The problem with the idea of 8 hours of work, 8 hours of sleep and 8 hours of recreation as a structure for a day is that it simply can’t work that way. If I’m expected to be at work at 9, then my work day must begin at 7. Allowing myself a rushed experience to wake up and get to work. And I live close to work. So either my recreation or my sleep needs to take a hit, but for some people it could be more. 8 hours a day, 5 days a week as a basis for full time work is honestly unreasonable at that point. Because it isn’t actually 40 hours a week, it’s 50 hours a week lost to a job, of which 10 is unpaid.
some of my coworkers have 2h of transit to get to work, which takes 4-5h off their free time. working full time is a bad idea and shouldve never been a thing
And let’s not forget that maintaining a clean home and providing food for yourself takes over 20 hours a week (appx 20 hours in-house, and varying hours spent running outside errands) if you are completely abled.
the human drive to compete for greatest misery is truly incredible
as if there were any greater gift we could give the capitalists than a competitive desire to show how much abuse we can withstand, and how little we’re willing to do it for
until we all accept that mistreatment of any of us is unacceptable and that puritan denial and overwork are not virtues, we’re going to continue to race to the bottom, and the winners will always be the bosses
19-year-old me starting her first day at her first factory job: “I get to be physically active and make decent money doing regular work, yes this is good, much better than other things.”
Me, a few short years later: “Is it normal for my knees to make that noise? Is it normal for my elbows to make that noise? Is it normal to not feel your feet? My chest hurts. Gimme a goddamn cigarette, Kyle. Fuckin hell no I’m not gonna be here Saturday. Union when? Strike when?”