The title of this, “I.Q. and unemployment” may seem to be contradictory, but then again, maybe not. What has increased in the world, is not intelligence, but technology. What has increased in the world, is not intelligence, but unemployment, and especially among the least intelligent, least educated people. I firmly believe that I.Q. is important in everything, and I do not shrug it off as “unfair,” “discriminatory,” or “outdated,” as do many. I also believe that adequate sleep and healthy nourishment, in cooperation with caring parents and clean surroundings, can greatly raise a person’s I.Q.
Today’s problem, is that we have too much unemployment in areas which require intelligence levels above average, and far too few jobs available for people with average, or even slightly below average intelligence. Railroads are a good example, but there are many. Railroad employees in the past, were not highly skilled people. Machinists had to fix steam locomotives, where machining tolerances were rarely closer than a hundredth of an inch. All moving parts were accessible, and common metals, lathes, machine tools, and lubricants were used. Now, it is far different. Diesel locomotives require tolerances of one ten thousandth of an inch, wiring and controls are extremely complex, lubricants are exotic, and the old time railroader is out. Gone are firemen, brakemen, call boys, turntable operators, and boiler men. Only the best, smartest need apply now, leaving the ordinary, working man, out in the cold.
Automobiles in the last 60 years, have gone from simple to complex. Shade tree mechanics? Forget it. Mechanics used to be able to easily troubleshoot car problems, replace parts, and it was fine. Now there are computers, power assisted and automatic everything. No more unbolting a fender, and bolting on another. Everything is complicated in cars today, leaving out the old mechanic, who could fix everything. Auto mechanics need specialized training today, and a higher than average I.Q., to make it.
Even elevators are the same. In days past, an elevator operator was no genius, but the only elevator operators left now, are in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, where political debts are paid by furnishing jobs to hacks, who “operate” self service elevators.
The intelligence and education requirements have been increasing for previously ordinary jobs, while the public schools have been on a downhill slide, unmatched in history. Graduates of big city public schools, often cannot read traffic signs, and are unfit for anything in the job market. There are no longer typewriter repairmen, watch repairmen, or even street sweepers. All are mechanized, computerized, and electronically operated. The poor working man of yesteryear, is in deep trouble. My question is: Was this necessary? I would like to think not. Hear me out.
In days past, a mechanic could fix a car, a railroad machinist could fix a locomotive, and an ordinary person could fix a lot of things which are difficult to fix today, or are maybe even ’throw away’ items, if they break. Difficult to fix, complex, hideously compact things today, cost many times what the same things cost before. Suppose someone built a simple car or a manually operated elevator once again, and the savings were used to hire persons of lower intelligence, at lower wages, to operate and fix these things? A manually operated elevator, would have no computer, would need extremely little service, use less electricity, and cost a fraction to install, than a complex, self service one would cost.
A car that was simple, like cars were 60 years ago, would cost far less to buy, and could be fixed by a mechanic with only average intelligence. Same with body parts of a car, railroad locomotives, and everything I can think of, from kitchen appliances, to slot machines. I am certain that minimum wages have a part in this, but that’s a different column. Which is cheaper, a huge, mechanized, street sweeper, or a person who wants to earn a living with a push broom? Which is better, a simple, steam locomotive, burning American coal, which is cheap to build and cheap to keep running, or a complex, hugely expensive, diesel-electric locomotive, that may be burning foreign oil, and requiring less, but far more expensive repairs, with highly educated repairmen making huge salaries?
Wouldn’t it be nice top take a trip back 60 or more years, when people lived in neat row houses, in wonderful cities, with tree lined streets, corner stores, and good schools that taught kids the basics, so they could get ordinary jobs, and be happy? I grew up in a time like that, lived in a row house, walked to school, got a great education, and if I chose, could have worked at any job I pleased, because job requirements were simple. I could have been anything I wanted, because I knew the basics. Not only are the ’basics’ not enough today, but the ’basics’ are lacking in graduates from schools. They can’t find their own town on a map, much less Egypt or Canada. They are permitted to use calculators, rather than learning to add and subtract, using their brains.
Everything is so damned complicated now, and it is terrible for those with ordinary or sub-ordinary intelligence. There is nothing for them to do, no place for them to work, and they have a dim future. If I could change things, I would turn the clock back about 75 years, and make it stay there. Everyone would be happier. True genius simplifies things. Any fool can complicate. I guess that is true anyway. I am writing this on a computer!