this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2025
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I came across this old thread on reddit-logo. The question brings out the core Conservative belief that some people are lazy or "worthless" and "why should I pay for lazy people" or "why should I have to work for someone else to live off my labor?"

Many, many people on this thread say outright that people who they deem "lazy" don't deserve food or shelter or anything a human needs to live.

Is there a good counter to this talking point? It's pretty disgusting TBH being confronted with this. I know it's what they really believe but it still stings to read it out over and over again.

I don't understand how some people can think humans don't have an inherent right to exist. Not very "pro-life" of these people.

"Lazy" is an opinion and our society is built to treat people who aren't helping a Capitalist make profit or become a Capitalist themselves like they're burdens on society.

Life isn't fair, it never has and it never will be. Maybe some of your money goes to help a person who doesn't "work as hard as you"? There's also people who are born millionaires, people who have investments paying them for no work, people who win lotteries and jackpots or marry into wealth and never have to lift a finger again.

Forcing people to work in order to live doesn't sound fair to me. It sounds like slavery with extra steps. What kind of freedom do we truly have if we can't choose to withold our labor or check out of the system altogether?


I'm struggling a little mentally with feeling guilt around my failing job search. Technically I'm working on building three income streams, maybe four, but it feels like "failure" because I'm not making enough just yet to cover all bills. It's not for a lack of trying but there's ti.es where I have no energy to do much and it makes me feel terrible. This part of Conservatism always drove me up a wall. Hopefully some of you have good ways to fight against it.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago

I havent worked for monthsi Hopefully what I have been doing instead will turn out useful.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago

The lazy people living off of our labor are executives, chief officers, board members, stock traders, business owners, landlords, etc.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 days ago (3 children)

There are plenty of "hardworking" people who have a negative impact on society, hell, a negative impact on Earth in general. Measuring someone's worth based on how much they wealth they produce for capital is ignorant of the incredibly complex and interconnected nature of existence. It is, in my opinion, impossible to accurately quantify the value of someone's life because there are simply too many variables and subjectivites involved.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

(this is drunken blathering, nothing of consequence is said past this point)

This is, actually, something that's become a pretty core belief for me. Since waking up from the conservative idiocy I was raised within I mean.

The idea being that no grand atrocities were directed by lazy people. Related is my argument for the value of uncertainty, a person who isn't quite sure that they already understand everything important.

(and I'm too drunk to tell if this comment is at all relevant to the context I'm posting it in...)

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (2 children)

There are plenty of “hardworking” people who have a negative impact on society

hr, marketers, repo people, insurance agents, stockbrokers, mic factory workers, the list goes on

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Anyone helping pull oil out of the ground.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 days ago

From each according to their means, to each according to their needs.

You seem like you're in need of a baseball bat.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 days ago (1 children)

A functioning society takes care of everyone wherever they’re at. Don’t let people who’ve succumbed to propaganda pressure you into feeling guilty.

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