The slaves think they are free.

“Well, it will continue on for another few generations.”
…
“That can continue until the moochers so outnumber the producers that the socialistic system has to transition to a communistic one (which will probably occur incrementally).”

With all due respect, I believe you’re far too optimistic about how long this sort of nonsense can go on:

1) Very soon, Denmark will be flooded with Lazy Roberts. Given that there’s evidently little shame in doing this, I’d bet that right now lots of Danes are contemplating or actually transitioning to the more “relaxed lifestyle” of Lazy Robert rather than troubling themselves with work. And with this example for the kids, I’d predict the fraction to double or quadruple as the youngsters reach their 20s.

2) It’s not necessary for “moochers so outnumber the producers” before everything collapses. All that’s required is for the moochers to put too much of a burden on the producers. And given the high cost of Denmark’s lavish moocher-lifestyle, I’d guess that 10% – 20% (or less) would be enough to break the camel’s back. Each Lazy Robert probably needs at least 4 – 10 hardworking Danes to sustain him. Imagine paying 20% of the annual moocher-cost on top of Denmark’s already high taxes.

If the good folks of Denmark endorse and tolerate this sort of crap, they’ll deserve the sh*t-storm that’s coming their way–and real soon.

I have a draft for a post on that very topic.

I believe it is still premature to find a society like this, where all basic needs are met, and no one needs to actually “work” to produce them. With Agriculture able to produce all the food we need with only 2-5% of the population, and with industrial capabilities able to produce all the GOODS we need, if not yet, then certainly in the near future, with only another 2-5% of the population, perhaps it is much more foreseeable a time when no one needs to “work” to “make a living”.

Mind you, the whiners for economic and social justice will still argue these same people as being “impoverished” with their relative metrics which ignore the reality of things (sorry: If you’re not lacking in basic needs, you are NOT “impoverished” by any rational standard).

But despite this, the time is, if not yet, potentially possible, when there is no need to “work” in order to survive in relative comfort. This is a simple measure of the wealth of a society. Once the society gets rich enough — and we either are or will be before long — it’s clear that it’s possible to provide this to the citizenry.

As you note, however, there’s the moral question. And, to be truthful, that’s where the answer lies, though the postModern Left would never accept it:

We have to produce social pressure to not just sit on your ass.

While it is possible to be a layabout with no positive influence on your society, it should be something derided and openly discouraged: The flaw with “Lazy Robert” got defined in the quote — “Mr. Nielsen, called “Lazy Robert” by the news media, seems to be enjoying the attention. He says that he is greeted warmly on the street all the time. “

He should be greeted with sneers and scowls and other social rejections, because he is so unwilling to contribute back to the society which enables him to live in comfort and a fair degree of ease.

The pML would NEVER condone looking down on Mr. Neilsen for his willingness to be nothing but a bloodsucking tick on society. But face it — that IS what he is, nothing more. And we should not hesitate to recognize them for what they are.

There, lies the true moral hazard.

Not unsurprisingly, SF tackled this question over 30 years ago — in 1982, James P. Hogan, back when he wrote actually good Science Fiction, wrote a book called Voyage From Yesteryear.

He postulates a situation, wherein Earth, fearing an Apocalyptic war, sends off an interstellar craft with frozen embryos and AI-Robots to raise them, along with the tech needed to produce a fully third-economy upon landing and raising the embryos. The children, of course, eventually take the developmental process over and ignore some of the original instructions about how to form a society.

In the meantime, the Earth, while suffering a significant war, does not get blown back into the stone age, and about 50, 60 years later, send a ship to investigate what happened to the colony.

What they find is a libertarian’s dream, and one which is not particularly responsive to the notion that Earth is the one that should call the shots.

The described society is one in which the coin is no longer a real one based on materials, but one of respect and social approval.

I think there are unanswered questions and contentious issues with the society Hogan postulates, but he does answer the issue raised by this thread — what do we do if we have a society of sufficient wealth that no one needs to work?

I’d also note that, while it’s not clear from the series or the movies, that this is the underlying system working in the Star Trek universe, too.

No one there MUST work, but there are things driving people to accomplish more despite that.

The Nomenklatura will be few in number, but the system for them will keep on going. It won’t collapse any time soon.