I often daydream about how society would be if we were not forced by society to pigeon hole ourselves into a specialized career for maximizing the profits of capitalists, and sell most of our time for it.
The idea of creating an entire identity for you around your “career” and only specializing in one thing would be ridiculous in another universe. Humans have so much natural potential for breadth, but that is just not compatible with capitalism.
This is evident with how most people develop “hobbies” outside of work, like wood working, gardening, electronics, music, etc. This idea of separating “hobbies” and the thing we do most of our lives (work) is ridiculous.
Here’s how my world could be different if I owned my time and dedicated it to the benefit of my own and my community instead of capitalists:
- more reading, learning and excusing knowledge with others.
- learn more handy work, like plumbing and wood working. I love customizing my own home!
- more gardening
- participate in the transportation system (picking up shifts to drive a bus for example)
- become a tour guide for my city
- cook and bake for my neighbors
- academic research
- open source software (and non-software) contributions
- pick up shifts at a café and make coffee, tea and smoothies for people
- pick up shifts to clean up public spaces, such as parks or my own neighborhood
- participate in more than one “professions”. I studied one type of engineering but work in a completely different engineering. This already proves I can do both, so why not do both and others?
Humans do not like the same thing over and over every day. It’s unnatural. But somehow we revolve our whole livelihood around if.
I run a goth night once every other month.
I visit friends quite often whenever I want to.
I get up and start my day when I feel like it.
I play with code and build web toys.
I’m a freelance IT guy. I could, if I wanted to, earn a lot more than I do, but my time is worth more than money. It is possible to do, even in this world where everyone is told that you need a ‘career’ and to work for a company, although a lot more work is needed to freeing other careers from the obligation of the grind.
Don’t give up hope, unionise, demand respect,
buy a guillotine,and keep an eye out for a way to get what you need and to contribute to society or your community without signing your life away.(Yes, some people will never get the opportunity. And that, frankly, pisses me off no end. But don’t lose hope until you’re dead.)
Your a freelance IT guy and you are suggesting to unionize? Your the guy companies use when they don’t want unions.
I don’t work for big companies, I support small businesses where a full-time IT guy doesn’t make sense, and old people who are struggling to get their internet working because their internet explorer icon disappeared. Additionally, if I was contacted by a company to cover them whilst their employees are striking, I’d turn them down.
So your suggesting the small companies don’t unionize as you got them?
Honestly your stance is a bit disingenuous. Unions do not like your model as you take away work that could be done under a union.
It’s clear you don’t understand my business. A kebab house does not hire a full time IT guy, they hire someone like me when needed. Similarly, they don’t hire a full-time plumber for their toilets, a full-time builder to repair broken tiles, or a full time electrician to repair their electronics.
As for unionising, I’d support such businesses unionising, and would not help management stop them, even if they are my clients.
Some perspective for you, because you’re looking for an enemy here: Just because I got sick of working under middle management doesn’t mean I don’t need to be able to afford food and rent. Under the current state of affairs, you have to work for someone, or you have to work for yourself. The only alternative is social support systems which differ nation to nation. If looking at the big CEOs, yeah, you’re looking at arsewipes. No way they got there without stepping on people. But the farther down you go, the more normal people you meet. Owning or running a business is not the same as taking advantage of people, and being self-employed is not the same as union busting.
I am not your enemy here, but I’m also not going to respond to you anymore. I wish you well, but this is not worth my time.
Not suggesting you are my enemy but there are union IT shops that your model would certainly take work away.