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Agreed. I have friends that are plumbers and friends that own factories. Both plumbers and factory owners do indeed have opportunities to exploit people. But m
by LeonB 3y ago
Agreed. I have friends that are plumbers and friends that own factories.
Both plumbers and factory owners do indeed have opportunities to exploit people. But my plumber friend can only exploit one customer at a time, where as a factory owner multiplies that ability. Multiplication is a powerful operator.
- robertlagrant 3y agoHow does the plumber exploit people with his/her tool ownership?
- badcppdev 3y agoThe key word is that a plumber "can" exploit one customer at a time. A plumber can exploit a customer by charging an exorbitantly high rate for work. They can choose to exploit their position of power as a supplier of services where a customer has an urgent need. Exploitation is not charging a high rate for work. It is charging a higher rate when a customer is not in a position to shop around.
- robertlagrant 3y agoHow does the plumber owning tools create that situation?
- LeonB 3y agoThey have the opportunity to exploit people through asymmetric knowledge. Any other questions?
- robertlagrant 3y agoYes: how does the plumber owning tools create that situation?
- wuiheerfoj 3y agoBy that definition of exploitation the factory worker can exploit the factory owner by working slowly or calling in sick or or or or
- shove 3y agoOf course there’s more ways to cheat people than skimming wages via capitalism. Marx point was that capitalism should be understood as a way to cheat people at scale.
- dontlaugh 3y agoThe plumber generally exploits one or two employees. But otherwise your point stands.
- LeonB 3y agoI said “my plumber friend” so a generalisation about other plumbers is irrelevant to whether or not my point stands.
- robertlagrant 3y ago> The plumber generally exploits one or two employees. But otherwise your point stands. It's hard to know where to start with things like this. How does the plumber exploit employees? Why are you assuming anyone exploits anyone by default?
- dontlaugh 3y agoLabour generates value. An employee generates value and the employer pays the employee only a fraction of the value generated, after paying off all expenses. That is called profit. Marx defines exploitation in the amoral sense, like exploiting natural resources. Customers don’t get exploited in this way. They generally are also employees of some company that does exploit them, but that is a separate relationship.