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Redefining 'slavery' to include all forms of "I must expend some effort to put food in my mouth" (a condition that affects all animals) makes the word 'slavery'

by vacri 11y ago

Redefining 'slavery' to include all forms of "I must expend some effort to put food in my mouth" (a condition that affects all animals) makes the word 'slavery' meaningless.

TeMPOraL 11y ago
We are more than animals. And at this stage in our development, it's no longer necessary to spend more than half of waking hours on it. Just because it has always been like that before doesn't mean it should continue. Social inertia is holding us back here, unfortunately.
- vacri 11y ago
  You've just moved the goalposts, from 'having to work' to 'having to work more than half your waking hours'. Plenty of people don't work more than half their waking hours, including plenty of us poor chained slaves in this software shtick.
  - TeMPOraL 11y ago
    It's not me who's moving the goalpost. What I described applies to vast majority of population, and includes vast majority of software developers. You can't point at minority that has it better and therefore say there's no issue.
    - vacri 11y ago
      > What I described applies to vast majority of population Patent nonsense from the outset - the total workforce is basically half the population (in the US, it's currently at 160M out of 310M total pop). Even if every single member of the workforce was working your supposed grind (which it clearly isn't), it's not "vast majority of the population" territory. Even if you just limit it to the working population, where are you pulling these "vast majority" numbers from? From the same "silent majority" that supports a given person's unpopular political opinions?
      - deleted 11y ago
        [deleted]
wfo 11y ago
Redefining 'voluntary' to include the situation where you must do X or die makes the word 'voluntary' meaningless. And in fact I'm inclined to agree with you -- here slavery is not appropriate, but nor is voluntary, choices are forced or not forced on a continuum and much more complicated than both the black and white "wage labor = slavery" or "Libertarian" ideologies would have you believe.
- blowski 11y ago
  While it's necessary for me to work, the fact that I work for my current employer is my own choice, so in that sense it's voluntary. Slavery does not offer that choice, no matter how badly the employer treats you.

by vacri 11y ago

Redefining 'slavery' to include all forms of "I must expend some effort to put food in my mouth" (a condition that affects all animals) makes the word 'slavery' meaningless.

TeMPOraL 11y ago

We are more than animals. And at this stage in our development, it's no longer necessary to spend more than half of waking hours on it. Just because it has always been like that before doesn't mean it should continue. Social inertia is holding us back here, unfortunately.

vacri 11y ago
You've just moved the goalposts, from 'having to work' to 'having to work more than half your waking hours'. Plenty of people don't work more than half their waking hours, including plenty of us poor chained slaves in this software shtick.
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  It's not me who's moving the goalpost. What I described applies to vast majority of population, and includes vast majority of software developers. You can't point at minority that has it better and therefore say there's no issue.
  - vacri 11y ago
    > What I described applies to vast majority of population Patent nonsense from the outset - the total workforce is basically half the population (in the US, it's currently at 160M out of 310M total pop). Even if every single member of the workforce was working your supposed grind (which it clearly isn't), it's not "vast majority of the population" territory. Even if you just limit it to the working population, where are you pulling these "vast majority" numbers from? From the same "silent majority" that supports a given person's unpopular political opinions?
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]

wfo 11y ago

Redefining 'voluntary' to include the situation where you must do X or die makes the word 'voluntary' meaningless. And in fact I'm inclined to agree with you -- here slavery is not appropriate, but nor is voluntary, choices are forced or not forced on a continuum and much more complicated than both the black and white "wage labor = slavery" or "Libertarian" ideologies would have you believe.

blowski 11y ago
While it's necessary for me to work, the fact that I work for my current employer is my own choice, so in that sense it's voluntary. Slavery does not offer that choice, no matter how badly the employer treats you.