this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2023
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Late Stage Capitalism
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Unemployment is great, it gives you more free time. It's only bad in the context of a system where you only get the resources to live if you are employed.
Communism is far away from us so unfortunately work is a necessary part of life and thus so no one is left out of life, like at all, unemployment is something to be eradicated during socialism.
Paraphrasing Lenin: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his contribution"
And no one should not have the ability to participate in socially necessary production so that they may live a dignified life.
As jobs are being phased out by AI though, people may need to work less, and that's ok. No need to force everyone to work if all that is needed is 30% of the people working. But I agree with a modified statement of 'from each according to their ability and societies need, to each according to their need + whatever is left over is distributed equally'
Automating work is something humanity ought to strive for so that we may be preoccupied with more interesting things than work, and as you've said it would be best if socially necessary work wasn't required of everyone. Just something a dedicated and respected minority could do for better privileges or whatever else. Still I stand with Lenin about what is the best course of action for the future which will require a lot of work. Though it seems we are on the same page really so there is little to discuss, nice writing to you.
Nice writing to you too!
Relevant Bucky Fuller quote:
Only a socialist / a planned economy ensures that the value created by labor-saving devices results in them having more free time (or more value allocated to them in other ways). In capitalism it only funnels money (temporarily at least) into capitalists pockets alone, and creates unemployment for the rest.