Book Review
Post-Work: The Wages of Cybernation
The authors in this provocative collection of essays eschew endless cynicism
in favor of a new view of work and hope for our future. They offer a vision
of what less work and better standards of living might look like in the
real world. "The Writer's Voice: Intellectual Work in a Culture of
Austerity" deals with an ex-Village Voice staffer and her struggle
to find time for her art in a world that overvalues productivity and "making
a living". Also don't miss "Why There is No Movement of the
Poor", "Schooling to Work", and the excellent "Post-Work
Manifesto".
From the Manifesto:
"Corporate welfare far outweighs welfare to the poor but most
Americans seem unaware of this, and few complain. What we have is subsidies
and tax cuts for the rich and service cuts for everyone else."
"If the current situation is allowed to continue on its present
course, only the few will be able to enjoy life without the constant stress
of economic worries. The rest of us will be so buried in work without
end, anxious about procuring or simply sustaining our livelihoods, that
even the freedom to imagine a different kind of life will seem more and
more like a luxury. It has become increasingly difficult to find the time
just to reflect, to write, to feel--to change."
"So what is to be done? At a fundamental level, the first thing
required is a change in ideas, in perceptions which by now are badly out
of sync with our circumstances. Unless we begin to think differently about
work itself, collective anxieties are likely to steadily worsen. Unless
we rethink our basic vision there will be little hope for people in the
middle and working classes--or for those who are poor--in the generations
to come."
Yes indeed! A very succinct statement of a mission that CLAWS shares.
CLAWS rating: 5