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xchrom

(108,903 posts) Tue Feb 11, 2014, 08:31 AM Feb 2014

America Has Forgotten That We Don't Have Freedom If We Don't Have Free Time

http://www.alternet.org/economy/america-has-forgotten-we-dont-have-freedom-if-we-dont-have-free-time

What exactly is human progress? If progress is the growth of opportunities, then we should welcome developments that give us more options in how we spend our time and structure our lives. But when we get trapped in the mindset of eternal scarcity and laboring until our last breath, we stop imagining that there could be any path in front of us except more and more work.

A recent report on Obamacare by the CBO found that the law will nudge workers to work less. Why? Because if you don’t have to take a full-time job just to get coverage, then maybe you won’t. Conservatives are interpreting the report to mean that Obamacare is a “job killer.” But they’re deliberately missing the fact that the work reduction in this case is voluntary.

“The estimated reduction stems almost entirely from a net decline in the amount of labor that workers choose to supply,” says the report.

Assuming the CBO is correct about this voluntary reduction, what’s so bad about it? Why would anyone be up in arms about the idea of a person choosing, of her own free will, to work less?

6 replies

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America Has Forgotten That We Don't Have Freedom If We Don't Have Free Time (Original Post) xchrom Feb 2014 OP

WORK LESS????? People I know, including myself, are working 3 times....... democratisphere Feb 2014 #1

I think you need to reread the article el_bryanto Feb 2014 #2

When having the most expensive health care in the world is more important..... democratisphere Feb 2014 #3

OK - the ACA doesn't force people to get a second job el_bryanto Feb 2014 #4

It is saving lives and also will increase the quality of life for millions. libtodeath Feb 2014 #5

Nobody is complaining about *working* less. It's the NO MONEY part. Romulox Feb 2014 #6

democratisphere

(17,235 posts)

1. WORK LESS????? People I know, including myself, are working 3 times.......

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 09:35 AM

Feb 2014

as hard as we did previously for half of what they previously made. The 'idea' of VOLUNTARY work reduction is total bullshit.

el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)

2. I think you need to reread the article

Reply to democratisphere (Reply #1)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 09:44 AM

Feb 2014

While I totally agree that many people including you it sounds like are working way to hard, I think the article is about how the ACA is allowing some people who are working a second job to either be covered by a healthcare plan or to afford healthcare to drop their second job. In which case they are working less.

In general I think the 40 hour work week is too long; and many of us are working considerably more than that.

Bryant

democratisphere

(17,235 posts)

3. When having the most expensive health care in the world is more important.....

Reply to el_bryanto (Reply #2)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 10:11 AM

Feb 2014

than having anything else, including a second job necessary for plain old survival, the unaffordable Affordable Healthcare Act has failed IMO. It not only is a 'job killer', it's a quality of life killer.

el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)

4. OK - the ACA doesn't force people to get a second job

Reply to democratisphere (Reply #3)

Tue Feb 11, 2014, 10:24 AM

Feb 2014

It allows them to stop working a second job they are already working.

Previously, before the ACA was implemented, some people had to work a second job either 1) to pay for healthcare or 2) because the second job had health benefits. Now, with ACA implemented, some of those people are able to quit that second job, and thus work only one job. That's a quality of life improvement.

Or that's what the CBO concluded and what this article argues.

Bryant