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In my opinion, a lot of is going to boil down the social issues we've collectively headed towards. Before getting there you really have to consider how much vas

In my opinion, a lot of is going to boil down the social issues we've collectively headed towards. Before getting there you really have to consider how much vastly better the work situation is for most Americans today than practically ever before. Today the average American only works 1,765 hours a year. [1] That is less than practically any time in our history. And real compensation is also higher than it's ever been. [2] You'll find the sensationalistic articles constantly reference only real median wages. That misses the great increase in compensation - bonuses, matched retirement/investment plans, insurance, profit-sharing/equity plans, paid time off, paid sick leave days, etc. Only considering the hourly wage by itself, and median at that, is not informative and even disingenuous. The point is we work less and we get more. If you transplanted these conditions back to previous eras, it'd be like imposing a utopia on people! But what else has changed? Now literally the majority of Americans remaining single. And there are also more people living alone than ever before. And when there are married households most have both husband and wife away at work each day. I don't really understand how people manage to live like this, and it seems to me the answer is that they aren't really managing to! A wife is somebody you can rely on, and you somebody they can rely on, in a way far different than a friend or fling. It'd sound metaphorical but perhaps it's quite accurate to say you both literally keep each other sane! Countless studies have shown greater mental health and even greater life expectancy among married couples. We've gone from a hardworking childbearing married nation, to a nation of single childless households working fewer hours than ever before. And this has been, at least in part, precipitated by a variety of social changes we have mostly supported. In any case, not something I'm going to blame on employers. [1] - https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/AVHWPEUSA065NRUG https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/AVHWPEUSA065NRUG [2] - https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/COMPRNFB https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/COMPRNFB

projektir 8y ago
It should be blamed on employers, though (and the systemic, if you will, but employers have more power here and I believe blaming the higher power entities is more appropriate than lower power entities). Employers are why more people have to work. A lot of what you're referring to relies on a chunk of people not working, and that has been eliminated, you just didn't notice because a lot of this work was not called work. > Today the average American only works 1,765 hours a year. That is less than practically any time in our history. For one, you're forgetting a certain half of all workers that just was conveniently never counted. For another, it's a question of scale. It's like, going from 100% to 90%. It will always look good, but it's not that big of a difference in practice. You have to evaluate it objectively. And, objectively, it just sucks.

projektir 8y ago

It should be blamed on employers, though (and the systemic, if you will, but employers have more power here and I believe blaming the higher power entities is more appropriate than lower power entities). Employers are why more people have to work. A lot of what you're referring to relies on a chunk of people not working, and that has been eliminated, you just didn't notice because a lot of this work was not called work. > Today the average American only works 1,765 hours a year. That is less than practically any time in our history. For one, you're forgetting a certain half of all workers that just was conveniently never counted. For another, it's a question of scale. It's like, going from 100% to 90%. It will always look good, but it's not that big of a difference in practice. You have to evaluate it objectively. And, objectively, it just sucks.