Spurred from this post about The Office where I saw some back-and-forth about potential occupation-shaming(?), like why are people getting heated over being able to work?

I understand there's mental health, physical disability, learning disability, or just general lack of opportunity for some people or situations, but shouldn't everyone's drive be to contribute to society as a byproduct of participating in it?

Yeah, capitalism is fucked up, but at the end of the day, shouldn't everyone be motivated to contribute something back to earn their keep? Or can we just say "fuck it" and get mad at people who shame us for choosing not to submit to the 9 to 5?

  • came_apart_at_Kmart [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    if somebody wants to just eat from their ration card and hang out all day, smoking cigs on their porch, playing dominoes with neighbors and just being a chatty cathy, who gives a shit? there's plenty of housing and plenty of food. i went to cuba and there was a shitload of what we in the US call "loitering" going on, in Havana and elsewhere. just people hanging out and having idle conversations watching the world going by, or maybe chilling in the shade watching some telenovela on a little tv.

    like seriously, who gives a shit? they aren't hurting anybody. in fact, they are doing that thing that americans are too busy hustling to do: community. yeah, sure, if you want some pimp shit, you gotta earn. maybe go to school of some kinda shit or figure out some tourist angle. but all your basics are covered, so your relation to work is far less haunted by desperation. so maybe you want to spend your late 20s reading and writing and taking random buses. i am not worried about this person.

    the person i worry about is the one who dedicates all their brain power to figuring out how to take advantage of people. in america, we let these people run wild.