3 ms·

> If your work can't be differentiated from someone elses, why should you command a higher wage? Because you're a human who's part of a society, not just a cog

by tivert 8y ago

> If your work can't be differentiated from someone elses, why should you command a higher wage? Because you're a human who's part of a society, not just a cog in a capitalist's machine. What you said makes sense, but only from a blinkered point of view that treats market forces as morality. You might as well turn it around and ask yourself why the person with skills from a poorer place shouldn't get the higher wage.

lotyrin 8y ago
I do ask that... Why is it inherently moral for me to get a certain benefit vs someone else, why would that change depending on where I am or where they are, where I'm from or where they are from?
tfolbrecht 8y ago
I don't disagree. I do try to consider that human, and member of society angle. I personally prefer working with people I can have a high level discussion with and they deliver their portion with best practices, good communication, baked in. That's valuable. I believe it makes your work distinct from someone without those skills. If it were all anonymous and I can make no distinction, you're equally valuable. There are cases where people from poorer places should and do get the higher wage.
twblalock 8y ago
> You might as well turn it around and ask yourself why the person with skills from a poorer place shouldn't get the higher wage. Why shouldn't that person get the higher wage? That person is also part of a society.
- tivert 8y ago
  > Why shouldn't that person get the higher wage? That person is also part of a society. Ideally, they should. The problem comes in when a capitalist plays a labor arbitrage game that causes economic damage to real people in his home area, just so he can pocket the difference in labor costs. Questions like... >>> If your work can't be differentiated from someone elses, why should you command a higher wage? ...are pretty much always asked from the perspective of a labor-buying capitalist looking to maximize her own profits, regardless of externalities. Those questions have an insidious pseudo-moral tone that holds up the capitalist's profit over other concerns, and that subtly paints a worker's desire to make a respectable local wage as selfish. It's very rare to turn the question around (at least from a position of power) to challenge the capitalist's decision-making.

by tivert 8y ago

lotyrin 8y ago

I do ask that... Why is it inherently moral for me to get a certain benefit vs someone else, why would that change depending on where I am or where they are, where I'm from or where they are from?

tfolbrecht 8y ago

I don't disagree. I do try to consider that human, and member of society angle. I personally prefer working with people I can have a high level discussion with and they deliver their portion with best practices, good communication, baked in. That's valuable. I believe it makes your work distinct from someone without those skills. If it were all anonymous and I can make no distinction, you're equally valuable. There are cases where people from poorer places should and do get the higher wage.

twblalock 8y ago

> You might as well turn it around and ask yourself why the person with skills from a poorer place shouldn't get the higher wage. Why shouldn't that person get the higher wage? That person is also part of a society.

tivert 8y ago
> Why shouldn't that person get the higher wage? That person is also part of a society. Ideally, they should. The problem comes in when a capitalist plays a labor arbitrage game that causes economic damage to real people in his home area, just so he can pocket the difference in labor costs. Questions like... >>> If your work can't be differentiated from someone elses, why should you command a higher wage? ...are pretty much always asked from the perspective of a labor-buying capitalist looking to maximize her own profits, regardless of externalities. Those questions have an insidious pseudo-moral tone that holds up the capitalist's profit over other concerns, and that subtly paints a worker's desire to make a respectable local wage as selfish. It's very rare to turn the question around (at least from a position of power) to challenge the capitalist's decision-making.