this post was submitted on 09 May 2024
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Antiwork

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For the abolition of work. Yes really, abolish work! Not "reform work" but the destruction of work as a separate field of human activity.

To save the world, we're going to have to stop working! — David Graeber

A strange delusion possesses the working classes of the nations where capitalist civilization holds its sway. ...the love of work... Instead of opposing this mental aberration, the priests, the economists, and the moralists have cast a sacred halo over work. — Paul Lafargue

In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic. — Karl Marx

In the glorification of 'work', in the unwearied talk of the 'blessing of work', I see the same covert idea as in the praise of useful impersonal actions: that of fear of everything individual. — Friedrich Nietzsche

If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it all to themselves. — Lane Kirkland

The bottom line is simple: all of us deserve to make the most of our potential as we see fit, to be the masters of our own destinies. Being forced to sell these things away to survive is tragic and humiliating. We don’t have to live like this. ― CrimethInc

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Best job i ever had was maintenance guy at a nursing home. Loved it. Rewarding. Fulfilling. Paid only $10.75/hr so i left it and 'developed my career' and now im 'successful' but at least once a week i have dreams where im back in the home hanging pictures, flirtin with the ol gals, being useful.

So when people ask 'who fixes toilets under communism?' my answer is a resounding 'me. I will fix the toilets.'

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[–] GregorGizeh@lemmy.zip 9 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

Yeah I'm not saying communities shouldn't be self sufficient where possible, but division of labor and specialized professions have proven to be far superior. People can't be good at everything, a learned plumber with years of experience is 100% more qualified than a random person with a YouTube tutorial like me.

Not to mention that in certain areas being a layman can be outright dangerous, imagine if your upstairs alcoholic neighbor would try to fix his plumbing or electrical wiring. Chances are it will be your problem as well within a week, if the house doesn't immediately flood with sewage or burn down from faulty wiring.

Lastly, I am sure that many people don't want to amateurishly fuck around with their plumbing, they would rather pay someone qualified to do it.

[–] Chuymatt@beehaw.org 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Oh, anything beyond fixture maintenance and replacement is plain difficult at best and extremely hazardous at worst. But we were talking about toilets, I thought.

I’m a big fan of division of labor, as no one person can be even adequate at all things DIY.

[–] GregorGizeh@lemmy.zip 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

We are talking about toilets, yes. I only extended to electricity for the example, my bad

But we do seem to agree anyway ✊

[–] Chuymatt@beehaw.org 3 points 6 months ago

As someone with 4 degrees, a high IQ, and the availability of YouTube, I would still never touch anything more complicated than changing out an outlet, and even some of those are a bit risky, depending on the situation.

I yield the floor to the sparkies.

In every realm, those who think they know things out of their field of expertise, just because they have a field of expertise, are typically both wrong and unsafe.

[–] ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

You don't need a degree to handle a toilet pump, and of course a sane person won't ask an alcoholic for serious help.

[–] GregorGizeh@lemmy.zip 2 points 6 months ago

The point was that even a wholly unqualified person who is likely to do more harm than good in the attempt would be expected to do so, not that you would ask them for help.

Why not ask a person who has spent years learning about plumbing, materials, health requirements, for help instead? They usually come with practical experience in the installation and maintenance and also know the most cost efficient way to do all this. In exchange you could provide them monetary compensation for their superior knowledge, skill and experience on the subject.