• canni@lemmy.one
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    1 year ago

    Except some skills are much harder to learn and some skills are much more valuable to society than others. I would argue the hard to learn, more valuable to society ones are “better”. I don’t think the people performing them are better or worse, but it’s fair to elevate and celebrate certain jobs over others.

    • unfreeradical@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Some skills are associated with greater barrier to acquisition, or are considered as higher in social value, but both attributes are inherently nebulous and overall unquantifiable.

      Characterizing certain skills as better, though, based on such comparisons, even if, for the sake or argument, the validity of such comparisons were conceded, is simply a subjective appeal without any meaning deeper than personal preference or bald assertion.

      Within the current system of labor organization, by which labor is commodified within the relations between worker and business, labor is valorized not by value to society, with every member of society participating equally in resolving a value for each kind of labor, but rather by the value of workers’ labor toward business interests captured beneath the profit motive, that is, value expressly to the owners of business.

      • canni@lemmy.one
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        1 year ago

        My man, this is not an argument for or against capitalism.

        If two skills are of relatively close societal value, and one is harder to do, learn and master, that craft deserves more respect.

        This is not a reflection of any individual.

        • unfreeradical@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Society is not uniform or monolithic. Society has structure, including various relations based on interests that may be shared or antagonist.

          Social value is not intrinsic to skill, nor to any other target of valorization, but rather determined from processes of valorization bound to the surrounding social systems.

          It is unequivocal that our society valorizes labor not for benefit shared generally across the public, but specifically for its value to private business.

          It is also questionable that a skill itself may carry a demand for respect that is separable from respect as understood by having a personal target.

            • unfreeradical@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Between us, I am the only attempting to provide a meaningful contribution.

              If you have one of your own, please offer it. Otherwise, stop making noise.

              • slackassassin@sh.itjust.works
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                1 year ago

                Skill set should not be a qualifier for a living wage, period.

                So, there’s no reason to deny reality with regard to skill. It’s not a constructive contribution. It’s just noise, as you say.

                Waxing on philosophic, while bending descriptions and definitions, in order to suit your ill-conceived concept of skill is unhelpful.

                It removes the agency and accomplishments of workers. It is unneeded, insulting, and counterproductive.

                • unfreeradical@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  Workers’ agency already has been removed.

                  Their accomplishments already are being plundered.

                  Otherwise, the discussion would not be occurring, and the conditions from which it emerged would be only fictional.

                  I am interested in criticizing the systems that have produced the disempowerment, and in building new systems that empower everyone.

                  You are interested on avoiding criticisms of the systems in which problems are occurring, denying the deeper structure of such systems, fatuously asserting their benevolence, and obstructing possibilities for transformation.

                  Your accusation about denying reality is dishonest.

                  You live beneath particular social systems sustained by ideals of a particular historic period, and refuse to see further, while deriding anyone even for trying.

                  • slackassassin@sh.itjust.works
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                    1 year ago

                    You assume much and know very little. I’m not interested in your unfounded accusations and bad faith arguments. Goodbye.