this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2023
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Property developer and CEO Tim Gurner: "We need to see unemployment rise. Unemployment has to jump 40, 50 percent in my view. We need to see pain in the economy. We need to remind people that they work for the employer, not the other way around."

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[–] baggins@lemmy.ca 179 points 1 year ago (2 children)

We need to see guillotining of CEOs jump 40-50%.

[–] Ertebolle@kbin.social 22 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Adding 40% to 0 is still 0 - we need to add, like, a million %.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

How about we start with one then try your idea

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[–] roadside_yeti@sh.itjust.works 134 points 1 year ago

Counterpoint: maybe he needs to learn that he'd be nothing without the backs of the workers for him to stand on.

[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.world 83 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Just want to clear the record and say that every business owner thinks this, it's just that this jackass has the stupidity to say it out loud. They don't want to pay more, which has become a necessity since the pandemic due to low unemployment rates. By having a larger labor pool, they can cut wages to take advantage of people's desperation.

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[–] deconstruct@lemm.ee 75 points 1 year ago (2 children)

This is the "Millenials eat too much avocado toast" guy. He lives on rage bait and generating headlines.

[–] shasta@lemm.ee 22 points 1 year ago

Yeah I'm not giving this guy a second thought. He's just an idiot

[–] Etterra@lemmy.world 62 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is the guy that made the original avocado toast comment. He is prime eat the rich material of ever there was any.

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[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 49 points 1 year ago

He should see what we did to the czars and repeat himself.

[–] Rocketpoweredgorilla@lemmy.ca 46 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

We need to remind people that they work for the employer, not the other way around

This angers me. If it wasn't for employees many employers be living in a box under the turnpike, because shit doesn't get done by wishful thinking alone.

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[–] gbuttersnaps@programming.dev 45 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

For everyone saying "A 50% increase in unemployment would only take us from 3.8% to 5.7%, that's not bad" keep in mind that 37,000 people die for every 1% increase in unemployment. This man is essentially wishing for the deaths of 70,000 americans.

Edit: just realized he's probably talking about Australia from his accent. Not sure about the numbers for Australia on unemployment deaths, but I imagine the point should still stand.

[–] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 22 points 1 year ago

Yes, deaths, but also wishing for poverty and misery. What a humane soul.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@kbin.social 10 points 1 year ago (4 children)

keep in mind that 37,000 people die for every 1% increase in unemployment. This man is essentially wishing for the deaths of 70,000 americans.

Wait really? How?

[–] gbuttersnaps@programming.dev 24 points 1 year ago

Economic instability has been found to increase overall mortality, infant deaths, fatalities from cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis, suicide, and homicide as well as morbidities, alcoholism and admissions to mental hospitals. M Harvey Brenner has publications studying the phenomenon going all the way back to the 50s if you're interested in the scientific literature.

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[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 45 points 1 year ago

We need to remind people that they work for the employer, not the other way around.

Employment is a mutually-beneficial agreement. I pity whoever has that CEO as a boss that thinks so lowly of their subordinates. We need to remind employers that they also depend on their employees.

[–] quams69@lemmy.world 37 points 1 year ago

Holy shit what an actual psychopath

[–] MajorHavoc@lemmy.world 37 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I heard "Let them eat cake."

Both in the sense that this is a bullshit thing to say, and in the sense that this is the sort of thing that, if misquoted, could get innocent (at least of saying something like that) people hurt.

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[–] cjo@lemm.ee 36 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Keep in mind that “jump 40-50%” is not the same as “unemployment at 40-50%”…your headline is sensationalist (or just a misunderstanding of the numbers). This guy’s take is still absurd, regardless.

[–] Maeve@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago

Absurdly evil af.

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[–] Tischkante@discuss.tchncs.de 33 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This goes right into my spreadsheet of examples how winning at capitalism does not require much intelligence or foresight. In fact, too much of either hurts your chances.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

All it requires is an incredible amount of egocentrism and a dash of psychopathy.

[–] agertudici@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Not true! You also have to be significantly lucky. I've met plenty of egocentric psychopaths who are stuck in small-time hustles and utterly pissed about it.

[–] Twentytwodividedby7@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not agreeing with the sentiment, but your title is wrong, OP. He didn't say unemployment should be 40-50%. He said it should increase by 40-50%, which equates to a move from 3.8% to 5.7%

[–] xkforce@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Can we start with the CEOs?

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[–] Grayox@lemmy.ml 31 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Tim is literally a freeloader making money off of other people's labor... scum. . .

[–] foo@programming.dev 10 points 1 year ago

He isn't even self made. His grandfather gave him a loan and his boss supported him in his initial start

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[–] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 30 points 1 year ago

He needs to see pain in his life.

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Does he really not understand that employers make their money from their employees?

[–] foo@programming.dev 15 points 1 year ago

He got his start with a loan from his grandfather and with extensive support from his boss

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[–] Plibbert@lemmy.ml 24 points 1 year ago

So like, how would one go about trying to figure out where this guy lives?

[–] 5in1k@lemm.ee 21 points 1 year ago

If I see this fuckwit in the street I’m laying him out.

[–] Kage520@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago

So I guess that means corporations are actually hoping for a recession so they can "tighten the belt" and fire some workers and the remaining ones will work extra hard to make up the difference. Again.

[–] PixelProf@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The beatings will continue until ~~morale~~ productivity improves.

Edit: Sorry, morale is irrelevant.

He is free to stop hiring if he thinks that way. If unemployment jumps it's because business is in the shitter.

[–] Pulptastic@midwest.social 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

A 1% increase is associated with 37000 additional deaths. 40% unemployment would be classicide.

[–] AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not to defend this PoS but I think he means a 40% increase to unemployment, as in if unemployment is at 10% he thinks it should be 14%.

[–] Sconrad122@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

US unemployment rate is 3.8% as of August, so this guy is calling for roughly 70k people to die so that he can get back to his power fantasy and his pesky employees will stop having uncomfortable conversations with him about petty grievances like "feeding their families" and "keeping a roof over their head"

[–] natecox@programming.dev 11 points 1 year ago

Engineering manager here: I am very lucky to have my team, I need them more than they need me, and I think anyone saying otherwise is fooling themselves.

[–] Andjhostet@kbin.social 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] Szymon@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Who's taking bets on how long until this guy's head is left in a box for another billionaire to open?

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[–] jaiden@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago

No, that's completely wrong.

He said it should go UP by 40-50% ie about 6% - which is still low by Australian standards.

Unemployment averaged 8% in the 1980s and 10% in the 1990s.

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