In 2025 and beyond it is my sincere hope that we stop lauding articles that merely present problems without providing any substantive thoughts on how to solve them.
I'm not going to say if this author is successful or not, but isn't the first step to addressing a problem identify there is one? Step 0 of stop, drop, and roll is to say to yourself "You know what, I think I'm on fire."
The first step is being honest about if the problem is even solvable, and second if it is solvable would people really want what the solution means.
This article is dishonest in using a definition of work that excludes the vast majority of work people have done over history. The sexist view that women never work because watching kids, making clothing, washing clothing, preparing meals (all traditional things women did in various societies) was not real work, while the things men did (hunting, fishing) was real work.
> "you have to do things and not all will be pleasant."
This is arguing that there is no difference between being a slave and being a free human because both have to prepare food, chop wood, wash dishes.
"I own a house, I will put the bins out because I want my house to be rat-free and smell nice" is fundamentally different from "my master orders me to put the bins out and if I don't I will be punished" and from "my employer orders me to put the bins out and if I don't I will become unemployed, homeless, unable to get food, so I am coerced to do it and have no choice".
You are arguing that the choice is meaningless because labour and work and employment are all the same, and the author is arguing that the choice is everything.
Can you quote the definition of work that the article uses and how it excludes women's labor? I don't think you actually read the whole article.
But in terms of steps, yes the problem of capitalist exploitation is solvable. Of course the 1% don't really want that solution which is why they try so hard to perpetuate the myths the author takes on.
Between the bad layout and how obviously wrong it was in the early paragraphs I'll admit to not finishing. They were building up a strawman of capitalism to knock down, and I couldn't read it anymore.
Which is to say I can't quote their definition, but it was clearly leading to the sexist one. (elsewhere people are using a labor vs work distinction which I'm going to contend comes from the same sexism and isn't a useful distinction)
Hey I must miss something certainly as I don’t see what is the substantive thoughts shared in this comment that would mitigate this issue of unmerited laud for mere careful exposition of a perspective. Surely it’s just me missing the point.
The reality is that people LOVE reading articles like this. They love sharing articles like this. Anthony Burgess wrote a wonderful preface to a clockwork orange which I consider inline with this concept in which he wrote:
"Unfortunately there is so much original sin in us all that we find evil rather attractive. To devastate is easier and more spectacular than to create. We like to have the pants scared off us by visions of cosmic destruction. To sit down in a dull room and compose the Missa Solemis or The Anatomy of the Melancholy does not make headlines or news flashes."
All the anti-capitalist doom lit out there has its place, but all of the adults all agree that its intellectually dishonest. This article is just calling out something with no attempt to improve or offer a way forward (thank you to the parent comment for calling this out). Its even ignoring that there are many people who actually enjoy the state of affairs.