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Imagine a world where every employee not only had the sort of sick-cover nice white collar jobs in software get, but got paid sufficiently well they could affor

Imagine a world where every employee not only had the sort of sick-cover nice white collar jobs in software get, but got paid sufficiently well they could afford to put their kids through college and had enough left over that they coukd walk out of any job confident that they could take months to find the next one. Imagine a world where business had to really actually compete for workers. Wonder what that world would look like?

zulban 3y ago
Service industry purchases like burgers would be a lot more expensive and I'd gladly pay.
- inamberclad 3y ago
  Except that in nations that require such labor protections still have plentiful and reasonably cheap fast food. The US really does just get the worst of both worlds.
  - Larrikin 3y ago
    Don't forget that restaurants not only exist at reasonable prices, but they don't all go out of business without tipping.
  - HarryHirsch 3y ago
    Something has to give if a greater share of sales goes to wages and benefits - it's usually the rent. Imagine: not only does labour and the customer benefit from better worker protection, the supremely unproductive real estate sector gets a smaller share. Wins for eveyone except the FIRE sector.
    - cj 3y ago
      Hadn’t heard of FIRE, in case it helps anyone else: > FIRE refers to a sector of the economy composed of finance, insurance, and real estate
discardedrefuse 3y ago
Capitalists have imagined that world and they're fucking terrified. That's why we're seeing such aggressive levels of union busting. Off the top of my head here's the most recent: https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/05/09/desantis-signs-teacher-public-employee-union-bill-law/ https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/05/09/de...
theropost 3y ago
A world where everyone takes pride in what they do. Where they realize their work is for a better good, a better world. Where they put in the effort, and do not try to defraud or manipulate the system for their own personal gain. Where everyone contributes, and adds to creating a better society for the young, and the old. For all.
droopyEyelids 3y ago
You are describing the nordic countries in Europe.
nemo44x 3y ago
Imagine utopia. We should strive towards utopia and brutalize anyone not with us. Only then can we live in harmony and peace.
- 6510 3y ago
  We are already doing that one, at least some of us are.
dboreham 3y ago
Europe?
yieldcrv 3y ago
It would look like everything with any modicum of scarcity is proportionately more expensive and cutting into everyones budget to be unobtainable just like today But it would be nice if everyone was healthier
johnny99k 3y ago
"Imagine a world where every employee not only had the sort of sick-cover nice white collar jobs in software get" Most people who propose this will then get angry when the company has to double their prices and you are essentially paying double or triple the amount for everything (since there are lots of workers in the supply chain that would get this boost in healthcare and $$$). "they could afford to put their kids through college" You can blame the federal government for this. The fact that anyone can get a college loan and the loan follows the student virtually for life, means colleges don't really care if you learn anything or even if you have the ability to get a job. They get their money immediately and the student is on the hook for the loan. Loans should go directly through the university and not through the federal government. They will then have to care if a student can ever pay them back because if they don't, they won't get their money. "Imagine a world where business had to really actually compete for workers" Most industries compete for workers. If you don't have any specialized skill and anyone with a pulse can do your job, there will be no competition and the company will have the advantage. To ignore this (or prop it up artificially) is ignoring reality. We should be more focused on educating workers so they can provide a value and compete in the marketplace. "Wonder what that world would look like?" Much different than now. Most things we enjoy now would only be enjoyed by the very wealthy. The middle class would be squeezed to a sliver.
- sp332 3y ago
  The middle class was actually much bigger when those things were possible.
userbinator 3y ago
That's called a socialist dystopia.

zulban 3y ago

Service industry purchases like burgers would be a lot more expensive and I'd gladly pay.

inamberclad 3y ago
Except that in nations that require such labor protections still have plentiful and reasonably cheap fast food. The US really does just get the worst of both worlds.
- Larrikin 3y ago
  Don't forget that restaurants not only exist at reasonable prices, but they don't all go out of business without tipping.
- HarryHirsch 3y ago
  Something has to give if a greater share of sales goes to wages and benefits - it's usually the rent. Imagine: not only does labour and the customer benefit from better worker protection, the supremely unproductive real estate sector gets a smaller share. Wins for eveyone except the FIRE sector.
  - cj 3y ago
    Hadn’t heard of FIRE, in case it helps anyone else: > FIRE refers to a sector of the economy composed of finance, insurance, and real estate

discardedrefuse 3y ago

Capitalists have imagined that world and they're fucking terrified. That's why we're seeing such aggressive levels of union busting. Off the top of my head here's the most recent: https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/05/09/desantis-signs-teacher-public-employee-union-bill-law/ https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/05/09/de...

theropost 3y ago

A world where everyone takes pride in what they do. Where they realize their work is for a better good, a better world. Where they put in the effort, and do not try to defraud or manipulate the system for their own personal gain. Where everyone contributes, and adds to creating a better society for the young, and the old. For all.

droopyEyelids 3y ago

You are describing the nordic countries in Europe.

nemo44x 3y ago

Imagine utopia. We should strive towards utopia and brutalize anyone not with us. Only then can we live in harmony and peace.

6510 3y ago
We are already doing that one, at least some of us are.

dboreham 3y ago

Europe?

yieldcrv 3y ago

It would look like everything with any modicum of scarcity is proportionately more expensive and cutting into everyones budget to be unobtainable just like today But it would be nice if everyone was healthier

johnny99k 3y ago

"Imagine a world where every employee not only had the sort of sick-cover nice white collar jobs in software get" Most people who propose this will then get angry when the company has to double their prices and you are essentially paying double or triple the amount for everything (since there are lots of workers in the supply chain that would get this boost in healthcare and $$$). "they could afford to put their kids through college" You can blame the federal government for this. The fact that anyone can get a college loan and the loan follows the student virtually for life, means colleges don't really care if you learn anything or even if you have the ability to get a job. They get their money immediately and the student is on the hook for the loan. Loans should go directly through the university and not through the federal government. They will then have to care if a student can ever pay them back because if they don't, they won't get their money. "Imagine a world where business had to really actually compete for workers" Most industries compete for workers. If you don't have any specialized skill and anyone with a pulse can do your job, there will be no competition and the company will have the advantage. To ignore this (or prop it up artificially) is ignoring reality. We should be more focused on educating workers so they can provide a value and compete in the marketplace. "Wonder what that world would look like?" Much different than now. Most things we enjoy now would only be enjoyed by the very wealthy. The middle class would be squeezed to a sliver.

sp332 3y ago
The middle class was actually much bigger when those things were possible.

userbinator 3y ago

That's called a socialist dystopia.