It’s worth considering the wages/worker exploitation angle from top down too, because that’s where the deck gets stacked, against both capital and labor.
We can spotlight symptoms of undervalued workers and debate ways this undervaluing may be, potentially, ameliorated e.g. by imposing a minimum wage. But while government is a de facto enforcer for monopolistic interests AGAINST the free market, arguing for more libertarian or a more socialist approach to wages is pishing into the wind.
We’re not at the point where arguments over libertarian or socialist or free market capitalist matter. All the sociopolitical arguments are moot while unaccountable oligarchy monopolizes the market and our government polices their monopoly with exclusive recourse to violent enforcement.
What a generous, personable post! Good-natured and earnest in the best Scandinavian tradition.
(Notes to self:
American-half thinks “interesting, naive and harmless dinner party exposition” but happy to read more thoughts as they develop.
English-half thinks “pedestrian dilettante waffle” and files the post under time-wasters.)
Let me stress, in case it’s not clear, I’m saying 👍🏼 excellent essay on a subject we (as a society of individuals) badly need to address ASAP; in a way that scales into extant power hierarchies, without simply abstracting to create another corrupted homogeneity.