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This isn’t complicated. People want self determination. To live their lives as they see fit. Work, inherently, requires people to give that up. If we had a uto

This isn’t complicated. People want self determination. To live their lives as they see fit. Work, inherently, requires people to give that up. If we had a utopian society where work was optional, how many would do their current jobs voluntarily? Almost nil. What’s happening now, and is very very good, is people are realizing their power. They’re less afraid to demand more compensation, to unionize, or to quit. They’re setting an example for others. They’re using the internet to show the way. The pandemic opened the door a little bit, and now our foot is in the crack. The door is never closing.

nathanaldensr 3y ago
The only way it closes is through authoritarianism/totalitarianism, which, as we know from history, is not sustainable (low-trust societies are inherently unstable).
rzazueta 3y ago
I agree mostly with this observation, but would add to it - people are willing to work when they own their work. There are definitely a lot of jobs and likely entire industries that would disappear tomorrow if we stopped optimizing for money and focused on optimizing for humanity, but a lot of necessary work - farming, construction, distribution of goods, etc. - would still need to happen, and I honestly believe there are a number of folks who would be happy in those jobs if they owned their work. In a job, you sell a huge chunk of your waking life for a discount to faceless owners and investors who care less about employee and customer happiness than they do about their own bottom lines. In a truly cooperative setting - one where the work and proceeds are as equally shared as possible among all participants - everyone would have greater control over their work and would have full ownership over it. Such companies would necessarily run smaller and leaner with a tighter customer focus, which I think would improve the experience for everyone. I truly believe switching from corporate hierarchies to radical cooperatives would solve a LOT of societal issues.

nathanaldensr 3y ago

The only way it closes is through authoritarianism/totalitarianism, which, as we know from history, is not sustainable (low-trust societies are inherently unstable).

rzazueta 3y ago

I agree mostly with this observation, but would add to it - people are willing to work when they own their work. There are definitely a lot of jobs and likely entire industries that would disappear tomorrow if we stopped optimizing for money and focused on optimizing for humanity, but a lot of necessary work - farming, construction, distribution of goods, etc. - would still need to happen, and I honestly believe there are a number of folks who would be happy in those jobs if they owned their work. In a job, you sell a huge chunk of your waking life for a discount to faceless owners and investors who care less about employee and customer happiness than they do about their own bottom lines. In a truly cooperative setting - one where the work and proceeds are as equally shared as possible among all participants - everyone would have greater control over their work and would have full ownership over it. Such companies would necessarily run smaller and leaner with a tighter customer focus, which I think would improve the experience for everyone. I truly believe switching from corporate hierarchies to radical cooperatives would solve a LOT of societal issues.