David Rolfe Graeber (/ˈɡreɪbər/; February 12, 1961 – September 2, 2020) was an American anthropologist and anarchist activist. His influential work in economic anthropology, particularly his books Debt: The First 5,000 Years (2011), Bullshit Jobs (2018), and The Dawn of Everything (2021), and his leading role in the Occupy movement, earned him recognition as one of the foremost anthropologists and left-wing thinkers of his time.

  • frezik@midwest.social
    9·
    5 hours ago

    The syndicalist answer is to get the whole working class into unions. Those unions take over their companies and become worker-owned co-operatives. They preference working directly with other companies doing the same. At some point, this reaches critical mass. The state then becomes unnecessary because the co-operatives handle everything between themselves.

    Don’t forget, too, that a lot of “work” being done in a modern office takes, perhaps, 10 hours a week. People aren’t doing real work for 40 hours. That suggests that a company can be just as successful as any other while substantially reducing hours.

    • Valmond@lemmy.world
      4·
      5 hours ago

      I know about that idea, but it doesn’t adress the problem posed, at all?

      Those people will just take over unions. I live in France were the unions are strong, and I can tell you the yes, it’s way better than no unions but no it isn’t lala land either and the battle of the egos is all over the place.

      I also know that most office hours are totally wasted, but how come no one seems to have successfully made a job where you only do those effective hours possible?

      • sinceasdf@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 hour ago

        I also know that most office hours are totally wasted, but how come no one seems to have successfully made a job where you only do those effective hours possible?

        Follow some middle managers around for a day. Being a corporate uncle tom has its perks

      • frezik@midwest.social
        4·
        5 hours ago

        Unions alone are necessary, but not sufficient. They have to actually take over their companies for this to work. The number of workers in a co-operative in France is about 5%.

        I also know that most office hours are totally wasted, but how come no one seems to have successfully made a job where you only do those effective hours possible?

        That’s a very good question for capitalism.

        • Valmond@lemmy.world
          21·
          4 hours ago

          I have worked in Sweden too, heavily unionised at the time being.

          What do you mean it’s a question for capitalism? If you can’t solve it, then it will still be a problem for your syndicalism.

          • frezik@midwest.social
            1·
            4 hours ago

            Syndicalisim solves it by reducing hours once everyone is in a co-op. I say it’s a question for capitalism because they could just do that right now, there’s some good arguments that they could, but don’t.