The last bit is an analogy. The idea that your payment is fixed and so the only thing that varies is the proportion allocated to different external parties mak

The last bit is an analogy. The idea that your payment is fixed and so the only thing that varies is the proportion allocated to different external parties makes no sense, because you're not buying the same thing. People don't look at a house and say "I want that" and buy it. They look within their maximum payment range. What exists within that range is hugely influenced by external factors. The analogy with an 8h work week would be that everyone 'pays' 8 hours a day for their free time so every other factor is irrelevant. Of course it's not; the particular job you end up with for your 8 hours (influenced both by your personal skill but also the external market) has a massive impact on your QoL.