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What does “shitty job” mean in the low-skill, low-pay world?

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Re: What does “shitty job” mean in the low-skill, low-pay world?

#191

Post by BlargMcLarg »

mrjangles wrote: post #83
alexfromapex wrote: post #31

I think this article starts to touch on a topic area I don't hear much about but am extremely frustrated by: how modern work for a lot of jobs has become de facto indentured servitude. In the "When They Know They've Got You" section, they mention the real challenges of not being able to obtain a lawyer if things truly aren't fair. The average worker can't afford anything without taking on debt. Insurance is a scam in…

>how modern work for a lot of jobs has become de facto indentured servitude...The average worker can't afford anything without taking on debt. For people from other countries wondering about the veracity of these claims, let's take an example: The typical shitty job everyone on here complains about is working at an amazon warehouse. This is a job people with no skills take on. They pay 15 USD an hour. In other curren…

>For people from other countries wondering about the veracity of these claims

I don't think GP is out of touch with reality as much as sensationalizing what is going on. Given the trend of the housing market and wages across the entire west, it could be closer to reality quite soon.

Rather, Average Joe is struggling with things that realistically, he shouldn't be struggling with given our global wealth. Comfort level of money has risen far above median wage. If you're not sitting on wealth yet, anything below that isn't going to feel comfortable for a myriad of reasons. Individuals can work around that and build up the wealth, but that won't make the road itself any more comfortable.

Not to mention the majority of actions individuals can perform involve less spending, and every time that happens, politicians, economists and the news will quickly throw out a panic article how the economy is doomed if people don't start spending more quickly.

Re: What does “shitty job” mean in the low-skill, low-pay world?

#192

Post by winnit »

bglazer wrote: post #148
rajin444 wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No matter what system we propose it can’t handle human greed and abuses of power. Bad actors ruin everything. We need to figure out how to build high trust societies with a shared culture. There’s a reason large corporations are pushing diversity so hard - it keeps abuses like those described above possible.

Are you advocating for ethno-nationalism?

I would prefer to think he's suggesting that diversity is a representation of cultural background, rather than suggesting that between racially different individuals that have had similar life experiences (upbringing, education etc.) there should be segregation. Agree that the cynical view of the role of measures ensuring diversity in the workplace needs expanding upon though. Perhaps he means that nowadays diversity isn't ensuring equality but rather the quotas can be met in a workplace where the minorities are still discriminated against e.g. in any team there are members who do more work than get credit for and vice versa - perhaps he means there's currently a racial bias at play behind this? I don't know, maybe I'm giving too much benefit of the doubt... or too little.

Re: What does “shitty job” mean in the low-skill, low-pay world?

#193

Post by aerosmile »

iamdbtoo wrote: post #160
rnikander wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So rent a room and/or don’t live in the best part of the city. That’s what I did near Boston a few years ago. My rent was well under $1000. Do people think they’re entitled to private apartments in the most expensive cities in the world?

Yeah, that's kind of how this country markets itself. Being able to afford a home and a family on a regular worker's pay is literally part of "The American Dream."

The American Dream is not about getting more for less, as in "most luxury for the least amount of effort." It's about having a shot at owning a business without the financial backing of a rich family [0], which is more like "most luxury for an insane amount of effort."

[0] A lot of recent discussion centers on how many of the most successful US entrepreneurs come from privileged backgrounds, but you should not lose sight of the fact that literally every other country in the world will fare a lot worse in this regard. Many things are broken in the US, but no other place on Earth has lower barriers to starting your own LLC and hiring your first employee.

Re: What does “shitty job” mean in the low-skill, low-pay world?

#194

Post by bruce343434 »

hn_neverguess wrote: post #167
mrjangles wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>how modern work for a lot of jobs has become de facto indentured servitude...The average worker can't afford anything without taking on debt. For people from other countries wondering about the veracity of these claims, let's take an example: The typical shitty job everyone on here complains about is working at an amazon warehouse. This is a job people with no skills take on. They pay 15 USD an hour. In other curren…

Whoever complains about slavery in the US should look up the 996 working hour system in China (spoiler: 72 hours per week). Why compare ourselves to China and not to a place like Argentina or wherever they take mid-day naps during weekdays? Because you don't want to fall behind in the global economic race. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, there are going to be fewer and fewer protections for the loca…

"You can't complain because other people have it worse!"

Re: What does “shitty job” mean in the low-skill, low-pay world?

#195

Post by [deleted] »

Spivak wrote: post #190
rnikander wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So rent a room and/or don’t live in the best part of the city. That’s what I did near Boston a few years ago. My rent was well under $1000. Do people think they’re entitled to private apartments in the most expensive cities in the world?

If your job is in that city then yeah kinda. Workers today are so entitled, demanding an entire studio apartment the audacity.

[deleted]

Re: What does “shitty job” mean in the low-skill, low-pay world?

#197

Post by Spivak »

pc86 wrote: post #163
rnikander wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So rent a room and/or don’t live in the best part of the city. That’s what I did near Boston a few years ago. My rent was well under $1000. Do people think they’re entitled to private apartments in the most expensive cities in the world?

> Do people think they’re entitled to private apartments in the most expensive cities in the world? Yes, they do. Read any thread on a vaguely left-leaning subreddit that even starts approaching discussions of renting, or landlords, or landlord-tenant relations, and you'll get flooded with comments so detached from reality it will stun you.

If you can’t afford to live in the city where you work then it’s pretty much the definition of “not a living wage.”

Like are we really at the point where we’re totally fine with people commuting an hour one way every workday to a shitty minimum wage job instead of just building affordable modest housing reserved for people working in the city.

Re: What does “shitty job” mean in the low-skill, low-pay world?

#198

Post by chse_cake »

frontman1988 wrote: post #59

These low paying shitty jobs in developed countries sound quite pleasant compared to what people in third world countries are forced to do. These jobs are what came to my mind as an Indian when I read the title: https://dw.com/en/india-manual-scavengers-continue-to-remove... https://thewire.in/labour/manual-scavenging-sanitation-worke...

India is notorious for paying shit money to people. When I started my first software job in India i was paid less than 4k$ a year, I lived in a slum and worked 60 hour weeks. I obviously did not have to pickup some one else’s shit. And I am not saying that America has a prettier picture but overall being on minimum wage in America/Europe is actually a little better than being on minimum wage in 3rd world / developing nations.

Re: What does “shitty job” mean in the low-skill, low-pay world?

#199

Post by beebeepka »

rajin444 wrote: post #100
silexia wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The solution here is to open up the free markets again. This means: -Right to repair -Abolish the patent system and non competes -Drop the IRS and let the government simply print money it needs... This eliminates all tax loopholes and special treatment. Perfectly fair wealth tax.

No matter what system we propose it can’t handle human greed and abuses of power. Bad actors ruin everything. We need to figure out how to build high trust societies with a shared culture. There’s a reason large corporations are pushing diversity so hard - it keeps abuses like those described above possible.

Do you mind explaining your last sentence? I really have no idea what are you talking about

Re: What does “shitty job” mean in the low-skill, low-pay world?

#200

Post by antifa »

pc86 wrote: post #163
rnikander wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So rent a room and/or don’t live in the best part of the city. That’s what I did near Boston a few years ago. My rent was well under $1000. Do people think they’re entitled to private apartments in the most expensive cities in the world?

> Do people think they’re entitled to private apartments in the most expensive cities in the world? Yes, they do. Read any thread on a vaguely left-leaning subreddit that even starts approaching discussions of renting, or landlords, or landlord-tenant relations, and you'll get flooded with comments so detached from reality it will stun you.

I can't believe people are so detached from reality that they feel entitled to live within driving distance of their job...
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