posted July 02, 2009 11:45 PM
Just to be clear:When I said many stayed at home, I didn't mean in just goofing off. Of course they worked to support their land, home, and lifestyle. Generally speaking, family worked together, but someone could get a job elsewhere or do something else, as long as they contributed.
It's hard for me to imagine just goofing off. I wasn't allowed to do that as a child. I didn't even get an allowance. I was made to work and pretty much told it was for "room & board." If I wanted money, I had to go work for someone else.
One of the reasons I had delayed puberty was because I didn't have enough body fat, but DID have muscle. That was from laboring under the Texas sun on a farm, for example. Not to say I was a slave, as I had plenty of free time (which included some athletic hobbies, also contributing to my lack of body fat), and some chores (like feeding the chickens) I enjoyed doing & didn't even think of as work. So the idea of just staying home and watching TV or reading books strikes me as very odd.
Also, I'm someone who simply can't accept the standard job, and I DO find alternatives that keep my head above water, and keep me feeling independent. I could go on & on about different projects I have that generate income for me. Heck, I got this computer (or most of it) I'm using to post here from bargaining with a guy I did stuff for (watched his house while he was in Mexico, did some real estate research--the research is why I suggested I could use a computer of my own, too) in exchange for an old computer he no longer used but hadn't bothered to get rid of. When times are tough, I find other ways to cut back overhead, like I used to crash art shows for the free food. 
Now if I had kids who grew up to sit in front of the TV munching chips or playing games, I'd probably allow it...but they'd get TREATED as kids until they decided to grow up (not necessarily moving out, just so long as they're working on improving themselves in one way or another and/or contributing). If they seemed content with this, I expect I'd get harsher over time (yeah, I'd discipline them like they're kids, too), but only because I'd fear what happened to them once I was gone if they still didn't know how to take care of themselves (and even with trust funds, those can get stolen by slimy lawyers all too easily, and a perpetual child isn't going to know how to deal with that, either). At least that's how I think I'd handle it (and what if there's genuine mental illness or other disabilities in the way?). But hopefully, they'd develop a work ethic just like I did ("work ethic" meaning pulling your own weight, but not necessarily punching a time clock or putting on a uniform of some kind). And if they really wanted to be an artist or writer of some kind, I could see indulging that, and helping them find ways to generate some income from it in various ways, too. (If I liked what they made, I'd consider that contributing, too.)
Robert Anton Wilson once exploited the welfare system instead of trying to get back on his feet. Instead of trying to get another job, he resolved to finally sell one of his books. It took him 2 years of being a leech on the tax payers before it happened, but it finally did, with a positive effect on society, IMO, and when he was dying, it was finally put on his website that he needed no more donations because so many fans had contributed that he literally had more than enough to pay all his medical expenses. (And he was never on welfare again.) And that, to me, is a pretty cool story.
Lindaland
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posted July 02, 2009 09:17 PM
posted July 03, 2009 01:30 AM
