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>It's hardly slavery. It's a choice. This mode of thinking makes a dangerous assumption - that any issue can be resolved simply by an individual action. It ass
by claudiawerner 7y ago
>It's hardly slavery. It's a choice.
This mode of thinking makes a dangerous assumption - that any issue can be resolved simply by an individual action. It assumes that because one person is making the complaint, then the issue which the complaint attempts to access must therefore be individual. It's an anti-political stance; politics isn't only about individuals, it's about creating a better society at large.
Let's say that it really is such an easy choice as you're describing. It's implausible that it's the case for every worker who feels mistreated there. Therefore your solution means to them we say "tough shit". This is one consequence of the divorce of economy and politics. In no political situation is it viable in rhetoric or otherwise to say "tough shit" to a group of people. But it's fine to say that in economic circumstances. The examples go on - most of us are in favour of democracy in the political sphere, because we believe we should have a say over our lives, but in the anarchic economic sphere in which pressures arise which are extremely compelling (so compelling that there are even markets for selling one's own organs) we balk at the idea of democracy.
This is why I'm in favour of economic democracy - to stop statements like "It's a choice. You can go somewhere else." from being the end of these discussions, and to take away their logical basis which falsely assumes democracy should be relegated to politics.
- nine_k 7y agoThere are norms that already prevent (non-military) hired workers from e.g. working more than 168 h/no, or prescribe at least 2 weeks of paid leave a year. I think these norms can be used / extended as needed.
- claudiawerner 7y agoWithin the capitalist system, of course - that's how it works. The capitalist fights to increase the working day (either in time- or piece-wages) while workers fight to decrease the working day. It's an endless tug of war between capital and labour. Ultimately, though, I don't think it solves much. The whole logical system and ideological analysis goes beyond simple adjustments to various quantities.