Free Magazine? Good for Economy?

I picked up my mail today and found one of those "free" trade magazines in it. I don't read it. It just goes into the recycling bin as usual. Some of those I do read but not this one. In a moment of weakness, I agreed to get it even though I knew I wouldn't ever refer to it.

I got to wondering: is this a good thing or not?

On the negative side, I wasted the energy used to make the paper out of pulp, and to re-pulp it. I also wasted the energy to print it, and create the ink that goes on the paper. I wasted a bit of metal because it's stapled. I doubt the pulper recycles all of the staples that are tossed into it. I didn't waste any energy for it since I had to carry other junk mail from my mailbox to the recycling bin.

On the positive side, however, I counted:

• a partial telemarketer job to sign me up.
• a partial paper maker job
• a partial ink manufacturer job
• a partial printer job
• several partial writer jobs
• several partial copy editor jobs
• several graphic designer jobs for the magazine and the ads
• several partial web site designer job for the magazine and the advertisers
• a partial packaging job
• partial packaging material jobs
• partial truckloading job
• partial trucking job to deliver them to the post office
• several partial post office jobs to move it between branches and deliver it to my mailbox
• several partial maintenance jobs to keep the paper, press, handling, packaging machines, trucks and other equipment humming along smoothly along the supply chain
• several partial jobs to supply the equipment and trucks
• several partial jobs to supply recycled paper, corrugated and raw wood chips to the paper making guys
• several partial IT administrators and system operators to keep all the organizations along the supply chain including the telecommunications equipment for the telemarketers up and updated
• several accounting folks along the way to keep the invoicing and payments flowing up and down the supply chain
• several partial supervisory and management positions to ensure it's all running smoothly
• several partial quality guys to measure and report on "things and stuff"
• several partial training and development people to help improve our human assets
• several partial HR jobs to hire the best they can find
• and if there's growth, several partial folks to help find new sites for any new staff
• and several partial economic development jobs to convince them to locate the new facility "here"
• and the partial commercial real estate positions, advertising support for them
• .......and so on

No matter the circulation of my "free" issue, I'm sure my contribution to reducing unemployment is ridiculously small, but it probably outweighs the thimbleful bit of energy I consumed.

Perhaps I can keep receiving the magazine, and recycling it....Oh, yeah I forgot all the recycling jobs I'm creating. Wow! I'm an economic engine by just answering one phone call. President Obama, here's the recovery plan!!!

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