unbossed: I posted this one as part of that last set, but I think it needs to be seen on its own to
unbossed:I posted this one as part of that last set, but I think it needs to be seen on its own to be truly appreciated. This is probably the most succinct explanation I’ve ever seen of how private property ownership creates an imbalance of power that makes wage labor an inherently non-voluntary transaction. When the means of production necessary for meeting human needs are under the exclusive control of one class of people they are able to use that advantage to exploit others.If the person on the left perhaps had a means to fish, such as a net or harpoon, then the exchange might be considered voluntary. As it stands, though, the person who is claiming ownership of the tree has control over the sole source of readily obtained food. The threat of starvation (or violence by the tree’s owner) is a coercive factor that so many capitalists deliberately ignore when they claim that wage labor is a voluntary transaction. -- source link