Conversation

Replying to
A much more explicit example of this is if your employees have to seek social welfare like food stamps to make ends meet in your full-time job. That's a straight-up subsidy you're taking advantage of. The state keeps 'em breathing, you suck out what life remains in them.
1
12
There's an argument to be made here that this is the main problem with inequality. It is a condition stabilized by an accumulating dignity deficit problem that will blow up in our faces at some point and destroy wealth.
1
9
Now of course, there is such a thing as a reasonable expectation of respect for dignity that can get very unreasonable indeed. Here the US actually has good priors: nobody is any better or worse than anyone else.
2
6
Explicitly classist societies like India have historically had dignity levels and you only have a right to the dignity default of your level. This creates a sclerotic, compartmentalized economy, effectively regulated by dignity boundaries. Economies of scale are lost.
2
6
But a reasonable response here is to let the market handle it. You can choose whatever dignity ideal you like, and jobs will be designed not to knowingly assault or drain your dignity. By not demanding pieces of flair etc.
1
5
But you don't have the right to be employed at your chosen arbitrary dignity level far out of the 3-sigma bounds of humanity. You only have the right not to have it callously assaulted by work that is structurally blind to the fact that you are maintaining a dignity state at all.
2
6
I suppose I should write this up as a sequel to my economics of pricelessness post. Economics of Dignity. I'm guessing this will languish on twitter for a year, then in a draft for another year, before I finally write it long after it could be useful.
5
10
Replying to
I think this is a very interesting and thorough take on how human dignity is historically changing (correct) and has specific degradations under increasingly exploitative capitalism. I do have a question/comment for you though. I'll keep it brief
1
1
Replying to and
I noticed that dignity, an abstract concept, quickly took precedence over the concrete ways the gig economy erodes worker rights / well being. I also saw you rely on market friendly language (tweak incentives, individual focus), which I'd argue closes other more powerful options.
1
1
Replying to and
So my question is, where is the place for things like unions / workplace democracy, social and labor protections, and more broadly anticapitalist thought? Those tools and ideas are concrete and proven, and dovetail with your focus on worker dignity.
1
1
Replying to
Ok! I think that's false, but you're not the only one to think that. My challenge: consider what history is left out of that frame, who benefits and who suffers. And keep an eye out for the inspiring worker organizing that could make things better for all of us. Stay blessed!
1
2
Show replies