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Comment by kjellsbells | Hacker News Reader

lately I've been stuck by the similarities between the conversations workers are having now (we are toiling to increase someone else's capital, and need to reverse the imbalance of power) and the conversations people had in the 1920s and 30s.

With the benefit of hindsight we know that marxism didnt help, but I can see why the siren song was so attractive back then. Time to reread Eric Hobsbawm.

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Look at social democratic European states for inspiration. High unionization (supported by the state), unemployment benefits, cheap or free higher education.

Companies can still do layoffs, but that’s how you manage the consequences at a societal level.

I know the unionization part is contested these days in Europe, too - but it is still much stronger than in the US.

Starting around 1970 the rich started working very hard to expressly undo the power labor gained during the New Deal.

And to think, if they could just take less, and be satisfied being billionaires, not tens of billionaires, this could all be avoided... people don't ask for much. Give them a little, you'll be fine.

But that won't please The Market.

Chuck Robbins is not a billionaire. Yes, he's still extremely wealthy, but I really feel it's important to understand that that labor-capital relations are not primarily defined by people being greedy and wanting Bad Wealth when they could be satisfied with Good Wealth.

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