Discussion Just curious as to how many people here see work as some form of slavery

[ijustwishtodie]

I'm posting this here because I'm merely curious. Also, feel free to share as to why you chose the answer that you did

 

[derpyderpins]

I'm a little confused by the wording of the prompt, but my answer would be that any task that is forced upon you can be considered slavery, but if you voluntarily do the work it's not slavery. An easy example is that if my Computer breaks, it will take work to fix it, but if I choose to do that work then said work is not slavery, clearly.

The question I'm guessing you want to ask is more like "is it slavery when the only way I can pay rent and afford groceries in a modern society is to generate income in some way by offering value to others which I can in-turn exchange with my landlord/grocer for the services I desire," and my answer is "no."

 

[sserafim]

I chose yes because work is modern day slavery

I'm a little confused by the wording of the prompt, but my answer would be that any task that is forced upon you can be considered slavery, but if you voluntarily do the work it's not slavery. An easy example is that if my Computer breaks, it will take work to fix it, but if I choose to do that work then said work is not slavery, clearly.

The question I'm guessing you want to ask is more like "is it slavery when the only way I can pay rent and afford groceries in a modern society is to generate income in some way by offering value to others which I can in-turn exchange with my landlord/grocer for the services I desire," and my answer is "no."

Why is your answer "no"? I knew you were the one chose no in the poll lol

 

[derpyderpins]

Why is your answer "no"?

I'm still waiting on your answer for why you use the term "modern day slavery." People have always had to work to survive (I granted for the sake of argument that I'm talking about the post-agriculture era) so has work always been slavery, or what changed?

Modern work sucks. There are a lot of negatives about the current work environment, but it's not slavery. Who is enslaving you? The landlord who doesn't let you stay for free? The grocer who doesn't give you free food? The government that has no resources other than what it prints - causing inflation for everyone - or takes from people? I don't think you're entitled to other's labor, and if you want it mandated you are in turn becoming the slavemaster.

Work is modern day slavery. I knew you were the one chose no in the poll lol

lol I hope you can count on me to say something even if I know it will be unpopular.

 

[Aergia]

Slavery to what? Even if we lived in a pre-agricultural society we'd still have to expend energy hunting/gathering for food or building/finding shelters. I don't think those who call work slavery are finding fault with the exigencies of modern society, I think they're finding fault with the exigencies of life. All we're arguably enslaved to are our own biologies.

 

[untothedepths]

Due to how workers are treated, yes. I don't think most people would hate the idea of working or having to work, its the fact that people are not paid liveable wages and are asked to waste their lives and mental well being for people who couldn't give one ounce of a fuck for them.

 

[4am]

in the current financial/economic system it definitely is

 

[rozeske]

No, I wouldn't call it a slavery in anyway. The raw definition of slavery is "the practice of forced labor and restricted liberty. It is also a regime where one class of people - the slave owners - could force another - the slaves - to work and limit their liberty. Throughout history, some forms of slavery existed as punishment for committing crimes or to pay off debts."
Whatever type of work you choose to do it's something you choose and not forced labour by no means and you will have a choice to leave it whenever you want. You know your limits and you get to mainly benefit from the work one way or another. Slavery doesn't give you that privilege in no way shape or form. In slavery you will be forced to give all you've got until you are mentally and physically broken, with little to no benefit to yourself. Slavery is an inhumane way of taking advantage of others in a limitless way. Work in a modern society in no way could possibly be compared to slavery.

Work is more like a necessity to survive. People have always had to work to provide for themselves and others dependent on them. you either have to work for the basic needs of survival plus other needs or you will be dependent and beneficiary of others who have to work. In the old age People had to work as hunters and gatherers to provide a means of surviving for themselves and their little ones. Something with animals. You will have to work in some way to keep on surviving. That is just the basic law of existence.

 

[xinino]

Yes, work is slavery, we are slaves to God and God is machine, I am glad.

I'm a little confused by the wording of the prompt, but my answer would be that any task that is forced upon you can be considered slavery, but if you voluntarily do the work it's not slavery. An easy example is that if my Computer breaks, it will take work to fix it, but if I choose to do that work then said work is not slavery, clearly.

The question I'm guessing you want to ask is more like "is it slavery when the only way I can pay rent and afford groceries in a modern society is to generate income in some way by offering value to others which I can in-turn exchange with my landlord/grocer for the services I desire," and my answer is "no."

Man, I wish you or your children would get replaced by AI, and at those moments you will feel the same thing that Luddites felt 200 years ago and understand how slave you are to machines and progress.

In slavery you will be forced to give all you've got until you are mentally and physically broken, with little to no benefit to yourself. Slavery is an inhumane way of taking advantage of others in a limitless way

That exactly what technology did to me, I don't feel human anymore.

 

[derpyderpins]

Yes, work is slavery, we are slaves to God and God is machine, I am glad.

Man, I wish you or your children would get replaced by AI, and at those moments you will feel the same thing that Luddites felt 200 years ago and understand how slave you are to machines and progress.

Do you mean you wish I would actually be turned into an AI or that it would take my job? I'm assuming the latter. Even if I couldn't make ends meet it would not be "slavery" in my mind less some additional factors.

It's possible to suffer due to outside forces or other peoples' action and not be a "slave." I just don't see being in a generally shitty situation as "slavery" automatically, and I think words really matter, particularly if a use is devaluing the intensity of a word. I just can't imagine seeing someone kidnapped, taken away from their family, and sold to someone to be their property regularly physically abused and raped with no chance of escape and think "that's a slave," and then look at someone staying at home who doesn't want to work because it sucks and think "that's also a slave. Pretty much the same."

 

[LoiteringClouds]

*Note: I'm trying to recover.

I don't think it's slavery, as many people have said.
But people who feel like it's slavery, please know that you're not alone.
Sometimes I feel like that as well.

And I'm deeply, deeply ashamed of it.
Because in my case it's all my fault.

Personally I make a lot of mistakes at work because my short-term memory is virtually nonexistent, and my boss (the owner of the business) is furious about that and always scold me as if I'm an defiant teenager.
I always do my best at work, but I know "sometimes doing your best is not good enough. Sometimes you must do what is required." (Winston S. Churchill) So I understand I don't deserve respect anyway. He told me "you have done nothing right" and called me a "war criminal" several times when I made mistakes.

And it's all my fault.

I want to die. Really really want to die*. I feel like nobody is on my side. And I'm afraid of being mercilessly judged when I'd say "I've been treated like a slave" because I know I'd be treated like a spoiled brat and told to grow up.

It's not slavery - It's my fault.

I'm mentally disabled and everyday is an uphill battle, but no matter how hopeless it seems to be I'll try to improve myself. My boss once said "workplace is a battlefield" and the message is clear - I have only two option - fend for myself, or leave. (This is just the case of the company I work for.)

I have only two option - do better, or die - and I'm trying to survive.

Thank you so much for reading my musing

It's possible to suffer due to outside forces or other peoples' action and not be a "slave." I just don't see being in a generally shitty situation as "slavery" automatically, and I think words really matter, particularly if a use is devaluing the intensity of a word. I just can't imagine seeing someone kidnapped, taken away from their family, and sold to someone to be their property regularly physically abused and raped with no chance of escape and think "that's a slave," and then look at someone staying at home who doesn't want to work because it sucks and think "that's also a slave. Pretty much the same."

I totally agree - I never call myself a "slave" because of this. I can't represent other people but at least in my case the word "slave" is too grave to describe my situation. My boss never hit me physically. And I'm grateful that I can still CTB if the situation is really unbearable - the freedom real slaves haven't had.

 

[xinino]

Do you mean you wish I would actually be turned into an AI or that it would take my job? I'm assuming the latter. Even if I couldn't make ends meet it would not be "slavery" in my mind less some additional factors.

It's possible to suffer due to outside forces or other peoples' action and not be a "slave." I just don't see being in a generally shitty situation as "slavery" automatically, and I think words really matter, particularly if a use is devaluing the intensity of a word. I just can't imagine seeing someone kidnapped, taken away from their family, and sold to someone to be their property regularly physically abused and raped with no chance of escape and think "that's a slave," and then look at someone staying at home who doesn't want to work because it sucks and think "that's also a slave. Pretty much the same."

Between us, work for machine is inherently slavery, it is changing the conventional notion of humanity itself and we can't break away from it, in other hand traditional slavery at least preserves human experience, I am fine with work being slavery, it is our fate.

Instead of convincing her that work isn't slavery, just put her in reality work or death, the unending controversy about work being slavery is debatable.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I go back and forth on this because while I do think it sucks that I have to work at all, it's not like I was any less miserable while I wasn't working. At least now that I work I can be distracted enough to stop focusing on my problems or how much I suck. It's too bad my job won't make enough to be a livable wage but it's something I suppose.

I find free will and individuality a little overrated anyway. I'd rather be a slave living with enough comforts than to be a slave to my own irrational desires and fears.

 

[endofme0001]

I have my own business. At first I felt totally free but as the field I'm in evolved it feels like slavery now. I originally started my own business to alleviate stress and now it is worse than ever. Customers are terrible. The ease of which someone can fuck with your livelihood online makes it all the worse.

 

[Malaria]

It's slavery if you don't like what you're doing. But if you like what you're doing, I don't think that's slavery.

 

[Pluto]

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

"Ooh la la, someone's gonna get laid in college."

 

[leavingthesoultrap]

Yes, because how the system is set up.
Most ppl are underpaid and the 40+h work week is just something that should not exist