For the people who haven't read the bread book, Kropotkin makes arguments against child labor starting in the first chapter. He says that it is unfair that children of capitalists receive inheritance but the labor of the worker is inherited by the capitalist. That is unfair that children of workers have to work in the factory starting at the age of 13. Throughout the book, he says that children should not work in factories or mines. He says that children should receive meals from the society for free. In chapter 4, he talks about how artisans take advantage of working class children through apprenticeships (ie internships) by paying them less than the value their labor produces. In chapter 12, he talks about how capitalists would rather employ children than grown adult because children are willing to be payed less, which causes grown men to be jobless. He says the use of child labor makes society into a joke.

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 26 points 1 day ago

You obviously missed the footnote where he said it doesn't count if the kids are brown, far away, and the stuff they're making is really tasty.

[–] Evilsandwichman@hexbear.net 18 points 1 day ago

he talks about how capitalists would rather employ children than grown adult because children are willing to be payed less, which causes grown men to be jobless. He says the use of child labor makes society into a joke.

MAGA wondering how to deport children

[–] ComradeRat@hexbear.net 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

read Kropotkin

Its very funny that they used Kropotkin instead of Marx, who actually opposed banning child labour

[–] quarrk@hexbear.net 14 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

Just so this isn’t left hanging, from my understanding he was against child labor in the conditions of factory labor. The extent that he supported child labor, it was something like apprenticeship alongside education. Maybe not even “work” properly so called, but productive labor nonetheless. It is in line with the general belief of communists that labor is not inherently exploitative, but that under capitalist conditions, it becomes exploitative. Communists are pro-labor, labor as a fundamental human activity, something that can be positive. Hence for example the massively misrepresented Soviet labor camps, which basic idea is that consciousness is derived from practice; therefore you enforce a reformed practice in order to produce a reformed consciousness.

[–] ComradeRat@hexbear.net 5 points 20 hours ago

As I understand it, Marx advocated for children to continue working in factories, under capitalism, as useful for changing society. I agree that eventually socialism and communism will abolish work (wage-labour) and create factories very different to todays factories, but I dont think its relevant to what marx is talking about when he opposes banning child labour in e.g.

Critique of Gotha Programme:

A general prohibition of child labor is incompatible with the existence of large-scale industry and hence an empty, pious wish. Its realization -- if it were possible -- would be reactionary, since, with a strict regulation of the working time according to the different age groups and other safety measures for the protection of children, an early combination of productive labor with education is one of the most potent means for the transformation of present-day society.

Where he talks about the abolition of child labour as reactionary, even in 1870s germany. He isnt advocating children working just in the future communism, but as inevitable under capitalism and anyways beneficial for changing society