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Antiwork

What do anti-work people think about the original anti-work sentiment: The Futurists?

Preface: Just to make clear, I agree there are big problems with low wages, wage theft, unfair disparity between rich and poor, and the like. But way back when, some 30-40 years or more ago, there was another line of thinking about anti-work, and though it acknowledged in passing some of these problems, the narrative primarily focused on the rise of automation: In the future robots will do all the work, with societies immensely rich and able to provide all citizens with a generous UBI. Work will become optional; the average citizen can instead choose to engage in a more rewarding lifestyle involving: hobbies, continuing education, travel, doing art, learning cool sports like skiiing and surfing, spending time with family, community service, etc. And if you want to hang out all day in public spaces and do drugs, many futurists saw no problem with that either. Most futurists predicted this…


Preface: Just to make clear, I agree there are big problems with low wages, wage theft, unfair disparity between rich and poor, and the like.

But way back when, some 30-40 years or more ago, there was another line of thinking about anti-work, and though it acknowledged in passing some of these problems, the narrative primarily focused on the rise of automation: In the future robots will do all the work, with societies immensely rich and able to provide all citizens with a generous UBI.

Work will become optional; the average citizen can instead choose to engage in a more rewarding lifestyle involving: hobbies, continuing education, travel, doing art, learning cool sports like skiiing and surfing, spending time with family, community service, etc.

And if you want to hang out all day in public spaces and do drugs, many futurists saw no problem with that either.

Most futurists predicted this would come about towards the end of the 21-century, and that only about 10 to 20% of people would pursue work, mostly interesting occupations like government administration, architecture, being a travel guide, park ranger, paid blogger.

One problem that arose: Some futurists did not want to wait for the technological transformation. They felt people should be able to opt out of working now, especially with ultra-rich billionaires having enough money to each support thousands of people.

As we know, the original futurist thinking has melded with current anti-work thinking, with its emphasis on injustice. The injustices provide even more impetus for people to opt-out of work. Alternative means of subsistence, unfortunately, are not that many:

1) Obtaining welfare

2) NPR: 2013 Unfit for Work — The Striking Rise of Disability in America….. How Americans Game the $200 Billion-a-Year 'Disability-Industrial Complex'

3) Find a rich significant other

4) Crime

Might have to wait another 75-100 years….

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