The struggle over holidays oddly mirrors the intractable struggle between market and state, so that we have Labor Day, Presidents Day, and Memorial Day etc. for those who find their meaning in official civic celebrations. But for millions of others, a new calendar of sorts is starting to emerge that secedes entirely from the attempted nationalization of dates by the state. And thus is today International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Absurd? Maybe, but this thing does seem to be taking off: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. The British press reports that soldiers in Iraq will celebrate by wearing eye patches. Sure beats days set aside to celebrate the state.
Source link: http://blog.mises.org/7178/the-privatization-of-holidays/
The privatization of holidays
Previous post: Last Knight Live Blog 5 Kraus
Next post: The New York Times Management: Not as Smart as You
{ 6 comments }
My wife suggested that these gov’t “holidays” should be called “polidays”: http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/002037.html
I assumed Talking Like a Pirate Day could be exemplified by the likes of “Please remit your tax by the due day above or you may be subject to a penalty” or “We’ve got many issues facing us today, and I don’t think asking for an increase that is about the cost of a cup of coffee is too much to ask” or “While we endeavor to treat you with respect and dignity, we find it necessary to exercise eminent domain over your eyesoar homestead to transfer to XYZ Corp to build a lucrative, tax subsidized distribution center”.
Many new methods are arising to allow employees to manage their time. For example, my company credits standard vacation and sick time as a single package, allocating a certain number of hours per pay period. Included in this figure are the hours for four “floating” holidays which typically coincide with the less traditional Monday holidays. The basic six major holidays are given off explicitly.
Therefore, if you want to take off the same days as the Post Office, have at it–the hours are paid. If you’d rather take off a day here or there of your own choosing (to do or celebrate something *you* value as opposed to what The State says is important!), then you take that off and enjoy the easy commute and quiet phones of a Columbus or Presidents’ Day.
This is true Power to the People
Shouldn’t there have been at least one “Arrrr” in this post, matey?
Aye. Yerrr absolutely right, me bucko.
Ultimately, holidays are what people, not the state, say they are. That’s why Halloween is now America’s second most popular holiday after Christmas (in terms of dollars spent celebrating it), despite the government ignoring it.
Comments on this entry are closed.