[username90]

Fact is that every time you create a new way to earn money some people will do it full time no matter the feasibility. So basically you argue that we should have the current wage-slave economy forever instead of giving workers more choice. The only reason Uber is even a hint of a problem today is that we only have a single occupation following this model, but if it was more widespread and you could pick between a plethora of different things to earn money by as easily as Uber then suddenly the problems with Uber today would disappear instantly.

I understand that the current wage-slave model is better for employers, workers can't go home early if they feel tired that day for less pay since it would get them fired. Instead they have to tough out their hours every day. Similarly if a part time worker wanted a bit of extra money they could just choose to work more a few times, but that is also impossible in the current model. It assumes that workers are like machines who reliably work XX hours per week with no deviations. And even hourly jobs requires you to pick shifts beforehand and often you can't even get as many hours as you want or need, and you can still get fired for picking too few shifts etc.

So I feel that Uber is a much more humane way to handle labor than current employment contracts.

[avianlyric]

Don’t assume that US wage slave practices are universal.

Most of the developed world has very strong worker protections and a recognition that mental health and flexible working is important.

We can provide jobs with good benefits, flexible hours, accommodations for parents etc without resorting to the employment model Uber trumpets. The EU proves this is possible (it’s far from perfect, but empirically better than the US), and the fact that it’s one of the worlds largest trading blocks shows it can be done without sacrificing economic progress.

[hnewsshadowbans]

Then you get less innovation, less productivity, and less upward mobility. Don't pretend there isn't a cost.

Goofing off in your cubicle and then going off to a picket line to keep your UBI isn't real independence.

The future lies in something greater than the wageslave model of America or the dependency model of Europe.

[avianlyric]

Empirical evidence suggests otherwise.

For productivity the US trails behind most EU countries and the EU as a whole [1]

Same again for social mobility, US trailing badly [2]

So if the cost of the EU model is higher productivity and social mobility, then I’m all in.

As for innovation, that’s harder to comment on. But the success of US tech companies is certainly notable.

[1] https://data.oecd.org/lprdty/gdp-per-hour-worked.htm

[2] https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-social-mobility-...

[hnewsshadowbans]

I agree lets look at this empirically. Or as close to it as we casually can. Lets take the top 3 results for Googling "productivity nation" (without quotes) where we can easily get a list to avoid cherrypicking.

https://collectivehub.com/2018/02/15-of-the-worlds-most-prod...

Lists US as 6th ahead of most European countries

https://time.com/4621185/worker-productivity-countries/

US is 5th ahead of most European countries

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)...

US is 3rd ahead of most European countries. (I think this is a slightly more trustworthy number because its simpler and less prone to monkeybusiness like adding 'worklife' balance into the equation like other figures do.

So yes the empirical evidence seems to indicate that the US model is ahead of the EU in general. Its not the best but then again I never said that employment models is the be all end all of everything productivity.

Let's look at mobility, when I say upward mobility. I don't mean simply making do or even living adequately. I mean being ambitious and actually breaking out and being very successful and maintaining it. One straightforward way is to look at USD millionaires per capita.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/262687/countries-with-th...

US is 3rd ahead of all the EU.

[cmhnn]

" But the success of US tech companies is certainly notable."

One of the funniest statements ever following an assertion of empiricism.

The left's idea of "leading" is always amusing. The left in the socialist paradises in Europe will keep depending on US technology and posting on sites created by US innovation. At least until they depend maybe on China and then they won't even have the choice to practice evading their own country's speech laws.

The leftists in the US will just keep abusing the privileges they are afforded by those who keep them in luxury because that's just what they do. The system is good to them that way.

I'll now go "wage slave" so I can afford to travel to places that produce old buildings you visit.