this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2026
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True, we do need some labor to keep things functional.
However, I can confidently state that at absolutely no point in my life have I ever worked for an employer in which my labor was an even a tiny net benefit to society. All of my jobs have been to further the profits of some rich fucks. I’m fairly certain a sizable chunk of the population is in the same boat.
Tap for spoiler
With very few exceptions, my labor has gone toward things that don’t actually need to be done at all, like support for a tax company that wouldn’t exist if the IRS worked the way it should. The closest I’ve come to being actually useful in 40 years of life was working document compliance for a food production company. A job which could easily be automated through keyword searches, and probably has by now. Or maybe working at the chicken hatchery back in high school would count if you really stretch. Tho since we supplied newborn slaves to egg farms, I think it’s not a net benefit. I’d rather see local production for communities than big inter-state inhumane operations like that one. You don’t need a hatchery capable of putting out 80k birds every 2 days to ship around the country if you just let chickens have somewhat normal lives within the communities they support like we’ve done for all of human history until very recently…
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve applied for all sorts of public welfare jobs. DNR, fisheries, environmental outreach, museum work, etc. there just simply aren’t that many jobs with tangible benefits to society that I’m qualified for and interested in doing. And if that’s the case for someone with a STEM degree and great interest in making a positive impact, I can’t imagine someone not actively aiming for that would do much better.
I would gladly put a portion of my time and energy toward supporting the social fabric if that was actually an option that replaced bullshit jobs one does just to survive. I’ll even gladly do my time in sewage/waste disposal. Idgf, if it matters and isn’t forever, I’ll do my share no matter how unpleasant. A rotating schedule of people who opt-in locally to do needed labor would keep people connected and engaged with community efforts, and teach them about what it takes to keep their little bubble running smoothly. And that sounds pretty great. Sure sure volunteering exists and could fill that need to contribute, but I don’t think, in this current environment, that that’s really a viable option for most people. Working for free in what should be down time in a capitalist dystopia that caused the problems you are volunteering to try to mitigate is… not something most people can justify the time on or afford to do, you know?