"toto" <scarecrow@wicked.witch> wrote in message
news:g7hbhvomg3fvg5cufkug2eq6dmkdvj7m46@4ax.com...
: On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 12:50:02 -0700, "Annie Coulter"
: <Frustrated@dyke.com> wrote:
:
: >
: >"toto" <scarecrow@wicked.witch> wrote in message
news:5l8bhv42p84e8h0qhhs0m7ij9pgfi8rpqj@4ax.com...
: >: On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 11:23:27 -0700, "Laura's Rancid Bush"
: >: <Laura@whitehouse.com> wrote:
: >:
: >: >And of course the number of people who can afford an education is
: >: >falling; the number of people out of work is rising.
: >:
: >: Only if you believe that a college education is the only useful
: >: education.
: >:
: >: Community colleges offer a great many opportunities in fields
: >: that pay well and don't require four years of liberal arts.
: >:
: >: We tend to believe that white collar work is the only kind that
: >: is valuable.  But, not only is that work often boring to some
: >: people, but they can make more working with their hands as
: >: plumbers, as auto mechanics, as refrgerator and television
: >: repair people and in other trades we really need if they are not
: >: interested in pursuing academics.
: >
: >
: >I have much more respect for the man who works a dozer,
: >hangs drywall or installs plumbing, than any pencil pushing
: >white collar geek. We lived for thousands of years without
: >computers and satellite radio. We have always needed houses
: >and a clean living environment
: >
: Well, without the geeks, we would not have houses, we would
: probably still be living in caves.  There needs to be a balance
: between those who do physical work and those who do mental
: work.  I don't think any *job* deserves to be respected any more
: than another job.   I think individual people deserve respect for
: simply being human whatever job they decide to do.

I missed something there. Techno geeks didn't design the majority of the
buildings and houses currently standing. What is perceived as "blue collar"
work has always been  looked down upon. That's one reasons why we have
unions.

:
: But if they decide to do nothing?  Well, I think that they forgo some
: of the respect of those who do work, though I would still argue that
: we need to treat them as human beings and not simply allow them
: to starve as some conservatives would do.
:

Other than politicians and preachers, I know of very few who purposefully
decide to "do nothing." I know a lot who have had idleness forced  upon
them by a crumbling economy.