[I]t is true that, to the mode of thought of the educated classes..., it must seem monstrous that in time to come there will no longer be any professional porters or architects, and that the man who for half an hour gives instruction as an architect will also push a barrow for a period, until his activity as an architect is once again required. [Sarcastically:] It is a fine sort of socialism which perpetuates the professional porter!
---Engels.
Stoller:
The more I push for job rotation (AKA participatory government), the more I get branded a fascist. Considering that fascism is fundamentally characterized by a rigid social division of labor as well as minority control of the state apparatus, this claim against job rotation is wholly ludicrous.
: People are reacting, I should think, to - in the hegelian sense - positive character of Job rotation, in that it involves and externalised, and alienating enforcement of system over the subject - you may recall that that was teh fundamental begining of my opposition, prefering ad hoc Labour over systematised rotation, which to my mind, actualy recreates and entranches division of labour.
AD HOC labor? Is that anything like 'liberty in the workplace', by any chance?
: Further, we cannot rotate *all* jobs, there would remain social division of labour, in that some co-ops would build planes, and some would have access to coal mines, etc. unless *every8 commune was self sufficient, and every commune produced teh same thing, social division of labour would exist.
Co-ops? Communes? I'm taliking about full-fledged communism.
: Further, teh fragmented character of rotation is anti-humanistic...
No, my misinformed friend, the SOCIAL DIVISION OF LABOR is what's anti-humanistic.
Without job rotation, specialized elites will form (such as 'representatives').
: The point about division of labour, is that it denies people to invest their whole person into tehir life-activity, as would have, say, an artisan, involved in using many different skills as partt of a production process.
Artisans (and other petty proprietors) are firmly IN FAVOR of hypertrophied social divisions of labor. Guild system, anyone?
: I entirely agree, that if some unpopular jobs cannot be filled, then a rota may be preferable, but frankly, you'd end up with people swapping, with lazy bugger's skipping, and with a general feel of the onerousness of the task - I prefer 'guilt-lists' over alienation to the system.
You' re waffling here...
: And before you say it - the chances of my finding any skilled job otehr than teaching, are fucking slight with a lit degree.
What you specialize in is your business.
Should that exempt you from doing your fair share of unskilled work?---or do you want some unskilled people kicking around to do it for you?
You are not taking a CLEAR position here.
More on job rotation here and here.
