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Comment by justncase80 | Hacker News Reader

I believe convincing people to do "bad jobs" by means of desperation is named Wage Slavery. Besides being immoral and degrading, its pretty inefficient. On the other hand, some jobs that need to be done plain out unpleasant. How do you convince someone to do it?

In the Looking Backwards scenario the incentive to do one of the "bad jobs" isn't being paid more per hour, everyone is paid the same, its working less hours which I think is subtly different.

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Less hours at the same pay is more money per hour. But there is a subtle difference - cleaning toilets for 2 hours is much different mentally than cleaning toilets for 8 hours. And you can then go look after dogs at the shelter for 4 more hours and get two paychecks.

Yes, its more money per hour of work but its not more money per week in this system.

Everyone needs to pitch in, you need to serve humanity so that it provides you with the things you need. If the only thing you can do to do your part is sanitation work, then sanitation work it shall be. That is, until you find new ways to serve others.

Slavery is something altogether different, and you really have to be in a position of privilege to conflate the two. The history of slavery is an incredibly dark one. Out of respect to those who've suffered under it's cruelty, I don't think it's right to use that word in this context. Doing your part is not slavery.

Yes agreed, in any social system everyone needs to work (if able) in order for society to thrive.

Wage slavery is a very specific term that I didn't just make up and I believe it accurately describes what you were talking about.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_slavery

I know the term, as well as Marx's class theory. Pointing me to a Wikipedia article doesn't change the fact that it's insensitive hyperbole.

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