“and drug test him for anything illegal.”
For me… maybe because it also touches on the abysmal way we treat people in the service industries. I get the conflict too, it was the first reaction for me. On one hand I was delighted and on the other hand I’ve worked with low income disabled people and seen them through my life from the day I was born and I know how cruel people really can be and how completely apathetic the majority will be about anything but what tickles their fancy at the moment. I also live during a crazy time and in a crazy country… it adds up and the end result is that while I love this for how cute it is, it also brings up the fact that I live in a society in which this kind of creativity could very well be used to deprive people of life-saving benefits, essentially turning them into human sacrifices. So… mixed feelings… and definitely something about the difference between “work” as a means of survival and “work” as a higher vocation such as Hawking was able to do.
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The premise that Hawking’s work was a “higher vocation” than being a member of the waitstaff (or any number of other perfectly valid careers) is B.S., in my opinion. Brilliant as he was, to my knowledge Hawking’s work has yet to lead to practical innovations that keep someone from going hungry.
I’ve worked a large variety of jobs in my life, ranging from laborer and garbage collector to an engineer at a large company. In every case some of my co-workers were just doing the job as a way to get by and make ends meet, and others did their work with pride, enjoying their jobs and taking satisfaction in the essential role they were performing. There’s little doubt that Hawking was passionate about his work, but I personally know a few highly educated people who found themselves in academic careers they did not enjoy.
As for these concerns about severely disabled people being “forced” to work, I ask you: is there any sign that the addition of wheelchair ramps and automatic doors to office buildings has led to a reduction of disability benefits available to wheelchair-bound folks? Realistically I don’t think that folks who only have use of their eyes are at risk of losing access to disability benefits any time soon.
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It may be BS in opinion but the fact of the matter is it is exactly described just how valued they are both in how society treats them and how likely they are to be able to survive. They are paid both respect and money in proportion. Tell me again there isn’t a difference between Hawking and the legions of service workers, such as I once was. Also remember that there are a lot of disabled people working in service right now actually. It may not be fair or decent, which is why it triggers sadness in me… but it’s still reality.
If you like the idea, yeah. If it’s either that or starve, because they’ll cut any aid you may get if you don’t submit to the labour market, not so much. Having had some experience of how disabled people’s benefits are being eroded in the name of ‘helping people into work’, I’m cynical too, cool as this is.
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