this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2025
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[–] merc@sh.itjust.works -3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This is only true because capitalism is limiting technology

Capitalism is trying as hard as possible to replace people with machines, but there are a lot of jobs that machines simply can't do.

to landing on the moon

Hundreds of millions of people paid the equivalent of thousands of dollars each for a dozen men to be able to walk on the moon. "Walking on the moon" isn't some activity that anybody can do now. It was effectively a stunt to show that it could be done

Capitalism dictates that profit means everything.

Only in the eyes of communists.

[–] sobchak@programming.dev 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Capitalism is trying as hard as possible to replace people with machines, but there are a lot of jobs that machines simply can’t do.

This is not absolutely true. I've seen and worked manual jobs that could absolutely be automated by a fairly simple machine. There isn't much reason to automate low-paying jobs away.

There are also a lot of pointless "bullshit jobs." ~20% of people think their own jobs are pointless.

I've been around the tech startup scene for a while now, and they often do a lot of pointless work that everyone knows isn't useful, just because they know that's what's "hot" right now with investors.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 week ago

There isn't much reason to automate low-paying jobs away.

Ok, fair enough.

There are also a lot of pointless "bullshit jobs." ~20% of people think their own jobs are pointless.

How many of them are right? Maybe some of them. But, a lot of people don't appreciate the whole system they're part of.

do a lot of pointless work that everyone knows isn't useful, just because they know that's what's "hot" right now with investors.

I doubt it's truly pointless. Sure, it might not end up working, but maybe the investor actually knows more than the workers. There are a lot of successful companies that I saw in their early stages and thought "nobody's ever going to pay money for that", and I was completely wrong.

[–] shaman1093@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

To your last point - do you believe that profit is not valued above all else in our current society?

I'd like to understand your view here further if you're happy to elaborate

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works -2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

do you believe that profit is not valued above all else in our current society?

Of course not. Just look at a typical commercial. You're supposed to drink coke because it's an activity you can do with friends. You're supposed to buy a truck because it lets you get outdoors and go fishing. You're supposed to buy makeup so that you can look glamorous for your friends and eligible men.

If profit were the most valued thing, these commercials would be all about how drinking coke makes you more focused so you can earn more money, and how your truck allows you to take on a side hustle to make more money.

[–] EddoWagt@feddit.nl 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The advertisers don't give a shit about all that stuff, you're supposed to buy things to make the company money. If there was no money to he gained, they wouldn't sell and advertise it. They're just trying to convince you you need product x for activity y

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The advertisers don't care. But, the people they're advertising things to do care. For them, profit is not valued above all these other things, thus the advertisers need to target things they do care about: friends, family, status, leisure activities, etc.

[–] blind3rdeye@aussie.zone 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I agree with that. But the claim was that capitalism puts profit above all else, not necessarily that individual people do that.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] blind3rdeye@aussie.zone 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

In a similar way to how feudalism is people?

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 week ago

Yes, all the isms are people.