To be fair, Aries, I did answer the original person who made the comparison.
mmseeker, I make no secret of my attitude. I have great respect for learning. I have even greater respect for men who make it their business to learn every day AND still support their families. I have zero respect for parasites who use the pretense of learning as a way of avoidance of adult responsibility, while placing their achrayus on their already over-burdened parents’ or wives’ plaitzas. And you and I both know there are many such bochurim in kollel. You are the one who made the comment about kollel versus tv. I merely responded with an opposing view.
As to the question of guys not working being equal to watching tv – I think it is far worse. When one watches tv, one is potentially (depending on what is being watched) damaging only himself. But, when he deliberately does not support his family, he is hurting his wife (who is pressured by the Kollel society to shoulder the family financial burdens by working instead of taking care of the responsibilities Hashem assigned to her), his children (who see little of him during most of the week), his parents (if they are providing support, especially at a time when they should possibly be retiring if they would so choose), and all the rest of us, who are asked to pay taxes from which they receive section 8, etc. because they are not making any money to suppport their families.
I have no quarrel with a poor yid who tries to make a living but it is insufficient and he needs some financial help. But I have seen married guys who sat in kollel for YEARS, while others stepped up to what should have been their plate, and I think it is wrong. Im ein kemach ein Torah. And what is worse, the girls are being brainswashed and made to feel they are not good Bnos Yisroel if they want a boy who is making a living AND learning.
Agree or disagree with me, as you see fit. The system is not working, and we are breeding a generation of men who will not be able to make a good enough parnassah that will enable them to support their own kids when THEY want to sit and learn after they get married.