If you lived on a sweltering hot island where moving as much as a pinky means you will sweat through a t-shirt, and where A/C (“air con”, as they say in Palau) is a rarity … I would venture to guess that your work ethic might change from what it is now, where you live. (Think about how hard it is to get anything done in August, then subtract air conditioning.)
Now, consider those people who already are prone to unemployment, perhaps based on personality or maybe just circumstances – lack of drive, lack of education, low self-esteem, traumatic childhood, ADHD suffers, those with excuses for everything, jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none, and many people with just plain old extenuating circumstances. These folks live in every culture around the globe.
So, if your culture dictates that your family will provide for you – whether you return the favor on not – does that motivate you to get a job? I mean, I suppose this is a classic capitalism/socialism question, just on a micro-level. Why try? Why study in school? Or … on the other hand … why be so foolish to get a job in Koror so you must spend DOLLARS on a car, gas, imported groceries that make you fat and sick, and waste your life in an office when you could spearfish and have your wife/mother/auntie/sister bring home taro? Everyone is fed and healthy. Maybe its less capitalism vs socialism and more about subsistence living vs. ambition?
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