Capitalism is slavery not the freedom we were promised on the TV. We experience alienation which occurs because our labour has been appropriated by our employer so we can no longer produce the things we need to sustain life - we need land to do that. We are forced to work for a boss and ultimately the extraction of profit. We are very lucky if we find job satisfaction. Writing is creative and hugely satisfying. Keep on writing.
I think it was Chomsky who spoke about employment as being a tyranny. And you're right, it is becoming increasingly unbearable, and ever more difficult in getting a job. Not just a decent job, but any job. That tyranny of employment, and the inability to live comfortably of what we earn, makes the idea of us living in a free society sound like a sick joke. As you demonstrate in this brilliant article, it is not labour that is to be feared but employment. This is a very important distinction.
This is exactly the point I was going for: the alienation of employment and not labour. It is interesting to see how hard and tedious the interview process has become after the "wave of resignation" post-COVID. Everything is done to keep us locked and desperate. If you are interested in reading more on freedom in relation to capitalism, I wrote a piece on the topic: https://carolekupper.substack.com/p/notes-on-the-illusion-of-freedom
Thanks for sharing that, I'll give it a read shortly! Very much in line with what I have also been writing about, though I have had a bit of disruption to my writing lately due to having to earn money. Which is one of the reasons why actually, i do dream of labour really resonated!
Thanks so much for the mention, Carole, and for thinking of my essay in relation to this amazing piece. I loved it way before being pleasantly surprised at the end with that. BTW, I think it's very Marx of you to want to be a writer!
Capitalism is slavery not the freedom we were promised on the TV. We experience alienation which occurs because our labour has been appropriated by our employer so we can no longer produce the things we need to sustain life - we need land to do that. We are forced to work for a boss and ultimately the extraction of profit. We are very lucky if we find job satisfaction. Writing is creative and hugely satisfying. Keep on writing.
Indeed, it is our alienation from the means of production that traps us into meaningless employment. Writing is such a satisfying way to escape it.
Thank you for your great comment Kate!
I think it was Chomsky who spoke about employment as being a tyranny. And you're right, it is becoming increasingly unbearable, and ever more difficult in getting a job. Not just a decent job, but any job. That tyranny of employment, and the inability to live comfortably of what we earn, makes the idea of us living in a free society sound like a sick joke. As you demonstrate in this brilliant article, it is not labour that is to be feared but employment. This is a very important distinction.
This is exactly the point I was going for: the alienation of employment and not labour. It is interesting to see how hard and tedious the interview process has become after the "wave of resignation" post-COVID. Everything is done to keep us locked and desperate. If you are interested in reading more on freedom in relation to capitalism, I wrote a piece on the topic: https://carolekupper.substack.com/p/notes-on-the-illusion-of-freedom
Thanks for sharing that, I'll give it a read shortly! Very much in line with what I have also been writing about, though I have had a bit of disruption to my writing lately due to having to earn money. Which is one of the reasons why actually, i do dream of labour really resonated!
Looking forward to reading the shared piece!
Thanks so much for the mention, Carole, and for thinking of my essay in relation to this amazing piece. I loved it way before being pleasantly surprised at the end with that. BTW, I think it's very Marx of you to want to be a writer!
Thank you Kevin, I'm really glad you loved my piece! Your sentence really hit me and I have not stopped thinking about it to be honest