Jobs

How many times do we hear politicians droning on about jobs while supporting policies in favor of corporate trimming and devaluing of jobs? The same politicians who raise their eyes heavenward when speaking of Libertarian dreams of a jobless and entirely self-employed society slam their fists down in assertion that the biggest election issue in 2012 is jobs. This is either blatant idiocy or cynical hypocrisy.

Human overpopulation necessitates the assignment of jobs. However, the current assignment of jobs, based on class and archaic educational hierarchies, is breaking down, as evidenced by our current high unemployment and global economic dysfunction. As a humanist, I see honorable, safe and gainful employment as a basic human right, regardless of education level or need for training. However, I do not expect the 1% of the human population who run things to comply with humanist principles. These are the greediest and most aggressive among us. These are predators, not providers. Their philanthropy is self-idolizing at best.

Labor movements throughout history have been colored as revolutions, riots and lawlessness by the intellectuals who write the history books. They, after all, are predominantly children of the elite. They achieve academic and literary power by aligning with political and economic power. Those who refuse to follow this path are consigned to the shadows shared with Marx, Mao and others. 

Practice is the primary job of the awakened human mind. With social and personal self-awareness, gained from reading, social interaction and observing life, liberation from intellectual and economic slavery leads to new ways of seeing self-employment or employment by others. This is not the path followed by purchasers of cheesy get-rich-quick real estate books about becoming a slum lord. Those are fine for the people seeking to join the 1% in their heaven of narcissism and greed. A humanist does not seek to profit at the expense of the quality of life of others.

If a humanist embraces the job of simply living humanism, by accepting reality, maintaining healthful mindfulness and resolving to live compassionately, the road to a sustaining and contributing job within society becomes clear quickly. This process is perhaps the first and most important job of a humanist in a capitalist society, which is hostile to humanist ideals. This job, the job of practice, is both sustaining and enabling of the ability to see the path to ethical employment.