By Ryan McMaken
Those who push the "wage slave" narrative claim that workers are "forced by hunger" to work ceaselessly without an opportunity to bid up wages. History has shown this is not the case.
pull down to refresh
related posts
80 sats \ 2 replies \ @Coinsreporter 20 Jun freebie
I agree. I am reminded of when I told SN that most primary teachers have been working under $50. I want to add it here that those who are working fo $50 dollars monthly are not forced into it. But they are actually working because they have so much free time. Most of them are unmarried or newly married women who have somehow completed graduation and are generally not enough capable of doing any other work. Even when I think about how I became a teacher in India for only $200 a month in 2007. I can confirm that it wasn't a forced decision at all. Because, I could teach higher classes, my wages went past $+1000 in 3 to 4 years. I had taught until last year and I never felt I was doing a wage slavery. So, I can only reject this.
reply
11 sats \ 1 reply \ @Undisciplined OP 20 Jun
It’s a very similar argument to “poverty traps”. Both make sense when people describe them, but neither seem to really exist in large numbers.
reply
53 sats \ 0 replies \ @Coinsreporter 20 Jun
Yes. With large number of people, there comes a necessity of doing work. Work isn't only done for wages. There can be many other motivations as well. Sorry, there are definitely other motivations than wages for someone who works. A person who doesn't need money, say he's already rich enough, should he absolutely keep laying down on his bed?
reply
42 sats \ 1 reply \ @16d86e9daa 21 Jun freebie
i dont believe any one can be a slave if there is the possibility that they can work hard enough
The situation of wage slavery can be loosely defined as a person's dependence on wages (or a salary) for their livelihood, especially when wages are low, treatment and conditions are poor, and there are few chances of upward mobility.
reply
0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 21 Jun
Yeah, the argument is superficially plausible. Essentially, the wage earner is so desperate that they have literally zero bargaining power.
The part that's missing is that greedy capitalists will bid productive workers away from each other until those workers are actually making a wage roughly commensurate with their productivity.
reply
0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Hamstr 21 Jun
If you accept inflation 2-10%, you're a slave because every year you'll need to make more to pay for the same goods. You can save and save but it comes to a point where now you're living back home with your parents to save for a worthless future. Just chose Btc
reply