Here is a fundamental proposition to which I subscribe: The only thing worth being in life is an adult. By the word “adult” I have something specific in mind. An adult is someone who, at a minimum, either alone or in a family structure, provides for himself or herself. That’s the minimum. Even more worthwhile is being an adult who also, through effort and within a family structure, creates and provides for a family. Still more worthwhile is being an adult who, after fully providing for a family, also assists others who may need help, beginning with extended family, and potentially then reaching to the broader society and to charity.
I understand that there are substantial numbers of people who are not capable of achieving the status of “adult” as I have defined it. They may have mental illnesses or incapacities that make it impossible to cope in our challenging world. However, for myself, I cannot imagine living any other way than as an adult. And I also can’t imagine why anyone who is capable of living as an adult would willingly give up that opportunity.
The alternative to living as an adult is living as a dependent on others or on society. You are relieved of all responsibilities, and somebody else somehow comes up with whatever you may need in life, be it food or housing or health care. Your own life is no longer burdened by the need to provide for yourself and family, and you can live without stress and without need to fulfill obligations.
In other words, this is the life of a zoo animal. Does any human being actually want to live such a life?
If you think that no sentient human could possibly want such an existence, then you need to look at the program of the group calling itself the Democratic Socialists of America. That organization has posted what it calls “Our Program” at the website program.dsausa.org.
And yes, the whole idea is that in the world we envision, no stress or effort is required on your part, while all the necessities of life will be provided as public goods. This apparently is the sales pitch that is catching on with some substantial cohort of college-educated young people. It turns out that remarkable numbers of people, particularly these young people, think that they would enjoy a life of zero stress plus handouts. I don’t believe they actually would enjoy it if they had to live it, but they seem to think they would.
….
First, imagine the stress-free life, where everything is provided by somebody else:
Speaking of bills: you don’t really have them anymore. You have no debt. You don’t need health insurance. You don’t pay a mortgage or have a landlord, because comfortable housing is a human right. Your retirement is publicly funded. Food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation aren’t for-profit businesses; they are common goods and utilities.
(Bold in original.).
In this imaginary world, there would be no need to work or pay bills:
[W]hat if you were free to spend your time how you like without worrying about cost or dreading going back to work? What if you didn’t have to think about paying rent or loans at the end of the month, or saving for college, or affording groceries? What would that be like?
But don’t worry; you “don’t have to live like this,” i.e., as an adult:
Democratic socialists know that no one has to live like this. If we lived in a classless society and governed ourselves, we could freely build a world without war or poverty. We could build a world where no one suffers for their race, gender, or religion, and everyone is free, equal, and cared for. Building this world is the guiding star of our movement. When we labor for our common good instead of private profit, we can all have a secure and dignified life, and use our time and talents how we wish.
A “classless society” where “everyone is free, equal, and cared for.” Yup, sounds like the zoo. But don’t they have zookeepers over there? How does somebody get to be one of those?
My experience in this is somewhat limited, but I’ve never known anyone who lived a grown-up life of dependency and was happy about it. People who live on handouts never find the handouts sufficient or satisfying. Why would they?
