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I've always viewed these persistent and ridiculous claims of a tech-industry worker shortage through a lens of class. To a Harvard MBA, that we programmers earn

I've always viewed these persistent and ridiculous claims of a tech-industry worker shortage through a lens of class. To a Harvard MBA, that we programmers earn six figures is prima facie evidence of a worker shortage, since there's no way that ugly nerds should be earning that kind of money for typing into a computer. Programmers are workers, so investors and management should be able to siphon off their productive value the same way they siphon off the productive value of other works. That they can't right now is an aberration, a disease to be cured with massive immigration. That we're not doctors or lawyers and make decent money is something that simply does not compute for these types.

1971genocide 11y ago
When I was in college, I was doing engineering. Many of my friends got bored and wanted to go MBAs. I almost went that path until I started programming. Ever since then I went from a commodified drone to feeling like a kid. It felt like escaping the capitalist matrix. I almost was seen upon as a hippie. I told my dad that "I have no interest in pursing an MBA, I just want to spend me time in a cave with a terminal and a few books" He was almost shocked by it. I notice it all over in society these days. If you read about how tuition fees are rising and students are in debt, people make insane arguments like "well on average a person earns X more over their lifetime by having a degree" I never noticed how ridiculous these arguments were. I have been reading a lot on economics lately and karl marx predicted this outcome. We have in many ways reached the end of capitalism, before capitalism as a system breaks apart. We are trying hard to commodify labour - but the great paradox is if you commodify labour then the free market stops existing ! I can go on and on, but yes - we need to get rid of capitalism and this free market darwinist bullshit and return to a more social and morally right form to organize society.
- Asbostos 11y ago
  Can you explain more how the free market stops existing if you commodify labour? I don't understand that.
  - 1971genocide 11y ago
    Sure ! Karl Marx originally explained the idea quite well. Wages in a real economy is the real driver for demand. The capitalist yearning to drive down wages and cost as much as they can. That is how the system was designed ! The end result of thus maximum capital accumulation is a Commodification of labour. What does that mean ? It means that once wages are pushed down enough - there is no room for labour to increase demand and thus generate growth ( the thing that drives capitalism ). Once you commodity labour then the demand side of your market collapses. -------------------------------------------------- This was what essentially what happened prior to the great depression and what happened ever since 2008. I know people in silicon valley live in a bubble, but if you go outside you will see that the world is burning. The reason why tech engineers are being paid 500K is not because of some inherit huge contribution to society but because huge accumulated capital is looking for yield. ------------------------------------------------------ The way historically this inherient end state of capitalism was solved was through war ( it doesn't have to be ) War de-commodifcation labour by massively increasing its demand. It happened during WW-2, vietnam war, iraq war ( after the tech bubble burst ) --------------------------------------------------------- One way to solve the european debt crisis for example would be massively start spending. Imagine a massive investment to completely reform europe into green energy. There is however no political will to pursue this. --------------------------------------------------------- The Chinese however understand this very well, their leaders are well versed with karl marx's study on capitalism - unlike in the west where neo-classic liberalism has corrupted the field of economics to such a degree that we cannot even openly talk about marx's analysis. ---------------------------------------------------------- For example the Chinese had 0 miles of high speed trains in 2009. Now they have 6000 miles worth of it ! They spend more cement in a year then america did in 100 ! They have more green energy then then both US and europe combined - even though they had no technological expertise until recently. The Chinese also are spending a lot on their military but its a small part. They know that it can bankrupt a society. Their most astounding new initiative is to provide free universal healthcare to 1.4 billion people ! While we in the west cannot even get out act together to solve the greece's debt problem. We are driving up growth by inflating huge tech and asset bubble in hope of driving up demand since the government is completely paralysed to act in a decisive way.

1971genocide 11y ago

When I was in college, I was doing engineering. Many of my friends got bored and wanted to go MBAs. I almost went that path until I started programming. Ever since then I went from a commodified drone to feeling like a kid. It felt like escaping the capitalist matrix. I almost was seen upon as a hippie. I told my dad that "I have no interest in pursing an MBA, I just want to spend me time in a cave with a terminal and a few books" He was almost shocked by it. I notice it all over in society these days. If you read about how tuition fees are rising and students are in debt, people make insane arguments like "well on average a person earns X more over their lifetime by having a degree" I never noticed how ridiculous these arguments were. I have been reading a lot on economics lately and karl marx predicted this outcome. We have in many ways reached the end of capitalism, before capitalism as a system breaks apart. We are trying hard to commodify labour - but the great paradox is if you commodify labour then the free market stops existing ! I can go on and on, but yes - we need to get rid of capitalism and this free market darwinist bullshit and return to a more social and morally right form to organize society.

Asbostos 11y ago
Can you explain more how the free market stops existing if you commodify labour? I don't understand that.
- 1971genocide 11y ago
  Sure ! Karl Marx originally explained the idea quite well. Wages in a real economy is the real driver for demand. The capitalist yearning to drive down wages and cost as much as they can. That is how the system was designed ! The end result of thus maximum capital accumulation is a Commodification of labour. What does that mean ? It means that once wages are pushed down enough - there is no room for labour to increase demand and thus generate growth ( the thing that drives capitalism ). Once you commodity labour then the demand side of your market collapses. -------------------------------------------------- This was what essentially what happened prior to the great depression and what happened ever since 2008. I know people in silicon valley live in a bubble, but if you go outside you will see that the world is burning. The reason why tech engineers are being paid 500K is not because of some inherit huge contribution to society but because huge accumulated capital is looking for yield. ------------------------------------------------------ The way historically this inherient end state of capitalism was solved was through war ( it doesn't have to be ) War de-commodifcation labour by massively increasing its demand. It happened during WW-2, vietnam war, iraq war ( after the tech bubble burst ) --------------------------------------------------------- One way to solve the european debt crisis for example would be massively start spending. Imagine a massive investment to completely reform europe into green energy. There is however no political will to pursue this. --------------------------------------------------------- The Chinese however understand this very well, their leaders are well versed with karl marx's study on capitalism - unlike in the west where neo-classic liberalism has corrupted the field of economics to such a degree that we cannot even openly talk about marx's analysis. ---------------------------------------------------------- For example the Chinese had 0 miles of high speed trains in 2009. Now they have 6000 miles worth of it ! They spend more cement in a year then america did in 100 ! They have more green energy then then both US and europe combined - even though they had no technological expertise until recently. The Chinese also are spending a lot on their military but its a small part. They know that it can bankrupt a society. Their most astounding new initiative is to provide free universal healthcare to 1.4 billion people ! While we in the west cannot even get out act together to solve the greece's debt problem. We are driving up growth by inflating huge tech and asset bubble in hope of driving up demand since the government is completely paralysed to act in a decisive way.