>I'm convinced that free-time, which is built on
>overcoming the necessities associated with drudge
>work--can provide the space to expand the intellect.
Yes, me too. I am simply more optimistic about our ability to expand free-time. In fact I want it all. You think that work is incompatible with free time, I know that isn't true.
>*******
>Socialism might only be the next step
>in the career of humanity, rather than the end of
>history.
>*********
>
>Agreed. I reckon that the only way history will end
>is if humans let capitalism go on until the race
>self-destructs.
It is the imminent threat. Perhaps not the only one we might face.
>We can capture a lot of free-time from eliminating
>work which we do now to make other people wealthy or
>to keep their inefficient system running.
Yes, my point exactly. I would hope to eliminate the all that useless work entailed in forcing people to work.
> The way I
>see it, anyone who is able to make a contribution to
>the still existing, socially necessary work, should do
>so or go off by themselves and make their own way in
>the world. Part of what makes socialims attractive to
>me is throwing the parasitic ruling class and their
>useless wage-slave drivers off my back.
Do you want to become your own slave-driver, or do you want to be free? Obviously the former is impossible, yet it is what you seem to be suggesting.
>Agreed. Grassroots democracy is the opposite of
>bureaucratic rule from above. Co:ordinators
>welcome--bureaucrats can go hang themselves from the
>guts of the last capitalists as far as I'm concerned.
Don't be too hard on the bureaucrats. They are only doing their job. You'll still need them in your conception of socialism anyhow, someone will have to determine who is fit to work and who qualifies for exemption.
>I'll drink to that--at the Brass Monkey. We can
>invite Grant and have ourselves a commie rant-fest
>well into the wee hours.
I should warn you, I can't hold my drink.
>My retort, somewhat drunken I suspect, would be: "What
>the hell kind of
>society is it you are suggesting, that someone like
>Marx should be
>expected to do his *real* work in his spare time for
>fuck's sake?"
>*************
>
>How about working two hours on the reference desk at
>the University of Western Australia each week. The
>rest is his 'spare' or free-time to do with as he
>pleases.
Notre Dame in Freemantle, for his sins. ;-) Its surely a tempting offer, but freedom isn't negotiable.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas