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Friday, September 19, 2008
Are men slackers?
Over at the NYT, John Tiereny talks about the male achievement gap.
It makes for very interesting reading. As several of the commenters point out, modern men being slackers like the characters in "Knocked Up" or "Juno" might very well be explained as being the result of rational economic choice.
Many of my friends, for example, obviously fall into the category. Why, when it gets down to it, work hard when the government is going to take at least half of it and the odds are that some woman will divorce you and take (at least) half of what's left. I have two friends - very educated - who I describe as "Gentlemen of Leisure." They work as Bartenders, work three nights a week (at most), make through tips an income equal, roughly, to someone paying full taxes on $30,000-$35,000 a year and live in a 1300 sqft suite in one of the most affluent areas in the country. They spend the rest of their time drinking, playing video games, and so forth. They're far from the only ones, but they're the most egregious example.
And, really, it might well be said that they have made a rational economic choice to pursue "the good life" - if you believe that it lies in avoiding serious responsibility and hardship.
Posted by Adam T. Yoshida on September 19, 2008 in Current Affairs | Permalink
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Comments
When women start working in the mines, in the forests, on the open sea, and on the high steel, in significant numbers, they can talk. As long as they take only cushy office jobs that offer only token chance of breaking a fingernail, don't make me laugh.
Posted by: Shane Matthews | 2008-09-19 8:36:14 PM
Hmmm. Adam, that actually sounds pretty good! But there is another reason why we become slackers. Because we can. We are not slaves, for the most part. We don't have to kill for meat. We don't have to toil in the fields. We have running water, washing machines, microwaves, cars, computers, cell phones, electricity, heat, air conditioning... all of which our lives MUCH easier.
Posted by: TM | 2008-09-19 8:46:43 PM
I'm divided on this one. I sort of envy these guys, but hate their guts on general principle. They've always been around.
When you think about it, there've always been slackers. Cowboys were basically slackers. The difference today is they never get scooped up to go to war. That's the best way to utilize this segment of the population.
My brother recently retired after 30 years in the oilpatch. After making sure his kids are looked after, his hard work and investments will keep him comfortable til the end. His friend, who entered the industry at the same time retired recently after 30 years of drinking, partying, and never owning anything bigger than a television. He was diagnosed with a very serious illness that will cut short his retirement.
My brother's friend had a strange reaction to the news of his illness. He told my brother it erased any doubt that he'd made the right choices in life. He never saved a penny, had a family, or contributed to society, and now he's sure he did everything right. I have a real hard time finding fault with his conclusion.
Posted by: dp | 2008-09-19 9:10:27 PM
Great post, Adam.
Every time I deal with CCRA I wonder why I bother to earn anything more than the basic exemption.
I’ve spent the last week harvesting at my parents farm. Farming might just be the perfect career for someone who doesn’t want to earn much and only work 8 months a year.
Posted by: Matthew Johnston | 2008-09-19 10:32:08 PM
"When you think about it, there've always been slackers. Cowboys were basically slackers. The difference today is they never get scooped up to go to war. That's the best way to utilize this segment of the population."
and
"He never saved a penny, had a family, or contributed to society, and now he's sure he did everything right."
socialist-elitist much?
What makes you think cowboys are slackers? Ever spent any time on a cattle ranch? Want to? I can arrange it if you'd like. We'll get you out right around branding time...
What makes you think that an individual has to contribute to society?
Posted by: Richard Evans | 2008-09-19 11:55:11 PM
Great post, Adam.
Every time I deal with CCRA I wonder why I bother to earn anything more than the basic exemption.
I’ve spent the last week harvesting at my parents farm. Farming might just be the perfect career for someone who doesn’t want to earn much and only work 8 months a year.
Posted by: Matthew Johnston | 19-Sep-08 10:32:08 PM
Funny thing Matthew,
When I read this article, the first thing I thought of was tax collectors.
What makes you think cowboys are slackers? Ever spent any time on a cattle ranch? Want to? I can arrange it if you'd like. We'll get you out right around branding time...
What makes you think that an individual has to contribute to society?
Posted by: Richard Evans | 19-Sep-08 11:55:11 PM
I've made a living as a working cowboy. It aint a slack job. And oddly, the only reason I left that line of work was to make more money to pay off back taxes. Some slacker over there (CRA) made a project of me.
Posted by: JC | 2008-09-20 7:30:02 AM
Shane wrote: "When women start working in the mines, in the forests, on the open sea, and on the high steel, in significant numbers, they can talk. As long as they take only cushy office jobs that offer only token chance of breaking a fingernail, don't make me laugh."
Shane - this was a post by a man, about an article by a man, about research conducted by men. It wasn't about women talking at all. Any excuse to say something negative about women though, right?
Posted by: Angela | 2008-09-20 8:11:31 AM
Who made the assertion is irrelevant, Angela. I never said the statement was made by a woman. I said only that in view of current job market realities that it is laughable. Any excuse to take offence on behalf of womankind, though, right?
Posted by: Shane Matthews | 2008-09-20 8:40:18 AM
Interesting post Yo.
I slacked until I was about Thirty-five. The last five years of that I was freaking about what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I got tired of not enough privacy or control over my life. I realized that only money can buy you what you need to get away from "others".
When you are young you don't know much and don't think much. After about age 30, something happens. You start to grow up. If you aren't doing something productive with your time you start to get restless and even a bit stressed. If not, they you may be emotionally or mentally disturbed and should seek help.
After working hard and saving money for retirement and with two incomes (career oriented wife helps a lot) a nice home with privacy and security is the result.
That is all fine but at that point, the huge tax hit from all levels of government comes into focus. It's obscene. Not only do they take half, but it's what they do with that really makes you crazy.
It is an extortion racket. You pay the government to protect yourself from them. If not, eventually men with guns will come to your door to pick you up for the worst crime possible ... not paying your protection money. If you resist strenuously, they will taze or shoot you right in your front yard. Most will comply so the police shootings are rare, but that is the definite result of a resister in our system. Hell, this can happen for not paying a speeding ticket or if you are disoriented and cannot speak English at the Vancouver Airport.
Back to the slackers. If one can be shallow enough to work a part time job and play video games and call that a life, then more power to them. However those people will run out buds to hang with and will not find an intelligent women to share a life with, nor likely have a home of their own or any kids.
They will also likely retire in poverty.
I suppose with all the phony self-esteem infusions form our socialist schools 'no child left behind' and the doting of parents while at home, there probably are those around who think the world is nothing more than a play pen for them to enjoy.
If things ever go for a proverbial shit, those people will have nothing to fall back on and not many will be interesting in helping them.
I can see both sides of this issue. My inherent sense of responsibility drives me to work hard and take care business so I can buy the standard of living I want. I don't like to share apartments with oafs. I prefer a nice home with a view.
On the other hand ... a lot of hard work and responsibility takes it out of you over time and then the government robs you blind with lies and worse, so it's easy to be cynical and develop some affinity with the slacker.
Each can choose, but my bet is that the slacker will eventually wish he had not chosen slacker. Just most will wish hadn't gotten that stupid tattoo.
I am old now and there are some people I have known all my life who have not learned anything new and were content to just take life as it comes and not take more control over their future. I just talked to one of them last week and he was telling how much he envied his brother who went to work for the phone company at age eighteen and was now about to retire at age 55 with a fat pension and benefits. He himself is 63 years old and is broke and only able to find part time work. He lives in a not so nice apartment in a not so nice part of Cleveland Ohio and is hoping for the best.
Hope is not change. it's just wishing things were different without doing much to make it happen.
Good morning.
Posted by: John V | 2008-09-20 10:52:49 AM
...i can tell you that since i became an independent self-employed IT contractor, life has been easier on the pocket book, and the satisfaction increased 150%.
No more lemming life for me.
The only drawback is I get to work for the government for free by collecting GST from my clients and then submitting it every quarter.
At least I get to write off my GST against it, which makes it more bearable.
Yeah, was a corporate rat, saw over $1600/mo disappear into taxes and UIC payments which I could probably never recover being that I was told 'I'm too marketable' to be unemployed when I left my last job up north due to stress.
Truly Alberta is a great province to be in as an independent contractor - no one looks at you weird that you're not living off the government teat or working for a Big Corp.
Posted by: tomax7 | 2008-09-20 1:07:53 PM
I think someone misunderstood my definition of slacker. It's not a reference to how hard you work, but to how much responsibility you accept. I think that was the theme of the post. I agree that the cowboy life can be physically demanding, but as far as responsibility, it's as close to being a hobo as you can get.
And JC, I'll work for a week at branding time, if you grab a chainsaw and come up to Grande Prairie for the winter. I spent 10 years surveying in the bush. I've never known a farmer/rancher who put in the time, or the labour most oilpatch people do. Day in, day out, year in , year out. Two hundred hours a month. Compared to that I'd say cowboys are slackers, and whimps.
Posted by: dp | 2008-09-20 6:38:37 PM
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