Huge numbers have a kind of "inertia"

Even if you haven't taken physics, you probably have some idea of the concept of "inertia."  It's the tendency of moving objects to keep going in the same direction, and how much work it takes to get 'em to change speed or direction.

For example, a 140-car freight train can weigh between 15,000 and 20,000 TONS, and takes over a mile to stop.  A loaded super-tanker can weigh over 600,000 tons and has lots more inertia.

But non-physical things, like societies, have a kind of inertia too.  Like fads or "TikTok challenges" or sex-change surgery for minors.  Or people deciding it's more fun to live off welfare than to work.  And that's what I'd like to examine here.

For the last 60 years the percentage of U.S.-born working-age (16 to 64) men not working or looking for work has increased almost every year. 

In April of 1960 it was 11.3 percent.

In April of 2000 it was 16.9 percent--up 5.6% in 40 years.

In April of 2024 it was 22.1 percent--up another 5.3% in just 24 years. 

As of this month there are 38 million U.S.-born men who are not working AND not looking for work.  With the exception of a tiny few who do self-employed pickup work or are living off mom and dad, most of those not "in the workforce" are likely either living on one of the many welfare programs, or thru criminal activity.

What do ya think the annual COST to the U.S. is of both parts of this group is to the economy?

Over this same period the number of immigrant men in the labor force INcreased by 14.1 million. 

Note that "unemployment" doesn't count people who aren't working AND not looking for work. 

The tie to "inertia" is that barring war or another Chyna virus, the preferences of tens of millions of people take a long time to change.  And a huge factor in that estimate is the rate of increase of the "Not in workforce" group: it increased by 5.6% in the 40 years between 1960 and 2000, but then by another 5.3% in just 24 years.  So in recent years it's increasing at a faster rate, which suggests that this particular attraction is drawing people faster than before.

So what do ya think is driving it?  Dems wail that workers are "discouraged" cuz so many couldn't get generous salaries with a degree in womens' studies or similar.  While that could be a minor factor, I think the far bigger one is that welfare and various Social Security disability scams have made grifting so much more attractive.

Example: 26 years ago I briefly dated a very smart, attractive gal who preferred getting stoned all day to working.  But so personable--could charm the birds out of the trees.  She found a Social Security guy and claimed she had ADD or ADHD or whatever the trendy qualifying disability was, and he instantly "awarded her" $2,000 a month for life--with cost-of-living increases.  And this was back in 1999.

She told me the story 16 years later--still cashing those monthly "disability" checks.  Proudly showed me all her SS paperwork.

Multiply that by 38 million. 

Source.  

https://cis.org/Report/WorkingAge-Not-Working-1960-2024