I cannot read his mind either, but the comment sure sounded like "the only problem is Americans are lazy and entitled." I find it telling that nearly everyone who calls high unemployment an indictment of workers rather than the system are just as quick to say it proves Obama a failure (even though unemployment is about where it was when he took office.) The narrative changes with the agenda, a sure sign of fitting data to a curve instead of the reverse.

In the case of people too good to work, I think it a self correcting problem: When hungry enough, ANYONE will take ANY job that feeds them (just ask China. ) Either that or starve to death, in which case they are still off the unemployment rolls; they certainly cannot count on an indefinite supply of gub'ment cheese to keep them fed when they do not even seek work (that was what reforming federal welfare laws 15 years ago was about, remember?) I am not saying people like that need or should receive help when they could easily help themselves.

The problem is millions of people who do not fall into that boat, desperately seeking any work that puts food on their table and a roof over their heads, but still not finding it. That, and OTHER people insisting THOSE people be left to twist in the wind because they are the exception rather than the rule, is the problem.

There are people who refuse work, and other people who deeply desire but cannot get it. Which predominates depends on whom you ask, but it is hard to believe many of the 5.6 million American who have been out of work 6+ months choose to go hungry and homeless, or that most of the 7 million recently unemployed people chose to leave their jobs in this economy. And remember: Those are DECEMBER figures (i.e. from the peak of Christmas rush; expect current 8.5% unemployment to spike above 9% again after stores count their January inventory.)

UNDERemployed people almost by definition are not short of work because they consider work beneath them; they are demonstrably working, and less than they desire. According to Gallup, they actually outnumber unemployed people (which jibes with my own observations:) http://www.gallup.com/poll/149525/gallup-finds-underemployment-stuck-mid-sept.aspx

So, yeah, there are certainly people who can but will not work. My bet is that when you referred to the ones you met as "kids" you hit the nail on the head: Most people who refuse work are in their teens or early twenties, and have that luxury because they can run home to live with and be fed by mom and dad. Few who lack that luxury are turning down paying work right now, for the same reason immigrants do not: Hunger is a great motivator, as is snow.