Retirement

[Pirate Utopian]

How will retirement under socialism be settled?
Like at what age can someone retire?

Here in Holland people retire at age 65 wich I have grown used to, but in Greece I've read they are striking because of it moving up to 65, and commies are in on it too.

[union6]

In the UK its sumit like 70 od i think but mainly over here it all depends on how much money you alredy have, like im being told now that I prob wont be able to retire with a state pension untill im in my late 70's if im lucky as i may not even be able to recive one.

[Lynx]

The age of retirement will depend on the need for labour.

[which doctor]

Retirement is a capitalist notion, one that exists in the free market. I don't even believe one can begin to describe how the concept of retirement would function in a socialist society using our language.

[Ismail]

I would assume that you would be expected to work less as you get to a certain age (60, 70, etc) and if you feel you're too old to work, and people indeed state that you really can't do much work anymore (weak heart, not in right mind, etc) then you can pretty much not work anymore unless it's a very minor thing you'd need to do.

[Pawn Power]

Originally posted by [email protected] 18, 2007 10:28 pm
Retirement is a capitalist notion, one that exists in the free market. I don't even believe one can begin to describe how the concept of retirement would function in a socialist society using our language.
I would agree that "retirement" as we understand it is a capitalist notion. However, I think we can discuss what role older folks would play in a socialist (communist?) society.

Really, I don't think it is that complicated. I think we can take "of each according to their ability" an apply it here. People who are not able to work because of illness, handicap, age, etc. would be provided for. People would work as long as they feel they are capable, perhaps switching to less strenuous labor as they age.

Under capitalism, people "wait" and save up for retirement as a time when they can finally relax after decades of work. I would guess that in a post capitalist society (i.e. communism) this sort of notion of retirement would not exist simply for the reason that no one would be forced to work in the first place (least of all into old age).

Nevertheless, I do think that people do have the ability to work in various levels in old age. I know many old people that continue to labor after retirement, in fields that they enjoy, (working on their house, gardening, volunteering, etc) doing work that they were not able to do because they were stuck in forty hour a week job with little flexibility.

[Guest1]

Well, the hope is we can bring work to a minimum at the least, if not abolish most labour all together.

Automation of production makes the concept of retirement kinda meaningless. Everyone would already be retired, working on their own schedule, in different tasks. Program something in the morning, paint something in the afternoon, write something the next day, serve beer in the community bar that night. Real work? Maybe an hour a day? Maybe an hour a week? Watching over an empty, automatic factory? Who knows?

This kind of question is best left to the generation born with no first-hand knowledge of Capitalism. They will know what's most rational for their leisure, and you can be sure they will be free of any prejudices we may have on concepts such as work and retirement.

[Q]

Originally posted by Che y [email protected] 19, 2007 11:27 am
Well, the hope is we can bring work to a minimum at the least, if not abolish most labour all together.

Automation of production makes the concept of retirement kinda meaningless. Everyone would already be retired, working on their own schedule, in different tasks. Program something in the morning, paint something in the afternoon, write something the next day, serve beer in the community bar that night. Real work? Maybe an hour a day? Maybe an hour a week? Watching over an empty, automatic factory? Who knows?

This kind of question is best left to the generation born with no first-hand knowledge of Capitalism. They will know what's most rational for their leisure, and you can be sure they will be free of any prejudices we may have on concepts such as work and retirement.
This applies for communist society. I can see a need for retirement under socialism.
However, you can be sure that retirement ages are much less strict than under capitalism. There would be no need for a pension plan since all pensionfunds are already nationalised and under democratic control. You have a pension by definition.

[Q]

Originally posted by Big [email protected] 18, 2007 09:55 pm
Here in Holland people retire at age 65 wich I have grown used to, but in Greece I've read they are striking because of it moving up to 65, and commies are in on it too.
Well, fighting for better conditions is something different than our view on retirement. We always fight for betterment of the living conditions of the working class, whether we live in a social-democratic utopia or in an undergraded developing country.
As communists we always connect the concrete day to day fight with our program of real change.