Responsibility for changes to society

As laid out in a previous argument, knowledge specialization means that people may specify a goal without needing to concern themselves with the means by which society will reach that goal.

Unemployment is seen as the most important problem in the United States today. In a poll by Gallup, 39% of Americans named "unemployment or jobs as the most important problem facing the country". Despite that only 42% of respondents in a June 2011 New York Times/CBS poll thought that the government should create jobs through spending, an August 2011 poll found that 62% think that creating jobs should have a higher priority than cutting government spending.

It has become clear that while people may feel a moral responsibility to point out dishonesty, most people do not feel it is their job to verify or champion a solution to society's problems. Many people operate from the simple idea that the political leadership of a nation should be competent enough to fix any problems it has, including economic problems, and that failure to address problems is proof of incompetence and the need for a change of leadership. This is why Occupy Wall Street has not been more supportive of the accelerated work week; after all, some people actually get paid to think about this stuff. It is enough for the movement to point out its goals and what it sees as wrong with society — political corruption leading to high inequality and unemployment.

In no particular order...

A state employee who earns more than $160k in overtime pay each year on top of a base salary of $107k

New Jersey had 1,244 retirees each collecting more than $100k per year in state pensions

The United States is only 8th in world popularity, after Japan, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, China, France, and the European Union as a whole.

Most people's happiness is dependent on their immediate social environment, not their income

Some work cultures give a perverse incentive to spend more time at work "even if one is playing Tetris"

Threads made in attempt to convince Occupy Wall Street to support the accelerated work week

We’re Not All Rocket Scientists

More proof that jobs will continue to be available if we spend less time working

The current economic problems of the United States are the result of cultural inertia over the past century. We should not allow ourselves to be held back by ghosts of the past or their assumptions and prejudices.

The name of the concept, "the accelerated work week" is obviously subject to change but what is essential to convey is that choosing to work less is entirely optional. Some people value their time or have responsibilities at home. Other people are very willing to work 80 hours per week at some point in their life. This is also not just something in response to the immediate crisis. Rises in productivity can easily lead to higher inequality, which can in turn lead to things like excessive litigation in a battle over corporate profits or political lobbying using just a tiny fraction of a corporation's income.

This is done by corporations with even the highest reputations because it is completely legal to do. Instead of trying to deal with these problems as they occur, it is much better to avoid them simply by preventing wealth from easily accumulating in the first place. So it is best not to think of the accelerated work week as an "emergency" policy as a result of the unexpected financial crisis or persisting high unemployment. It is more a sort of historic inevitability given continuing increases in productivity and the aversion in the United States to the welfare state.