1064
Surplus value (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 5 months ago by to c/flippanarchy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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[–] 63 points 5 months ago (10 children)

Ok, now disconnect the ability to live comfortably from one's labor value.

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  • [–] 20 points 5 months ago (9 children)

    Sure, but that doesn’t answer the question.

    I think you can draw a line somewhere between “everyone’s skills are equally valuable” and “billionaires should exist.”

    This metaphor doesn’t address the time required to develop skills.

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  • [–] 28 points 5 months ago (8 children)

    The line I'm drawing is a wall between the value of your skills and the need to spend time using them just to afford to survive. Then if you choose to develop skills and use them for the benefit of others, it will be because you chose to and not because you felt you had no other choice. The time spent will be your own, for your own reasons and no one else's. Its value will be a value you hold, not relying on the value others perceive it to have.

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  • [–] 4 points 5 months ago (7 children)

    That’s cool except what happens when there aren’t enough people who find 20,000 grueling hours in med school to be worth it when operating a water slide will give them the exact same lifestyle? How do we make more people want to be doctors? Or drive garbage trucks for that matter?

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  • [–] 5 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    There are already people who spend years of effort getting less valuable positions. If it was purely about time/money spent, everyone would be competing for the most valuable jobs.

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  • [–] -1 points 5 months ago (1 child)

    Yes, but how many people? How do you get more people to be janitors or roofers when you need more janitors or roofers?

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  • [–] 6 points 5 months ago

    Equally valuing a position also destigmatizes the role. There are countries with free post-secondary education that still have jobs at every position.

    The same argument was made about the USSR, about a mechanic making as much as a doctor. They still had mechanics and doctors.

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  • [–] 2 points 5 months ago (3 children)

    We could decrease the demand for doctors and garbage collectors any time we want, but capitalism says maximum growth, maximum consumption. Getting rid of that system will change the demand for those social roles as much as the supply.

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  • [–] 2 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    decrease the demand for doctors and garbage collectors any time we want

    By… getting less sick and having less garbage?

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  • [–] -1 points 5 months ago (1 child)

    Well yeah. You think we get this sick and produce this much garbage naturally?

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  • [–] 4 points 5 months ago*

    I don't know why you're getting downvoted when you're right. Whole lobby groups exist for the right to keep polluting, food deserts exist, anti-vax groups have taken over american healthcare so measles and smallpox are coming back, some people don't think poor kids deserve a school lunch and there are multiple ongoing water crises caused by irresponsible capitalism.

    Capitalism creates more demand on resources across the board, including healthcare. It also increases waste since resources aren't used to their full potential when it's not profitable, so yes, there are ways to reduce garbage.

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