Workers of the world.........relax.

[oldjerry]

In the depths of winter,when the flashing rectangle in the corner is doing your head in ,but praps you've OD 'ed on reading recipe\gardening\John Seybore etc.(OK ,just kidding!)... whatever...you might find this at least diverting: 'The Abolition of Work and other essays' by Bob Black ( ISBN 0-195179-41-5) Given Black's way of looking at things,I'd be surprised if you can't download this free.If you cant be bothered there is (and this must be a first) a fairly reasonable precis of the essay if you type the title into 'Thickypedia'.

[ina]

I just find it incredibly difficult to relax exactly because I don't have work - how the heck are you supposed to "relax" when you don't really know how to pay next month's rent? These kind of ideas are brilliant if you belong to the class who don't really need to work....


Arghhhh! Sorry about the rant. Haven't even read the precis - I expect it would just upset me far too much.

[John Headstrong]

'Thickypedia'.

really did LOL at that!

[oldjerry]

And there was I thinking we were a bit clearer on the' appearances and stereotyping' thing but we can still read a book by it's cover....

[Green Aura]

http://www.inspiracy.com/black/

Apart from a fundamental mis-reading of Marx and Trotsky - highly enjoyable

[oldjerry]

I think that might just have ensured NOBODY reads it! Still pleased you were amused!......in truth bits of it have a lot in common with many contemporary green issues.

[ina]

And there was I thinking we were a bit clearer on the' appearances and stereotyping' thing but we can still read a book by it's cover....

I suppose that was pointed at me. Yes, I do decide by the cover whether I want to read a book or not - that's what covers are for. And I'm simply fed up to the gills by what's going on in the media at the moment - everybody telling me to simply go out and work, when I've been trying to do just that for ages, and telling me that if I can't find a job within a certain time I wouldn't even deserve the pittance they call JSA - I simply don't need anybody else taking the piss, no matter how funny they think it is!

Btw - I wouldn't even touch JSA with a barge pole - if I want to commit suicide I don't need anybody helping me along with their stupid comments...

[jim]

Dear Oldjerry,

Taken me a long while to get round to reading it. So there I was thinking "HEY ...this is situationalist ... Kropotkinesque .... William Morris News form Nowhere .... etc" Then he goes and mentions them all in the last few paragraphs! Serves me right for thinking I was so clever!

Still, good points made and plenty to debate ... in a ludic manner of course. Have you tried "The Idler"? Fairly similar in content and intent,

Love and Peace
Jim

[Susie]

'I, for instance, would enjoy doing some (not too much) teaching, but I don’t want coerced students and I don’t care to suck up to pathetic pedants for tenure.'

I think this may be the root of it .

Thanks oldjerry, I thought that was interesting. I think he's on shaky ground with suggesting all things that need to be done are fun for someone, but I'm broadly on his side with the distinction between actual work and work you do for an employer (even though, as Ina points out, we do still have to pay the bills).

Ina, I'm sorry you're having such a crap time at the moment. I won't get political but I think the government's/ media's focus on anyone who looks like they might ever need to claim benefit and away from bankers (with apologies to any ishy bankers who I'm sure are principled and lovely) is one of the most hideously cynical sleight of hands of our time. I hope things pick up soon .

[oldjerry]

Well,thanks for taking the time to read it.(I've far too much time on my hands),I like 'the Idler' and thoroughly recommend it.
The article is obviously flawed,but most left thinking ideas are, people have found holes in the theory of every philosopher since the year dot(cept Parminides of course!).It just chimes with me when I think that raising your family in a self reliant way isn't the same' work' as wage slavery ,even though the hours are usually a great deal longer.Anyhow thanks for your comments.

[gregorach]

I'm quite fond of Russell's In Praise of Idleness myself...

[bonniethomas06]

Hehe, very good, this was my favorite bit:

“reality,” the gravity hole that sucks the vitality from the little in life that still distinguishes it from mere survival"