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> Or a bait-and-switch the market pulled on women. I guess what I am trying to say is there is no bait and switch, or trick, or other insidious plot. Women ar

> Or a bait-and-switch the market pulled on women. I guess what I am trying to say is there is no bait and switch, or trick, or other insidious plot. Women are heavily benefiting from financial independence, and society feels some of the costs. More work and effort equals the ability to have more purchasing power is a fundamental part of capitalism. If we are so concerned that single income families are being priced out of sufficient quality of life, then we should be mandating overtime after 20 hours per week of work, instead of having one partner in a relationship becoming forced to depend on the other.

TeMPOraL 2y ago
> Women are heavily benefiting from financial independence The ones who wanted to be financially independent, yes. The ones who wanted children, whether from young age or suddenly, as adults, they're screwed. It's not just society that's screwed - so are many of the women, because as I wrote earlier: there was a moment when they had a choice between career and homemaking, but that time is past. > More work and effort equals the ability to have more purchasing power is a fundamental part of capitalism. Capitalism has its failure modes, and this is one: the market adjusts to bring average disposable income to zero. If almost everyone puts in more work and effort at the same time, their purchasing power stays the same on average. More work, same results. A ratchet. > If we are so concerned that single income families are being priced out of sufficient quality of life, then we should be mandating overtime after 20 hours per week of work, instead of having one partner in a relationship becoming forced to depend on the other. Would be nice, but unless you set up a ceiling (which would be unfair for any number of reasons), then the market will nullify those efforts. As long as anyone can get ahead on the margin by putting some extra work or making some sacrifice, everyone will be pressured to do it. (Or: race to the bottom doesn't only affect companies, and it doesn't stop being a race to the bottom just because "more work" sounds like something is increasing.)

TeMPOraL 2y ago

> Women are heavily benefiting from financial independence The ones who wanted to be financially independent, yes. The ones who wanted children, whether from young age or suddenly, as adults, they're screwed. It's not just society that's screwed - so are many of the women, because as I wrote earlier: there was a moment when they had a choice between career and homemaking, but that time is past. > More work and effort equals the ability to have more purchasing power is a fundamental part of capitalism. Capitalism has its failure modes, and this is one: the market adjusts to bring average disposable income to zero. If almost everyone puts in more work and effort at the same time, their purchasing power stays the same on average. More work, same results. A ratchet. > If we are so concerned that single income families are being priced out of sufficient quality of life, then we should be mandating overtime after 20 hours per week of work, instead of having one partner in a relationship becoming forced to depend on the other. Would be nice, but unless you set up a ceiling (which would be unfair for any number of reasons), then the market will nullify those efforts. As long as anyone can get ahead on the margin by putting some extra work or making some sacrifice, everyone will be pressured to do it. (Or: race to the bottom doesn't only affect companies, and it doesn't stop being a race to the bottom just because "more work" sounds like something is increasing.)