12-08-2021, 12:30 PM
(12-08-2021, 09:56 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: So, I've been thinking a fair amount, lately, and I'm concerned I'm becoming a bit of a conspiracy theorist. It's no secret I'm a bit of a leftist with some strong anti-capitalist leanings, but I saw some posts online and have had some conversations that really made me start thinking about our current system. I was talking about policies that could be enacted to all but eliminate homelessness. We talked about single-payer healthcare/Medicare for all. We talked about a stronger social safety net and things like codifying food as a basic human right (there is a legislator in WV that has introduced legislation saying this).
Ever since that conversation where we discussed these policies and the barriers to them I have been thinking about that and the two party structure along with the corporatocracy that exists here in the US and I came to this realization that these things will never come to fruition because of implausibility. They system we have in this country relies on homelessness and insurance tied to employment because it creates a fear that keeps people working. It fills the exploitation engines of our capitalist system. These corporations need us to fear the potential to become homeless and unable to afford food or medical treatment because without that fear they would have to actually compensate us fairly for our labor. Instead, we are reliant on them to provide us these things so we are willing to accept less than we are really worth. We are willing to tolerate conditions that would otherwise be intolerable.
Am I sounding off the rails? This has just been on my mind, lately, and it's been making me feel a little depressed.
I doubt you're wrong but here's my two cents regarding homelessness and insurance tied to work as motivators:
I think people in general want to work, or at least be productive. I think psychologically and not just from a survival standpoint, most people need work. When I was a kid, most adults I knew had blue-collar jobs with great insurance and retirement plans (specifically railroad jobs). They worried about financial issues ad security to be sure, but not like people in similar jobs do today. Most of them were not knowledgeable about investment nor did they think they needed to be. The prices of the durable goods they bought were significant, but not necessarily crippling. Most of them did not depend on credit to meet basic financial needs. If they couldn't afford something they really wanted, they simply didn't buy it. If they wanted more money, they worked overtime and lots of it.
To cut to the chase, they were motivated to work because they saw it as a means to improve their lives vs a means just to survive. These days, with the cost of medical expenses, durable goods, and even recreation skyrocketing, people who are just willing to work hard have a tough time getting by without incurring debt. One might say that they need to improve their value to the workforce, and I'd agree, but there are always going to be baseline workers that both the labor market and businesses selling goods and services depend on to continue being productive and profitable.
What I see after the pandemic is a particular segment of the population that was once a dependable source of cheap labor by default just saying screw it. What's more, nobody is stepping in to fill the void of their absence. I've seen fluidity of labor and fear on the part of employers that I never would have imagined even 5 years ago. I see way more homelessness and panhandling than I can ever remember and in places I've never seen it before. It's reaching into suburban areas.
I never thought I'd say this, but I think a segment of the population actually doesn't care if they are homeless or not. It's become a lifestyle to some that just don't want to work shitty low paying jobs anymore. Scary as hell.
