Tom writes:
> Think of the demoralization of the job holders if there
was a genuine movement of UNEMPLOYED PRIDE.
Well, those who are lazy and care not a whit for the well-being of others would certainly sign up for such a movement. But those are the same people who are addicted to the notion of individual self and the satisfaction of personal desire (hence the development of capitalism and a market society to cater to these manufactured cravings).
> Most of the fine souls on this list (self included) contribute
not a whit, through their employment, to the sustenance of
themselves or anybody else.
Well, I think keeping children in school, preventing child abuse and neglect, and helping to regenerate an inner city community is a major contribution to the sustenance of both myself and others. I think the real problem is that people are raised to believe that their life is supossed to be one of unalloyed fulfillment and desire; that life is some sort of mystical journey that culminates with the establishment of a true self (I bet Hegel had something to do with this LOL).
> What you and I contribute to is the maintenance of the
system, which then allocates loaves of bread, fishes, roofs
and blankets according to a plan laid out by marketing dorks,
financial accountants, TV celebrities and fundamentalist clergy.
But people go along with this system since they place desire satisfaction above all else. If people regarded the world with greater rationality, then this wouldn't be a problem. But when desire satisfaction rules, the rise of religious/irrational fundamentalism is inevitable. Unreasonable expectations give rise to crazy desire satisfaction mechanisms.
> Any one self-loathing unemployed contributes more to the
maintenance of the system than do ten paycheck-nibbling
cubicle dwellers.
I think that someone who feels loathing for being unemployed is exhibiting normal feeling. Only those people deformed by raging personal desire would feel otherwise.
> Well collecting a paycheck so you can buy the things you need
so you can get up in the morning and to go to work to do the
things you have to do to collect a paycheck so you can buy the
things and it goes around and it comes around.
The problem is that people buy more than what they need. While I disagree with Kelley about sexual desire being chosen, I do believe that most desires for things are manufactured by culture in order for capitalism to be maintained. 7/8th's of the garbage that people are convinced they need to feel good about themselves, they were taught to feel so about.
> How different really was the "jail" you were in Monday from
the jail you were in a few weeks ago when you had a so-called job?
The true jail is the web of desire each individual creates for herself.
> So where did that respect, opportunity, security and accomplishment
go?
It left when all of one's desires were not met.
> Or was it a mirage?
The mirage is that one's desires are to be satisfied and through such desire satisfaction a person can experience self-worth.
> If it was a mirage, would you like to have it back now?
Of course. Most people cannot live without the delusion of self.
> The bottom line is this: there is enough real work for everyone, but
only if that work is shared out through a drastic reduction of the hours
of work.
But how will you drastically reduce the amount of desire people give into? How will you dractically reduce the attachment to a false sense of self which needs constant support and attention through the satisfaction of ever increasing desires?
> That is not to say there is a "fixed amount of work," only that
there is a finite amount of productive, useful, worthwhile work.
Agreed. But how do you get people to recognize this fact? How do you get them to stop aiding the production of trinkets of desire, when they rely on these very trinkets for their sense of self-worth and identity?
Brian Dauth Queer Buddhist Resister