the additional workforce would come from other segments - which finally means reduction in standard of living for the average citizen.
This is a great point, one also addressed by Kropotkin in The Conquest of Bread. However, you’re assuming all labor meaningfully contributes to our standard of living and produces “societal achievements”. I’m not so sure about that, I have yet to see any benefit from e.g. the advertising industry.
As Kropotkin and Graeber both argue, capitalism breeds many bullshit jobs that help capital accumulation but don’t actually contribute to a better society. Transferring those workers to necessary jobs alone would allow us to work less without a meaningful loss in standard of living.
Will that get us to 4/10/10? Probably not, but I like to be a little aspirational. If you only demand a workable 40h workweek that’s all you’re getting, if that. Any further demand will simply be met with “but we already gave you what you wanted you ungrateful peasant!” :)
This is a great point, one also addressed by Kropotkin in The Conquest of Bread. However, you’re assuming all labor meaningfully contributes to our standard of living and produces “societal achievements”. I’m not so sure about that, I have yet to see any benefit from e.g. the advertising industry.
As Kropotkin and Graeber both argue, capitalism breeds many bullshit jobs that help capital accumulation but don’t actually contribute to a better society. Transferring those workers to necessary jobs alone would allow us to work less without a meaningful loss in standard of living.
Will that get us to 4/10/10? Probably not, but I like to be a little aspirational. If you only demand a workable 40h workweek that’s all you’re getting, if that. Any further demand will simply be met with “but we already gave you what you wanted you ungrateful peasant!” :)