>Then again, if you don't first build labor unions, political parties,
>etc. on the left that militantly defend the right to leisure, you
>can't easily follow in the footsteps of French slackers.
Or you could invert that argument: if you don't follow in the footsteps of French "slackers" (what an ironic term for someone with advanced degrees in industrial economics and psychoanalysis and who has written eight books in three years in her free time) what would be the point of building unions and parties that defend the right to leisure (something that unions and parties don't do much of in North America [with the exception, of course, of the WorkLess Party ;-)]).
Seriously, though, a fellow named Karl Marx was very impressed by the statement that "wealth ... is disposable time and nothing more." And his son-in-law, Paul Lafargue wrote "The Right to be Lazy." If one studies the matter intensely for, oh say 25 years or so, one just may come to the conclusion that what people need more than anything these days, what they are truly lacking is free time (including free time to organize their own communities politically). Here's an editorial on that by Take Back Your Time's John de Graaf:
It's Election Season & The Issue Is... Or Should Be... Time
By John de Graaf
During a recent appearance on PBS' "NOW with Bill Moyers," Republican pollster and strategist, Frank Luntz, observed that a majority of "swing" voters are working women with young children. Luntz said his focus groups revealed that "lack of free time" is the number one issue with these voters. "The issue of time matters to them more than anything else in life," Luntz declared. To win over such voters, candidates must address their concerns about time.
Luntz has identified an issue that /could/ be dynamite this fall. Most Americans, not only mothers, feel increasingly time crunched. /The Wall Street Journal/ confirmed that Americans are working 20% longer today than in 1970, while work-time has declined in other industrial countries. A poll commissioned by Hilton Hotels finds that only 23 percent of Americans come to work refreshed on Mondays. Our vacations are disappearing and a new Harris survey finds that 37% of women earning less than $40,000 a year (and 28% of all working women) receive no paid vacation at all.
Is it any wonder that stress and burnout is rampant in America, and that working women with children feel as Luntz says they do? Time is a family value. Marriage, family life, community involvement and civic participation all suffer from our lack of free time. But what can be done about this burning issue? "Right now," Frank Luntz says, "no one has created an agenda, what I would call the Free Time Agenda. So it's up for grabs. Just like these swing voters are."
Luntz is right. Neither American political party has addressed the issue in any serious way. His own party has, in fact, tried to take away overtime pay for some workers. Still, since Luntz has identified this issue, Republicans will have something to say about it.
Most likely, they'll spin it like this: high taxes force people to work more, and if we cut taxes, working mothers will need to work less since they can keep more of their pay. But studies show that tax cuts don't result in less time spent at work.
On the other hand, the Democrats seem to offer no "Free Time Agenda" at all, thus conceding an essential issue to their opponents. Instead of attacking President Bush for taking long vacations, John Kerry should point out that all Americans need some serious vacation time, not just their leaders.
So what might a real agenda for free time look like? The "Take Back Your Time" movement (www.timeday.org <http://www.timeday.org>), welcomes all candidates for office to join the War on Time Poverty, a war most Americans, not just swing voters, will support. We believe Congress should:
1. *Enact paid family leave.* Millions of poor Americans can't afford
to utilize the Family and Medical Leave Act, which allows workers
12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for newborn children or sick
relatives. The vast majority (in fact, 163 countries) of the
world's nations recognize the need for /paid/ leave in such cases.
2. *Require three weeks minimum paid vacation for all workers.*
Currently, American workers average two weeks of paid leave, and
far too many get none at all. By contrast, a four week minimum is
the law in all member countries of the European Union. Studies
repeatedly show the importance of vacations for physical and
mental health.
3. *Give workers the right to refuse overtime after 48 hours on the
job per week.* Unlike Canadians and Europeans, American workers
have no right to refuse overtime work. Yet such a choice is
crucially important, especially for workers with family commitments.
4. *Make Election Day a holiday.* Such a step may seem insignificant
but it would symbolize concern that Americans need more time for
civic and community participation.
Each of these legislative points, if adopted, would only bring the US closer to standards /already in place in other industrial countries, and in many poor countries./ But they would be a great start in the right direction, the beginning of a true free time agenda. They might be followed by a part-time parity law, like those adopted in many European countries.
In Holland, for example, couples with young children are actually encouraged to work part-time so as to have more time for their families and children. They even receive tax incentives for working less. They keep their health insurance, and other benefits are pro-rated. Their right to equal hourly pay and promotions is guaranteed. Dutch working hours are among the world's shortest, yet US companies invest heavily in Holland, and thrive there.
Critics will quickly suggest that we have nothing to learn from the Europeans. Some claim that Europe is giving up on leisure, citing the example of German companies that have increased working hours. But the International Labor Organization finds no trend toward longer work hours in Europe, and in some countries they are still being reduced. Moreover, many European economies are actually more productive per worker hour than ours is. Free time makes for happier, healthier and more efficient workers. Reducing our stress levels would also mean lower health care costs for all Americans.
At present, the average European enjoys 350 more hours of free time each year than the average American. So if Frank Luntz really wants a free time agenda, he would do well to learn from our industrial neighbors. So would the Democrats, and all of us in this materially-rich but time-poor country. We could live better by working less, and finding more time for the things that matter most -- family, friends, community, health -- instead of being obsessed with material products and economic growth. It's all a matter of values.