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First, I get there's a lot of people supposedly looking for work but I've spent a solid 20 years now in a "we are constrained on labor" environment across a few
by DickingAround 7y ago
First, I get there's a lot of people supposedly looking for work but I've spent a solid 20 years now in a "we are constrained on labor" environment across a few industries. I think this is a problem more of what work people are able or willing to do rather than the existence of jobs themselves.
Second, the concept of "means of production" is now not just about the factory the workers work in but the factory that makes things on it's own. We have to accept that if someone else owns something, if they have property rights over it, it just isn't mine no matter how much I want it. If I own a breadmaker machine and it makes me bread anytime I want, I still don't owe anyone my bread no matter how much they want or need it. They can ask. They can't take.
A person might ask "why can't they take? what goes wrong when they have a right to your bread?" The answer is that without strong property rights, we fight over who gets to own eachother's stuff instead of making new stuff for ourselves. Making new stuff instead of trying to take someone else's stuff is how we have more stuff. And before anyone says we don't need any more stuff; If you don't need any more stuff, don't take anyone else's. I disagree; I want more stuff. I want a space ship. But I'm not going to try and take bread from another or a space ship from another. I'll have to find a way to buy or build my bread or space ship.
- zanny 7y agoExcept the strawman of abject simple property rights falls apart when you acknowledge that taxes, especially sales / capital gains / etc, are the absolute and certain forfeiture of your property - your money - to the government, to almost exclusively be given to others. Societies are erected on a foundation of the seizure of private asset for public benefit. If you own the breadmaker machine, what is the difference between the seizure of bread and a 100% tax on your revenues of said bread?