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Why do you cast fewer working hours as left-wing? Being able to have a good life without having to work yourself to death doesn't sound left-wing to me; it soun

Why do you cast fewer working hours as left-wing? Being able to have a good life without having to work yourself to death doesn't sound left-wing to me; it sounds sensible and surely should be a dream of the right-wing? If you think not being a wage-slave is left-wing, I think you've been fooled by the people who need you to work yourself to death so they can take it easy. Edit: Which is me. Forget I mentioned it :)

brownleej 16y ago
The article is advocating more government intervention in the economy, which is generally associated with left-wing political thought. I think that accusing this article of being left-wing is intellectually sound, though the GP's comment, and particularly the tone, did little to advance the conversation. In fact, my central problem with this article was that ignored the fact that markets in the United States are generally less well-regulated than those in other industrialized nations. Many of the differences the author brings up can be traced back to that. The author clearly would like that changed, but it's a much bigger argument than the one the author is making. It can't be taken for granted that just because these regulations are desirable, and would make things better, then they should be enacted. The Overton window on government intervention in the economy in the US is different than in other industrialized nations, and that needed to be addressed in the author's argument.
tomjen3 16y ago
The reason it is a left wing article is that it complains about the lack of government regulations over private agreements between willing partners.
- barrkel 16y ago
  I tried to negotiate more holiday time (25 days rather than 10 days) when I was planning to move to the US. They wouldn't budge; but they were willing to employ me as a remote worker living in London, UK, rather than locally in CA. (I didn't move, in part because of this, even though I had a H-1B visa at a time they were handed out by lottery.) So now, I get the extra holidays (but less pay), as well as having frequent transatlantic flights to get up to date with the US folks. Why was that? Could it possibly be because the willing partners in that private agreement aren't as free to choose the terms of their agreement as you seem to think they are? The extra holidays aren't just a line item in the contract, with appropriately reduced pay etc. They are perceived to cause jealousy problems, for one thing. They're also structured as a status perk for long-term employees ("earn a whole extra day for every year of service!" they said). The issue is even bigger for someone contemplating emigrating to the US, because longer holidays increase the cost effectiveness of transatlantic trip home. Only having 10 days holiday effectively means saying (relatively) permanent goodbye to all your friends and relatives if you also want to have e.g. a Christmas holiday and a summer break.
  - enjo 16y ago
    If I was going to guess: They didn't want you in the office with 2.5x the vacation of the rest of their workers. By stashing you in London, if anyone took issue, they just point out that it's customary.
    - exit 16y ago
      barrkel says that himself in his comment, "They are perceived to cause jealousy problems, for one thing."
hugh3 16y ago
Well actually I don't care much whether it's left, right, liber-, fasco-, crypto- or theo-, it's definitely plain ol' politics, though, and that's what I'm objecting to. I only mention left-wing because we seem to have been getting a lot of that here lately. Like roaches, if you don't stomp on political stories then they breed.

brownleej 16y ago

The article is advocating more government intervention in the economy, which is generally associated with left-wing political thought. I think that accusing this article of being left-wing is intellectually sound, though the GP's comment, and particularly the tone, did little to advance the conversation. In fact, my central problem with this article was that ignored the fact that markets in the United States are generally less well-regulated than those in other industrialized nations. Many of the differences the author brings up can be traced back to that. The author clearly would like that changed, but it's a much bigger argument than the one the author is making. It can't be taken for granted that just because these regulations are desirable, and would make things better, then they should be enacted. The Overton window on government intervention in the economy in the US is different than in other industrialized nations, and that needed to be addressed in the author's argument.

tomjen3 16y ago

The reason it is a left wing article is that it complains about the lack of government regulations over private agreements between willing partners.

barrkel 16y ago
I tried to negotiate more holiday time (25 days rather than 10 days) when I was planning to move to the US. They wouldn't budge; but they were willing to employ me as a remote worker living in London, UK, rather than locally in CA. (I didn't move, in part because of this, even though I had a H-1B visa at a time they were handed out by lottery.) So now, I get the extra holidays (but less pay), as well as having frequent transatlantic flights to get up to date with the US folks. Why was that? Could it possibly be because the willing partners in that private agreement aren't as free to choose the terms of their agreement as you seem to think they are? The extra holidays aren't just a line item in the contract, with appropriately reduced pay etc. They are perceived to cause jealousy problems, for one thing. They're also structured as a status perk for long-term employees ("earn a whole extra day for every year of service!" they said). The issue is even bigger for someone contemplating emigrating to the US, because longer holidays increase the cost effectiveness of transatlantic trip home. Only having 10 days holiday effectively means saying (relatively) permanent goodbye to all your friends and relatives if you also want to have e.g. a Christmas holiday and a summer break.
- enjo 16y ago
  If I was going to guess: They didn't want you in the office with 2.5x the vacation of the rest of their workers. By stashing you in London, if anyone took issue, they just point out that it's customary.
  - exit 16y ago
    barrkel says that himself in his comment, "They are perceived to cause jealousy problems, for one thing."

hugh3 16y ago

Well actually I don't care much whether it's left, right, liber-, fasco-, crypto- or theo-, it's definitely plain ol' politics, though, and that's what I'm objecting to. I only mention left-wing because we seem to have been getting a lot of that here lately. Like roaches, if you don't stomp on political stories then they breed.