100 years ago, great grandpa was teaching little Appalachian boys who didn’t wear shoes except in the winter.
82 years ago, grandad was a Torpedo Man 3rd class getting asbestos rained on his head every time my wife’s ancestors scored a close hit.
45 years ago, at my other great grandpa’s place in Louisiana, there were black families down the road living in shacks. However you’re picturing a shack, it was worse.
38 years ago, there was a sport called “f** bashing”. Hicks or punkers would wait for gays to come out the bar and beat the shit out of 'em.
38 years ago, we Gen X kids casually lived under threat of global thermonuclear war. Meh. No biggie.
Yeah, not only did efficiency go through the roof, everything got better.
I think the big thing is that they can and should be better than this, too. We shouldn’t have to settle when we’ve made enough abundance for everyone.
Personally, I still want people desperate enough to do shitty jobs like dealing with trash and sewage and people. But I think we have enough to pay those people good money, give them good healthcare, an otherwise comfortable financial life, let them work 32 hours a week, and let them retire at 65.
Basically what unions would have given is if they hadn’t been gutted.
You’re right, it’s the should be better that’s important. But I think we can say that about nearly every human culture in history. It’s just that now we can see how fucked up inequality is.
We get less of a percentage of our work, but certainly get more absolute value.
The gains in efficiency over the last hundred years have been insane. Today’s crumbs are better than the whole cookie back then.
No more dirt floors, indoor plumbing, electricity, books, etc.
100 years ago, great grandpa was teaching little Appalachian boys who didn’t wear shoes except in the winter.
82 years ago, grandad was a Torpedo Man 3rd class getting asbestos rained on his head every time my wife’s ancestors scored a close hit.
45 years ago, at my other great grandpa’s place in Louisiana, there were black families down the road living in shacks. However you’re picturing a shack, it was worse.
38 years ago, there was a sport called “f** bashing”. Hicks or punkers would wait for gays to come out the bar and beat the shit out of 'em.
38 years ago, we Gen X kids casually lived under threat of global thermonuclear war. Meh. No biggie.
Yeah, not only did efficiency go through the roof, everything got better.
I think the big thing is that they can and should be better than this, too. We shouldn’t have to settle when we’ve made enough abundance for everyone.
Personally, I still want people desperate enough to do shitty jobs like dealing with trash and sewage and people. But I think we have enough to pay those people good money, give them good healthcare, an otherwise comfortable financial life, let them work 32 hours a week, and let them retire at 65.
Basically what unions would have given is if they hadn’t been gutted.
You’re right, it’s the should be better that’s important. But I think we can say that about nearly every human culture in history. It’s just that now we can see how fucked up inequality is.