superman22x
Golden Master
- Messages
- 7,904
This was in the Michigan Tech newspaper, which I don't read often, but my instructor forwarded it to me.
The amount of attachment we have to objects is obscene. A few days ago,
my new cell phone got its first scratch from loose change in my pocket;
it wasn't a good day. Despite being personally disgusted with this
attachment, I regularly place material objects and acquisition of money
as a top priority. Maybe I'll blame Wal-Mart or our consumer-driven
economy. Maybe I've been brain-washed by the bourgeoisie. Or maybe I'm
just selfish and like to have pretty things. Needless to say, I'm a
capitalist pig.
Recent discussions in a philosophy class about capitalism and its
influence on our character got me thinking about how money makes our
American world go round, for better or for worse.
We all know that money is the root of all evil. It is surprising then,
that we spend half of our lives laboring to acquire more of it. Karl
Marx had some pretty interesting ideas about the true value of human
labor. It's a shame so many immediately associate Marx to figures like
Stalin and Mao. Although those dictators promoted a political system
based vaguely on Marxist ideals, they hardly give a good indication of
successful practice of Marxist philosophy in society. So before you
blacklist me, hear me out.
After reading some of his writings, I began examining the role of money
in our society. Marx believed that a person being paid for their labor
was alienating and degrading. At first, this idea seemed ridiculous to
me. A person who puts in time and works hard should be compensated for
it. But, oddly enough, prostitution helped put it all into perspective.
If a person had a one night stand, there is nothing too alarming about
it. At worst it's considered trashy, but it is perfectly legal and
happens all the time- not a big deal. Having one too many drinks at an
office Christmas party and waking up in your co-worker's apartment
usually won't cause any moral outrage.
Now, if one paid 50 bucks for that one night stand, the act is perceived
entirely differently. We now call it prostitution and denounce it as an
immoral, dangerous and illegal act, unless you're in Las Vegas. So why
does the attachment of monetary value to a person's services cause such
a dramatically different perception? Obviously, the money objectifies
that person. Their labor, which ordinarily would be done for love or
enjoyment, is now a product to be bought and sold.
So why is the attachment of money to one service deplorable while
attaching it to any other service is customary and not questioned at
all? Isn't human labor in any form worth valuing by itself? It's
something to consider. If I want to be a teacher, I should teach because
I love it and believe it is important. How can hours spent teaching, an
incredibly important job, be quantified in a dollar amount? Surely, the
education of our children is priceless…like- well, a one night stand.
Granted, I'm not sure how you would thoroughly exercise this ideal into
our society. But I don't wish to lay out a practical plan for Marxist
revolution in American. Instead, I'd like to encourage others to examine
how monetary compensation affects their occupational choices. Obviously
money has to factor in. Otherwise we'll end up in the proverbial van
down by the river. But if income were absolutely not a factor, I wonder
what we'd all choose to do. If I wasn't being paid to write this
article, I wonder if it would have ever been written. I told you I was a
capitalist pig.
Unfortunately, where we live, what job we have and what college we go to
are all heavily influenced by how much money they will put in or remove
from our bank accounts.
It's important to remember that in your eulogy, they'll say the names of
your family and friends. They'll talk about how you liked to spend your
free time and where your favorite vacation spot was. But not once will
they mention the amount in your checking account.
Although I regret to end this article on such a sappy, cliché note, I
believe Marx (among other philosophers) is on the right track regarding
the compensation of human labor. Maybe in the years ahead, the United
States can grow up, look past the stereotype of Marxist philosophy and
use it to our benefit. Because the more I learn about capitalism, the
more its glorified, golden image begins to fade and its weaknesses are
revealed.
The amount of attachment we have to objects is obscene. A few days ago,
my new cell phone got its first scratch from loose change in my pocket;
it wasn't a good day. Despite being personally disgusted with this
attachment, I regularly place material objects and acquisition of money
as a top priority. Maybe I'll blame Wal-Mart or our consumer-driven
economy. Maybe I've been brain-washed by the bourgeoisie. Or maybe I'm
just selfish and like to have pretty things. Needless to say, I'm a
capitalist pig.
Recent discussions in a philosophy class about capitalism and its
influence on our character got me thinking about how money makes our
American world go round, for better or for worse.
We all know that money is the root of all evil. It is surprising then,
that we spend half of our lives laboring to acquire more of it. Karl
Marx had some pretty interesting ideas about the true value of human
labor. It's a shame so many immediately associate Marx to figures like
Stalin and Mao. Although those dictators promoted a political system
based vaguely on Marxist ideals, they hardly give a good indication of
successful practice of Marxist philosophy in society. So before you
blacklist me, hear me out.
After reading some of his writings, I began examining the role of money
in our society. Marx believed that a person being paid for their labor
was alienating and degrading. At first, this idea seemed ridiculous to
me. A person who puts in time and works hard should be compensated for
it. But, oddly enough, prostitution helped put it all into perspective.
If a person had a one night stand, there is nothing too alarming about
it. At worst it's considered trashy, but it is perfectly legal and
happens all the time- not a big deal. Having one too many drinks at an
office Christmas party and waking up in your co-worker's apartment
usually won't cause any moral outrage.
Now, if one paid 50 bucks for that one night stand, the act is perceived
entirely differently. We now call it prostitution and denounce it as an
immoral, dangerous and illegal act, unless you're in Las Vegas. So why
does the attachment of monetary value to a person's services cause such
a dramatically different perception? Obviously, the money objectifies
that person. Their labor, which ordinarily would be done for love or
enjoyment, is now a product to be bought and sold.
So why is the attachment of money to one service deplorable while
attaching it to any other service is customary and not questioned at
all? Isn't human labor in any form worth valuing by itself? It's
something to consider. If I want to be a teacher, I should teach because
I love it and believe it is important. How can hours spent teaching, an
incredibly important job, be quantified in a dollar amount? Surely, the
education of our children is priceless…like- well, a one night stand.
Granted, I'm not sure how you would thoroughly exercise this ideal into
our society. But I don't wish to lay out a practical plan for Marxist
revolution in American. Instead, I'd like to encourage others to examine
how monetary compensation affects their occupational choices. Obviously
money has to factor in. Otherwise we'll end up in the proverbial van
down by the river. But if income were absolutely not a factor, I wonder
what we'd all choose to do. If I wasn't being paid to write this
article, I wonder if it would have ever been written. I told you I was a
capitalist pig.
Unfortunately, where we live, what job we have and what college we go to
are all heavily influenced by how much money they will put in or remove
from our bank accounts.
It's important to remember that in your eulogy, they'll say the names of
your family and friends. They'll talk about how you liked to spend your
free time and where your favorite vacation spot was. But not once will
they mention the amount in your checking account.
Although I regret to end this article on such a sappy, cliché note, I
believe Marx (among other philosophers) is on the right track regarding
the compensation of human labor. Maybe in the years ahead, the United
States can grow up, look past the stereotype of Marxist philosophy and
use it to our benefit. Because the more I learn about capitalism, the
more its glorified, golden image begins to fade and its weaknesses are
revealed.
if only it were that simple. people DO need stuff that EBT cards cant buy. EBT doesnt buy everything. you dont just go in a supermarket and pick out whatever you want. you cant get gas with it. so you need a little cash.
