Many anti-communists are under the impression that communism is utopian and divorced from reality. I.e. on that dumbass sub enoughcommiespam, they say that having robots do janitorial work is idealistic and that there needs to be a division of labor for society to function. How do yall respond to that?

  • Shrike502
    11·
    2 years ago

    Is “division of labor” a code for “you work, I take rent”? Look, I’m very much a newbie to the Marxist theory, but isn’t it very much not against people working (and working different professions), just as it is not against markets and even personal employment? Please correct me if I’m wrong.

    • Beat_da_Rich
      3·
      2 years ago

      Division of Labor is the specialization of tasks in the production process, which was born out of the transition away from feudal agrarian societies. It leads to efficiency, and that has come with pros and cons. Like automation, DoL is not a “bad” thing itself. It’s just that under capitalism (and especially as it’s evolved with globalization) these things lead to further exploitation.

      There is no reason that these processes that have been instrumental in the development of capitalism cannot also be used to the betterment of humanity under socialism. Efficiency in production is a good thing if production is aimed towards common human goals that centers the needs of workers, rather than an unsustainable chase towards a few individuals’ unsatiable appetite for profit.