Parasitism (social offense)


Social parasitism is a pejorative that is leveled against a group or class which is considered to be detrimental to society. The term comes from the ancient Greek παράσιτος, "one who lives at another's expense, person who eats at the table of another," used to label the social offender. by the Soviet authorities. A 1964 trial found that his series of odd jobs and role as a poet were not a sufficient contribution to society.

Usage

Depending on point of view, a social parasite may be one of several classes:
Socialists have described members of the upper classes as economic parasites. The Russian lyrics of the socialist anthem "The Internationale" include a reference to parasites.
The German Nazis viewed "races without homeland" as "parasitic races" or "Untermensch" to be eliminated. These included Romani people and Jews. The habitually "work-shy" were imprisoned in concentration camps.
According to at least one commentator, it may be the new social paradigm—involving class warfare and exploitation of electoral processes—of myriad and disparate countries around the world. See Oligarchy, Kleptocracy and Elite capture.

Soviet Union

In the Soviet Union, which declared itself a workers' state, every adult able-bodied person was expected to work until official retirement. Thus unemployment was officially and theoretically eliminated. Those who refused to work, study or serve in another way risked being criminally charged with social parasitism, in accordance with the socialist principle "from each according to his ability, to each according to his contribution."
In 1961, 130,000 people were identified as leading the "anti-social, parasitic way of life" in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Charges of parasitism were frequently applied to dissidents and refuseniks, many of whom were intellectuals. Since their writings were considered against the regime, the state prevented them from obtaining employment. To avoid trials for parasitism, many of them took unskilled jobs, which allowed them to continue their other pursuits.

Belarus

Policies introduced in 2015, which observers noted as being reminiscent of Soviet-era initiatives, included a tax for those who were considered "social parasites". Defined as people working under 183 days in a year, and excluding home-makers and subsistence farmers, the deployment of the so-called parasite tax has been suspended after protests in several major urban centers.