23 September 2008

Contradiction

One of Gordon Brown's contentions in his speech is that some people's supposed attitude that they can receive "something for nothing" should be replaced with an attitude that says "something for something, nothing for nothing".

This is in direct contradiction of the socialist principle:
"from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs".

This should be taken on board by sections of the media and even sections of the "Left" who seem to think that people don't deserve their basic needs; and who encourage this and similar attitudes.

Part of the reason that they do so is to justify the exorbitant riches of some people who want to feel that they worked for their riches and deserve their riches.

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The above is the essence of what I want to say in this post but there follows a mini-rant coda.

Work is not always paid work! This is the 21st century!
What about the millions who work unpaid for charities?
Do they get "nothing for something" Mr. Brown?

What about job satisfattion? Working for something you believe in and not just for money?..
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This very attitude - that the world owes no one a living, that there is no free lunch, you've got to work for a living, is an attitude I have scorn for.
It is the attitude of the lowest Daily Mail-reading vermin.
It is not the attitude of a true socialist.

It is firstly totally and utterly untrue.
Giving everyone their basic needs is extremely simple and totally feasible.
Loads of work that is done is totally unnecessary.
"There's enough for everyone's needs. But not for everyone's greed". Gandhi.

Most technology is invented to save work...

It is also morally reprehensible.
To say that if you don't work you can starve is disgusting and unreasonable.
Everyone wants to work, everyone does work; they just don't always get paid for it...
Surely we are above this as a civilisation.
Work should be done because it needs doing.... For a reason....
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Sure everyone should work. But everyone is also owed their basic needs.

You want me to work by selling people things that they don't need, ripping people off, blowing up women and children??

If that's work, I'm glad I don't work.
If that's your work, fuck your work!

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If all the truly necessary work in a technological society was shared out, then no one would need to work more than a few days a week, surely?.....