Economic Slavery

[Revoltingest]

At will employment is another abomination of the American system.
That means we can be fired for any reason (other than those specifically stated as illegal), at any time, without notification. It's common to have to acknowledge on a job application that if hired your position is at will employment.

Employees have the same right, ie, to quit whenever
for whatever reason, no matter what trouble it causes.

 

[Revoltingest]

So you buy a lot of Chinese goods then?

Some.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Employees have the same right, ie, to quit whenever
for whatever reason, no matter what trouble it causes.

So? That's no justification. I was let go once, not a word it was happening until I was putting my shoes on to go to work. That is bull**** and should be illegal.

 

[Heyo]

@Augustus @Vouthon

Is it possible to create a functioning, prosperous economy without some kind of slavery? Whether it be conquest, sweatshops, wage slavery, etc. Has it been or can it ever be done? Is there a prosperous nation that hasn't utilised some kind of slave system to make itself rich? Is it possible to build a nation from the ground without it? Is it within our human capacity to do so? Is it possible to live in the kind of materialist society we want to live in without some form of slavery?

Basically, is it possible to become rich without slavery in any form.

Yes (and no).

Yes, because we have the technology to feed and house everybody without anybody having to work who doesn't want to.
No, because such a society would be considered "poor" in comparison to a society where people are forced to work.
I assume you have looked into Universal basic income - Wikipedia. Have you also read up on Post-scarcity economy - Wikipedia?
I think we already are on a level to have a post scarcity economy or at least we are going to be there very soon. The problem isn't the lack of resources but the distribution.

 

[Stonetree]

There is a misunderstanding for what 'Capitalism' is as far as the general American public is concerned. Many yanks confuse capitalism with democracy. Raw Capitalism is dog eat dog ! Capitalism has to be regulated by law to maintain fair practices. In today's political climate as soon as improvements for the lower classes is suggested the evil word 'Socialism' is used to scare the unsophisticated voter.

 

[RestlessSoul]

So? That's no justification. I was let go once, not a word it was happening until I was putting my shoes on to go to work. That is bull**** and should be illegal.

That absolutely should be illegal, yes. In most of Europe it would be, but that doesn’t help you. It’s quite shocking how few rights some US workers seem to have. I assume that varies from state to state?

 

[RestlessSoul]

Some.

Almost impossible not to. We don’t make anything in England anymore either - and we used to be The Workshop of the World.

 

[Nimos]

$7.25/hour is the federal minimum for non-tipped workers. It is $2.13/hour for tipped workers.
Paltry doesn't even begin to describe it.

That's crazy.

The minimum wage in Denmark is around 16.60$ and then you have to take into consideration, that there is also free healthcare and free education (These are for everyone), if you have children (below 18) you also get some money from the government. The parents also get up to 52 weeks paid maternity leave, not exactly sure how much they get.

Also while you are studying you get around 1000$ a month and if you want you can take a special student loan on top of that, which is about 750$ a month, which you don't have to start paying back before after you have completed the education, and its at a very low interest rate 4% a year.

Its funny to think how huge a difference there is, the US is considered very wealthy, yet some people live under extremely poor conditions. It sort of makes you giggle a bit, when you then hear Fox news try to scare the US citizen about how things are done else where, when they for instance said that Denmark is suffering from socialism and what other nonsense.

Seriously if Denmark and most European countries for that matter, can do this and maintain a high standard of living for people, surely the US can do it as well, if the people would stand behind it.

 

[Stonetree]

Angela Merkel's party lost ?

 

[Revoltingest]

So? That's no justification. I was let go once, not a word it was happening until I was putting my shoes on to go to work. That is bull**** and should be illegal.

It's not justification.
But you drones need to understand that it's a 2 way street.
You want to be taken care of, but without reciprocal obligation.

 

[Revoltingest]

Almost impossible not to. We don’t make anything in England anymore either - and we used to be The Workshop of the World.

One does what one can.
Another thing to strive for is buying products that work well
& last long. This is good even if one still buys something
that was made in China. Better to manufacture less stuff,
but better stuff.
You guys still make Brompton folding bikes. My new folder
(still on order) is made in Canuckistan by a start-up.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It's not justification.
But you drones need to understand that it's a 2 way street.
You want to be taken care of, but without reciprocal obligation.

What's that old saying? Take care of your employees and they'll take care of you.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

That absolutely should be illegal, yes. In most of Europe it would be, but that doesn’t help you. It’s quite shocking how few rights some US workers seem to have. I assume that varies from state to state?

Yes.

 

[RestlessSoul]

What's that old saying? Take care of your employees and they'll take care of you.

Yep. We have a labour shortage in the U.K. currently (nice for my son, who just changed employers and upped his wages by 50%).

Those employers who have looked after their staff over the last few years, will have the benefit of that now, and rightly so. Those who treated their workers like disposable assets, are wondering why nobody wants to work long hours for a pittance anymore.

 

[RestlessSoul]

One does what one can.
Another thing to strive for is buying products that work well
& last long. This is good even if one still buys something
that was made in China. Better to manufacture less stuff,
but better stuff.
You guys still make Brompton folding bikes. My new folder
(still on order) is made in Canuckistan by a start-up.

Not easy to find quality products anymore, even if you are willing and able to pay the premium. But I agree, better all round to buy less and make it last. I recently replaced a pair of Loakes brogues after 25 years, but guess what? The new pair were made in Pakistan, not Northamptonshire.

 

[Revoltingest]

What's that old saying? Take care of your employees and they'll take care of you.

A good one for employees to remember....
Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

 

[Revoltingest]

Not easy to find quality products anymore, even if you are willing and able to pay the premium.

Au contraire!
Great products abound....
Many things are better than in years past....
Hand tools, machine tools, cars, trucks, etc.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

A good one for employees to remember....
Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

It's gotta be feeding to begin with. Being blamed for everything (even after I was gone), wages shorted, degrading demands, no promised raises or raises for promotion, being told you're off the assignment about an hour before your shift begins, at times it feels more like biting the hand that slaps.

 

[JustGeorge]

A good one for employees to remember....
Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Its also bad practice to mistreat one's 'pets', if we're going to look at it in those terms.

 

[Kooky]

A good one for employees to remember....
Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Another good one is "you have nothing to lose but your chains".