The Hard Work Conspiracy?

It's ridiculous how hard people have to work nowadays. Especially in America. I mean please, there is NO REASON in a POST-industrial society people should have to cram these 5 hour energy drinks that are getting so popular just to put a freaking roof over their head. I see no reason why the average person should have to work more than 5 hours a day/20 hours a week, aside from lining the richest people's pockets more. No wonder people are so stressed, I hate how everyone has to work so freaking hard (I don't, but it makes me feel guilty that all my loved ones do etc).

This whole "hard work" thing is bull. Sure, hard work is admirable (and necessary) when you HAVE to, or if you love the work itself, but for the sake of it - why? Why do it just to line some scumbag's pockets (i mean, fight for freedom? )

Dont pity yourself. There are people in this world far less fortunate. Until you put a bullet in the heads of the banksters, do not complain.

reply to post by 19872012


pre-industrial nations PAY for you to enjoy a post-industrial lifestyle my friend.

20 hours a week is luxory when they do 20 hours a day making thopse little luxories you enjoy.

Please be aware of this and remember those kids that sit in factories / underground / in fields so that you are a comfortable complainer.

I dont think you really understand what hard work is at all actually!!!

reply to post by Valorian


so, because children in undeveloped/developing countries are being exploited as slaves, we should be glad as long as we have it better? is the lowest common denominator really so desirable or even viable? if not, i suggest not to throw working hour figures around.

let's determine what productivity is first, because i'm positive that an awful lot of supposedly hard (long?) working people are actually just wasting a lot of time and perfectly good paper.

You don't work....you don't eat.

You don't grind...you don't shine.

That is the American way. If you like surviving then you have to work. There is no other way around it.

hate how everyone has to work so freaking hard

Have to?
If you are expecting a certain lifestyle then perhsp you have to work harder to maintain earnings in order to fund all the crap that the corporate overords tell you must have in order to be happy.

Alternativley you can CHOOSE to live a more simple life and work for your needs such as food shelter and medicine.

I work minimally. Yet I still have shelter, food, and even have enough left over to spend on non essential items. I also have no debt, not a penny.

The truth is, people work harder in order to accomplish the pie in the sky American dream which is really just trap to keep you consuming.

Stop consuming, work less, be happier.

For 1 I would like to put up for discussion wether the American people are the hardest working... I know for a fact that there was 1 year where it was the Dutch people respected for their hard work, for wich they suffered the highest stress-levels in the WORLD... now dont ask me how they found this out and it most likely is no longer the case.. just sayin..
Also if it wasn't for our consumer based economy, we would indeed be able to live of of 2 days work. Its the fact that we all NEED 2 cars, a 400000dollar house for wich both owners must work, our internetconnection, our ever evolving TV and PC hardware and the fact that we all desire the most recent mobile phone accompanied with a monthly fee. We start using a mobile phone around the age of 12 nowadays.

If we'd be willing to live in the style common in 1910 we would indeed be able to survive of 2 days work each week. Our own greed is responsible for our current chains to society...

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. ~Thomas Edison


In the land of opportunity you have the OPTION to work hard to achieve or not. Many places hard work is required and they have no opportunity to achieve more then basic needs.

You dont have to work hard. I just watched a show about a man and woman with two kids. They do almost anything they want on only the mans salary of like 30G's. The problem is ego in most cases. We, especially in the US, practically define who we are with pieces of shiny metal (cars). No one cares anymore about a persons soul but rather how many things they have. Throw in the fact that your significant other probably wants to outdo your neighbor with a "better" automobile and it becomes even more impossible to live how you want. All comes down to ego. Somehow the propaganda machine taught us all that the importance of life is to spend more money than your friend. Oh and that we should all get married and have 2.5 kids. Get past what people think of you and you will find that you will work however much you want.

Originally posted by faceoff85
If we'd be willing to live in the style common in 1910 we would indeed be able to survive of 2 days work each week.

Nobody would want to live that way. I sometimes wonder how people survived before 1950, they had nothing to entertain themselves, they had nothing to work, but work and probably sitting around killing time
(Well except for some "I'm different - not really" people who say that living that way would be the best - and post it on the internet using an 'evil' pc


We don't really work that hard in the industry nations, i think the main problem is that we work to long. In Germany it's until 66, so you get out of school at 16, 18 or 20 at latest and than work nearly half a decade. It's too long and i think if the nations would sent the people earlier into retirement you coul tackle the problems with unemployment, because those are mostly younger people.

I think you have a point OP. This makes me think of that old chiche 1984.

Keep the proles busy creating useless crap that will inevitably end up in landfill.

Thats not to say people shouldn't work hard, life would be pretty pointless if we didn't put effort into anything, but so much of what we do is pointless!

reply to post by ShadowAngel85


Before 1950 they were fighting and recovering from 2 world wars and about to start Korean war and planning for Vietnam - thats hard work :-)

No time for fun, just cigarette ads

reply to post by 19872012

19872012,

Let us imagine how a "normal" day would look like if you wouldn't have to work in a society that takes all your hard earned money...

You'd have to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning to milk your cows, feed your chickens and let the pigs out of the barn. Then you would have to clean out all those barns for your animals to sleep comfortably. Don't forget to spend some time with your crops. The soil has to be made ready for next years crops or the insects that are eating your crops right now have to be taken care of. After you have chopped some wood for the fire that is going to cook your meal, you are going to have to start collecting more wood for the winter months. Now you are ready for a well deserved meal......oops, gotta prepare some food first. So you will first have to visit the vegetable garden (which is looking pretty good because you remove all the weeds every day), slaughter some of your livestock and you are ready to go...

Oh, the house might need some cleaning up and a couple of things have to be repaired.......but after that you are free as a man can be. You would probably hit the sack because it will be an early rise the next morning because you would have to milk the cows etc. etc. (sundays included!!)

Sorry for the bad mood...did I kill this thread?

Peace

[edit on 12-8-2010 by operation mindcrime]