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HOBBESIAN_HOAX

                                        August 10, 2007

About "Primitive Affluence", "A Postscript to
Sahlins" by Bob Black, from "Friendly Fire" (1992)

In this essay he summarizes the "ethnographic data"
supporting his claims in "The Abolition of Work"
(and other essays).

In outline:

Refers back to "The Original Affluent Society" by
Marshall Sahlins, which primarily uses two
examples: the Austrailian Aborigines and the !Kung
Bushmen (aka the "San").

The data on the San uses fieldwork from
the early 1960s by Richard Borshay Lee.

  Data is summarized that supports the
  claim that these hunter-gatherers
  work less and live as long as modern
  westerners.                                 Or *almost* as long?
                                              Black's blizzard of
                                              data gets suddenly
  Arguably their "quality of life"            sparse on this point.
  is better: no "commute" trapped
  in cars, no alarm clocks, more                  In any case, the
  time for friends and family,                    claim is that there's
  etc.                                            evidence they do
                                                  well in this respect,
  More recent work by Lee factors                 though perhaps not
  in in "housework" as work,                      better.
  which makes the gap even larger.

  Caloric intake appears more than
  adequate.

     Argues that "subsistence economy"
     is a "foolish phraseology" that
     passes value judgement as statement
     of fact (paraphrase Pierre Clastres).


  Further, claims that "shifting"/"slash and burn"
  culture in the Philippines, the Hanunóo,
  work less.


  Discusses the Roanoke colonists,
  who decided to go native for an
  easier life (leaving behind the
  "mystery":

        To Croatan


  Touches on the 18th century seamen
  ("strikes", mutinies, and the escape
  from effective slavery to piracy)           Peter Lambourn
                                              Wilson talks
                                              about this in
                                              "Pirate Utopias"
  Then returns to the subject of
  working women: many are now doing
  "housework" plus low-paid wage work.

  The claim is made that the real
  standard of living of the middle-class
  family is declining.

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