without you asking.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:48
113631290
Alex in Romania emails - I think that the word friend has lost some of it's meaning with the development of social networking sites. There should be a distinction between a real friend and a person you know online. There is an old saying: "A friend in need is a friend indeed". So just ask yourself: how many people could I call in the middle of the night to come and help me , and you'll find out how many real friends you have.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:47
113631290
Kangwa in Zambia writes on Facebook - I'm not sure what to say because I don't even know over half of my friends on facebook. It scares me.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:46
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Don in Ohio on Facebook - you rent a service, a car, seating for a party, not a friend.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:45
113631290
Gabriel commented on facebook - I had to delete a number of "friends" that I have on facebook because I did not feel that some of them were adding any value to my life. From now I'm going to have only those people who I do meet or share values with.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:40
113631290
Sabiu Sani Alkantara on Facebook - It is imperative to have friend at any time of life, because a friend is somebody who will come in to you when the whole world has gone out on you.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:40
113631290
Tholumusa in Zimbabwe - Friendships are based on the common values and foundations that exist among them. What we can talk about is the dynamics of friend's communication and contact from the last century to the 21st where even writing a letter - I mean real ink to paper - is something that the next generation could find difficult to conceive.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:40
113631290
Mawdo Jawo on Facebook - There is less difference between online friend and real life friend on my side because most whom I call real friend are base on profession or interest. I have a online friend who did something for me which my real friends never did.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:36
113631290
Marc posts on facebook - Real friends are rare. Can you believe I have more online friends than in real life? Social networking sites are killing the society.
Comment sent via BLOG
18:35
113631290
Abdelilah writes on the blog - There is nothing like real friends one acquires through face-to-face encounters and with whom one has real ,not skin-deep, friendship. It's one thing to get a professional smile from a receptionist, and it's another to share a joke with a close friend.
Comment sent via BLOG
18:33
113631290
Swerting posts on the blog - Dogs are rumoured to be man's best friend. Would you befriend a dog on the internet?
Comment sent via Facebook
18:31
113631290
Phemelo posted on facebook - It's hard to find true and sincere friends these days,friendship is rated by what you have and what you can offer to the next person.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:31
113631290
Stephanie wrote on facebook - I have real friends, but then I was raised in a time when there was blessed little children's programming, much less movies on demand and computers. It will be interesting to see how my grandchildren turn out.
Comment sent via host
18:30
113631290
On air now: Do we have real friends anymore?
Comment sent via Facebook
18:29
113631290
Java in Malaysia writes on Facebook - Only for those that their income is too low for an average family or if they have been unemployed for some times. But these benefits,in terms of income,must only be adequate enough for them to acquire basic necessities.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:27
113631290
Christy in Houston emails - We have never abandoned the unemployed during such a crisis and I am so disappointed in the representatives of our government for walking away from the unemployed. It is a flat out LIE to say the unemployed do not want to work. You can not support your family, let alone survive for any amount of time on unemployment.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:25
113631290
Mitch in Oregon on Facebook wrote - USA is not a 3rd world country, we as a country, can afford to take care of our unemployed. As a taxpayer I don't mind that my money goes to those that are unemployed until we can pull through this recession.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:24
113631290
Charles emails - If the government doesn't provide relief no one will. People want to work, it gives people dignity and self worth. Unemployment is a miserable way to live.
Should you be paid for not having a job?
| Tuesday, 7 July 2010 | 18:00 - 19:00 GMT
The $33 billion of US taxpayers' money about to be spent on extending unemployment benefits has sparked heated debate online in the past few days.
President Obama has been arguing in favour ahead of today's vote in the Senate which looks like it'll finally approve the spending on 2.5 million jobless Americans; or as Obama put it:
... honest, decent, hardworking folks who've fallen on hard times through no fault of their own, and who have nowhere else to turn except unemployment benefits and who need emergency relief to help them weather this economic storm.
The argument online mainly boils down to whether sustaining people who aren't working is government money well spent - and whether there really is "nowhere else to turn".
These are a couple of views from the 6000+ comments on CNN's page on this story ...
Mike SP: "I remember as a child going through weeks with no power and collecting bottles to get by on. My mother tried welfare once and was too ashamed to try again. We came out of that experience much more rounded individuals and I have always ensured that I had legal fall back plans to avoid such a situation ever since."
unemployed44 (who has 2 kids and refers to her husband who lost his job): " ... when he was receiving those bi-weekly unemployment checks it was enough to keep our heads above water. Now we are in danger of losing our electricity, not being able to have enough food on our table, and there is always the possibility of losing our home."
But of course, the sorts of payments you can claim in developed countries are unthinkable for the jobless in many other countries: here are debates in Malaysia and Nigeria on the subject.
Should you be paid for not having a job? Or is it more of a help to people to NOT pay them? Does it encourage drive and entrepreneurship if jobless people are left to help themselves? How should unemployed people be dealt with in your country?
Your comments
Comment sent via host
Off air now but you can continue the conversation on the blog or on our Facebook page
Comment sent via Facebook
Daria writes on Facebook - I'd never pay money for "friendship"! But guys any human communication is a luxury! We tend to forget it. It's good to have so much communication today.
Comment sent via Facebook
Mitch in Oregon posts - Facebook should have a separate list for friends and acquaintances.
Comment sent via BLOG
Lynn posts on the blog - What is lost by using technology to keep in touch with friends is the ability to 'read' someone's body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. It is too easy to hide emotions from others when there is no human contact.
Comment sent via Twitter
Wow RT @主播大秀_WHYS Dave in Kenya: Once I posted something on facebook, lost most of my friends now I'm more cautious, they aren't true friends
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Todd from Atlanta emails - having lived in west Africa for some years in my youth, I took for granted how easy it was to make friends. When I came over to the U.S, I was taken aback at how difficult it was to cultivate such friendships. This problem has been around since before computers, so blaming it on the use of digital culture is a bit of a cop-out to me.
Comment sent via Facebook
Kevin in Kampala on Facebook - Yes i have got some real friends in real life. Of course not all of my facebook and myspace friends are real since i haven't met most of them
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Joseph in Seattle emails - A good friend is one who recognizes your need and provides it without you asking.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Alex in Romania emails - I think that the word friend has lost some of it's meaning with the development of social networking sites. There should be a distinction between a real friend and a person you know online. There is an old saying: "A friend in need is a friend indeed". So just ask yourself: how many people could I call in the middle of the night to come and help me , and you'll find out how many real friends you have.
Comment sent via Facebook
Kangwa in Zambia writes on Facebook - I'm not sure what to say because I don't even know over half of my friends on facebook. It scares me.
Comment sent via Facebook
Don in Ohio on Facebook - you rent a service, a car, seating for a party, not a friend.
Comment sent via Facebook
Gabriel commented on facebook - I had to delete a number of "friends" that I have on facebook because I did not feel that some of them were adding any value to my life. From now I'm going to have only those people who I do meet or share values with.
Comment sent via Facebook
Sabiu Sani Alkantara on Facebook - It is imperative to have friend at any time of life, because a friend is somebody who will come in to you when the whole world has gone out on you.
Comment sent via Facebook
Tholumusa in Zimbabwe - Friendships are based on the common values and foundations that exist among them. What we can talk about is the dynamics of friend's communication and contact from the last century to the 21st where even writing a letter - I mean real ink to paper - is something that the next generation could find difficult to conceive.
Comment sent via Facebook
Mawdo Jawo on Facebook - There is less difference between online friend and real life friend on my side because most whom I call real friend are base on profession or interest. I have a online friend who did something for me which my real friends never did.
Comment sent via Facebook
Marc posts on facebook - Real friends are rare. Can you believe I have more online friends than in real life? Social networking sites are killing the society.
Comment sent via BLOG
Abdelilah writes on the blog - There is nothing like real friends one acquires through face-to-face encounters and with whom one has real ,not skin-deep, friendship. It's one thing to get a professional smile from a receptionist, and it's another to share a joke with a close friend.
Comment sent via BLOG
Swerting posts on the blog - Dogs are rumoured to be man's best friend. Would you befriend a dog on the internet?
Comment sent via Facebook
Phemelo posted on facebook - It's hard to find true and sincere friends these days,friendship is rated by what you have and what you can offer to the next person.
Comment sent via Facebook
Stephanie wrote on facebook - I have real friends, but then I was raised in a time when there was blessed little children's programming, much less movies on demand and computers. It will be interesting to see how my grandchildren turn out.
Comment sent via host
On air now: Do we have real friends anymore?
Comment sent via Facebook
Java in Malaysia writes on Facebook - Only for those that their income is too low for an average family or if they have been unemployed for some times. But these benefits,in terms of income,must only be adequate enough for them to acquire basic necessities.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Christy in Houston emails - We have never abandoned the unemployed during such a crisis and I am so disappointed in the representatives of our government for walking away from the unemployed. It is a flat out LIE to say the unemployed do not want to work. You can not support your family, let alone survive for any amount of time on unemployment.
Comment sent via Facebook
Mitch in Oregon on Facebook wrote - USA is not a 3rd world country, we as a country, can afford to take care of our unemployed. As a taxpayer I don't mind that my money goes to those that are unemployed until we can pull through this recession.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Charles emails - If the government doesn't provide relief no one will. People want to work, it gives people dignity and self worth. Unemployment is a miserable way to live.