Surviving Capitalism (Not) : No rights, no charge: Skilled Work, Without the Worker

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

No rights, no charge: Skilled Work, Without the Worker

Click here to access article by John Markoff from The New York Times. (If you don't have a free registration with them, you can access the same article here.)

While the many robots in auto factories typically perform only one function, in the new Tesla factory in Fremont, Calif., a robot might do up to four: welding, riveting, bonding and installing a component.

If the economy were to be guided by principles of an inclusive democracy instead of capitalism, such marvelous technology would be there to support whole societies, not merely one small class of people who have claims of "ownership" over it. Think about it. This technology replaces arduous, repetitive, and mind-numbing work that could free people to pursue more stimulating, creative, and socially worthwhile projects without any loss of income. Instead, it frees people to stand in employment lines and practically beg for any work they can get.

Also, think about how these robots and the associated technology were created: by working people who worked and accumulated knowledge over the many centuries, especially since the Age of Enlightenment. So, I ask you: why should today's small class of people benefit from this to the detriment of all others? They will answer: because we bought the ownership rights. That is true, but only within the rules of a capitalist system. And, they would have you believe that "there is no alternative". I wonder how long most people will continue to believe their self-justifying lies?