Wake Up

Raging Against the Machine

wake up

I fail to understand why, in the 21st century, people are expected to work just as long — if not longer — than they did fifty years ago, despite productivity and efficiency increasing many times over.

Labour productivity has tripled since 1950. Wages have not. In real terms, people today earn less than their parents and grandparents did, while housing, healthcare, education, and basic necessities have become dramatically more expensive. Wages no longer rise in proportion to inflation, let alone productivity. 

This is not an accident. It is not the result of “market forces” or unfortunate economics. It is the outcome of a deliberate shift in priorities.

The system isn't broken, people. It's been fixed to work against people. This is the largest fraud of all time, and it's happening right under our noses.

"Hungry people don't stay hungry for so long" 

For decades, the value created by workers has been siphoned upward. Companies no longer exist primarily to produce goods or services for society, but to maximise returns for shareholders. The gains of increased efficiency are not shared — they are hoarded.

People are not poorer because they are less productive as their parents. They are poorer because they are being robbed. Robbed of the fruits of their labour.

The question is not why people feel exhausted, angry, or disillusioned. The real question is how long this theft can continue before people stop accepting it.