VLVL2 (1) Zoyd's WORK

[Terrance]

jbor wrote:
> 
> But isn't Zoyd falsely claiming these "mental-disability" benefits? He isn't
> mentally unfit for work at all. I understand the point you are making when
> you say that Zoyd "works" for the government, but "work" in this sense isn't
> synonymous with employment. Zoyd plays along with a corrupt bureaucratic
> system to get his fortnightly dole cheque.

BV abused his legal power. Zoyd made a deal with Brock. He jumps and
they pay him. It's a racket. A corrupt one.  His other work is off the
books. In other words, it's illegal. Is it corrupt? Well, he doesn't pay
Taxes or Unemployment Insurance or Social Security Insurance premiums.
He works for cash and avoids paying these. That's against the law. With
the deal he's got, he is receiving  money from the insurance premiums
paid and set aside by workers for disabled workers, but he is not paying
premiums so he is not entitled to insurance. And, as your pointed out,
he is not mentally-disabled or unfit to work and so he not entitled to
benefits anyway.  

> 
> So, in a way, hasn't Zoyd been abusing the welfare system to the detriment
> of those who honestly are mentally-unfit to work? 

Yes. Reagan's complaint. 


Particularly in the
> context of the cutbacks you mention, and that we see in the novel later on.
> It seems to me that there is an intrinsic ambivalence in this opening
> scenario depicting how Zoyd exploits the government welfare system.

OK, I can go along with an intrinsic ambivalence for now.