Discussing the "pro work" movement

 So, I kind of found out that there is a movement on reddit called the "pro work" movement. I thought it was kind of a joke, a reflexive rejection of the anti work movement, but when I checked out the subreddit, it seemed at least somewhat sane, and worth some discussion.

The fact is, people have diverse interests. Some people genuinely LIKE work. They like the structure of it, they like the pay and benefits, the power and prestege it might afford them, and...I can kind of respect that, even if I can't relate personally. 

I mean, if anything, I kind of recognize that in an era where we dont need EVERYONE to work, but we need SOME people to work, it's good that people like this exist. I mean, if everyone thought like me, nothing would get done and we absolutely would need some level of coercion to make people do the necessary work in society. And that's where a lot of conservative attitudes on social issues come from. They think if people arent forced to behave in "pro social" ways, they often won't. 

But let's face it, when UBI studies try to measure work reduction, they often find no difference at best and a mild reduction at worst. You could argue merely trying to observe the behavior as well as the limitations of studies might mitigate work reduction, but you could also argue that...hey, people like to do things. As we saw when I reviewed much of the literature on the future of work, a lot of people cant get past work being good and all. It provides purpose in peoples' lives, and a lot of people get bored without it to some degree. And I have to admit, some people are like that. It's a foreign attitude to me, I'm more blatantly anti work and see it as negative, but I do recognize that different attitudes exist.

My issue with the pro work people is that they seem to love it so much they insist everyone must experience the joy of it. They like the system as it is, and insist on forcing others to act their way too. They still, despite actively professing liking work, act resentful of those who don't want to as if they were forced to. Maybe deep down they really don't like it but won't admit it (I've had some admit this when I've confronted them on it), or maybe they simply like the social hierarchy and their position in it and want to defend it, or maybe they feel like they are entitled to the rewards they get from work and refuse to have their taxes raised so others can live as they want. All of these explanations are valid. Perhaps with a UBI economy, they wouldnt be able to order people around like they want and they wont be able to impose their social standing on them. Worker empowerment comes at the expense of their privileges in society. That's actually my key explanation with those types of people. They like bossing others around, and lording their status over them, and they certainly dont want their taxes raised. Thankfully, I estimate those types of people at around 20-25% of the population. If everyone else realized they outnumbered them and acted in their enlightened self interest, maybe we could overcome their attitudes...if those guys can get over their resentment of others and whatever ideology (like identity politics...yuck) gives them brain worms where they refuse to come together in a coalition that would get it done. 

But really, the benefit of my social libertarian mindset is that it at least tries to take everyone's interests into considerations. Phillipe Van Parijs had the debate over the lazies vs the crazies, and UBI is supposed to be a compromise in many ways. Im not trying to take work away from the "crazies", even if i profess an "anti work" stance and long to abolish work over time, I ultimately understand this has to be reached voluntarily. And that it might take a few generations for attitudes to change (and the material conditions to be right) for that to happen. And Karl Widerquist's framework focuses more on his own form of voluntaryism where people can do what they want, it's forcing people to participate in another's social project that is the problem. 

So, for now, UBI is there to give people what they want. if they want work, it's there, just go out and get a job. if you dont wanna work, well, then just coast on UBI, I dont care.

The problem with the pro work type people is that they're at their heart authoritatians. They love work so much that you have to love it too and fear changes that would come from people not being forced to participate in their social project. Some of this might come out of the same old fears of people falling into "sin" and "degeneracy" if they dont have a purpose (I actively reject this concept philosophically and recognize it as a hold over from the protestant work ethic), but some simply seem for it...because they benefit from the system as it is and stand to lose their own privilege within it if things change. And notice how this privilege isnt based on race or gender or sexuality, as SJWs like to use the term, but class. This is class privilege and social standing based on having a lucrative and lucrative pay with power and authority over others. Those at the top (and the petit bourgeois as marx would call them) dont wanna give them up. And to me, that's part of what this is about. 

So yeah. If you love work, fine. All the power to you. I have no issue with you purusing your interests. I support your right and freedom to do so. I just resent that I have to pursue it too despite it running counter to mine. And I think society would change for the better if workers were suddenly liberated from HAVING to work. Even if they like their jobs, it would stop a lot of toxic and abusive crap, and they would probably be paid better than they would otherwise. It's a win for everyone except those who are the most advantaged under the current social arrangements.