Labour Divided

 


Before there was an economy of exchange (or money) there was, with the exception of societies with slaves, little to no division of labor.

Mankind, in their free and primal state, did not purchase a house they built it themselves.

Food was found grown or hunted. What was needed was fetched and also used not wasted.O

Cooperation was free or in kind: everyone helped raise my roof on the understanding that I would do the same for them. The answer to Help! was in the beginning simply a Yes! The response to help given was merely a gracious gift if possible.

At some point, gracious gifts, say a feast for the village after the raising, a bucket of apples or the promise to help with some task, became an obligation and the first payments were invented. In a barter system, a man with lots of resources need no longer build his own house: others would do it in exchange for his wealth.

Money followed and the division of Labor was complete.

From then on the Butcher, Baker and Candlestick maker respectively would slice, bake and craft and a new species of man was born. The drone or worker would be assigned some monotonous task by a master destined never to experience building hunting or sawing again. His reward was some form of token currency which enabled him to consume goods of whose making he had no part and little idea.

We are still experiencing the psychological consequences of this disastrous disruption. Exchanging heaven for hell, hot air for a cool breeze, cold comfort for change.

Today, we attempt to reclaim our lost creativity with meaningless hobbies and distractions (watching others live adventure or be creative) but the fact remains that our direct livelihood (food, shelter) is completely out of our hands and only indirectly possible as long as we toil for a master and earn money.

Where it was formerly self evident that a man who does not fetch his own food will hunger we now have the artificial (& legal) understanding that though the shops be full of food bound to spoil no hungry soul may receive anything if he does not have money. Toil has become necessary for existence. If you try to eat without money you will be imprisoned for the impunity. You may not have decided to be born, but you will pay for the privelege.

Worse stilOl, one man may toil for a day and earn more than another in a year. And as the millionaire toils all year he amasses hundreds or even thousands more moneyand this drains natural resources at an exorbitant rate. Yet society admires their success, ignoring the fact that they use more resources. Perversely we consider overpopulation to be the real problem arguing that a 100 poor folk consume more resources than one millionaire. So reproduction comes to be the perceived problem and not inordinate wealth or unfettered greed.

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