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Topic: Idleness is Often the Best Investment
Conrad_73's photo
Tue 07/31/12 10:26 AM

Bertrand Russell was Before His Time

When I was a child, shortly after urban working men had acquired the vote, certain public holidays were established by law, to the great indignation of the upper classes. I remember hearing an old Duchess say: 'What do the poor want with holidays? They ought to work.' People nowadays are less frank, but the sentiment persists, and is the source of much of our economic confusion.

Bertrand Russell

yep,the Guy was so far left,he flew in a Circle!

Optomistic69's photo
Tue 07/31/12 10:36 AM
I shall not dwell upon the fact that, in all modern societies outside the USSR, many people escape even this minimum amount of work, namely all those who inherit money and all those who marry money. I do not think the fact that these people are allowed to be idle is nearly so harmful as the fact that wage-earners are expected to overwork or starve.

no photo
Tue 07/31/12 10:41 AM
Idle time... Kelly's heroes.

laugh laugh laugh laugh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5cL-h3Pj1o&feature=related

no photo
Tue 07/31/12 10:43 AM
Edited by Jeanniebean on Tue 07/31/12 10:47 AM
ODDBALL THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=-IatwoA00E0&NR=1



Optomistic69's photo
Tue 07/31/12 10:56 AM


Lete have a seaweed bath instead:angel: drinker drinker drinker



no photo
Tue 07/31/12 10:59 AM
With some wine and cheese.


Optomistic69's photo
Tue 07/31/12 11:32 AM
Edited by Optomistic69 on Tue 07/31/12 11:34 AM
Back on Topic

In the past, there was a small leisure class and a larger working class.


The leisure class enjoyed advantages for which there was no basis in social justice;

this necessarily made it oppressive,

limited its sympathies,

and caused it to invent theories by which to justify its privileges.

no photo
Tue 07/31/12 11:34 AM
Yes I think the poor should stop serving the rich.


no photo
Tue 07/31/12 06:16 PM

The old saying, "Idle hands are the devils workshop", like every profound saying, did not just pop up like a weed in someones perfect garden...Idleness is not natural to the human element...Why?...Because there are definite qualifyers that separarte us from all other animals...No, not the ability to reason, or make tools, or communicate...We know that animals do theses things, some are even capable of communicating abstract ideas....

It is the ability to form or create culture...This ability creates needs and wants....Needs and wants are fullfilled by work...Creative work, mundane work, legal work, illigal work....Whatever it takes to achieve or realize our wants and needs which are forever increasing, forever changing in the ever changing culture we create...The grand cycle of evolution?...Who cares?....

Idleness is nothing more than a by-product of achieving or realizing our ever changing wants and needs...We need to be idle for a certain amount of time, enough time to put enough water back into the well to continue working at optimum to achieve or realize our wants and needs...The ability to adapt to culture change...

Money is necessary to support leisure....WIthout leisure you risk boredom...The dumber you are, the greater the risk of boredom, therefore the dumber your are the higher the cost...This results in a need to work longer hours and generate greater output...Those who choose to work to support their leisure also must work to support the idle.....



beautifully said, I couldn't have said it better myself...nO really, I couldn't laugh

Ladywind7's photo
Tue 07/31/12 07:51 PM
There could be a 3 yearly rotating system that those who wish to sign up to get 4 hour days. The keen need to show productivity of a different kind or are medically suffering. The unemployed take their 4 hours. He does not state whether full wages are paid

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