31 May 2004 @ 23:30, by Robert Oveson
The Work Less Party of British Columbia was founded because modern Western culture's work ethic — the idea that the worth of a human being depends on the work that he or she does — no longer serves our society well. With vast increases in productivity over the past centuries, we no longer need everyone's efforts directed towards survival. And yet we do not question the work ethic that drives many of us to work long hours at jobs that we don't like, that provide little satisfaction, that harm our health, that take our precious time in exchange for mere consumer goods, that drive the economic engines of over consumption, and that ultimately leave the planet barren.
The Work Less Party stands for the idea that a human being's worth is inherent and not dependent on a job. We believe that working less is indeed a positive contribution to society, and it's definitely more fun!
-----------------------------
Yet another reason why Vancouver is such a cool place. This party doesn't stand a chance of getting any seats in the government, but they spread a good message during the promotion. Maybe soon more people will realize that a lot of our problems such as peak oil, pollution, traffic congestion can be solved simply by not engaging in "make work" projects to justify some obsolete Puritan work ethic, but then that was always about social control, rather that society maintenance.
But heh, I do my part, my two goals for decades now have been to 1)learn as much as I can; and 2)contribute as little towards the 'economy' as possible. A few years ago an aunt reminded me that when I was thirteen I would say that I wanted to be an educated bum when I grew up and that I was one of the few people she knew that got what they wanted. :-)
|
|
