As an experiment....
Here's a thought experiment I've been bouncing around my head recently:Every time you hear a politican or journalist utter the word "create jobs," automatically substitute "create slavery" in your mind.
I'm convinced that the present capitalist employment structure of our society is a form of slavery. Many will be outraged by this concept, that slavery not only still exists but is the norm in America, but I am more convinced it is true. And, by "a form of slavery" I do not mean "the form of slavery that existed in the Americas until (theoretically) the end of the Civil War in 1865."
By slavery, I mean something like "A condition of subjection or submission characterized by lack of freedom of action or of will [1913 Webster]." Note that wageslavery meets these conditions. Also note that it doesn't say involuntary subjection or submission, which nulls the "if you don't like your job, quit; you still have free will" argument. Even so, in the end it's always a question of how much subjection or submission the person is willing to endure. The idea that survival without enduring some level of subjection or submission in our society is impossible is constantly reiterated everywhere you look. And, ironically, the self-made entrepreneur remains one of the fundamental archetypes of capitalist culture.
posted by JWL at
10:46 PM |
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