[lbo-talk] Oppression

[Miles Jackson]

Somebody Somebody wrote:
> Mathias: Why would socialism require particularly altruistic people?
> 
> 
> Somebody: 
> So, people need to be more altruistic because they'll need to put in
> work that's not fully compensated for (as in capitalism), but without
> the lash of economic necessity (although there can be other
> consequences like ostracism). I mean, aside from the period of
> enthusiasm and ideological fervor immediately following revolutions,
> isn't it the case that worker apathy tends to become endemic in
> socialist countries? Doesn't that in a sense, come down to
> selfishness?

Okay, let's apply this argument to nonwage work in our own societies. 
If people slack off when they are not "fully compensated" for their 
labor, no family would function.  As I (and many other list members) can 
testify, we do all kinds of noncompensated labor in our family life 
without wage compensation.  Yes, there are all kinds of direct and 
indirect social sanctions to encourage people do to family work, but 
we're definitely doing it outside the wage system, and for the most 
part, the work gets done.

I've said it before, but the point is worth repeating: in terms of GDP, 
about 1/2 of the work that we do in the U. S. to sustain our society is 
done outside the wage system.   This demonstrates we do not need direct 
economic incentives to get important social labor done; we just need 
socialization that a particular form of unpaid labor is important and 
meaningful.

Miles