3 ms·

> Every human being deserves an average of 8 hours of work, 8 hours of family/leisure, 8 hours of sleep and 2 days a week free. "[...]deserves an average of 8

> Every human being deserves an average of 8 hours of work, 8 hours of family/leisure, 8 hours of sleep and 2 days a week free. "[...]deserves an average of 8 hours of work[...]" "[...]2 days a week free[...]" I think that's the snake oil you're smelling. How does society ensure this can happen? With laws, of course! Why, we can just make overtime and >5 in every 7 days with worked hours illegal, it's so simple...

mseebach 13y ago
How about a law against ridiculously naive expectations of what can be achieved through the law? Ignoring a thorough analysis of unintended consequences when proposing a law should be punishable by the rack. It's so simple.
- mattlutze 13y ago
  That would be a very interesting law. "It is a criminal offense to have unreasonable expectations of this law." Or did you mean "the law" as in the institution? (Also, to check, you didn't read my sarcasm as sincerity, right?)
  - mseebach 13y ago
    I may have jumped the gun on that one, sorry. I'll propose a law to forbid commenting before coffee. That said, I meant "the law" as in the institution, not individual laws.
rwallace 13y ago
It worked fine in France, ended up raising the overall productivity of their economy. France now has a higher standard of living than the US, so it might be worth looking at what they're doing right.
- rgraham 13y ago
  By what measure? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Deve... Also, a single number will be misleading. France has fewer immigrants and thus a different cultural structure. It also has very different neighbors and trade partners. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_foreign-born_population http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_foreign-bo... "I think you need a lot of context to seriously examine anything." -- The Wire, Season 5
- mattlutze 13y ago
  Legislatively-prescribed limits like this on work, for me, would be too statist. Now, I very much believe in the spirit of the concept. Bertrand Russell hit the nail: http://www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html http://www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html But through legislation, no. It needs to be a culturally grown movement. Also, the US has a higher Human Development Index rating than France: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Deve... and on whatever the Legatum Prosperity Index is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legatum_Prosperity_Index http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legatum_Prosperity_Index and Germany's OECD's Better Life Index (using the "weigh all of these equally" measure): http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/#11111111111 http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/#11111111111 I would argue that standard of living is higher in the US.
- mattlutze 13y ago
  Also, this just happened: http://news.yahoo.com/p-downgrades-france-credit-rating-aa-063942307.html http://news.yahoo.com/p-downgrades-france-credit-rating-aa-0...

mseebach 13y ago

How about a law against ridiculously naive expectations of what can be achieved through the law? Ignoring a thorough analysis of unintended consequences when proposing a law should be punishable by the rack. It's so simple.

mattlutze 13y ago
That would be a very interesting law. "It is a criminal offense to have unreasonable expectations of this law." Or did you mean "the law" as in the institution? (Also, to check, you didn't read my sarcasm as sincerity, right?)
- mseebach 13y ago
  I may have jumped the gun on that one, sorry. I'll propose a law to forbid commenting before coffee. That said, I meant "the law" as in the institution, not individual laws.

rwallace 13y ago

It worked fine in France, ended up raising the overall productivity of their economy. France now has a higher standard of living than the US, so it might be worth looking at what they're doing right.

rgraham 13y ago
By what measure? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Deve... Also, a single number will be misleading. France has fewer immigrants and thus a different cultural structure. It also has very different neighbors and trade partners. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_foreign-born_population http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_foreign-bo... "I think you need a lot of context to seriously examine anything." -- The Wire, Season 5
mattlutze 13y ago
Legislatively-prescribed limits like this on work, for me, would be too statist. Now, I very much believe in the spirit of the concept. Bertrand Russell hit the nail: http://www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html http://www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html But through legislation, no. It needs to be a culturally grown movement. Also, the US has a higher Human Development Index rating than France: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Deve... and on whatever the Legatum Prosperity Index is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legatum_Prosperity_Index http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legatum_Prosperity_Index and Germany's OECD's Better Life Index (using the "weigh all of these equally" measure): http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/#11111111111 http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/#11111111111 I would argue that standard of living is higher in the US.
mattlutze 13y ago
Also, this just happened: http://news.yahoo.com/p-downgrades-france-credit-rating-aa-063942307.html http://news.yahoo.com/p-downgrades-france-credit-rating-aa-0...