QUESTION: Are bullshit jobs inevitable? If so, why? If they are not inevitable, why do they exist? — Bitter Crank
Capitalism has no interest in the PWE except that it gives it ripped off moral cover for exploiting labor, alienating the workers' product from the worker. Capitalism perfected the Capitalist Work Ethic, which is "work for the lowest possible wage and be grateful you have a job." Capitalism is a system of acquisition and accumulation through exploitation. — Bitter Crank
the exploitation of labor has got to stop — Frank Apisa
Ceasing the exploitation of workers is not going to happen through any evolutionary process. (Maybe it will happen through a devolutionary process, where civilization collapses, masses die of starvation, and there is essentially no economy in which to exploit anyone. NOT something to look forward to.) — Bitter Crank
Because people want bullshit products, so bullshit workers make sure that bullshit gets on the bullshit shelves. — Hanover
there are more ways to make money - at least, more forms within the categories - where you don't need to make money. Some of them led to the 2008 crash. I wish I had the economic knowledge to demonstrate who pushed us in this direction and by what nefarious, negligent and careless means. — Coben
.the exploitation of labor has got to stop. It has to stop dead in its tracks...and it must stop immediately. — Frank Apisa
I think largely I continue to work at my job because I am afraid of the consequences if I didn't. To a certain extent, I have to look out for myself. — darthbarracuda
Yes indeed. It happens on that granular level and also as a wider phenomena. For example, revolutions work as a sort of way to "break out" of historically-developed institutional patterns. So what happens? It sounds good but then when asked to give up their property (like house, land, capital), that doesn't seem to go down well in practice. So now you have simply force. The people with the guns will make you do it. Well, that just threw out the boundlessness with more boundaries. Then the famines, and the shortages of goods. Then a charismatic leader takes the reigns of the guys with the guns and it is just more boundaries than the previous institutions.
The problem is the comforts of life itself will lead us to this problem that cannot be solved. So therefore...
It's a form of suffering imposed on spark plugs that had not consented to be born in the first place, and having been born, have to work to keep body and soul together--though why anyone does that since we didn't want the deal in the first place, is a mystery.
— Bitter Crank
Exactly! Now you are speaking my language. The problem is intractable. It has to do with the human condition, not a specific socio-economic condition. — schopenhauer1
As with all such requests , the answer is found in the discussion, not in an explicitly stated definition.What exactly do you mean by ‘unproductive’ work? — I like sushi
In order to attend to timesheets and productivity reports and attending meetings and answering emails and phones. These are now how their worth is assessed.If a software developer can do their job in 4 hours each day, why the hell should they be at the office for 8? — Pneumenon
;The problem, as always, is capitalism. — Pfhorrest
;The problem IS capitalism. — Frank Apisa
...getting rid of the notion that one must earn one's living. — Frank Apisa
Plenty of what happens in non-profits feels like beating one's head against a wall. Progress in reform is so bloody slow. So they end up doing another survey or having another conference or developing another action plan. Yes, it's bullshit work, marking time in between small victories. The difference is that those involved are "earnest, hard working, devoted, and all that". They are marking time for a purpose. In a bullshit job per se, this is not the case; the worker recognises that they are not doing anything of use. That's a huge difference....usually non-profits... Unfortunately, the work was futile — Bitter Crank
Use it to produce flowers....mucking horseshit — ArguingWAristotleTiff
Balls. Happens all the time. It's just your attitude, again. Indeed, you strait-faced point out the roll of revolution in your next post. Things change, sometimes for the better.The boundless thoughts can never quite go beyond the bounded institutions. — schopenhauer1
How's it going in your Moscow basement?Unessential workers of the world, unite! — NOS4A2
Rundgren engineers the bass out of his music. It's tinny.In summary: — Hanover
Ableist myths. Ask Adam Hills.Having no feet is just about the worst. — Hanover
It's not about products. Looks to me as if you have missed the point of the OP article entirely. — Banno
Bullshit products — Banno
The notion of a bullshit product is highly subjective. — ZzzoneiroCosm
That's the issue with bullshit products — Banno
I vividly distinguish the sacred from the profane. — Hanover
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