Of course, the government (taxes on richer people) WOULD have to subsidize a plan like that to keep employers from going broke from carrying the “would-a-been” laid off employees, but at least the rift between the haves and the have-nots wouldn’t have to be widening at the grassroots level.

Moreover, we could stop pretending that firing the most “expendable” among us (throwing people off the island?) is a satisfactory substitute for genuine (shared) success.

I’m not sure, because the details are few at opencongress.org, where I read about it, but I think that’s what would be achieved if Congress passes H.R. 4179, “The Shortening Hours and Retaining Employees Credit Act of 2009″ a.k.a “SHARE Credit Act of 2009.”

Introduced by Rep. John C. Conyers, Jr. (D) in December, the act is intended (I read) to “stimulate demand in the private sector.” I’m not clear on exactly how it would do that, but it sounds like a step toward a more just society, doesn’t it?

And it only going to get worse as the second wave of the crash is about to hit as the stimulus abates, foreclosures skyrocket, commercial real estate tanks, credit card and student loans default, state and local governments slash payrolls and social programs and the money supply plummets with the cascade of new credit.