I'd be working in a new field, but still working.
Precisely. It buys opportunity to choose more valuable activity.
and divorce literacy from politics as much as possible
Isn't it interesting that reading should make us more able to learn for ourselves, but the majority keep choosing their reading list on what is handed to them.
And trying to decide what others should be "allowed" to read.
Republican factions want to ban books based on "protecting the children" from massive lists circulation online which none of them have actually read, but they are certain these books are filled with sin and vice grooming children for sex abuse.
Democrat factions want to ban authors like J.K. Rowling for being insufficiently supportive of LGBTQIAWTFBBQ extremist agendas, Dr. Seuss because they decided he was racist against the Chinese and Africans, and Laura Ingalls Wilder for recounting racism against native americans in late 19th century America. And let's not forget the last 5 years of COVID and politics online.