If there's one thing practically all futurologists once agreed on, it's that in the 21st century there would be a lot less work. What would they have thought, if they had known that in 2012, the 9-5 working day had in the UK become something more like 7am to 7pm? They would surely have looked around and seen technology take over in many professions which previously needed heavy manpower, they would have looked at the increase in automation and mass production, and wondered – why are they spending 12 hours a day on menial tasks?
It's a question which isn't adequately answered either by the right or by the official left. Conservatives have always loved to pontificate about the moral virtue of hard work and much of the left, focusing on the terrible effects of mass unemployment, understandably gives "more jobs" as its main solution to the crisis. Previous generations would have found this hopelessly disappointing.Länk
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Nonetheless, the workers' movement was once dedicated to the eventual abolition of all menial, tedious, grinding work. We have the machines to make that a reality today – but none of the will.
Viljan finns nog hos många människor som fastnat i hamsterhjulet eller i fattigdom och arbetslöshet, men de politiska partierna och medierna gör sitt bästa för att propagera för arbetslinjen dag och natt, oavsett hur absurd och människofientlig den kommit att bli. Hur länge ska vi fortsätta på det här misslyckade spåret? Du och andra medborgare avgör i slutändan.
