Episode 192: The Right To Be Lazy

February 8, 2022

Central Thesis

The episode argues that the societal pressure to work excessively, fueled by historical and contemporary forces, is a manufactured delusion benefiting those in power, and that a "right to be lazy" is essential for a just and democratic society.

Key Arguments

• The host challenges the common notion that workers have a "right to work." He explains that this very demand by 19th-century workers horrified Paul Lafargue, who viewed it as a betrayal of the proletariat's true mission to overthrow capitalism.
• The episode argues that the love of work is a delusion. This delusion was historically propagated by priests, economists, and moralists to keep the working class docile and prevent them from challenging the established order.
• Mechanization should liberate workers. Technology has the potential to reduce labor and improve lives, but current systems exploit technology to steal work from workers without reducing economic demands.
• Reducing work hours increases productivity. The podcast details how industrialists in the 19th century understood that shorter workdays can result in higher overall production per worker.
• The desire for control is a reason for overwork. The host quotes Napoleon's belief that more work equals fewer vices (i.e. less dissent) highlighting how overwork can be used to quell dissent and maintain social control.
• Poverty reinforces dependency. The transcript quotes a 1770 essay that advocates for industrial workers to never consider themselves independent of their superiors.

Notable Passages

• "Hello and welcome to Attack Ads. I'm Jim, your ad attacker for the day."
• "In June of 1848, something happened. There was in France an armed uprising of mostly left-leaning folks who, no doubt, called themselves proletariats. From this uprising came a manifesto claiming the workers had a right to work. Lefargue found this. Disgusting!"
• "To paraphrase Napoleon, the more people work, and the less they are paid for that work, the less bitching they tend to do."
• "Let us be lazy in everything, except in loving and drinking, except in being lazy."

Rhetorical Approach

Jim uses a combination of historical analysis, literary references, and personal commentary to construct his argument. He quotes directly from primary sources like Paul Lafargue's book and other historical texts to support his claims, while also using his own "ad attacker" persona to provide humorous interjections and contemporary relevance. Tracking Words are examined. His frequent self-deprecating remarks, such as when mispronouncing French, add a conversational, accessible tone.

Connections

• Jenny O'Dell's book about doing nothing (two episodes prior)
• Robert Louis Stevenson essay on idleness (previous episode)
• William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
• Episode 55, "Weaving Threads from Carved Chunks" (Ned Ludd story)
• Episode 181, "Kellogg, Brown and Roots"
• References to Karl Marx and Marxism