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Comment by madhatter999 | Hacker News Reader

I think you're assuming work's only function is getting things done. Work also is a crowd control tool.

Is it realistic to keep people working jobs that don’t get anything done in the long term? I know most people will say that’s already happening, but imagine a society where basically every job is just a bullshit job made to keep you occupied, do you think people will continue working in a society like that?

Like you foresaw, I'll say this is the reality for most people. I think that just like now, those who want to do meaningful work will seek opportunities to do so.

If we had something like a Maslow’s hierarchy of needs but for work, I think meaningfulness would be the top of the pyramid. For most people in the world, not going hungry or affording housing are reasons enough to do work. Getting to do work you find meaningful is truly a privilege.

Yes, it's realistic. We're at least a couple of generations into this experiment now. Millions of people travel to and from an office to sit on a chair, doing nothing, all day, every day. This in turns keeps a whole bunch of people employed servicing their cars, preparing their food, sweeping the floor behind them etc.

None of these people question whether their jobs are really necessary for the few things we really need: food, shelter, warmth, health etc.

A couple of generations ago most women were employed in the least bullshit job of all: running a household. But now they're all wage slaves too. So yeah, it does work.

If work is needed for "crowd control", why aren't popular holiday destinations crime hotspots?

They are crime hotspots

I asked Gemini to list the 10 most popular holiday destinations in the US, and the 10 places with the highest crime. There's only 1 place in the intersection: New Orleans.

Highest violent crime rates:

Memphis, Tennessee: ~2,400–2,500 per 100k

St. Louis, Missouri: ~2,000–2,100 per 100k

Detroit, Michigan: ~1,700–2,000 per 100k

Little Rock, Arkansas: ~1,600–1,800 per 100k

Baltimore, Maryland: ~1,600–1,700 per 100k

Oakland, California: ~1,400–1,900 per 100k

New Orleans, Louisiana: ~1,600–1,700 per 100k

Birmingham, Alabama: ~1,600–1,700 per 100k

Milwaukee, Wisconsin: ~1,100–1,600 per 100k

Cleveland, Ohio: ~1,500–1,600 per 100k